Saffron Agronomy and Technology
Year:2016 | Volume:4 | Issue:1|Papers Count:6

Selection of suitable mother corms is an important factor for achieving optimum yield in saffron. In order to investigate the effect of some agronomic factors on the growth of replacement corms of saffron, an experiment was done at the Faculty of Agriculture, the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during 2009-2011. The experimental treatments consisted of planting on the following dates (22 May, 22 July and 22 September, 2009), irrigation management (Irrigation and no irrigation after each planting date and repeating them in the second year in late spring, summer and early autumn irrigations) and companion crops [Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum), Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia) (Lathyrus sativus) and control), that were arranged in a split-split plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Sampling of replacement corms was done after the second growth cycle of saffron in May, 2011. The results showed that with delay in corm planting from May to September, the number of replacement corms and percentage of corms with contractile root increased by 25 and 33%, respectively. However, the amounts of total weight of replacement corms per clone, mean number of flowering buds per corm, mean number of total buds per corm, mean weight and mean diameter of replacement corms planted in July were 21, 70, 40, 32 and 37% higher than those planted in September, respectively. Irrigation increased the amount of contractile roots and number of replacement corms per clone (12%), but decreased the amount of mean number of flowering buds (19%), mean number of total buds (11%) and mean weight (19%) and diameter (8%) of replacement corms. Moreover, application of companion crops had a partially positive impact on the indices of growth of replacement corms of saffron such as follows: the total weight of replacement of corms per clone (8%), corms to scales weight ratio (14%), number of flowering buds (10%) and mean weight of replacement corm (10%). Overall, mother corm planting during real dormancy, no irrigation after planting and during summer as well as application of associated crops have a positive effect on the mean weight of replacement corms as the main important factor in saffron flowering.

In order to study the effect of planting density on flower and corm yield of Spanish and Iranian saffron (Crocus sativus L.) types, an experiment was arranged in factorial with randomized complete block design with three replications. This experiment was conducted on the Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2013-15. The saffron corm type was considered in two levels (a1: Iranian corm and a2: Spanish corm) and the planting densities were in three levels (d1:40, d2:48 and d3:60 corm.m-2). The two year results showed that the effect of different planting density and saffron corm types on the number of flowers, flower fresh and dry weight (stigma + style) and number of replacement corms were significant (P<0.01) while, the effect of corm type on fresh and dry weight of replacement corms was not significant. The highest number of flowers (30.25 No.m-2), flower fresh weight (15.125 g. m-2) and (stigma + style) dry weight (0.16 g.m-2) were obtained in d2 (48 corm.m-2), respectively. Corm type had significant effects on saffron flower characteristics. The highest numbers of flowers (27.21 No.m-2), flower fresh weight (13.58 g.m-2) and (stigma + style) dry weight (0.144 g.m-2) were obtained from Iranian corms (a1), respectively. However, the highest number (222.83 No.m-2), fresh weight (694.92 g.m-2) and dry weight (270.32 g.m-2) of replacement corms were obtained from Spanish corms (a2), respectively. The years had significant effects on saffron flower and corm characteristics as the highest amounts were obtained in second year (Y2), respectively.

In order to investigate the effect of planting density and maternal corm weight on some characteristics of daughter corms and agronomic characteristics of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) a field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Mashhad. This experiment was carried out as a factorial split plot in time based on complete block design with three replications and 12 treatments during the years 2010-2014. The experimental factors were 3 levels of density (40, 80 and160 corm in m2) and 4 levels of mother corm weight (£3, 3-6, 6-9 and 9- 12 g per corm) as a main plot and time as a sub plot. The results showed that density, maternal corm weight and year had significant effects on daughter corm’s weight, but the effect of interaction density ´ corm weight and density ´ weight ´ year were not significant for the most characteristics. The mean comparison of interaction effect of density ´ weight for number of daughter corm showed that maternal corm weight (9-12 g) ´ planting density (160 m2) had the highest number for daughter corms (771 m2). Maternal corms with higher initial weight produced the highest number of corms in different corm classes. In addition, the results showed that maternal corm with lower initial weight produced heavy daughter corms compared to other maternal corm weight classes. Flower weight and stigma dry weight of saffron (m2) were increased by increasing planting density and maternal corm weight flower number. The highest dry stigma (0.65 g.m-2) yield was produced by maternal corm (9-12 g per corm) weight class.

In spite of lots of work performed by saffron farmers in the Southern Khorasan province, a desirable yield has not been obtained which is partly attributed to the lack of scientific knowledge. This investigation is aimed to assess the indigenous knowledge of saffron farmers on the issues related to irrigation, and also to examine their strengths and weaknesses for taking effective steps to increase crop productivity. A questionnaire (researcher made) including 11 questions about the issues related to irrigation and 14 questions on general information and extensional items were randomly distributed to 235 subjects in the population of farmers of the Southern Khorasan province. The dependent variable was the score of the subjects for the correct answers. Statistical comparison between the levels of each of the independent variables (with significant effect) was undertaken by Tukey-Kramer test using the SAS software. The findings revealed that the groups of subjects participating in the extension courses who were either natives in the South Khorasan province, or had insuring their products answered a greater number of questions correctly with a significant level of 1%. However, the subjects living in the villages had more correct answers at a significance level of 5%. Overall, the results suggest that short-term and long-term programming are needed for the region’s farmers to gain appropriate scientific knowledge about saffron planting.

In this study, profit efficiency and its influence factors were analyzed using stochastic frontier production approach and simultaneously estimating the behavioral profit model of saffron farms. For this purpose, information from 81 farmers that were interviewed randomly in 2014 was used. The results showed that the average profit efficiency of saffron farms was 61.4 percent and 51.3 percent of saffron farms have lower profit efficiency than 50 percent. Based on the results of the frontier profit function, pesticide costs have a negative effect on the profit of saffron farms and the cost of water, machine, labor cost, years of experience, farm size and participation in promoting class are positive and have a significant effect on profit efficiency. Based on the results of this study providing the necessary conditions along with easier and cheaper access to modern equipment and also encouraging farmers to use optimal allocation and reduce costs is an effective step to improve the profitability of saffron farms.

This study has been carried out with the goal of investigating the social and financial impacts of saffron on rural families. In this research, descriptive analysis has been implemented through field and library studies. The statistical population used were all the families of 13 villages in Balavelayat rural district in the city of Bakharz (=2908N) where 272 families were chosen randomly among the families there. To gather data, a questionnaire was designed and distributed in villages based on the number of the families there. The reliability of the questionnaire has been tested by professors in geography, rural planning and agricultural education. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire has been estimated using SPSS software and its amount was found to be 0.81. The results of the research show that the environmental conditions of the region for cultivating saffron are suitable because the level of significance of each three variable was 0.000 which was less than 0.50. These variables include: “lack of water in the region and the fact that saffron needs low water”, “proper soil conditions for saffron cultivation” and “suitable season for harvesting”. Also the results of T-Test show that the level of significance for indices like human, saffron cultivation training and experience and local knowledge equals 0.000. Then the positive social-financial impacts of saffron cultivation on rural families have been proved, in such a way that saffron income in comparison with other agricultural products has a 0.000 level of significance and a high mean of 3 (3.38).