Effect of Thermal Forcing of Corms on The Flowering of Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.)

Year 2021, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 66 - 70, 01.04.2021

İbtissam Mzabri , Maria Rımanı Khadija Charif Said Otouya Noureddine Kouddane Abdelbasset Berrichi

https://doi.org/10.47115/bsagriculture.841263

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Among all environmental factors, the temperature is considered one of the key elements that control the growth and development of saffron. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of thermal forcing of corms on saffron growth and development. To this end, mother corms were collected at four different periods: late March (T2) , mid-April (T3) , late April (T4), and after leaf senescence (Control, T1) . The corms of each period were then pretreated at three successive temperature levels: at 25 °C for 2 weeks, at 15 °C for 2 weeks and finally at 4 °C for 12 weeks. The results showed that the thermal pretreatment of corms had a significant effect on some saffron parameters. The flowers of the corms that underwent thermal treatment were later than those of the control. Similarly, the flower numbers and stigma yield were negatively affected by thermal forcing of corms. Overall, the thermal forcing of corms under the proposed regime was unfavorable for the growth and development of saffron.

Keywords

Forcing, Vegetative growth, Late flowering, Stigma yield, Daughter corms

References

• Agha-Hosseini M, Kashani L, Aleyaseen A, Ghoreishi A, Rahmanpour H, Zarrinara A R, Akhondzadeh S. 2008. Crocus sativus L. (saffron) in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: A double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial. BJOG-Int J Obstet Gy, 115(4): 515-519.
• Amooaehaie R. 2007. Low temperature storage of corms extends the flowering season of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Acta Hortic, 739: 41–47.
• Çavuşoǧlu A. 2010. The effects of cold storage of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corms on morphology, stigma and corm yield. Afr J Agric Res, 5(14): 1812-1820.
• Cavusoglu A. 2017. The Effect of Exogenously Applied Plant Growth Regulators on Plant Development of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.). J Inst Sci Technol, 7(1): 17–22.
• Dole J. 2003. Research Approaches for Determining Cold Requirements for Forcing and Flowering of Geophytes. Hort Sci, 38(3): 341-346.
• Dror A. 1983. The control of flowering and vegetative reproduction of the saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus). M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
• Erkel E İ. 2005. Kocaeli ili koşullarinda safran (Crocus sativus l.) yetiştiriciliğinde yetişme yeri ve korm çapi’nin verim ve erkencilik üzerine etkisi. Akdeniz Univ Ziraat Fak Derg, 18(2): 179-184.
• Ghorbani R, Koocheki A. 2017. Sustainable Cultivation of Saffron in Iran. J Sustain Agr, 25: 169–203.
• Greenberg-Kaslasi D. 1991. Vegetative and reproductive development in the saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus L.). MSc. Thesis, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Isreal.
• Gresta F, Lombardo G M, Siracusa L, Ruberto G. 2008. Saffron, an alternative crop for sustainable agricultural systems. A review. Agron Sustain Dev, 28(1): 95-112.
• Hajyzadeh M, Asil H, Yildirim M U, Sarihan E O, Ayanoglu F, Khawar K M. 2017. Evaluating effects of corm circumferenc and storage temperatures on yield and yield components of saffron at different elevations. Acta Hortic, 1184(6): 39-46
• Ipek A, Arslan N, Sarihan E O. 2009. Effects of different planting depth and bulb sizes on yield and yield components of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Ankara Üniv, Ziraat Fak, Tarım Bilim Derg, 15(1): 38-46.
• De Mastro G, Ruta C. 1993. Relation between corm size and saffron (Crocus sativus L.) flowering. Acta Hortic, 344(58): 512-517.
• Molina R V, Valero M, Navarro Y, Garcı́a-Luis A, Guardiola J L. 2004. The effect of time of corm lifting and duration of incubation at inductive temperature on flowering in the saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.). Sci Hort, 103(1): 79-91.
• Molina R, Valero M, Navarro Y, Guardiola J, García-Luís A. 2005. Temperature effects on flower formation in saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Sci Hort, 103(3): 361-379.
• Molina R V, Valero M, Navarro Y, García-Luis A, Guardiola J L. 2005. Low temperature storage of corms extends the flowering season of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). J Hortic Sci Biotechnol, 80(3): 319-326.
• Muñoz Gómez R M, de Juan Valero J A, Botella Miralles O, Moya Aparicio A. 2002. Efectos del mantenimiento a elevadas vegetativa y la producción de flores y cormos huos en el azafrán (Crocus sativus L .). Int Technol Ed Assoc, 98(3): 200-212.
• Mzabri I, Legsayer M, Chetouani M, Aamar A, Kouddane N, Boukroute A, Bekkouch I, Berrichi A. 2017. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield parameter assessment of abiotic stressed corms stored in low temperature. J Mater Environ Sci, 8(10): 3588-3597.
• Mzabri I, Addi M, Berrichi A. 2019. Traditional and modern uses of saffron (Crocus sativus). Cosmetics, 6(4): 1-11.
• Plessner O, Ziv M, Negbi M. 1990. In vitro corm production in the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Cult, 20(2): 89-94.
• Turhan H, Kahriman F, Egesel C O, Gul M K. 2010. The effects of different growing media on flowering and corm formation of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Afr J Biotechnol, 20(6): 2328-2332.
• Wilkins H F. 1985. Crocus vernus: Crocus sativus. In Halevy, AH. Handbook of flowering. CRC Press, Vol. 2, Boca Raton, FL, 350-355.
• Zhang A, Shen Y, Cen M, Hong X, Shao Q, Chen Y, Zheng B. 2019. Polysaccharide and crocin contents, and antioxidant activity of saffron from different origins. Ind Crops Prod, 133: 111-117.