Effects of Nutrients Spraying on Saffron Stigma Quality in a One-year-old Field

چکیده مقاله

Saffron medicinal plant has more than 150 volatile and aromatic compounds; main of them are crocin, picrocrocin and safranal. Saffron stigma quality is affected by many agronomic factors such as fertilization. But there are low scientific reports on the role of foliar nutrition on qualitative traits of stigma. Accordingly, in this study the effect of nutrient spraying (using a chemical fertilizer, containing 12% N, 8% P2O5, 4% K2O, 2000 ppm Fe, 1000 ppm Zn, 1000 ppm Mn and 500 ppm Cu) was evaluated on stigma quality. The study was performed during 2015-16 based on a randomized complete block design, with three replications in a one-year-old field, in Sarayan faculty of agriculture, (University of Birjand), Iran. Corms were planted in early autumn 2015, nutrient spraying was applied two times during March 2016 and flower harvesting was done during autumn 2016. Stigmas were dried at shade and room temperature, then, their crocin, picrocrocin and safranal content was determined in February 2018, based on Iranian national standard method (No 259-2). Results showed that foliar nutrition significantly increased the content of crocin in stigma, while there was no-significant different between two experimental treatments in terms of safranal and picrocrocin content (Table 1). It has been reported that foliar nutrient application is a good strategy for increasing corms reserves for the next flowering period. Improving replacement corms growth will result in better flowering and quality in the coming flowering season.