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The effects of cold storage of saffron (Crocus sativus
L.) corms on morphology, stigma and corm yield
Aysun Çavuşoğlu
Arslanbey Agricultural Vocational School, Kocaeli
University, 41285, Kocaeli/Turkey.
E-mail:
cavusoglu@kocaeli.edu.tr.
Accepted 2 July, 2010 |
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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 8°C
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 8°C
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 8°C 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
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