Effect of Zeolite Rates and Irrigation Management on Some Properties of Saffron Corms

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a subtropical and valuable crop which is reproduced by corms. Due to the importance of corm weight in saffron yield, it is important to study the different factors that affect yield such as drought stress. For this purpose, this research was conducted as a factorial design based on completely randomized design (CRD) in the Agricultural Research Station of the University of Birjand during the period 2013-2015. The treatments consisted of Zeolite at four rates (0: Z0, 0.5: Z1, 1: Z2 and 2: Z3 as weight percentage) and irrigation management at three levels (traditional: I1, deficit irrigation as 70% moisture depletion: I2 and full irrigation: I3) with three replications. The results showed that zeolite rates has a significant effect on corm weight, number of corms less than 2gr, number of 6-8gr corms and number of replacement corms (P≤0.01). Irrigation management also has a significant effect on corm weight (P≤0.01), number of corms 6-8gr and number of replacement corms (P≤0.05). The treatments with no zeolite amended (Z0I1, Z0I2 and Z0I3) showed a reduction in corm weight compared to Z3I3 (P≤0.05). Z3I3, Z3I2 and Z3I3 showed an increase in the number of replacement corms while Z0I1 and Z0I2 had the least number of replacement corms. In conclusion, Z2I1 is recommended as the best treatment by considering the reduction in zeolite and water used, which increased corm weight by 26.64%, 23.88% and 17.81% compared to Z0I1, Z0I2 and Z0I3, respectively.

Keywords

• Irrigation scheduling
• Water stress
• Corm Weight and Nutrition