African Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 5(14), pp.

1812-1820, 18 July 2010

Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJAR
ISSN 1991-637X 2010 Academic Journals




Full Length Research Paper

The effects of cold storage of saffron (Crocus sativus
L.) corms on morphology, stigma and corm yield

Aysun avuolu

Arslanbey Agricultural Vocational School, Kocaeli University, 41285, Kocaeli/Turkey.
E-mail: cavusoglu@kocaeli.edu.tr.

Accepted 2 July, 2010

Tests were conducted to determine the effects of cold-storage of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corms on
the first and last flowering dates, harvest periods, saffron stigma yield, flower and leaf numbers, plant
height, and asexual daughter corm reproduction in the field and glasshouse at the pre-planting stage.
Corms stored at 8C for 7 and 28 days were compared with controlled corms at room temperature
storage at the pre-planting stage in the 2008 -2009 growing season. The number of flowers per plant,
and fresh and dry stigma yield decreased gradually as the duration of cold-stored corms increased to
28 days at 8C during field and glasshouse experiments. The length of harvest season in open field or
glasshouse conditions was not statistically significantly affected by the cold storage of corms. Results
of the daughter corm reproduction showed that planting cold-stored corms at 8C for 7 or 28 days had
more statistically significant negative effects on daughter corm weight and diameter from the controls
in both of the experimental areas.

Key words : Crocus sativus L., saffron, cold storage, morphology, extending harvest period, stigma yield,
daughter corm reproduction


INTRODUCTION

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is known as one of the
earliest cultivated plants (pek et al., 2009). Saffron is
currently being cultivated more or less intensively in Iran,
India, Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland,
Israel, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, United Arab
Emirates, Japan, Afghanistan, Iraq and recently Australia
(Tasmania) (Nehvi et al., 2007). Saffron is one of the
most appreciated and expensive spices known and has
been used since the earliest times in fabric dye, as a
condiment to enrich food, and for medicinal purposes
(Gresta et. al., 2008). However, due to its analgesic and
sedative properties, folk herbal medicines have used
saffron for the treatment of some illnesses for centuries
(Basker and Negbi, 1983). The chemical components of
saffron include colored carotenoids, crocin, crocetin and
monoterpene aldehydes, picrocrocin, and safranal
(Abdullaev, 1993; Escribano et al.,1996; Lozano et al.,
2000 Tarantilis et al., 1995). Saffrons protective pro-
perties against skin carcinogenesis (Das et al., 2004), its
antidepressant effects (Hosseinzadeh et al., 2004), anti-
convulsant effects of stigma extracts (Hosseinzadeh and
Khosravan, 2002), and its inhibition of in vitro human
cancer cell growth (Escribano et al., 1996) were studied.
An important factor in saffron-stigma production is the
planting of large corms (Arslan et al., 2007; avuolu
and Erkel, 2005, 2009; Gresta et al., 2008; pek et al.,
2009; Omidbaigi et al., 2002; Vurdu et al., 2002). Exten-
sion of the harvest period is another factor in saffron
stigma production (Amooaghaie, 2007; avuolu and
Erkel, 2005; Molina et al., 2004, 2005).
Daughter corm reproduction in high quality and quan-
tity, stigma yield, and extended saffron stigma harvest
period are considerable factors in the growing area be-
cause the growing methods are still traditional. The study
aims to look into the effects of pre-planting cold storage
(where the temperature can easily be controlled by the
farmers) of the corms on saffron morphology, harvest pe-
riod, stigma yield and daughter corm reproduction in the
field and glasshouse growing.


MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experimental site

The trial was carried out at the experimental field and glasshouse of
the Kocaeli University located at Arslanbey Campus, 77.4 m above
avuolu 1813



Table 1. The long term outdoors climatic data of the experimental city (1975-2008)*.

Months Temperature (C)

Sun-take time
(hours) Average
Rainy Days (number)
Average
Rainfall (kg/m2)
Average
Average Max. Min.
January 6.3 9.7 3.4 2.4 17.2 93.3
February 6.4 10.2 3.3 2.8 15.6 72.2
March 8.4 13.0 4.9 4,0 13.0 68.8
April 13.0 18.3 8.8 5,4 12.3 55.2
May 17.3 22.9 12.8 7.0 9.7 45.3
June 21.6 27.4 16.8 8.8 8.8 48.7
July 23.6 29.2 19.1 9.0 6.4 42.4
August 23.3 28.9 19.1 8.4 6.9 49.5
September 20.1 25.8 15.9 7.0 7.5 50.1
October 15.8 20.6 12.4 4.7 12.1 88.6
November 11.3 15.4 8.2 3.2 13.8 90.1
December 8.1 11.3 5.3 2.4 16.9 105.2

*The data were obtained from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Turkey.



Table 2. The outdoors climatic data of the experimental months in the city*

Experimental Year
by months
Temperature (C) Sun-take time
(hours) average
Rainy days
(number)
average
Rainfall(kg/m2)
average
Average Max. Min.
2008 October 16.6 27.5 10.6 4.4 15 91.4
November 13.3 26.9 2.0 3.9 12 69.0
December 9.2 24.3 -0.5 2.4 16 91.3
2009 January 7.4 22.3 -1.9 2.4 16 115.9
February 7.5 20.4 0.7 1.8 23 149.1
March 8.8 24.5 1.4 3.7 22 109.0
April 11.8 25.0 3.8 6.6 9 54.5
May 18.0 32.8 8.4 8.0 6 24.4
June 23.3 35.4 14.5 9.9 7 76.4

*The data were obtained from the Kocaeli Administration of the Turkish State Meteorological Service, Ministry of Environment and
Forestry, Republic of Turkey



sea level, latitude 40
0
42N and longitude 30
0
01E in the city of
Kocaeli, North-Western Turkey. During the experimental months
(Table 2), the climate was similar to the long-term outdoors climatic
data (Table 1).


Soil analyses

Soil samples of the trial area were analyzed for two times at a depth
of 0 - 30 cm. The first analysis was before fertilization with com-
posted sheep manure and corm planting, and the second analysis
was after daughter corm harvesting (Table 3).


Plant material

Mother saffron corms were obtained from our saffron growing area.
The corms were left under field conditions on July 21, 2008.
Healthy and unwounded corms of size 1.6 - 3.5 cm were selected.
Corms reserved for individual sub-plots were kept in paper bags, in
darkness and room temperature, until the cold storage treatment.


Soil preparation and growth conditions

Two weeks before corm sowing, composted sheep manure was
applied as a basal fertilizer uniformly into the experimental area at
the field and glasshouse at 100 tons/ha-1, and 0 - 30 cm deep. Ex-
perimental glasshouse plots were irrigated once a week as of the
corms planting day (October 1, 2008) until end of March when the
leaves began to wither and dry. The experimental field plots were
not irrigated because of the rainy climate in autumn.


Cold storage conditions, experimental design, and plantation

Corms were grouped homogeneously into three groups. The first
group was treated at 8C for 28 days in a controlled refrigerator in
1814 Afr. J. Agric. Res.



Table 3. Soil analyses results of the experimental soil samples in the field and glasshouse before corm sowing and after daughter
corm harvesting.

Experimental site Analysis time pH E.C.
(S/cm)
CaCO3
(%)
N (%) P
(kg.ha)
K
(ppm)
Organic
material (%)
Field Before
Corm Planting
7.33 196.6 2.4 0.07 89.2 175 1.4
After Corm Lifting 7.12 747 0.8 0.18 150.8 310 3.6
Glasshouse Before
Corm Planting
7.39 1132 3.6 0.15 161.5 210 3.08
After Corm Lifting 7.15 1294 0.8 0.18 159.2 322 3.56



darkness starting on September 4, 2008. The second group of
corms was treated for seven days to the same conditions starting
on September 24, 2008. The control group continued to be kept in
darkness under room temperature. All cold storage treatments were
planned to finish the cold requirement on the same day. On
October 1, 2008, treated groups were sown in both experimental
areas.
The study used the split-plot experimental design with three re-
plicates. Each sub-plot contained 42 mother corms. To avoid any
side effects, 22 plants from the margins were left, and all data eva-
luated with 20 plants equally included all sizes (from 1.6 to 3.5 cm)
for each sub-plot. Corms were planted with regular spacing, with 10
cm distance between the rows, 10 cm distance within the rows, and
at a depth of 5 cm.
In the experiment, flowers were picked up and counted
(flowers/corm) early in the morning every day. Fresh stigmas were
separated in the laboratory after flower-picking and weighed (kg.ha-
1) by an analytical scale on a daily basis. Fresh stigmas were dried
daily at 60C for 1 hour in a drying cabinet, and then weighed again
by analytical scale. First and last flowering dates were recorded by
daily supervision of the plots, and the total harvest period was re-
corded as number of flowering days. After the stigma harvest pe-
riod, the plants were left with green leaves for corm reproduction,
and then lifted from both of the experimental sites on June 19,
2009. Daughter corms were weighed (g/daughter corm and kg.ha-
1), counted (corms/plant), and their diameters (mm/daughter corm)
measured. All measured corms were of commercial and healthy
appearance, with no wounded or unhealthy parts.


Statistical analyses

Significance was determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and
the differences between the means were compared by Duncans
multiple range test using the Super-ANOVA 1.11 software (Abacus
Concept Inc.). A significance level of P<0.05 was assumed for the
test.


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Number of saffron flowers, fresh and dry stigma yield

Fresh and dry saffron stigma yield and number of flowers
per corm decreased respectively with increasing cold
storage periods in both experimental areas. The freshest
spice yield obtained from the control plots were 21.31
and 24.05 kg.ha-1, in the field and glasshouse plots, res-
pectively. The control treatment values were very high
and showed statistically significant difference from corms
cold-stored at 8C for 28 days, with 3.73 kg.ha-1 in the
field and 11.84 kg.ha-1 in the glasshouse plots, and from
corms cold-stored at 8C for seven days, with 13.26
kg.ha-1 in the field and 17.03 kg.ha-1 in the glasshouse
plots.
Similarly, dried saffron yield and number of flowers per
corm showed the same decrease when the cold storage
period was increased. According to the data, while the
highest stigma yield and flower number were obtained
from control plots, the lowest stigma yield and flower
number were obtained from corms cold-stored at 8C for
28 days in both experimental areas (Table 4, and Figure
1).


Leaf number and plant height

The parameters were counted and measured in March,
2009, before leaf withering. Cold storage period, 7 or 28
days, showed positive effects on leaf number and nega-
tive effects on plant height in both growing areas.
According to the results obtained from trials, plant height
was the lowest in plots cold-stored at 8C for 28 days,
with 29.37 cm/plant height in the field and 49.7 cm/plant
height in the glasshouse height; and was highest in con-
trol plots with 30.88 cm/plant height in the field and 53.9
cm/plant height in the glasshouse. The glasshouse leaf
number per corm was highest, with 16.13 leaves/corm in
the plots for corms cold-stored at 8C for 28 days or with
15.98 leaves/corm for corms cold-stored for seven days.
Leaf number was at its lowest in the control plots, with
13.63 leaves/corm. However, there were no significant
differences among the treatments in the field (Table 4,
Figure 2, and 3). We noted that the leaf number and plant
height had inversely proportional results at the cold
storage point.


First-last flowering date and harvest period

The flowers from corms cold-stored for 28 days formed
earlier in growing areas located in the glasshouse and
field. In contrast, the harvest period of the sub-plots
showed the least total harvest period, with the longest
avuolu 1815



Table 4. The effect of cold storage of the corms on saffron yield and morphological parameters in the field or glasshouse growing
conditions*,**.

Experimental
Site

Days of pre-
planting Cold
storage of
Corms at 8C
Fresh saffron
stigma yield
(kg.ha-1)

Dry saffron
stigma yield
(kg.ha-1)
Number of
flowers per
Corm
(flowers/corm)
Number of leaves
per Corm
(leaves/corm)
Height of
plants
(cm/plant)

Field Control 21. 313. 23B 4. 100. 56B 0. 570. 18B 16. 103. 25A 30. 880.
73B
7 days 13. 263.
58AB
2. 630. 58B 0. 430. 12AB 17. 351. 13A 30. 580.
21B
28 days 3. 73 0. 37A 0. 680. 08A 0. 130. 018A 17. 670. 51A 29. 370.
51A

Glasshouse Control 24. 050. 22b 4. 110. 05b 0. 620. 03b 13. 630. 62 a 53. 902.
08a
7 days 17. 031. 09ab 2. 920. 22ab 0. 480. 04ab 15. 980. 73b 53. 521.
18a
28 days 11. 843. 41a 2. 090. 82a 0. 330. 09a 16. 131. 15b 49. 700.
77a

*Mean+ S.E.
** Mean values in the same column with different higher-case-letters (A and B) (only for the field) and lower-case-letter (a and b) (only for the
glasshouse) differ significantly at P<0,05.



21,31
13,26
3,73
24,05
17,03
11,84
0
5
10
15
20
25
Fresr
3allror Y|e|d
(|g/ra)
Days of Pre-Pl anting Cold
Storage of Corms
Control
7 days
28 days
Field Glasshouse

Figure 1. The effect of cold storage of the corms on fresh saffron stigma yield in the field and glasshouse



harvest period in corms cold-stored for seven days in
both sites.
However there were not significant differences between
the treatments (Table 5 and Figure 4).


Daughter corm yield parameters

The daughter corm was lifted in June 2009 after leaf
withering. According to the data, corm weight and
diameter have the highest value per daughter corm in
control plots in both the field and glasshouse. The largest
diameter per daughter corm in control plots was 21.35
mm in the field and 23.52 mm in the glasshouse. The
same way, the highest values of the daughter corm
weight obtained from the control plots were 5.32
g/daughter corms in the field and 6.44 g/daughter corms
in the glasshouse. The two parameters, daughter corm
1816 Afr. J. Agric. Res.



16.1
17.35
17.67
13.63
15.98
16.13
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Leaves
Number
per
Plant
(Number)
Field Glasshouse


Figure 2. The effect of cold storage of the corms on the number of leaves per plant in the field and glasshouse.



30,88
30,58
29,37
53,9
53,52
49,7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Height
of
Plant
(cm/plant)
Control
7 days
28 days
Days of Pre-Planting Cold Storage
of Corms
Field Glasshouse


Figure 3. The effect of cold storage of the corms on the height of plant in the field and glasshouse.



weight and daughter corm diameter showed statistically
significant difference from cold-stored corm plots. Data
showed that cold-storage of mother corms had positive
effects on the number of daughter corms. But number of
daughter corms per plant showed significant difference
among field trials. In cold-stored corms treated for 28
days, there were 3.03 daughter corms/plant in the field.
According to the daughter corm yield parameter, the
control plots gave the numerically best results, with
11700 kg.ha-1 in the field and 11817 kg.ha-1 in the
glasshouse conditions (Table 6 and Figure 5).
Several studies were found about the application of
avuolu 1817



Table 5. The effect of cold storage of the corms on flowering dates and harvest period in the field or glasshouse growing conditions*,**.

Experimental site

Days of pre-planting cold storage
of Corms at 8C
First-last flowering date
day. month. year
(date to date)
Harvest period
(number of flowering days)

Field Control 14. 11-18. 11. 2008 5
15. 11-16. 11. 2008 12
13. 11-23. 11. 2008 11
9. 33 2. 19 A
7 days 17. 11-26. 11. 2008 10
13. 11-22. 11. 2008 10
13. 11-21. 11. 2008 9
9. 67 0. 33 A
28 days 07. 11-14. 11. 2008 8
07. 11-09. 11. 2008 3
07. 11-12. 11. 2008 6
5. 67 1. 45 A

Glasshouse Control 17. 11-23. 11. 2008 7
15. 11-25. 11. 2008 11
16. 11-23. 11. 2008 8
8. 67 1. 20 a
7 days 16. 11-22. 11. 2008 7
16. 11-23. 11. 2008 8
12. 11-23. 11. 2008 12
9 1. 53 a
28 days 10. 11-18. 11. 2008 9
10. 11-19. 11. 2008 10
12. 11-16. 11. 2008 5
8 1. 53 a

*Mean+ S.E.
** Mean values in the same column with different higher-case-letters (A and B) (only for the field) and lower-case-letter (a and b) (only for the
glasshouse) differ significantly at P<0,05



9,33
9,67
5,67
8,67
9
8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Harvest
Period
(Number of
Flowering
Days)
Days of Pre-pl anti ng
Col d Storage of the
Corms
Control
7 days
28 days
Field Glasshouse


Figure 4. The effect of cold storage of the corms on flower harvest period in the field and glasshouse.
1818 Afr. J. Agric. Res.



Table 6. The effect of pre-planting cold storage of the corms on daughter corm yield parameters in the open field or glasshouse growing
conditions*,**

Experimental
Site

Days of Pre-Planting
Cold Storage of
Corms at 8
0
C
Number of daughter
corms per plant
(daughter
corms/plant)
Weight of
daughter corm
(g/daughter
corm)
Diameter of
daughter corm
(mm/daughter
corms)
Daughter corm
yield
(kg.ha-1)

Field Control 2. 200. 28A 5. 320. 19C 21. 350. 30B 117001527A
7 days 2. 530. 19AB 4. 260. 17B 19. 120. 47A 10733440A
28 days 3. 030. 13B 3. 430. 12A 18. 120. 24A 10450835A

Glasshouse Control 1. 830. 16a 6. 440. 10b 23. 520. 14b 118171206a
7 days 2. 480. 25a 4. 490. 28a 20. 160. 50a 111671324a
28 days 2. 430. 28a 4. 740. 19a 20. 540. 28a 11367742a

*Mean+ S.E.
**Mean values in the same column with different higher-case-letters (A and B) (only for the field) and lower-case-letter (a and b) (only for the
glasshouse) differ significantly at P<0,05.



11700
10733
10450
11817
11167
11367
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Daughter
Corm
Yield
(kg/ha)

Field Glasshouse
Days of pre-planting
cold storage of the
corms
Control

7 days

28 days


Figure 5. The effect of cold storage of the corms on daughter corm yield in the field and glasshouse.



temperature on mother corms and their effects on
dormancy, forcing of flowers and daughter corms or
harvest period. None of the studies had exactly parallel or
same temperature and time variables as used in our
study. This is the first study about the effect of pre-
planting cold storage of saffron corms at 8C for seven
days or 28 days. At this stage, it is considered that further
studies are needed to better discuss the subject. Molina
et al. (2005) studied on Low temperature storage of
corms extends the flowering season of saffron (Crocus
sativus L.). They stored the corms at 2C after flower
initiation, resulting in a time-dependent abortion of
flowers that have already initiated. No benefits were
found in cold-storage of corms after flower initiation. They
stated that corm storage before flower initiation formed
flowers when incubated at 210 - 25C after the storage.
The number and size of flowers formed and the yield of
spice saffron per corm depended both on the duration




and condition of cold-storage. The trial showed that
storage at freezing temperatures (0 or -1C) damaged the
corms. Flowering could be induced in corms stored
between 0.5 - 2C. Number of flowers and flower sizes
decreased gradually at increased cold-storage durations.
This finding was in conformity with our data on the
number of flowers although different cold temperatures
were used. In the same study, corms lifted after leaf-
withering and stored at 2C in 1% oxygen for 70 days
could be forced to flower from early December until the
end of January with same yield of spice saffron as non-
cold-stored corms. In our study, cold-stored corms
showed early flowering but no benefits were found with
regards the harvest period.
Another study (Molina et al., 2004) was aimed at the
extension of saffron harvest period. The scientists lifted
the corms of saffron after leaf withering, stored them at
25C for a variable period of time before forcing flowering
at 17C, and allowed them to program flowering at will
from mid-September to mid-December. In another study
(Amooaghaie, 2007) about cold-storage, corms were
stored at 2C for 60, 100, 140, and 180 days. Corms
lifted after leaf withering and stored at 2C for 60 days
could be forced to flower from early November until the
end of December with the same yield of spice saffron as
non-cold-stored corms. According to Plessner et al.
(1989), it was demonstrated that a controlled temperature
regime during corm storage affected flowering and
production of daughter corms. Moreover, the combination
of corm storage and planting under controlled
environmental conditions was shown to promote the
hysteranthous behavior of the saffron crocus. In the
study, saffron crocus corms were maintained at 15C in
either moist or dry vermiculite for 35 days prior to their
planting in the phytotron. According to the data,
pretreatment at 15C in dry vermiculite gave the best
results on the number of total daughter corms, daughter
corm weight and number of flowers-size of corms per
mother corm. Pretreatment at 15C in moist vermiculite
gave the best results on flowers per plant and stigma
quantity per flower.


Concluson

The cold storage application to mother corms in saffron
were studied with the aim of improving cultivation
methods. The effects of pre-planting cold storage of the
mother corms at two varying durations on plant
morphology, harvest period, flowering, stigma and
daughter corm production in two different growing areas
were investigated. Total daughter corm yield was not
affected by pre-planting cold-stored corms used in two
varying durations. Controlled corms (non-cold-stored)
gave the best results, numerically or statistically, in fresh
and dry spice yield, number of flowers per mother corm
and height of plants, weight and diameter per daughter
corms and daughter corm yield.
avuolu 1819



Corms cold-stored at 8C for 28 days gave the
numerically or statistically best results in the number of
leaves and daughter corms per plants. Corms cold-stored
at 8C for seven days gave the best results, numerically,
only in total harvest period. The study concludes that
especially stigma and corm yield are negatively affected
by pre-sowing cold-storage treatment of mother corms at
8C with varying durations. But to increase yield of spice
and daughter corm while extending the harvest period,
other temperature treatments lower or higher than 8C,
need to be studied.


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