Effect of salicylic acid hormone and its application methods on daughter corms yield and physiological characteristics of saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

In order to evaluate the different doses of salicylic acid, its application methods and corm weight on saffron, an experiment was conducted as split factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2016 at the Research Field of College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran. The treatments consisted of the first factor of the hormone method (corm priming, foliar application) as the main plot, the second factor of salicylic acid in three levels (no application and application at concentrations of 1 and 2 mM), the third factor was two different corm weight included small corm (3-5 g) and big corm (8-10 g), were studied as subplots. The results showed that the amount of photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids), soluble protein, leaf soluble protein, leaf total carbohydrate, fresh weight of daughter corm increased with the application of salicylic acid hormone. Big corm also had a significant different on these traits and also increased with hormone applied in comparison with control condition. The highest leaf carbohydrate (4.9 mg/g fw), leaf length (252 mm), leaf area (318 mm), corm soluble protein (1.8 mg/g fw), leaf soluble protein (1.6 mg/gfw) and number of daughter corm (13.5), in priming method and the highest amount of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids (12, 9.5, 1.19 mg/g fw, respectively)), corm carbohydrate (5.2 mg/g fw), and fresh weight of the daughter corms (20.4 g), in the hormone method was obtained by foliar application. Finally, the results of this research indicated positive effects of application of salicylic acid (1 and 2 mM) both methods and big corm on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of saffron.