Articles
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF A NEW METHOD OF SAFFRON CULTIVATION WITH A TRADITIONAL METHOD FOR IMPROVING SAFFRON PRODUCTIVITY
Article number
850_21
Pages
137 – 144
Language
English
Abstract
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is used in food industries, cosmetics, medicine, dyeing, perfume making and art and is one of the most valuable products in agriculture.
Iran is the largest producer (60%) and exporter (90%) of the world.
There have not occurred any considerable modifications in saffron cultivation since medieval centuries in Spain.
Yield average of Iranian saffron is 4.7 kg/ha.
This research presents the findings of the application of a new method of cultivation for four years aiming at shortening farm ages, optimum utilization of production resources and finally yield increase/ha.
Extension of its results to the respective locations of saffron cultivation and increasing income of national economics compared with traditional (conventional) method is the ultimate purpose of such a study.
The research was arranged in the form of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates.
In the new method there were three factors (time of planting: early in June, planting corms of 8 g and higher and one summer irrigation in early August). In the traditional method planting was in September, without sorting corm weight and without summer irrigation.
The rest of cultivation practices were the same for both methods.
Annually, flower weight, stigma and style (bunched saffron), and stigma/m2 were recorded in each replicate during the flowering period and the data were statistically analyzed and mean comparisons were grouped.
In the first year, all observations were significant at ≤0.01. In the fourth year, flower weight and subsequently, yield of stigma + style, and stigma were significant at P≤0.05 and plant height, biomass (yield of dry leaves) and weight of produced corms were significant at P≤0.01. In the final year (fourth year) characters under study were combined and analyzed.
Results were significant at P≤0.01. So with 99% confidence, it can be suggested that the new method can be recommended.
Four year means of characters under study were calculated by Duncans test; all characters are placed in group (a) and for the traditional method in group (b). Yield average of stigma + style, and stigma were 11.61 and 8.64 (48% superiority and about two fold) in the new method and 6.01 and 4.47 kg/ha in the traditional method, respectively.
Yield average of biomass (forage of dry leaves) was 1.55 in the new method and 1.1 t/ha in the traditional method (29.4% superiority) and also average of corm weight was 14.1 in the new method and 7.57 t/ha (44.1% superiority) in the traditional method.
These results correspond with those obtained by Iranian and foreign researchers.
Cost-effective saffron production is related to the number and flower weight in different ages of farms.
In the new method, economical yield of saffron is harvested in 4 years and farm age can be decreased by half.
Iran is the largest producer (60%) and exporter (90%) of the world.
There have not occurred any considerable modifications in saffron cultivation since medieval centuries in Spain.
Yield average of Iranian saffron is 4.7 kg/ha.
This research presents the findings of the application of a new method of cultivation for four years aiming at shortening farm ages, optimum utilization of production resources and finally yield increase/ha.
Extension of its results to the respective locations of saffron cultivation and increasing income of national economics compared with traditional (conventional) method is the ultimate purpose of such a study.
The research was arranged in the form of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates.
In the new method there were three factors (time of planting: early in June, planting corms of 8 g and higher and one summer irrigation in early August). In the traditional method planting was in September, without sorting corm weight and without summer irrigation.
The rest of cultivation practices were the same for both methods.
Annually, flower weight, stigma and style (bunched saffron), and stigma/m2 were recorded in each replicate during the flowering period and the data were statistically analyzed and mean comparisons were grouped.
In the first year, all observations were significant at ≤0.01. In the fourth year, flower weight and subsequently, yield of stigma + style, and stigma were significant at P≤0.05 and plant height, biomass (yield of dry leaves) and weight of produced corms were significant at P≤0.01. In the final year (fourth year) characters under study were combined and analyzed.
Results were significant at P≤0.01. So with 99% confidence, it can be suggested that the new method can be recommended.
Four year means of characters under study were calculated by Duncans test; all characters are placed in group (a) and for the traditional method in group (b). Yield average of stigma + style, and stigma were 11.61 and 8.64 (48% superiority and about two fold) in the new method and 6.01 and 4.47 kg/ha in the traditional method, respectively.
Yield average of biomass (forage of dry leaves) was 1.55 in the new method and 1.1 t/ha in the traditional method (29.4% superiority) and also average of corm weight was 14.1 in the new method and 7.57 t/ha (44.1% superiority) in the traditional method.
These results correspond with those obtained by Iranian and foreign researchers.
Cost-effective saffron production is related to the number and flower weight in different ages of farms.
In the new method, economical yield of saffron is harvested in 4 years and farm age can be decreased by half.
Publication
Authors
A. Mollafilabi
Keywords
cultivation method, planting date, saffron, summer irrigation
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