Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Mohammad Ali Behdani 1
- Gholamreza Zamani 2
- Hamid-reza Fallahi 3
- Mohammad Hassan Sayyari Zohan 4
- Alireza Samadzadeh 5
1 Professor of Saffron Research Group, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor of Saffron Research Group, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
4 Associate Professor of Saffron Research Group, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
5 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
Abstract
The use of corms with appropriate weight is one of the main factors in the flowering of saffron. Thus, the impacts of six organic (OS) and conventional (CS) production systems on the growth of saffron replacement corms was studied during one growth cycle from October 2015 up to May 2016 in this experiment. The experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications and six treatments including low, medium and high input organic systems as well as low, medium and high input conventional systems. A transition period of 24 months was considered in the chosen field before corm planting. Based on the results of an analysis of variance, the effect of experimental treatments was significant on the growth properties of most replacement corms (RC). The results of means comparison revealed that the differences within each organic or conventional system were insignificant but they were found to be considerable between the two OS and CS production systems. Total RC weight per clone and the number of flowering buds per RC in the OS production system were on the average 40% more than that of the CS production system. The amount of mean RC weight for OS and CS was 4.75 and 2.54g, respectively. The percent of RC with weight of less than 5g in the CS production system was higher than that of the OS production system (70 vs. 84%), while the percent of RC in 5-10g (13 vs. 14.5%) and more than 10g (3 vs. 15.7%) categories in the OS production system were more than that of the CS production system. The mean value of flowering buds had a significant correlation with the total RC weights per clone (+0.58**), mean RC weight (+0.64**), number of small RC (-0.57**) and number of large corm per clone (+0.61**). In addition, there was a significant correlation between the mean RC weight with the number of RC per clone (-0.55**), the RC weight per clone (+0.73**), the number of small RC (-0.89**) and the number of large RC per clone (+0.81**). Overall, the employment of OS had a significant positive effect on the growth of saffron replacement corms especially on mean corm weight and the number of flowering buds.
Highlights
Aghhavani-Shajari, M., Rezvani-Moghaddam, P., Koocheki, A., Fallahi, H.R., and Taherpour-Kalantari, R. 2015. Evaluation of the effects of soil texture on yield and growth of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Saffron Agronomy and Technology 2 (4): 311-322. (In Persian with English Summary).
Asadi, G.A., Rezvani-Moghaddam, P., and Hassanzadeh Aval, F. 2014. Effects of soil and foliar applications of nutrients on corm growth and flower yield of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in six year-old farm. Saffron Agronomy and Technology 2 (1): 31-44. (In Persian with English Summary).
Behdani, M.A., and Fallahi, H.R. 2015. Saffron: Technical Knowledge and Research-Based Approaches. University of Birjand Publication. (In Persian).
Behdani, M.A., Jami Al-Ahmadi, M., Mahdavi-Damghani, A.M., and Fallahi, H.R. 2016. Standardization and codification of technical knowledge of Iran organic saffron. Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology, Iran. (In Persian).
Chaji, N., Khorassani, R., Astaraei, A.R., and Lakzian, A. 2013. Effect of phosphorous and nitrogen on vegetative growth and production of daughter corms of saffron. Journal of Saffron Research 1 (1): 1-12. (In Persian with English Summary).
Fallahi, H.R., Koocheki, A., and Rezvani-Moghaddam, P. 2008. Investigationg the effects of organic fertilizers on quantity index and the amount of essential oil and chamazulene in Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Water, Soil and Plant in Agriculture 8 (1): 157-168. (In Persian with English Summary).
Gholami Sharafkhane, E., Jahan, M., Banayan Avval, M., Koocheki, A., and Rezvani Moghaddam, P. 2015. The effect of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on yield, essential oil percentage and some agroecological characteristics of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) under Mashhad conditions. Journal of Agroecology 7 (2): 179-189. (In Persian with English Summary).
Khorramdel, S., Koocheki, A., Nassiri Mahallati, M., and Khorasani, R. 2010. Effect of different crop management systems on net primary productivity and relative carbon allocation coefficients for corn (Zea mays L.). Journal of Agroecology 2 (4): 667-680. (In Persian with English Summary).
Koocheki, A., Fallahi, H.R., Amiri, M.B., and Ehyaei, H.R. 2016b. Effects of humic acid application and mother corm weight on yield and growth of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Journal of Agroecology 7 (4): 425-442. (In Persian with English Summary).
Koocheki, A., Rezvani-Moghaddam, P., Fallahi, H.R., and Aghhavani-Shajari, M. 2016a. The study of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) replacement corms growth in response to planting date, irrigation management and companion crops. Saffron Agronomy and Technology 4 (1): 3-18. (In Persian with English Summary).
Koocheki, A., Seyyedi, M., Azizi, H., and Shahriyari, R. 2014. The effects of mother corm size, organic fertilizers and micronutrient foliar application on corm yield and phosphorus uptake of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Saffron Agronomy and Technology 2 (1): 3-16. (In Persian with English Summary).
Koocheki, K., Jahani, M., Tabrizi, L., and Mohammadabadi, A.A. 2011. Investigation on the effect of biofertilizer, chemical fertilizer and plant density on yield and corm criteria of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Journal of Water and Soil 25 (1): 196-206. (In Persian with English Summary).
Rezvani-moghaddam, P., Mohammad-Abadi, A.A., Fallahi, H.R., and Aghhavani-Shajari, M. 2014. Effects of Nutrient Management on Flower Yield and Corm Characteristics of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Journal of Horticultural Science 28 (2): 427-434. (In Persian with English Summary).
Sadeghi, B., Hossieni, M., Masrouri, M., and Mollafilabi, A. 2013. Effect of bed-nutrition on increasing of saffron corm size. Research Project of Institute of Food Science and Technology, Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad, Iran. 23p. (In Persian).
Suja, G., and Sreekumar, J. 2014. Implications of organic management on yield, tuber quality and soil health in yams in the humid tropics. International Journal of Plant Production 8 (3): 291-310.
Teimori, S., Behdani, M.A., Ghaderi, M.G., and Sadeghi, B. 2013. Investigation on the effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on morphological and agronomic of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corm criteria. Journal of Saffron Research 1 (1): 36-47. (In Persian with English Summary).
Yaghoubi, F., Jami Al-Ahmadi, M., Bakhshi, M.R., and Sayyari Zohan, M.H. 2014. Comparison of chemical inputs consumption in saffron and wheat fields in Qaenat region. Saffron Agronomy and Technology 2 (3): 115-125. (In Persian with English Summary).
Keywords
Main Subjects
)