نشریه زراعت و فناوری زعفران
سال نهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 34، زمستان 1400)

This research was carried out as factorial experiment basis on randomized block design with four replications on a three-year saffron farm in Mashhad at 2017/2018 crop year. The experimental factors were different concentrations of silica (0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.2 and 1.5 lit/ha) and the number of spraying times (Once, twice and three times). Silica spraying (with Crapsil brand) was performed on February 6, March 1 and March 6, 2017.The results showed that the main effect of silica, the number of sprays and their interaction on all studied traits were significant. Mean comparisons of the experimental factors revealed that at the concentration of 1.2 lit/ha silica and two times of spraying, the highest number of flowers per plant(693 flowers), leaf dry weight(3.56 gr/plant), fresh weight of corm(67.25 gr/plant), stigma length(3.8 cm), fresh and dry weight of stigma(1656.5 and 14.39 kg/ha respectively),Safranal (33%) and crocin (192.75%) obtained. The highest amount of picrocrocin (66.35%) was obtained at the concentration of 1.5 lit/ha and two times of spraying. Therefore, the application of silica with the concentration of 1.2 lit/ha in the two stages of spraying was the best treatment and was able to increase the number of flowers per plant, fresh weight of corms and dry weight of stigma 26.5, 106 and 21.2 percent, respectively compared with the control treatment.

AbstractWe studied the effects of foliar application of iron chelate on relative leaf water content, electrolyte leakage, leaf chlorophyll content, carotenoids content, leaf soluble sugars content and proline for saffron in Kermanshah (Iran). A two-year trial (2013–2015) was conducted in the factorial experiment based on complete randomized design (CRD) in triplicates at the research farm of Razi University; Iran. The traits were studied in the second year of experiment. The foliar iron chelated was applied at the three considered times namely early vegetative (November), mid-vegetative (January), and the end of vegetative growth (March). The seven concentrations of iron chelate were considered i.e. zero (control), 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 ppm. The results showed that chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and electrolyte leakage were not influenced by the time of foliar application. However, carotenoids have been affected significantly by the time (p≤0.05) and the other traits were affected very significantly (p≤0.01). The concentration of iron solution and the interaction between two factors affected all the traits highly significant (p≤0.01) apart from the electrolyte leakage which was significantly influenced (p≤0.05). The foliar application of iron chelate with the concentration of 2000 ppm leads to increase for chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids in comparison with control for 45.4%, 42.4%, and 63.6% at the mid-vegetative, respectively. Soluble sugar content also has been raised for the foliar application at the end of vegetative growth for 2000 ppm for 63.5% compare with control. Also, generally can be claimed that the foliar application of iron chelate at the mid-vegetative was more effective than others.

In order to evaluate the trend of saffron yield and study the relationship between saffron yield fluctuations and various climatic parameters, research was designed and conducted in Mashhad, Torbat Heydariyeh, Kashmar, Birjand and Qaen during 20 years (1998-2018). According to meteorological data from the last 20 years, the average rainfall decreased by 33% and the average temperature increased by 0.5 °C . On the other hand, the regression results between yield and climatic parameters indicates that the pattern of temperature rise and decreased rainfall in all studied cities was significantly in line with saffron yield declining. In this period, the study's findings also revealed that over the last 20 years, an average of 112.3 hectares of saffron cultivation have been added to the areas under cultivation of saffron and at the same time, saffron yields have dropped by an average of 0.08 kg per hectare. Climatic indicators significantly affected decreased saffron yield in Razavi and South Khorasan. The results also revealed that the average and maximum temperature were the main variables influencing the reduction of saffron yield. For instance in Torbat-e Heydarieh, the variable of average temperature predicted 42 percent of the variability of the yield and in other cities studied, the maximum temperature variable predicted between 24 and 56% of the variability of the yield. Furthermore, the results of the time series analysis of saffron yield revealed that saffron yield will show a decreasing and negative trend by 2025 in all studied cities. Up to 2025, Mashhad and Kashmar with a slope of 0.09 and 0.07 kg/ha, had the highest and lowest decreasing trends, respectively.

In order to study the physiological responses of saffron(Crocus sativus L.) to salinity stress under application Silicon, nanosilicon and superabsorbent polymers, experiment as split plots in a randomized complete block design, in three replications and two cropping years it was done in a farm located in Ziauddin section of Torbat Heydariyeh city. the main factor of irrigation water quality in two levels (includes water with electrical conductivity of 1.96 dS /m as a control and water with an electrical conductivity of 6 dS /m). and sub-factor of application of silicon and superabsorbent in six levels, (includes non-consumption as a control, Silicon, nanosilicon each with a concentration of 1.5 per thousand, superabsorbent (0.4 g / kg dry weight of soil). Silicon with superabsorbent and nano Silicon with superabsorbent) the results showed that salinity reduces and consumes silicon and superabsorbent in both salinity treatments and lack of salinity stress significantly increases important traits of reproductive growth, Included number of flowers, weight of single flower, average stigma length and yield of saffron flower and stigma in every 2 years of experiment. effect of treatments on saffron leaf vegetative growth traits including number of leaves, average leaf, leaf yield, chlorophyll a and b content and also on the characteristics of produced female corms including total number of female corms, average corm weight and yield of female corm in every 2 years. Salinity increased sodium and decreased leaf and corm potassium. while the use of silicon and superabsorbent due to maintaining the stability of cell membranes, Significantly reduced the sodium content of leaves and corm under stress and increased the amount of potassium. concomitant use of nano-silicon with superabsorbent reduces sodium content by 27.5% and 23.7%, respectively. also, 22.1% and 33% increase in potassium content of saffron leaves and corm compared to the control in salinity conditions were tested in the second year. consumption of nanosilicone with superabsorbent in salinity conditions increased 46.8% and 54.3% in the yield of saffron flowers and stigmas in the second year compared to the first year, respectively. it also reduced the amount of proline in saffron leaves and corm in both years of experiment. The experimental results showed that the combined application of nano silicon and superabsorbent increased the quantitative and qualitative yield of Saffron in salinity conditions.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil and land characteristics on saffron yield, their rating for preparation of a soil requirements table of this plant for land suitability studies by FAO method. First, 124 saffron farms in Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Fars, Golestan, Markazi and Kerman provinces were selected. In each field, suitable soil samples were taken and a land use questionnaire was completed during three years from 2017 to 2019. Soil samples were tested to determine their physicochemical properties. After preparing the data, they were statistically analyzed. Multivariate regression between yield as a dependent variable and salinity, percentage of exchangeable sodium, soil reaction, gypsum, lime, clay, sand, silt, gravel and available potassium and phosphorus of soil were studied as independent variables by stepwise method. By examining the relationships of simple regression between important and effective land characteristics and yield, land characteristics rating was performed. Then, the saffron soil requirements table prepared. The proposed table was verified with the data of 21 new farms. The results showed that available potassium, sand, soil salinity, percentage of exchangeable sodium and lime had the highest and the reaction of soil and organic carbon had the lowest range of changes. Regression results showed that the independent variables of soil salinity, ESP, lime, gypsum, gravel and available potassium and phosphorus, respectively, affect yield. Coefficient of determination of multivariate regression showed that the variables entered in the model were able to determine 95% of the variance related to the dependent variable. The largest contribution to the reduction of saffron yield is related to soil salinity, gravel, exchangeable sodium percentage and the amount of lime. Validation results showed that the yield correlation coefficient with the soil index of the proposed table for saffron is about 0.92, which indicates the acceptable accuracy of the proposed table.

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Saffron is a spice that is widely cheated. The development of techniques based on simple, inexpensive, appropriate and fast tools in the food industry is essential for detecting adulteration such as saffron adulterated. In the present study, the combination of image processing and Support vector machine (SVM) method has been used for fast and non-destructive evaluation of distinguishing authentic saffron from adulterated saffron. After preparing images from pure and counterfeit saffron and separate stigmas, the images entered the pre-processing stages and finally, statistical features related to the texture of the images and morphological features including 105 features were extracted. In order to increase the speed and accuracy of classification, PCA principal component analysis method was used to reduce the properties of the feature matrix. Also, the images were classified into two classes using different SVM kernel functions. Also, the images were classified into two classes using different SVM kernel functions. Then statistical indicators such as accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity and AUC were calculated to evaluate the classification. The values of these indices for classification with SVM cubic kernel for authentic saffron were 97, 98, 99, 93 and 97%, and for adulterated saffron, 97, 93, 83, 97.5 and 97% were obtained, respectively. The results of this classification showed that this system, as an intelligent, fast, non-destructive and accurate method, has the ability to distinguish the authentic saffron from adulterated saffron.