The effect of lifting conditions, packaging and store temperature on saffron corm proliferation and stigma yield

Abstract

Saffron is an herb plant and it propagated by corm. After 6 or 7 years, saffron corms should be picked up from the underground, graded and re-cultivated in the new field. Determination of appropriate lifting method, packaging and storage of saffron corms are necessary to reduce the falling of germination and maintained the corms quality. In this research, the effects of soil moisture content during lifting, packaging methods,  storage temperature and storage period on corms waste, saffron yield, dried leaves weight and corms proliferation were investigated. Statistical analysis was done on randomized complete block design applying the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the increasing of storage period, from 1 to 3 month, increased the corms waste percentage and corms weight loss. Increasing of soil moisture reduced functional factors, including the corm proliferation, dried leaves weight and yield by 38, 44and47percent respectively. Increasing of humidity increased the saffron corms waste during storage and it reduced the yield and the corm proliferation. The lowest and the highest corms waste were related to lace and nylon packaging respectively. The highest saffron yield was obtained from saffron corms which were kept in gunnysack or carton packaging, at storage temperature of 25 ° C during the 30-day storage period.