JOURNAL OF SAFFRON RESEARCH
Year:2014 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Organic manure and bio-fertilizer are different input from chemical or mineral fertilizers due to source of supplying of several nutrients an improving soil quality as well. In order to investigate the effects of different fertilizers and corm size on yield and yield components of saffron, an experiment was conducted as split plot factorial layout based on a complete randomized block design with four replications under field condition in Mahvelate during growing season of 2011-2012. In this study, manure and chemical fertilizers (in three levels of 0, 50 and 100%) considered as main factor and combination of biological fertilizer (in three levels such as nitroxin, bio superphosphate and without it) and corm weight (in three levels of 4-6, 8-10 and 12-14 g) were considered as sub factor. The results showed that the use of manure and chemical fertilizers had significant effects on fresh weight of flowers, length of stigma and style and number of flowers in saffron as well. These traits increased when fertilizer levels were enhanced. Results revealed that fresh weight of flower, flower number and length of stigma and style of saffron were significantly increased by increasing in corm size. Studying on the effect of biological fertilizers on saffron traits indicated that the most number of flowers obtained when nitroxin, bio superphosphate and no biological fertilizers were applied, respectively. Application of nitroxin fertilizer improved fresh weight of flowers, but application of bio superphosphat fertilizer had no significant effect on this traits. Style and stigma lengths of saffron were not significantly affected by application of biological fertilizers.

In order to grow plants in any region, suitable weather and climatic condition are required. Climatic parameters such as precipitation, temperature and humidity have significant roles in the growth and yield in a region; therefore, understanding the climate and analyzing the ecophysiological characteristics of plants are the most important factors in the yield of the plant. Saffron is one of the profitable plants in South Khorasan. The yield of saffron from this region has caused Iran to be the targets producer of this plant in the world. The significance of planting saffron in Iran is related to many factors such as the high efficiency of water usage and employment of villagers. The analysis of the effect of climatic parameters on the saffron yield and determining the suitable areas for planting this plant according to these parameters are important for agriculture and economy. The statistics and data of 20 years taken from the Weather Station in the region and the 10 years saffron yield were used. Regression analysis and create of equation using precipitation, relative humidity, and the relation between these parameters was accomplished by the use of JMP 4 software. Digitized climate zonation maps were made by Arc GIS 9.2 software. The results showed that precipitation was most effect on the saffron yield during the months of December, Feburay, March and April compared with the other months and considering humidity, the most affected months are October, November, Decmber, January and February. Also, after analyzing the equation and the climate zonation maps and the final map, it became obvious that the most of the areas of the Province were able to be ranked as suitable. The North and North-Eastern regions were the best areas regarding the parameters discussed in order to grow saffron. The center of province were considered average region to grow saffron and the Southern and South-Western areas were determined the least suitable for growing saffron.

Saffron (Corocus sativus) is known as one of the most valuable medicinal and spice plants in worldwide. This plant is one of the most important crops in South Khorasan Province. Despite the many researches on saffron cultivation in many regions in the country with different climatic conditions but there were few studies about saffron emergence as most important growth stage. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of P, Ca and soil Zeolites at 20 and 60 g.kg-1 levels on time and percentage of saffron emergence. This experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with seven treatments and nine replications in Birjand Agriculture Research Field during year of 2012. The results of this study showed that the effect of zeolite type was significant on saffron emergence time (p£0.01) and percentage of saffron emergence (p£0.05). There were not a significant effect on time and percentage of emergence by using different zeolite levels. There was an interaction between type and level of zeolite on saffron emergence time (p£0.001). Emergence time was decreased by using zeolite at a level of 20 g.kg-1 except in soil zeolite, while percentage of emergence was significantly increased only in P and soil (at a level of 60 g.kg-1) zeolite. Thus, using K zeolite can increase the percentage of emergence and decrease emergence time of saffron corms.

In order to investigate the quantitative characteristics of saffron in the city of Khorramabad climatic conditions characterized by moderate rainfall and annual temperatures of 520 mm and 17.5°C and with a height of 1150 m above sea level, was carried out based on a randomized complete block design with three replications and six years during years from 2006 to 2011 under dry land farming and irrigated conditions. The results showed that the fourth and fifth withs a total yield 12.8 and 12.2 kg.ha-1 of dried saffron were more than others treatments and the second, third and sixth years with 5.3, 5.99 and 7.04 kg.ha-1 in the middle group and first year with 0.4 kg.ha-1 was lower group, rewspectively. There wasn’t any significant difference between irrigated and dry land farming cultivation with the average yield of 7.5 and 7.1 kg.ha-1 during the six years of study. The result also showed that there wasn’t any meaning difference between the production of corm in irrigated and dry farming conditions with the yield of 23.9 and 22.9 t.ha-1, respectively.

In order to study the effects of soil textures and super absorbent polymer rates on yield of flower, corm and stigma and other growth characteristics of saffron, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on a randomized completed block design with three replications at the outdoor area of the greenhouse of College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during two years of 2010 and 2011. The experimental treatments were three soil textures in fine to coarse ranges such as sandy loam, loam, clay loam and super absorbent polymer rates such as zero, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 weight percentage based on dry weight of soil. Traits including emergence rate of leaf, duration of flowering, dry weight of corm, number and fresh weight of flower and dry weight of stigma for saffron measured and calculated. The results showed that the simple effects of soil textures and super absorbent polymer rates were significant on emergence rate of leaf, flowering rate, dry weight of corm, number and fresh weight of flower and dry weight of stigma for saffron (p£0.01). The highest stigma yield with 0.94 g.m-2 was recorded in sandy loam that it was higher that loam and clay loam with 30 and 49%, respectively. By increasing in super absorbent from 0 to 0.8% enhanced dry weight of stigma. Since saffron fields in arid and semi arid climatic conditions have clay texture with relatively low moisture content, super absorbent application might increase growth and yield due to accelerating in initiation of flower harvest from saffron farm.

Natural dyes have been an integral part of the human life and his society. Natural colorants are color substances with high and average fastness which originated in plants and animals. The foresaid play an essential role especially in traditional coloration. Biological behavior, color fastness, economic characteristics and intrinsic affinity are some beneficial properties of natural colors have caused that these colors are renowned. In this project, colorants were produced from saffron wastage, and wool yarns were mordant. These mordant dyes were colored in the existence of foresaid colorant. Light and washing fastness of the yarns were investigated then. The results showed that the yarns with various mordents have varied variances and the combination of light and washing fastness observed in acceptable levels.

In order to investigate the effects of high corm planting density and applied manure on flower characteristics and corms behavior of Saffron in the second year (Crocus sativus L.), a field experiment was conducted at Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during the years of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. A complete randomized block design based on factorial arrangement with three replications and 20 treatments was used. The experimental treatments were all combination of different levels of high corm planting density (100, 200, 300 and 400 corms.m-2) and different levels of manure (0, 40, 60, 80 and 100 t.ha-1). Based on analysis of variance, high corm planting density and manure had significant effects on flower characteristics of saffron (flower number, fresh and dried flower and stigma+style yields). In addition, these characteristics were significantly affected by interaction effects of high corm planting density´manure. In all levels of manure (0 to 100 t.ha-1), the highest flower number and fresh and dried flower yields of saffron were observed with planting density of 400 corms.m-2. In addition, in 100 corms density per m2, total replacement corms increased more than twice, by applied 100 t.ha-1 manure, as compared to no manure. Based on these results, the highest effects on increasing number and yield of saffron corms were observed by planting density of 300 corms.m-2.

In order to evaluate the effects of Nano and micro Chelated iron fertilizer on yield of saffron, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications under field condition in Research Farm of Shahed University during growing season of 2010-2011. Factors included two iron fertilizers (Nano chelated and ordinary Chelated) and three levels of fertilizer (such as 0, 5 and 10 kg.ha-1). Results showed that the effects of iron fertilizers and fertilizers were significant on length and number of leaves, number of flower, total weight of corm, fresh weight of flower, main corm weight, number of corm, dried stigma yield and main corm diameter. As amount of these fertilizers increased the saffron yield and attributed traits. Application of 10 kg.ha-1 Nano Chelated iron fertilizer increased dried stigma yield (59%), fresh weight of flower (69%), number of flower (51%), number of leaves (62%), length of leaves (69%), main corm diameter (33%) and corm total weight (42%) to control. Application of 5 kg.ha-1 Nano Chelated iron fertilizer increased number of corm 56% compared to control. Fe concentration did not affect by kind of Iron fertilizer however, it decreased as amount of iron fertilizer increased. Total Fe uptake increased up to 11% in Nano fertilizer compared to micro fertilizer. So, application of 5 kg Nano Chelated iron fertilizer and 10 kg ordinary Chelated fertilizer had the same effects on most characteristics, this indicates that Nano Chelated iron fertilizer is more efficient than common Chelate.