Articles
PRODUCTIVITY, GROWTH AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF 10 IRANIAN SAFFRON ACCESSIONS UNDER CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF CHAHAR-MAHAL BAKHTIARI, CENTRAL IRAN
Article number
650_18
Pages
183 – 188
Language
English
Abstract
Saffron, a spice crop seemingly native to Iran, is mainly being grown in northeastern province, Khorasan.
Researches have, mainly, been focused on productivity and agronomic performance of this crop in the latter region, with no major studies on its productivity, growth and quality aspects under other environmental conditions.
Therefore, in order to evaluate growth, yield and quality attributes of 10 Iranian saffron accessions, Birjand, Ghaen, Gon-Abad, Torbat-Haydariah, Ferdous, Istahban, Kerman, Isfahan, Kashan and Shahr-Kord under environmental conditions of Shahr-Kord (Lat. 32º 19′ N; Long. 50º 51′ E and Alt. 2066m) at central Iran, a three-replicate RCBD field experiment is being run from summer 2001. Each plot consists eight 4m long rows, spaced 0.4 m apart, with corms planted 5 cm apart on each row in September, 2001. Flowers were collected and stigmas were picked out during November 2001 and 2002 for each plot, followed by drying under room conditions for five days.
Four to six-week interval harvests on a 0.3 m long section of a single row in each plot was conducted on corms and aerial parts of the plants from January 2001 to April 2002 (first year) and February 2002 to May 2003 (second year). Leaf area index (LAI) total dry matter (DM) and then crop growth rate (CGR) during linear growth phase of the accessions was estimated at both years.
Bitterness (picrocrocin), aroma (safranal) and coloring strength (crocin) were evaluated for dried stigma samples obtained from second years collections.
While three accessions including Shahr-Kord, Birjand and Ghaen (with 3.62, 2.67 and 2.26 kg ha-1) ranked first, second and third, respectively, in terms of dried stigma yield for the second year, the rest of the accessions indicated poor performance in this regard.
The maximum LAI values for the three mentioned accessions were 0.60, 0.54 and 0.74 during the second year, respectively.
While maximum CGR of the latter accessions was significantly higher than the rest, corm dry matter yield of these accessions at the end of active growth phase of the second year was 7033, 4742 and 3933 kg ha-1, respectively.
For these three accessions, measures for the bitterness were 100.2, 91.0 and 99.2, for the aroma 32.0, 25.0 and 28.8, and for the coloring strength 268.2, 248.2 and 260, respectively, all being well above the minimums set by ISO for Category I Saffron.
More feasible conclusion can be made after collecting more data from these accessions in years to come.
Based on the results obtained so far, though, it may be concluded that the three latter accessions could be grown for obtaining satisfactory stigma yield, along with acceptable quality attributes in Shahr-Kord.
Furthermore, it appears that these three accessions could out-yield the rest due, mainly, to their greater LAI, CGR and dry matter accumulation.
Researches have, mainly, been focused on productivity and agronomic performance of this crop in the latter region, with no major studies on its productivity, growth and quality aspects under other environmental conditions.
Therefore, in order to evaluate growth, yield and quality attributes of 10 Iranian saffron accessions, Birjand, Ghaen, Gon-Abad, Torbat-Haydariah, Ferdous, Istahban, Kerman, Isfahan, Kashan and Shahr-Kord under environmental conditions of Shahr-Kord (Lat. 32º 19′ N; Long. 50º 51′ E and Alt. 2066m) at central Iran, a three-replicate RCBD field experiment is being run from summer 2001. Each plot consists eight 4m long rows, spaced 0.4 m apart, with corms planted 5 cm apart on each row in September, 2001. Flowers were collected and stigmas were picked out during November 2001 and 2002 for each plot, followed by drying under room conditions for five days.
Four to six-week interval harvests on a 0.3 m long section of a single row in each plot was conducted on corms and aerial parts of the plants from January 2001 to April 2002 (first year) and February 2002 to May 2003 (second year). Leaf area index (LAI) total dry matter (DM) and then crop growth rate (CGR) during linear growth phase of the accessions was estimated at both years.
Bitterness (picrocrocin), aroma (safranal) and coloring strength (crocin) were evaluated for dried stigma samples obtained from second years collections.
While three accessions including Shahr-Kord, Birjand and Ghaen (with 3.62, 2.67 and 2.26 kg ha-1) ranked first, second and third, respectively, in terms of dried stigma yield for the second year, the rest of the accessions indicated poor performance in this regard.
The maximum LAI values for the three mentioned accessions were 0.60, 0.54 and 0.74 during the second year, respectively.
While maximum CGR of the latter accessions was significantly higher than the rest, corm dry matter yield of these accessions at the end of active growth phase of the second year was 7033, 4742 and 3933 kg ha-1, respectively.
For these three accessions, measures for the bitterness were 100.2, 91.0 and 99.2, for the aroma 32.0, 25.0 and 28.8, and for the coloring strength 268.2, 248.2 and 260, respectively, all being well above the minimums set by ISO for Category I Saffron.
More feasible conclusion can be made after collecting more data from these accessions in years to come.
Based on the results obtained so far, though, it may be concluded that the three latter accessions could be grown for obtaining satisfactory stigma yield, along with acceptable quality attributes in Shahr-Kord.
Furthermore, it appears that these three accessions could out-yield the rest due, mainly, to their greater LAI, CGR and dry matter accumulation.
Authors
P. Ehsanzadeh, A.A. Yadollahi, A.M.M. Maibodi
Keywords
CGR, crocin,Crocus sativus, LAI, picrocrocin, safranal, stigma yield
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