SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS L.) GROWING WITHOUT REMOVING OF MOTHER CORMS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITION

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a geophytic plant which is one of the most commonly known medicinal and aromatic plant species in the world. The stigma of saffron is used for dye, food or beverages additive and in the pharmacology industries. Saffron corms reach to flowers in a short time after planting in autumn. The experiments were performed for the possibilities of greenhouse condition for saffron stigma and corm reproduction and extend the harvest period. Two different horizontal corm dimension size (A=10-24 mm and B=25-40 mm) were used without corm removing for 3 years under greenhouse condition. Quantitative characters, first and last flowering date (date to date), harvest period (flowering day numbers), flower number (flowers/plant), fresh saffron stigma yield (kg.ha -1 ), dry saffron stigma yield (kg.ha -1 ) were recorded for each year. At the end of the third growing season, lifted daughter corms were measured and scaled parameters such as lifted daughter corm number (corms/plant), lifted daughter corm diameter (mm/daughter corm), lifted daughter corm weight (g/plant and kg.ha -1 ). Based on the results, big size mother corm dimension gave statistically significant results than small corms for the most of parameters studied only in the first year. Additionally, results indicated that in the second year saffron stigma yield parameters increased in both A and B corm size and in the third year stigma yield decreased. Harvested corms showed an increase in small corms and decrease in big corms.