In collaboration Iranian Medicinal Plants Society

Effect of corm inoculation with beneficial microorganisms and vermicompost on quantitative and qualitative yield of saffron (Corcus sativus L.) in Urmia

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 2- MSc of Seed Science and Technology, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Univesity of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 1- Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran and Associate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Univesity of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Univesity of Urmia, Urmia, Iran

10.22048/jsat.2026.578760.1591
Abstract
The aim of this research was to investigate the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of saffron (Corcus sativus L.) under the influence of corm inoculation with beneficial microorganisms and vermicompost in a randomized complete block design with three replications during two agricultural years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 at the Research Farm of Urmia University. Involved factors included 1) control without using phosphorus chemical fertilizer and without corm inoculation, consumption of 100% of recommended phosphorus chemical fertilizer based on soil test and without inoculation, corm inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens, corm inoculation with Glomus etunicatum, vermicompost (10 ton/hac at planting time), corm inoculation with P.fluorescens+G.etunicatum, corm inoculation with P.fluorescens+vermicompost, corm inoculation with G.etunicatum+vermicompost, corm inoculation with P.fluorescens + G.etunicatum + vermicompost. Based on the results of this study, the combined treatment of vermicompost with Pseudomonas and mycorrhiza had a positive and significant effect on the quantitative and qualitative yield of saffron. In most of the studied traits, the highest values were obtained in the combined biofertilizer treatments, although this difference was not significant in some traits with phosphorus chemical fertilizer. The highest fresh and dry weight of corms was observed in the combined treatment of vermicompost with Pseudomonas (6.3 and 1.8 kg/m2) and mycorrhiza treatment (5.89 and 1.71 kg/m2), and the highest yield of stigma fresh and dry weight was observed in the combined treatment of vermicompost with Pseudomonas (0.018 and 0.007 g/m2) and also mycorrhiza treatment (0.017 and 0.005 g/m2). The results showed that the fresh and dry yield of saffron style in biofertilizer treatments and also the combination of biofertilizer with vermicompost had a significant difference compared to the phosphorus chemical fertilizer and control. The highest crocin content was obtained in the combined treatment of vermicompost with mycorrhiza (24.5%), mycorrhiza treatment (23.8%), and the combined treatment of vermicompost with Pseudomonas and mycorrhiza (23.7%), which showed an increase of 10.61, 7.98, and 7.59 percent compared to the control, respectively. The highest amount of safranal was observed in vermicompost treatment (41%), although there was no significant difference with the combined treatment of vermicompost with mycorrhiza (37%) and phosphorus chemical fertilizer (39%). In addition, the use of biofertilizers and their combination increased the amount of picrocrocin in saffron stigma, so that there was no significant difference with phosphorus chemical fertilizer treatment. In general, according to the obtained results, it can be said that feeding saffron with vermicompost and inoculation with microorganisms had a significant effect on the growth and yield of saffron. The use of these fertilizers is an acceptable approach to reduce the overuse of chemical fertilizers while maintaining yield.

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