JOURNAL OF SAFFRON RESEARCH
Year:2018 | Volume:6 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:10

Saffron (Crocus sativus L. ) is a subtropical plant which is cultivated in Iran so far and its yield is strongly dependent on soil chemical properties. Zeolites are one of the substances which are used to improve soil characteristics and soil correction capability as well. To evaluate the effects of these minerals in some soil chemical properties (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, SO4, HCO3, pH and EC) under saffron cultivation, a study was conducted at completely randomized design with seven treatments at the Agricultural Research Station, University of Birjand during 2012. Factors which examined in this study included type of Zeolites: calcic zeolite (ZCa), potasic zeolite (ZK) and z-mix zeolite (ZS) in three levels: zero (Z0), 2 (M2) and 6 (M6) as weight% with 9 replications. These treatments were mixed with soil and were placed in pots with diameter 30 cm and height 35 cm. Soil sampling was done in depth of 10-20 cm at the end of crop season. Also, soil sampling was performed at two other depth layers (0-10 and 20-30 cm) for determination of soil EC. The results showed that the effect of zeolite was significant on bicarbonate concentration in soil solution (P≤ 0. 05). Interaction effect between type and amount of zeolite was significant on Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4 concentrations in soil solution and pH as well (P≤ 0. 05) and it affected on Na and total cations (P≤ 0. 01), but the amount of Zeolite has no affect. Mean comparisons showed that application of ZK on both levels was affected on sodium and bicarbonate of soil solution. The application of ZCa caused significant change in soil salinity (ECe) and this factor reduced 3. 1 to 3. 9 times compared to control. Regarding to the results, it is recommended to use calcic zeolite in lower soil depth and potasic zeolite in soil surface. It is beneficial to reduce the solute transport toward the soil surface and reduction of ECe in corm root zone.

The effects of humic acid on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of saffron were evaluated under field conditions. This experiment was carried out based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of University of Birjand, during cropping year 2015-2016. Treatments were four levels of humic acid (0, 5, 10 and 15 l. ha-1). The results showed that humic acid improved the leaf growth indices (fresh and dry weights) and chl a content. The highest leaf fresh weight (0. 116 g. plant-1) and dry weight (0. 029 g. plant-1) were obtained 5 and 10 l. ha-1 humic acid while the lowest values were recorded in control. Also, humic acid improved the corm growth indices (corm number and total fresh, daughter corm weight and diameter of daughter corm). Stigma fresh and dry yield were influenced by humic acid in the second year. The highest stigma fresh yield (0. 7 g. m-2) and stigma dry yield (0. 029 g. m-2) were obtained in 5 and 15 l. ha-1 humic acid. While the lowest values (with 0. 267 and 0. 022 g. m-2, respectively) were recorded in control. But, no significant difference was found in flower number and fresh total yield. Thus, results showed that application of 5 l. ha-1 humic acid is useful to improve vegetative and reproductive characteristics of saffron.

Cold stress which occurs naturally during vegetative growth of saffron as a medicinal plant which it can significantly affect its growth and flowering stage. Foliar application of phytohormones and nutrients can improve its tolerance to environmental stress. In order to evaluate the role of salicylic acid and potassium nitrate as foliar application on saffron growth, a two years study during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016) was carried out based on a randomized complete block design with four replications at Sarayan Faculty of Agriculture (University of Birjand). Different levels of salicylic acid (0. 5, 1 and 2 mM) and potassium nitrate (250, 500 and 1000 mg. l-1) plus control (as distilled water) were sprayed twice during plant growth. Based on the results, the highest chlorophyll a (6. 93 mg. g-1 FW) and chlorophyll a/b ratio were obtained at 1000 mg. l-1 of potassium nitrate, which had no significant difference with 2 mM Salicylic acid. The highest chlorophyll b content was obtained at 0. 5 mM salicylic acid (1. 084 mg. g-1 FW) that showed no significant different with 1 mM. The lowest chlorophyll a (3. 59 mg. g-1 FW) and total chlorophyll (0. 309 mg. g-1 FW) were obtained at control (spraying with distilled water). All levels of salicylic acid and potassium nitrate reduced the electrolyte leakage percentage, so that the highest and the lowest values were observed at control (34. 1%) and 1 mM salicylic acid (14. 4%), respectively. Moreover, the highest amounts of daughter corms fresh weight (3. 9 g), number of leaves (8 leaves. plant-1), and leaf length (33. 81 cm) were related to 2 mM salicylic acid. The treatment of 2 mM salicylic acid and then 1000 mg. l-1 potassium nitrate were the best treatments in terms of chlorophyll content, vegetative growth parameters and corm growth indices of saffron. Overall, it can be concluded that foliar application of salicylic acid and potassium nitrate are appropriate strategies in saffron cultivation which can reduce the effects of thermal stress (reduce in electrolyte leakage) and increase daughter corm growth and leaf extension.

The economic and social importance of saffron as the most expensive spice in the world has a unique position among Iranian industrial and export products. The many uses of saffron, its medicinal properties, its diverse food consumption and most importantly, the main role in life the farmers in the provinces of Khorasan Razavi and South, More specifically, attention is paid to the issues of production, export and market of saffron. The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the value of saffron in Iran using the Delphi method. In this regard, 36 criteria in three main groups of production, export and processing were prepared by a questionnaire and then analyzed by the experts. The results showed that processing, export and production ranked first to third in terms of the importance of influencing the value of saffron crop. Also, The most important criterion in the processing index, lack of a national brand (lack of name commercial), the most important criterion in the export index, fraud in saffron and the most important criterion in the index of production, individual work of saffron (lack of appropriate cooperative companies). Therefore, it is suggested that the government policy in order to reduce the cost of processing and creating a national brand of saffron, monitoring the fraud of saffron and eliminating speculators, using the right methods of mechanized cultivation and establishing cooperative societies of saffron and creating a coherent organization of buying, distributing and packaging saffron, be done.

Climate change can have direct and indirect consequences on water resources, agriculture and environments. The effect of these changes will intensify in the coming decades. South Khorasan province is more sensitive to climate change. South Khorasan province was affected by the consequences of climate change and its effects in many places due to the occurrence and persistence of droughts have been observed. Agriculture is the most vulnerable sectors. Given that most rural livelihood is agriculture, including the cultivation of saffron. Knowledge of the future status of such variables influencing the temperature is very important for future planning. This study explores the changes in temperature until 2100 in South Khorasan Province deals. The main purpose of the identification of the main focuses of temperature change and displacement that followed in the cultivation of saffron. The method of this study was to evaluate temperature changes for greenhouse gas emissions and using the hybrid model MAGICC-SENEN and general circulation models of the atmosphere HADCM3 and ECHO-G fewer than 18, including climate change scenarios A1B, B1 and A2 for the next decade to 2100. The 1961-2000 years as the previous period and the period 2016-2100 were selected as future periods. The results showed that decades to come will be an increasing trend of temperature changes; the temperature increase is more since 2025. In some areas of the southern and central parts, including the northern region of the temperature rise would be higher. Saffron growing areas in the province in the coming period from spread in the city of Poets, Cain, and Asadiyeh Paradise Island deformation pattern will be more compatible with saffron and plain Nimbluk, Khezri and will in the coming periods.

Given that saffron is a perennial plant that its growth and development are coincided by apple tree inactive phase and also flowering and development stages have little interference with the tree, on the other hand due to synchrony of rainy seasons with plant growth, this plant can be a good candidate for agroforestry in apple orchard especially in semi-arid regions as Iran. So this experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of corm weight and plant density on saffron yield affected intercropping with apple tree. The experiment carried out as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications during 2015-2016 growing seasons. Three corm densities (30. 8, 40 and 57. 1 corms. m-2) and four corm weights (≤ 6. 0, 6. 1-8. 0, 8. 1-10. 0 and >10. 0 g) were considered as treatments. Rows spacing was 25 cm and corm spacing set-out based on density levels. The results showed that the maximum flower numbers, fresh flower yield, dry stigma yield, corm yield, corm number and dry stigma yield per orchard area were achieved from 57. 1 corms. m-2 and 10< g weight in two years. Maximum emergence percentage was belonged to 10< g corm in two years. Given that saffron yield consist of dry stigma yield and corm weight, it seems that sowing corm with 10< g weight and 57. 1 corms. m-2 can produce proper yield, especially at the first and second years, that apple trees canopy is not completed yet.

In recent years, cultivation of saffron in Neyshabur city has been more attention by farmers due to low water requirements and adequate income. Planning for the marketing of this economical product and the provision of agricultural inputs related to saffron requires that the information of area under its cultivation. In this research, using Landsat 8 satellite images and time difference methods based on plant phenology prepared to estimate the cultivation areas in Darbeghazi village of Neyshabur. Two satellite images in June (related to the plant at dormant phase) and December (related to vegetative growth stage) were prepared. Using different vegetation indices, saffron lands were distinguished from other agricultural products. In this research, the cultivated area was determined by 1229 ha with a total accuracy of 82%. Also, the results indicated that the accuracy of this method depended on the patch area of agricultural lands, so that in the areas less than 2000 m2, the user's precision was 62%, and in lands with an area between 2000 and 5000 m2, accuracy was 72%, in parts between half to one ha precision was 81% and in lands more than one ha, accuracy was 90%. The results revealed that this method is suitable for estimating cultivated area of saffron in other parts of the country.

In this research, a new magnetically catalyst was done in order to synthesize by the immobilization of saffron on the surface of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles under ultrasonic agitation. The high catalytic efficiency of γ-Fe2O3@saffron as a reusable organocatalyst in the synthesis of a wide variety of quinoxaline derivatives under mild eco-friendly conditions was exploited. Desired yields of heterocyclic compounds were obtained in the present method employing ethanol as an eco-friendly solvent under mild conditions. This novel magnetic catalyst could be easily separated from the reaction mixture by a magnetic bar and recovered at least five times without intense loss of its activity. The additional advantage of this catalytic system is facile and easy work-up procedure of the solid catalyst at the end of reaction, convenient, and high yield. These benefits plus excellent reusability of the catalyst render the present strategy practical to address the environmental and industrial issues. Catalyst characterization was performed by using FT-IR, XRD, VSM and TEM.

Overuse of nitrogen fertilizers does not meet the farmer's goal of increasing the product, but also causes environmental contamination. The question of how best to use these fertilizers is affected by farmers to reduce pollution without affecting their welfare and developmental opportunities are important questions that need to be evaluated. In this study, effective factors on the optimal use of nitrogen fertilizer in Torbat Heydarieh, as the main production area of saffron, have been investigated and analyzed. To this end, the information about 400 saffron farmers that were collected during the year 2016 from Torbat Heydarieh region has been used. The results of Logit model show a positive relationship between the age of the farm, the age of the farmer, the size of the farm, the frequency of irrigation and the occupation outside the field and the level of N fertilizer application; and the negative relationship between variables of education level, amount of animal manure, soil fertility, N fertilizer price, experience and membership in rural cooperative with N fertilizer level. Based on these results, efforts should being made to increase awareness of saffron farmers in managing fertilizer use, offering new ecological approaches, especially for large farms, and using pricing policies aimed at replacing other inputs, such as biological fertilizers.

In order to investigate the effect of different nitrogen sources on some quantitative and biochemical characteristics of Saffron, an experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of Zanjan University. The treatments were Azotobarvar-1 biofertilizer (containing free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azotobacter vinelandii) at two levels (0. 1 and 0. 2 %), Nitrokara (containing symbiotic and free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azorhizobium caulinodan) at two levels (1 and 2 %), and combination of both at four levels (1% Nitrokara + 0. 1 % Azotobarvar-1, 1 % Nitrokara + 0. 2 % Azotobarvar-1, 2 % Nitrokara + 0. 1 % Azotobarvar-1, 2 % Nitrokara + 0. 2 % Azotobarvar-1) compared to control and one nitrogen level (40 kg/ha) in the form of urea. The results showed that the highest number of flowers, performance of stigma and the maximum length of stigma was Obtain from plants inoculated with 0. 2 % Azotobacter. The highest leaf nitrogen content and chlorophyll a obtained in 0. 2 % Azotobacter and 40 kg/ha nitrogen. Also 0. 1% Azotobacter and 2 % Azorhizobium treatments resulted in highest dry weight of stigma. The highest amounts of antioxidant and total phenol of stigmas were achieved with 1 % Azorhizobium and the highest amount of flavonoids was observed with 0. 1 % Azotobacter. The Highest amounts of crocin and safranal were obtained with 0. 1 % Azotobacter and 1 % Azorhizobium treatments respectively. In general, to obtain higher production of saffron 0. 2 % Azotobacter, and to achieve higher content of active substances 0. 1 % Azorhizobium are recommended.