نشریه پژوهش های زعفران
سال دوم شماره 2 (پاییز و زمستان 1393)

In order to study the effects of manure, biological and chemical fertilizers and corm weight on characteristics of saffron flower and leaf criteria, an experiment was conducted as split plot factorial based on a RCBD with four replications at Mahvelat city during growing season of 2011-2012. Treatments were included three corm weights (4-6, 8-10 and 12-14 g), bio-fertilizer in three types (Nitroxin, Bio-super phosphate and no bio-fertilizer) and manure and chemical fertilizers in three levels (100 and 50% and non fertilizer). Manure, chemical fertilizers and corm size were considered as main plot and sub plot factors, respectively. The results showed that the effect of manure and chemical fertilizers were significant on flower dry weight, stigma and style weight, leaf number and leaf length of saffron. Application of 100% manure with chemical fertilizer had resulted in maximum flower dry weight, stigma and style weight, leaf number and leaf length of saffron. Effect of biological fertilizer was significant on leaf number and leaf length and their maximum were obtained in Nitroxin, Bio super phosphate and no bio-fertilizer, respectively. But application of biological fertilizer had no significant effect on stigma and style weight of saffron. Nitroxin fertilizer had a significant effect on flower dry weight while the use of Bio super phosphate fertilizer had no significant effect on these traits. Also, the flower dry weight, stigma and style weights, leaf number and leaf length of saffron significantly affected by corm size. The results revealed that the interaction effect of manure-chemical fertilizers and corm weight was significant on dry flower weight, stigma and style weights, leaf number and leaf length of saffron. Interaction effects of biological fertilizer and corm weight was significant on dry flower weight and leaf number of saffron and also there was significant effect between manure-chemical and biological fertilizers on leaf number and leaf length of saffron.

Improving the resource use efficiency in agroecosystems will increases agricultural productions, while reduces environmental pollutions. In order to evaluate the nitrogen efficiency and balance indicators, a research was conducted in wheat and saffron production systems at Qaenat region (South Khorasan province, Iran) during growing season of 2011-2012. The Indicators were calculated using the method of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For this purpose, the necessary information about seed and corms planting rates, fertilizers, crops yields and the area under wheat and saffron were collected by questionnaire and the required coefficients were obtained from various literatures. Results showed that the nitrogen efficiency and balance indicators were significantly different between districts of the studying area for both crops. The highest nitrogen efficiency was related to wheat in Nimbolouk (88.63%) and for saffron was recorded in Sede (18.03%). Also, nitrogen efficiency and balance indicators showed a significant difference between these crops, so that wheat had higher nitrogen efficiency than saffron, which was mainly due to the amount of manure applied in these crops. There was no significant difference between the different ages of saffron farms for nitrogen efficiency and balance. Also, the results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between nitrogen efficiency and balance indicators.

Nutritive value of saffron residues was evaluated through determination of chemical compositions, in situ degradability and in vitro gas production techniques using two permanently fistulated Holstein heifers. The gas production and degradability characteristics were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The saffron forage contained 96.8, 6.7, 45.9, 38.0, 5.2, 4.7 and 42.5 % of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash, ether extract (EE) and nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC), respectively. The study showed that Na, Mg, Zn and Fe were insufficient for ruminant requirement. The results obtained from degradability of dry matter showed that fraction “a” (rapidly degradable), “b” (slowly degradable) and “c” (constantdegradable rate) were calculated 32.0%, 39.2% and 0.043/h, respectively. Also, in vitro gas production parameters (b and c), organic matter digestibility (OMD), metabolisable energy (ME) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) values of saffron forage were 49.8 ml/ 200 mg of DM, 0.091 ml/h, 53.9 %, 8.0MJ/kg DM and 0.89 mmol, respectively. Phenolic compounds (TP), total tannin (TT) and condensed tannin (CT) contents were 2.93%, 0.97% and 0.31%, respectively. It was concluded that saffron forage as cheap feedstuff sources can be replaced with part of feedstuff animal’s diet.

Mycorrihzal fungi can simplify the absorption of mineral elements, decrease diseases, improve soil structure and as a result growth stimulation of plant and increase quantity and quality of products. In this study, soil samples of saffron were collected from a location in Shahriar, Tehran and physical and chemical criteria such as pH, percent age of symbiosis, the number of spores for mycorrhizal fungi were measured. A total of nine fungi species were observed in saffron rhizosphere microflora. The effect of fungi treatments Funneliformis mosseae on vegetative growth of saffron was also investigated. The result of pot experiments indicated that saffron treated with mycorrhiza, had significant differences (p≤0.05) in vegetative characteristics such as height of plant as well as wet weight of roots and stems in compared to control.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology to assess all environmental impacts associated within a product by a accounting and evaluating its resource consumption and emission to environment. This study evaluated the environmental impacts of saffron agroecosystems of Khorasan based on nitrogen levels by using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, mean corm weight and consumed inputs in saffron agroecosystems of Khorasan per one ha were defined during years of 1999 to 2013. Four steps including goal definition and scoping (D & S), inventory analysis (IA), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and integration &interpretation (I & I) were considered based on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14040 methods. Acidification, aquatic and terrestrial eutrophication and global warming were considered as three important impact categories. Functional unit of saffron agroecosystems was considered as one tone corm. The results showed that by increasing in nitrogen fertilizer level from 200 to more than 350 kg.ha-1 acidification and aquatic and terrestrial eutrophication impact categories enhanced up to 37, 36 and 37%, respectively. The highest global warming potential was computed with 1128.17 CO2 equiv./t corm for 350 kg N ha-1. The maximum eco-Index for saffron agroecosystems of Khorasan were calculated in 350 kg N ha-1 with 0.62 PO4 equiv./t corm and 0.12 CO2 equiv./t corm, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that applying of organic principles such as reduced tillage and organic fertilizer as sustainable approaches were considered for management of saffron agroecosystems.

Humans in their daily life and activities are exposed to oxidizing agents such as ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is able to damage the tissues, cells and their macromolecules, especially DNA. The free hydroxyl and proxyl radicals produced by ionizing irradiation have the main role in inducing these damages. However, because of its usefulness in medical activities for diagnostic and treating proposes, it is still widely being used. In this study, in order to achieve a suitable way to prevent or reduce the chromosomal damages caused by gamma radiation, three doses of aqueous extract of saffron, including 500, 1000 and 1500 μg.ml-1, were used under the designed protocol. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were treated with these three doses and then exposed to 2Gy gamma radiation. Cells were harvested seventy two hours post culture initiation following Cyto-b treatment. Cytokinesis-Blocked human lymphocytes were Giemsa stained and the frequency of Micronucleus in binucleated cells was calculated. The result of the micronucleus assay in binucleated cells showed that aqueous extract of saffron was able to protect the cells against harmful chromosomal effect of irradiation and at the doses of 500 and 1000 μg.ml-1 the frequency of micronucleus in irradiated cells was decreased to half compared to non-treated cells (p≤0.01).