نشریه پژوهش های زعفران
سال دهم شماره 1 (بهار و تابستان 1401)

Proper plant density and emphasis on high density cultivating patterns and mother corm weight during the first years of cultivation to achieve high yield and reduce the length of the operation cycle of saffron farms, should be considered by farmers. The effects of plant density and mother corm weight on flower yield and growth characteristics of saffron were evaluated under field conditions. Treatments were three levels of plant density (100, 200 and 300 per m2) and three mother corm weights (0.1- 4, 4.1- 8 and 8.1- 12 g). The experiment was designed as factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research station of Faculty of Agriculture University of Birjand during growing season of 2016-2017. The results indicated that plant density and corm weight had significant effect on the fresh weight of flower, fresh yield of flower, dry yield of stigma and fresh weight of leaf. There were significant different between some characteristics (fresh yield of flower and dry yield of stigma) by interaction plant density and corm weight treatments, so that, the highest fresh yield of flower and dry yield of stigma were obtained (9.88 and 2.41 kg/ha, respectively), from corm weight with 8.1-12 g and plant density with 300 corm/m2, and the lowest were observed from corm weight with 0.1-4 g and plant density of 100 corms per m2. The highest fresh weight of leaves and flower were obtained from 8.1-12 g and 300 corms per m2. Also, the highest and lowest attributes of flower were observed from corm weight with 8.1-12 g and 0.1-4 g, respectively. It was found that corm weight had significant effect on leaves characteristics (length, fresh weight and dry weight of leaf, chl a, chl b and total chl), so that the highest these attributes were obtained from corm weight with 8.1-12 g. In general, the use of corm weight 8.1-12 g and plant density 300 corms per m2 had an effective role in increasing the yield of saffron.

To investigate the effects of foliar application of Acadian seaweed extract® and Biomix poultry manure® on qualitative traits and secondary metabolites of saffron, an experiment was conducted as a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in the city of Ferdows the during growing season of 2017-2018. Experimental treatments included four levels of Acadian seaweed extract® (0, 1, 1.5, and 2 kg. l000 L-1 water) and four levels of liquid Biomix poultry manure® (0, 2, 4 and 6 L. l000 L-1 water). Measured traits included phenol, anthocyanin, crocin, picrocrocin, safranal, and fresh and dry stigma yield. Results showed the effect of treatments was significant on the studied traits. So that saffron stigma picrocrocin in treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 Acadian seaweed extracts® was 26% more than the control. Liquid poultry manure® also had a significant effect on secondary metabolites of saffron, so that saffron stigma picrocrocin in treatment of 6 L. l000 L-1 Biomix poultry manure® was 24% more than the control. Interaction between Acadian seaweed extract® and Biomix poultry manure® had a significant effect on anthocyanin, crocin, safranal, and phenol content. The highest increase was observed in 2 kg. l000 L-1 Acadian® and 6 L. l000 L-1 Biomix poultry manure®. Also, the use of seaweed extract® had a significant effect on stigma yield, so that the yield of fresh stigma (13%) and dry stigma (20%) in the treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 seaweed extracts® was higher than the control. According to the results of this study, the use of seaweed Acadian® (2 kg. l000 L-1 water) alone or in combination with Biomix poultry manure® (6 L. l000 L-1water) can play an important role in enhancing the yield and quality characteristics of saffron.

The purpose of this experiment, evaluation of cow manure and irrigation levels on flower and corms of saffron using Central Composite Design was done with 13 treatments and two replications at the Research Field of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during two growing seasons of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. The treatments were based on low and high cow manure levels (0 and 80 t.ha-1, respectively) and water (120 and 50 percent of water requirement, respectively). The results showed that the linear component's effect was significant on (p≤0.05) daughter corm diameter and numbers of daughter corms for 4-8 g. The square component's effect was significant on (p≤0.05) flower number, fresh weight of flower, the dried weight of stigma, and daughter corm diameter. The interaction effect of full quadratic was significant (p≤0.05) on the dried weight of daughter corms. Lack of fit test had no significant effect on the studied traits. The response variables' full square model gave insignificant lack-of-fit, indicating that the data were satisfactorily explained. The highest values of dried weight of stigma, fresh weight of flower, and flower number were observed for 16 t cow manure per ha+ 5440 m3 water per ha (with, respectively 0.65 and 27.75 g.m-2and 60 No.m-2). The maximum amount for dried weight of daughter corms was observed for 32 t cow manure per ha+ 3200 m3 water per ha (with 4463.31 g.m-2). It is necessary to use 4693.33 m3 water per ha 30.12 t cow manure per ha to obtain optimum conditions under the economic scenario (with desirability index= 0.72).

Our country due to relying on Faryab agriculture, extremely exposed to salinization of land and water resources. Salinity generally has a significant effect on all morphological, physiological, biochemical, anatomical traits of most plants and It has a negative effect on growth, survival and plant production. In order to study the effect of irrigation water quality and application of silicon, nanosilicon and superabsorbent polymer on the yield and amount of active ingredients of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Experiment as split plots in a randomized complete block design, in three replications and three cropping years 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 2 dS/m as a control and water with an electrical conductivity of 6 dS/m) and sub-factor of application of silicon and adsorbent polymer in six levels, (Includes non-consumption as a control, Silicon, nanosilicon each with a concentration of 1.5 per thousand, Bolourab A (0.4 g/kg dry weight of soil). Silicon with Bolourab A and Nano Silicon with Bolourab A.). The study included morphological characteristics such as number of leaves, corm, flowers and stigmas per hectare, leaf yield, corm, flowers and stigmas per hectare, Leaf length and width, average weight of corm and flowers, stigma length and Physiological characteristics included chlorophyll, safranal, crocin and picrocrocin. The results showed that salinity reduced and consumed silicon and super absorbent in both salinity treatments and lack of salinity stress significantly increases important traits of reproductive growth, Includes, Flower number, average stigma length, average weight of a single, yield of flower, yield of stigma and the amount of active ingredients in the stigma (Crocin, Safranal, Picrocrocin) it was tested every 3 years. The effect of treatments on vegetative growth traits of saffron leaves, includes leaf number, leaf yield, chlorophyll A and B content, also on the characteristics of produced female corms including total number of female corms, average corm weight, dry matter and yield of corm. The use of nanosilicon together with superabsorbent in saline conditions increases the flower and stigma yield of saffron in the second year by 46.8% and 54.3%, respectively, compared to the first year, and also increases the flower and stigma yield by 60.1% and 57.8% in the third year compared to the second year. The experimental results showed that the combined application of nano silicon and super absorbent increased the quantitative and qualitative yield of saffron in salinity conditions.

Agricultural industries with other important industries in the country require to the use of sensors, detectors and gas analyzers. The main task of these analyzers is to detect of the different gases types and environmental pollutants and analyze the information obtained from it, to determine the physiological quality of plant growth, measure the shelf life of harvested organs, such as flowers, fruits and suchlike. Saffron is one of the strategic products of the southern and central regions of greater Khorasan, which has unique characteristics in various aspects, from the effect on employment, the economy of these regions and productivity in the consumption of agricultural inputs, such as water. Production of saffron at current costs will be cost-effective only if its growth is modeled in the climatic conditions of different regions of Khorasan and by carefully examining gas exchanges and recommending the use of inputs based solely on precise agricultural principles. On the other hand, the short life of saffron flowers, which makes the processing mechanism difficult (harvesting, separating and drying the flower components), can be increased by carefully studying gas exchanges. In this paper, an electronic system based on electrochemical sensors is presented, which, by simulating the interaction of gases, detects the gases types in the environment around the saffron plant and displays them on the screen. Analysis of the information obtained from the amount of gases detected around of the plant (in terms of PPM and VOL (%)), can provide solutions by agricultural and saffron researchers to improve the quality of growth, maintain flowers longer in the post-harvest period and the possibility of provide saffron production with controlled gas conditions in the greenhouse environment.

Identifying the molecular-protein mechanism of saffron against osmotic stress in Iran which is one of the arid and semi-arid countries in the world is of particular importance. For this purpose and to investigate the response to osmotic stress applied with different concentrations of PEG6000, an experiment is performed using two saffron landraces of Torbat Heydarieh and Marand by hydroponic culture at the vegetative growth stage (seedling) in the greenhouse. Two weeks after osmotic stress, sampling was performed from all experimental units. According to the results, Torbat Heydarieh landrace was in a better condition than Marand landrace in terms of protein reaction under osmotic stress. Also, the results of proteomic analysis of two landraces showed that among 17 significant protein spots between control and osmotic stress treatments, four protein spots between two common landraces and six and seven protein spots were unique to Torbat Heydarieh and Marand landraces, respectively. In interpreting the specific response, it can be stated that the more tolerant landrace of Torbat Heydarieh under stress was more active in the path of antioxidant defense and included increased activity of harpin binding protein 1 and peroxiredoxin. While the more sensitive landrace Marand had more damage in different biological pathways by reducing the activity of proteins, especially the reduction of Thylakoid lumenal protein 29.8 kDa protein involved in photosynthetic light reaction. In general, the different protein responses of the landraces and the most important protein reactions and important metabolic pathways of the studied landraces of saffron were identified.

In order to investigate the effects of humic acid as liquid form and mother corm weight on flower yield and active substances of saffron, a field experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications during June, 2016 at saffron research farm of College of Abouraihan, University of Tehran located in Pakdasht, east south of Tehran province. Experimental factors were consisted of four levels of humic acid (0, 25, 50 and 100 L.ha-1) and mother corm weights including small (3-5g) and large (8-10g). Humic acid was applied in early September companion with first irrigation. The results showed that number of flower, fresh weight of flower, and dry weight of stigma and number of days to flowering was significantly influenced by humic acid levels while stigma length was not affected by humic acid. The highest number of flowers (11.3 No.m-2) was obtained in 25 L.ha-1 humic acid as well as large corms, while the lowest was recorded in control (2.3 No.m-2). Also humic acid application improved active ingredients. The highest value of picrocin (92.2%) was obtained from 25 L.ha-1 humic acid as well as large coms. The most safranal (44.81%) was obtained in 50 L.ha-1 humic acid and the least content was observed in control (32.68%). Totally, the results indicated that use of humic acid, while improving soil properties, water saving, dissolution and release of elements, and subsequently more uptake by the roots of large corms led to improved flower characteristics and the active ingredients of saffron stigma.

The study of pharmacological properties of saffron and its effective substances is important considering its clinical and health applications. Arterial and venous blood clot embolism is the most common cause of death worldwide, and cardiovascular disease currently accounts for almost half of all non-communicable diseases. Saffron is one of the medicinal plants used in Iranian medicine to treat heart disease. In this regard, according to reports on lipid peroxidation in platelet membranes and inhibition of platelet adhesion in the blood of healthy people by the use of saffron. In this regard, an experiment was performed to investigate the effect of saffron style extract on blood coagulation process in rats. In a 21-day period, the effect of concentrations of 15, 25 and 50 mg/kg of aqueous extract of saffron style in eight replicates on the parameters of prothrombin (PT), relative thromboplastin time (APPT) and coagulation time (CT) One-month-old male rats were studied in the laboratory of the Faculty of Basic Sciences of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and the results were analyzed by t-test. Concentration of 50 mg/kg caused a significant increase in prothrombin time. In measuring thromboplastin time, the concentration of 25 aqueous extracts of saffron style made a significant difference at the level of 5% compared to the control. Blood coagulation time in all treatments was 7 seconds. Treatment of 15 mg/kg aqueous extract of saffron straw caused a significant reduction (at the level of 5%) in the number of blood platelets. The findings of this study show the coagulation effect of aqueous extract of saffron style and can be helpful for the optimal clinical use of saffron and also in conducting additional research in this field.

Proper agronomic management is an important factor for reducing interference between plants and better absorption of resources. Therefore, nutrients loss due to soil erosion, and increased soil temperature are the most obvious problems in saffron farming systems. Herein in this study the effects of agronomic parameters such as corm rates and planting depths on flower yield, stigma yield, daughter corm yield and quality of saffron were evaluated at the Agricultural Research Field, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during a two-year field experiment (during 2018-2019 and 2019-2020) as factorial layout with a randomized complete block design based on on-farm trials. Treatments were mother corm rates (10, 15 and 20 t corms per ha), and two planting depths (5 and 10 cm). Studied criteria were flower numbers per area, fresh flower yield, dried stigma yield, total weight of daughter corms, total number of daughter corms, daughter corm diameter, number and weight of daughter corms in three groups such as <4, 4.1-8 and >8.1 g and quality (such as crocin, picrocrocin and safranal) in the second year of experiment. The results showed that the planting depth had not significant effect on flower yield and corm yield. Increasing mother corm rate from 10 to 20 t per ha improved flower number (112 flowers per m2), fresh weight of flower (49.71 g/m2) and dried weight of stigma (1.11 g/m2). The highest daughter corm yield was observed in 20 t corms per ha+ 10 cm (181.3 g/m2). Based on the results, if the purpose of saffron cultivation is to achieve the highest flower yield in the first year, it is recommended to increase corm density. However, if the purpose is to obtain the maximum daughter corm yield, so the corm rates per unit area should be considered less. In sum, considering the water shortage especially in arid and semi-arid regions, agronomic management increases land efficiency, improves flower yield and corm yield and increase farmers’ income during perennial life cycle of saffron as a niche crop.