Saffron is an economic plant for dryland farming in Damavand

Population growth, industrial development, low water use efficiency, and reduced precipitation have resulted in over-extraction of groundwater. Planning to change the patterns of water consumption in all aspects of household, industrial and agricultural uses has become increasingly important. The use of drought tolerant plants with a low water requirements and high water use efficiency is among the practical ways in the agriculture sector. The use of perennial species is recommended to increase rainfall storage, and prevent land degradation, water and wind erosion, and flood. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) with a very low water requirement, a dormancy period from late spring to early fall, and ability to adaptation to the climatic conditions of the area, is a plant suitable for planting in the Damavand area. According to the results, 0.6 and 0.87 Kg ha-1 dry stigma was obtained from planting about 2.7 ton corms per hectare in the first and second year, respectively. The highest yield of saffron is obtained from the third year onwards. Due to the lack of water resources, dry farming and planting the species with low water requirements could be a good solution to preserve agricultural lands, prevent soil erosion, and reduce the migration of farmers.