Saffron Agronomy and Technology
Year:2019 | Volume:6 | Issue:4|Papers Count:9

In order to evaluate the effects of soil fertilizers and summer irrigation on corm, flower and stigma yield of saffron, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during three growing seasons of 2013-2016. The first factor included cow manure, chemical fertilizer (N, P and K), Thiobacillus spp., sulfur, Thibacilus + sulfur and control and the second factor was summer irrigation in three levels including without summer irrigation, once summer irrigation (23 July) and twice summer irrigation (22 June+23 July) in the second and the third years. The results in the third experiment (2015-2016) revealed that the interaction effect between soil fertilizers and summer irrigation were significant (P≤ 0. 01) on all studied traits except stigma dry weight, corms with weight more than 16 g and dry weight of daughter corms. The highest flower number (282. 7 numbers. M-2), flower fresh weight (103. 2 g. m-2), stigma dry weight (1. 73 g. m-2), leaf dry weight (13. 33 g. m-2), dry weight of buds (4. 61 g. m-2), number of flowering buds per corm (2. 627), corm percentage with contractile roots (%58. 41), corm diameter (3. 61 cm) and corms in different weights were obtained in cow manure and once summer irrigation. It seems that summer irrigation has caused promotion of the release of nutrients of cow manure and these nutrients are provided gradually during the growth of plants.

The effects of applications of cow manure and fulvic acid on antioxidant activities and components of saffron were evaluated under field conditions. Treatments were four levels of cow manure (0, 10, 20 and 30 t. ha-1) and three levels of fulvic acid (0, 5 and 10 kg. ha-1). This experiment was carried out as factorial based on randomized completely block design with three replications in the research farm of Birjand University, Iran, during the cropping year 2015-2016. The results showed that cow manure improved the active ingredients of stigma (picrocrocin, safranal and crocin) in the first year of study. Also, the results showed that petal antioxidant compounds (total phenol and anthocyanin) and active ingredients of stigma were influenced by cow manure in the second year of study. The highest safranal was obtained in plants treated with 10 t. ha-1 cow manure in the first year of experiment. The results also showed that fulvic acid has a positive effect on active ingredients of stigma (picrocrocin and crocin), anthocyanin and total phenol in two years of experiment and the highest rate of anthocyanin and total phenol were obtained with 5 kg. ha-1 fulvic acid while the lowest values were recorded in control. The application of different levels of cow manure and fulvic acid had a positive effect on the active ingredients of stigma in two years of experiment and anthocyanin and phenol in the second year of study. Thus, the results showed that cow manure and fulvic acid have a significant impact on antioxidant compounds and active ingredients of saffron under field conditions.

In order to study the response of saffron medicinal plant to planting density and different levels of manure, a two year experiment was conducted in split-plot as complete block design with three replications in 2015-16 and 2016-2017 in the Gonabad area. The main factor consisted of 5, 10, and 15 cm plant spacing on row and sub factor was control (no manure application), and application of 0, 20, 40, and 60 t. ha-1 cow manure. The results of the experiment showed that maximum value of fresh flower yield in the first year (127. 4 kg. ha-1) was achieved in 60 t/ha and in the second year it was achieved in (72. 3 kg. ha-1) obtained from 40 t. ha-1 manure application under 5 cm plant spacing in rows. The highest fresh stigma yield in both years (10. 300 and 5. 383 kg. ha-1, respectively) was obtained due to high planting density (5 cm plant spacing in row) and 40 t. ha-1 manure application. Also, dry stigma yield under this treatment with 2. 300 and 1. 770 kg. ha-1, respectively had more increase in both years than other treatments. The highest daughter corm number in both years (614 and 591 corm. m-2, respectively) was obtained from the highest corm planting density. In the first year, 40 t. ha-1 manure treatment had the highest value (592 corm. m-2) and in the second year, 60 t. ha-1 manure application showed the highest value (572 corm. m-2). In the first year, the highest corm yield with 22724 kg. ha-1 was achieved from 5 cm plant spacing in row and 40 t. ha-1 manure. However, in the second year the highest mean value (12429 kg. ha-1) was obtained from the same planting density and use of 60 t. ha-1 manure. Therefore, to achieve suitable economic yield in saffron cultivation, application of 40 t. ha-1 cow manure in 20×5 cm planting density under climatic and edaphic conditions similar to this experiment location is suggested.

In order to investigate the effects of mother corm weight (including 4. 1-7, 7. 1-10 and 10. 1-13 g) and different levels of cow manure (including 30 (control), 60 and 90 t. ha-1) on flower characteristics and daughter corms of saffron, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted during two cropping years (2012-13, 2013-14) in the Zaweh county. The results of variance analysis in the first and second years showed that there were significant differences between the simple effects and the interaction effects in terms of most of the studied traits, and these differences were higher in the second year. The highest (56. 8 m-2) and the lowest (41. 3 m-2) flower numbers were obtained in 90 t. ha-1 cow manure with bigger corm size ( 10. 1-13 g) and 60 t. ha-1 cow manure with smaller corm size (4. 1-7 g) treatments, respectively. 60 t. ha-1 cow manure with bigger corm size (10. 1-13 g) and 60 t. ha-1 cow manure with smaller corm size (4. 1-7 g) treatments produced the highest (0. 347 g. m-2) and the lowest (0. 220 g. m-2) dry weight of stigma, respectively. The highest and the lowest of total number of daughter corms (504. 2 and 264. 7 m-2), total daughter corm yield (2677. 3 and 1582. 9 g. m-2) were shown in 90 t. ha-1 cow manure with bigger corm size ( 10. 1-13 g) and 30 (control) t. ha-1 cow manure with smaller corm size (4. 1-7 g) treatments, respectively. In addition, the mean comparison of interaction effects in the second year showed that there were significant differences between most of the treatments. The interaction effects of the studied traits in the second year showed that 90 t. ha-1cow manure with bigger corm size (10. 1-13 g) and 30 (control) t. ha-1 cow manure with smaller corm size (4. 1-7 g) treatments produced the highest and the lowest flower number (231. 0 and 156. 5 m-2), stigma dry weight (2. 062 and 1. 053 g. m-2), total number of daughter corms (1024. 5 and 505. 5 m-2) and total daughter corms yield (4486. 6 and 2133. 1 g. m-2), respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that by increasing the use of cow manure (more than 60 t. ha-1) and the use of more than 7 grams of mother corms, it is possible to improve the number and yield of daughter corms and these traits will increase the saffron stigma yield in the next coming years.

In order to study the effect of bio-fertilizers, planting method and superabsorbent polymer on quantitative yield of saffron under rainfed conditions, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of Khorramabad, Iran during 2015-2016 growing seasons. In this study, Nitroxin bio-fertilizer (consumption 5 Lit. ha-1 and non-consumption), Stockosorb superabsorbent polymer (consumption 240 kg. ha-1 and non-consumption) and planting method (streaking and cluster) was tested. The results showed that triple interactions was significant for number of corm. m-2 in the first and second year and combined treatment including non-Nitroxin in cluster culture method using superabsorbent with 80. 67 corm. m-2 for the first year and with 183. 67 corm. m-2 for the second year was the superior treatment. The results showed significant differences for number of produced flowers and for fresh and dry weight of stigma in both years. In the first year, treatment including cluster method cultivation, consumption of superabsorbent and no consumption of Nitroxin was superior; while in the second year, the superior treatment was use of superabsorbent, Nitroxin and cluster method. For stigma dry weight of saffron, triple interactions was significant and in the first year, cluster method and consumption of superabsorbent and no usage of Nitroxin was superior (with 0. 6 kg. ha-1), and in the second year, use of Nitroxin and superabsorbent and cluster method was superior (with 0. 719 kg. ha-1). In general, the results of the present study in dry-farming conditions over the two years, the cluster cultivation method with usage of superabsorbent and Nitroxin could be recommended. The reasons for this recommendation and introduction of the mentioned methods are the dry climate conditions in the area of study and reduction in consumption of chemical fertilizers for development of sustainable agriculture.

The present research was conducted to investigate the effect of water stress and silver nanoparticles on morphological traits of some saffron ecotypes. The experiment was done in the form of split plot factorial in a randomized complete block design format in three replications at the research farm of Birjand University with two levels including full and low water irrigation on 10 ecotypes of saffron and at three levels of silver nanoparticles including control treatment (distilled water), 55 and 110 ppm. Traits such as germination date (germination), the number of germinated corms, the number of tillers, the number of leaves, leaf length, the pods length and leaf width were measured. The best date of emergence and the largest number of paws in complete irrigation treatment was observed under distilled water treatment (control). The highest number of corm germinated was observed in irrigated conditions at 55 ppm of silver nanoparticles in the Qaen ecotype. The highest leaf length was observed under drought stress in the treatment with distilled water (control). The largest number of leaves and leaf width were observed under drought stress at 55 ppm of silver nanoparticles. According to the obtained results of this study, some of the traits at the conditions of drought stress under silver nanoparticles with a concentration of 55 ppm and some of the traits in the full irrigation and lack of use of silver nanoparticles had the best performance. Thus, it could be said that probably, in stress dryness, the amount of ethylene increases. Some of the obtained results of this study can be related to the effect of silver in preventing ethylene activity.

According to the export of saffron (Crocus sativus. L) and superiority of organic products in the market, this study was performed in order to assess natural methods in control of saffron mite which is a major pest of saffron in the saffron research center of Torbat University. In this research, the effect of Bromopropylate and Propargite acaricides and Rosemary essential oil and Stinking assa resin have been studied on the development steps of Rhizoglyphus robbini in four doses and six different times of presence of acaricide (3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours) in the factorial on complete randomized design and four replications. The laboratory condition was determined at photoperiod 16: 8, humidity 65 ± 5 percentages and temperature 27 ± 2° C. Analysis of results of data variance showed that the effects of treatments on mortality of egg, larvae and mature mites were significant at the 1 percentage probability level. Also, Bromopropylate has maximum mortality percent among larvae and mature saffron mite. Also, in this experiment increasing time and concentration significantly increase the mortality of larvae’ s. In addition, the maximum percent of eggs failed to hatch related to Rosemary essential oil that does not have any significant difference with Stinking assa resin and Propargite. Also, larvae mortality percent was more than mature mite that had significant differences at 5% probability level. In this study, it was found that Stinking assa resin has the greatest impact on the egg. Moreover, Propargite and Bromopropilate have created the highest mortality on the larvae and adults respectively.

Saffron is one of Iran’ s exports of agricultural products that it has not been able to keep and strengthen its position in the world market in recent years. Two events such as the European Union trade sanctions against Iran (2006-2014) and global economic crisis (2007-2009) have had direct and indirect impacts on Iran’ s economy and trade flows, respectively. According to process uncertainty about the abolition or continuation of the European Union trade sanctions and the possibility of a new global economic crisis, the aim of this paper is to assess the role of these two factors on Iran’ s saffron exports. For this purpose, saffron exports to trading partners were analyzed by using the gravity model and Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimator in the 2001-2014 period. Based on the results, economic size, importer’ s income and regional trade agreements have positive effect and distance and difference in GDP per capita have negative and significant impacts on saffron exports. The results indicated that EU trade sanctions and global economic crisis have impact on Iran’ s saffron exports. In other words, due to Iran’ s trading partners, global economic crisis have an important role in saffron exports. Therefore, it is suggested that the role of trade sanctions and economic crisis and their importance be investigated to adopt a long run strategic plan in order to strengthen Iran’ s position in saffron world market and an optimal basket of trading partners be selected.

Agriculture is a unique sector because of its dependence on climate and biological variables. Therefore, it is vital to identify and evaluate risks to be sure that decisions made on the farm will bring positive results in agriculture. Torbat Heydarieh is the most important center in saffron cultivation and production in the Khorasan Razavi province and Iran. This city is famous for its Saffron lands. It has the first rank in the world for producing Saffron. So, in this paper, we employed risk profile analysis to saffron risk management. By using previous literature, all of the risks of agricultural sector were identified and classified in nine categories. The information was collected from the university experts and Saffron union members. To design the risk profile, we used data from 67 saffron producers of Torbat Heydariyeh in 2016. To evaluate losses related to each risk component, two indices of frequency and severity of risk were calculated and based on that the risk matrix was created. The results showed that the greatest area of risk includes all of the risk of pests, diseases and weeds (Different types of weeds, Micro pests (Fungi and bacteria), Macro pests (Mice, ant, insect, grazing livestock)), economic risk (Brokers, market fluctuations, lack of liquidity of farmers), climate risk (drought, frost and freeze) and damage risk (Reduce yield due to farm life).