Evaluation of the effect of compensatory behavior of planting density, mother corm weight and planting depth on vegetative characteristics and yield of saffron (Crocus.sativus L.)

In order to investigate the effect of compensatory behavior of planting density, corm weight and planting depth on vegetative characteristics and yield of saffron stigma (Crocus. Sativus L.), a factorial split plot experiment with a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research center and Agricultural education and natural resources of Khorasan Razavi (Gonabad Research Station) was conducted in the cropping years 2018-2020. In this study, planting density treatment (in four levels of 60, 90, 120 and 150 corms per square meter) in the main plot and factorial planting depth (in two levels of 15±2 and 25±2 cm from the soil surface) and corm weight (in two Levels 4± 1 and 8 ± 1 gr) were located in the subplot. The results showed that increasing the density from 60 to 150 corms per square meter caused a significant increase in flower number, flower fresh weight and stigma dry weight, number of plants, number of leaves per plant, average length of a leaf and total leaf length per square meter. Accordingly, increasing the weight of coriander from 4 to 8 gr significantly increases flower number, flower fresh weight, stigma dry weight, number of plants, number of leaves per plant, average length of a leaf, total leaf length per square meter and total Leaf length per plant in the first and second years and reduced flower number, flower fresh weight and stigma dry weight in the third year. The results also showed that increasing the planting depth from 15 to 25 cm caused a significant decrease in all studied traits of saffron. The effect of dual and triple interactions on the studied traits was mainly significant. Overall, the results showed that the use of larger mother corms has a relative priority only in the early years and the importance of its effect decreases with increasing farm age. Based on this, it seems that it is possible to have a different strateg and with a combination of less depth and especially more density to compensate for the effect of corm weight and achieved more overall performance.