Effects of Mother Corm Weight and Cow Manure on Saffron Flower and Corm Yield

In order to investigate the effects of mother corm weight (including 4.1-7, 7.1-10 and 10.1-13 g) and different levels of cow manure (including 30 (control), 60 and 90 t/ha) on flower characteristics and daughter corms of saffron, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted during two cropping years (2012-13, 2013-14) in Zaweh county. The results of variance analysis in the first and second years showed that there were significant differences between the simple effects and the interaction effects in terms of most of the studied traits, and these differences were higher in the second year. The highest (56.8 m-2) and the lowest (41.3 m-2) flower numbers were obtained in 90 t/ha cow manure with bigger corm size ( 10.1-13 g) and 60 t/ha cow manure with smaller corm size (4.1-7 g) treatments, respectively. 60 t/ha cow manure with bigger corm size (10.1-13 g) and 60 t/ha cow manure with smaller corm size (4.1-7 g) treatments produced the highest (0.347 g.m-2) and the lowest (0.220 g.m-2) dry weight of stigma, respectively. The highest and the lowest of total number of daughter corms (504.2 and 264.7 m-2), total daughter corm yield (2677.3 and 1582.9 g.m-2) were shown in 90 t/ha cow manure with bigger corm size ( 10.1-13 g) and 30 (control) t/ha cow manure with smaller corm size (4.1-7 g) treatments, respectively. In addition, the mean comparison of interaction effect in the second year showed that there were significant differences between most of treatments. The interaction effects of studied traits in the second year showed that 90 t/ha cow manure with bigger corm size (10.1-13 g) and 30 (control) t/ha cow manure with smaller corm size (4.1-7 g) treatments produced the highest and the lowest flower number (231.0 and 156.5 m-2), stigma dry weight (2.062 and 1.053 g.m-2), total number of daughter corms (1024.5 and 505.5 m-2) and total daughter corms yield (4486.6 and 2133.1 g.m-2), respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that by increasing the use of cow manure (more than 60 t/ha) and the use of more than 7 grams mother corms, it is possible to improve the number and yield of daughter corms and these traits will increase the saffron stigma yield in the next coming years.