Effect of Agronomic Management on Flower and Daughter Yield of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on-farm Trials

Proper agronomic management is an important factor for reducing interference between plants and better absorption of resources. Therefore, nutrients loss due to soil erosion, and increased soil temperature are the most obvious problems in saffron farming systems. Herein in this study the effects of agronomic parameters such as corm rates and planting depths on flower yield, stigma yield, daughter corm yield and quality of saffron were evaluated at the Agricultural Research Field, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during a two-year field experiment (during 2018-2019 and 2019-2020) as factorial layout with a randomized complete block design based on on-farm trials. Treatments were mother corm rates (10, 15 and 20 t corms per ha), and two planting depths (5 and 10 cm). Studied criteria were flower numbers per area, fresh flower yield, dried stigma yield, total weight of daughter corms, total number of daughter corms, daughter corm diameter, number and weight of daughter corms in three groups such as <4, 4.1-8 and >8.1 g and quality (such as crocin, picrocrocin and safranal) in the second year of experiment. The results showed that the planting depth had not significant effect on flower yield and corm yield. Increasing mother corm rate from 10 to 20 t per ha improved flower number (112 flowers per m2), fresh weight of flower (49.71 g/m2) and dried weight of stigma (1.11 g/m2). The highest daughter corm yield was observed in 20 t corms per ha+ 10 cm (181.3 g/m2). Based on the results, if the purpose of saffron cultivation is to achieve the highest flower yield in the first year, it is recommended to increase corm density. However, if the purpose is to obtain the maximum daughter corm yield, so the corm rates per unit area should be considered less. In sum, considering the water shortage especially in arid and semi-arid regions, agronomic management increases land efficiency, improves flower yield and corm yield and increase farmers’ income during perennial life cycle of saffron as a niche crop.