The Effect of Irrigation Different Methods under the Deficit-Irrigation Conditions on Characteristics of Replacement Corm and Photosynthesis Level of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

Water is one of the most important factors limiting agricultural development. The proper water management on the farm is also significant. To improve the existing conditions, a study aimed at investigating the growth characteristics of replacement corms and photosynthetic levels of saffron plants in response to different irrigation methods under water stress. An experiment was conducted on a farm in Ahmadabad Sheikh village, Torbat - Heydariyeh, from September 2020 to June 2021. In this experiment, the main treatment included three irrigation methods (basin irrigation, drip irrigation, and subsurface irrigation) and the sub-treatment of three irrigation levels (100%, 70%, and 40% of saffron water requirement). On May 1, 2021, to determine the traits related to photosynthetic level (number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, fresh and dry weight of leaves) were sampled. On June 10, 2021, to study the growth characteristics of replacement corms (number of replacement corms, replacement corm diameter, weight wet and dry replacement corm) sampling was done. The results showed that the effect of method and amount of irrigation on the characteristics of replacement corms and photosynthetic level of the saffron plant was significant. The drip irrigation method significantly increased leaf number, leaf length, fresh leaf weight, leaf dry weight compared to basin irrigation and subsurface irrigation methods. The diameter of the replacement corm, the number of replacement corms, wet weight of replacement corm, and dry weight of replacement corm was reducing the amount of irrigation water from 100% of the water required to 70% and 40% due to drought stress caused a significant reduction in leaf number, leaf length fresh weight, dry leaf weight, replacement corm diameter, number of replacement corms, fresh weight of replacement corms and weight dried replacement. Based on these interpretations, choosing a suitable irrigation method along with a sufficient amount of water is significant.