Agriculture
Nasim Rezvani; Majid Pouryousef; Afshin Tavakoli
Abstract
Saffron, a cherished native plant of Iran, holds immense value, and its optimal growth and development hinge on the precise administration of nutrients and growth regulators. However, scant information exists concerning the nutritional attributes and the impacts of external application of growth regulators ...
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Saffron, a cherished native plant of Iran, holds immense value, and its optimal growth and development hinge on the precise administration of nutrients and growth regulators. However, scant information exists concerning the nutritional attributes and the impacts of external application of growth regulators on its overall performance. This study intends to scrutinize the influence of varying concentrations of forchlorfenuron and potassium nitrate on the attributes of daughter corms as well as the ultimate saffron yield. Through this investigation, a deeper understanding of the relationship between growth regulators, nutrients, and saffron production can be attained, shedding light on the potential avenues for enhancing its cultivation and yield. This experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a randomized complete block design in the research farm of Zanjan University. According to the results, the interaction effect of forchlorfenoren 2.5 and 5 mg.liter-1 and potassium nitrate 500 mg.liter-1 decreased the number of daughter corms. Characteristics such as the weight of daughter corms of more than 7 grams per square meter, corm diameter, number of flowers per square meter, and the amount of safranal, crocin, and picrocrocin showed a significant increase due to the interaction of forchlorfenoren 5 mg.liter-1 and potassium nitrate 1000 mg.liter-1. The highest wet and dry weight of the stigma was 11.49 and 1.15 grams per square meter, respectively, with the treatment of furchlorfenoren at the level of 5 mg.liter-1. Also, the use of potassium nitrate at the level of 1000 mg.liter-1 increased the fresh and dry weight of the stigma by 10.22 and 1.01 grams per square meter, respectively. The maximum stigma length was obtained in treating furchlorfenoren 10 mg.liter-1 and potassium nitrate 250 mg.liter-1. Based on the outcomes derived from foliar application experiments, it is advisable to consider utilizing a concentration of 5 mg.liter-1 for forchlorfenuron and 1000 mg.liter-1 for potassium nitrate during the period extending from March to April. This recommendation holds under the premise that environmental conditions are conducive, encompassing factors such as favorable temperatures for foliar spraying. This practice is particularly relevant to the climatic conditions prevalent in the Zanjan region.
Fatemeh Parsapour; Parviz Rezvani Moghaddam; Surur Khorramdel
Abstract
Response surface methodology (RSM) is defined as a set of mathematical and statistical techniques that are used to optimize yield of a product. In order to study the effects of urban waste compost and corm rates on flower yield of saffron using RSM, an experiment was conducted at the Research Field of ...
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Response surface methodology (RSM) is defined as a set of mathematical and statistical techniques that are used to optimize yield of a product. In order to study the effects of urban waste compost and corm rates on flower yield of saffron using RSM, an experiment was conducted at the Research Field of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during the growing season of 2017-2018. The treatments were determined based on low and high levels of urban waste compost (0 and 20 t.ha-1, respectively) and corm weight (5 and 15 t.ha-1, respectively). These were computed by using Minitab V. 17. Dry weight of stigma, dry weight of style, fresh weight of flower, flower number, corm number, dry weight of corm, and number of buds per corm were calculated as dependent variables and changes of these variables were evaluated by using a regression model. Lack-of-fit test was used to evaluate the quality of the fitted model. The adequacy of the model was tested by analysis of variance. In general, the full quadratic polynomial equation was tested to determine significance of the model and the components (such as linear, squared and first-order interaction terms). The quality of the fitted model was judged using the determination coefficient (R2). The results show that the effect of linear component on all traits studied except fresh weight of flower, dry weight of corm 0-4g, and number of buds per corm 0-4 and 8-4 grams were significant. The effect of total grade two had a significant effect on the traits of flower number, fresh weight of flower, dry weight of stigma, dry weight of style, number of daughter corms per 0-4, 4-8 and >8 grams, dry weight of corm per 4-8 and >8 grams and number of buds per >8 grams was significant. Also, the interaction effect of two factors of urban waste compost and weight corm on the number of flowers, fresh weight of flower, dry weight of stigma, dry weight of style, number of daughter corms per 4-8 and >8 grams, dry weight of corm 4-8 and >8 grams, and number of buds per corm >8 grams were significant. Lack of fit test had no significant effect on the studied traits. The full square model for the response variables gave insignificant lack-of-fit indicating that the data of experiment were satisfactorily explained. The highest flower number, fresh weight of flower, stigma dry weight and style dry weight were observed for 5 t.ha-1 corm+ 20 t.ha-1 compost. Optimum of corm weight and urban waste compost and desirability for the traits related to flower and corm with 5 t.ha-1, 20 t.ha-1and d = 0.92 were urban waste compost with 12 t.ha-1, 20 t.ha-1and d = 0.95, respectively. Based on the results, municipal waste compost and corm weight had a positive effect on most of the studied traits.
Kambiz Khormali; Ebrahim Gholamalipour Alamdari; Mehdi Zaraie; Zeinab Avarseji; Leila Ahangar
Abstract
A research was conducted to study floristic of weeds of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) fields located in Cheshmesaran district in Azadshar to report distribution and species diversity of weeds population. For this purpose, saffron fields under cultivation over 3 hectares was identified in three regions, ...
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A research was conducted to study floristic of weeds of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) fields located in Cheshmesaran district in Azadshar to report distribution and species diversity of weeds population. For this purpose, saffron fields under cultivation over 3 hectares was identified in three regions, including Narab, Vamenan and Tillabad village. Identification and sampling of weeds was done in vegetative growth stage of saffron (daughter corms) in 2017. 45 quadrates were used for each farm and then number and type of weed species each quadrat was counted separately. Weeds species based on Persian name, scientific name, genus, family, leaf shape, photosynthetic pathway, growth habit and life cycle were classified. Results of species composition of weeds in saffron fields of triple regions showed that Narab region with 54 species had the largest number of species. Veronica persica Poir weed and Stellaria midia in Narab and Veronica persica Poir in Vamenan were the dominant weed in these regions which had the highest relative density and frequency. In return, Hordeum murinum in the Tillabad region had the greatest density and frequency. This could be due to the differences in geographical coordinates, climatic conditions of sampling locations, competitive ability of weeds and management methods to control them in saffron fields. The results of species diversity of weeds showed that Narab and Tilabad included highest and lowest dominance index, which were about 0.13 and 0.08, respectively. In return, the highest Menhinick richness, Margalev and uniformiy of weeds were recorded in the Narab region about 0.67, 2.55 and 0.97, respectively. Narab and Vamenan regions also had maximum numerical value of Simpson (0.92) and Shannon- Wiener indices (2.64). Overall, the results showed that saffron fields of both regions of Narab and Vamenan were most similar in term of weed species number and population indices.
Agriculture
Mahdi Ebrahimi; Mohsen Pouyan; Mohammad Mahdi Nezhad
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different organic amendments (cow manure, humic acid (Humax® 95–WSG), an organic-mineral-based emulsion (Omic®) and unfertilized control) and mother-corm weight (0 to 4 g, 4.1 to 8 g and 8.1 to 12 g) on flower and corm yield of saffron. ...
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This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different organic amendments (cow manure, humic acid (Humax® 95–WSG), an organic-mineral-based emulsion (Omic®) and unfertilized control) and mother-corm weight (0 to 4 g, 4.1 to 8 g and 8.1 to 12 g) on flower and corm yield of saffron. The experiment was conducted as factorial experiment in randomized complete block design with three replications in the Research Complex of Medicinal Plants, ACECR of Southern Khorasan Province, Iran in 2017-18. According the results, evaluating the main effect of nutrition factor revealed no significant impact on most studied traits in the first year. However, in the second year and during the 21-day period of saffron flowering, cow manure treatment increased stigma dry weight by 77.3, 71.7 and 58.9% compared with control, Humax and Omic treatments, respectively. By fitting the regression line between the cumulative dry weight of the stigma and days after flowering, it was found that stigma dry weight increased 19.1, 11.43, 10.92 and 10.65 mg.day-1 in cow manure, Omic, Humax and control treatments, respectively. In addition, the highest flower dry weight with 2858 mg.m-2 was recorded in cow manure treatment. The highest and lowest amount of the studeid tratis in both years belonged to big and small corm treatments, respectively. In the first year, stigma dry weight in big corm treatment with 22.28 mg.m-2 was about 190 times higher than that of small one. However the difference in the second year fell to less than 3 times. In addition, the highest number (466.36 m-2) and weight (936.559 g. m-2) of daughter corms were obtained in big mother corms treatment. In the second year however by the reduction of the differences between mother corm weight treatments, stigma dry weight, flower dry weight and number of flowers in big and medium corm treatments were not statistically significant. Overall, the results of this study showed that the advantages of using manure in saffron cultivation due to its unique characteristics, such as improving the physical conditions of the soil is not compensable by other organic amendments. Moreover, the avoidence of planting mother corms less than 4g because of their adverse effects on saffron yeild is of main importance in saffron cultivation and must be considered by farmers.
Agriculture
Hamid Reza Tavakkoli kakhki; Ali Mokhtarian; Mohamad Hossein Binabaji; Hassan Hamidi; Ramin Esmi
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
