the effects of mother corm weight and cultivation systems on morphophysiological characteristics of saffron (crocus sativus l.)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different cultivation and mother corm weight on certain morphological and physiological characteristics of saffron (crocus sativus l.). this experiment was conducted as a completely randomized factorial design with three replications. experimental treatments include three types of cultivation, such as field, aeroponic, and 1/2 murashige and skooge (ms). and three levels of corm weights of <4 g, 4-9 g, and 9-23 g. the results revealed that the cultivation had significant (p ≤ 0.01) effects on all studied traits except for leaf carotenoid. safranal content was highest in the field, followed by 1/2 ms and aeroponic. maximum crocin and picrocrocin levels in the stigma are desirable, such as with aeroponic and 1/2ms cultivation, respectively. the highest fresh weight of flower, dry weight of flowerand stigma dry weight were related to 1/2 ms cultivation. the effect of the mother corm weight was also significant on picrocrocin at the p ≤ 0.05 level and on all traits at the p ≤ 0.01 level except for the root fresh weight and stigma safranal content. investigation of interaction effects of cultivation type and mother corm weight showed that the best efficiency of the saffron crops in terms of yield was related to the heavier than 9 g mother corm weight and 1/2 ms cultivation, such as flower number, flower fresh weight, flower dry weight, stigma fresh weight, stigma dry weight, and picrocrocin content. therefore, to produce organic saffron and increase its yield, it is recommended to cultivate mother corms heavier than 9 g in the 1/2 ms cultivation. this study aimed to investigate the effects of different cultivation and mother corm weight on certain morphological and physiological characteristics of saffron (crocus sativus l.). this experiment was conducted as a completely randomized factorial design with three replications. experimental treatments include three types of cultivation, such as field, aeroponic, and 1/2 murashige and skooge (ms). and three levels of corm weights of <4 g, 4-9 g, and 9-23 g. the results revealed that the cultivation had significant (p ≤ 0.01) effects on all studied traits except for leaf carotenoid. safranal content was highest in the field, followed by 1/2 ms and aeroponic. maximum crocin and picrocrocin levels in the stigma are desirable, such as with aeroponic and 1/2ms cultivation, respectively. the highest fresh weight of flower, dry weight of flowerand stigma dry weight were related to 1/2 ms cultivation. the effect of the mother corm weight was also significant on picrocrocin at the p ≤ 0.05 level and on all traits at the p ≤ 0.01 level except for the root fresh weight and stigma safranal content. investigation of interaction effects of cultivation type and mother corm weight showed that the best efficiency of the saffron crops in terms of yield was related to the heavier than 9 g mother corm weight and 1/2 ms cultivation, such as flower number, flower fresh weight, flower dry weight, stigma fresh weight, stigma dry weight, and picrocrocin content. therefore, to produce organic saffron and increase its yield, it is recommended to cultivate mother corms heavier than 9 g in the 1/2 ms cultivation.