Abstract
Despite the lengthy history of saffron cultivation in Iran, the reliance on traditional methods persists and falls short of meeting the growing market demand. Greenhouse technologies and hydroponic cultivation provide a solution by boosting stigma production, reducing labor, and addressing climatic challenges. An experiment was conducted in 2019 at the research greenhouses of Shahed University to examine the impact of artificial light intensities and nutrient concentrations on the quantitative and qualitative performance of saffron under hydroponic conditions. The study followed a split-plot scheme based on a completely randomized design. The main factor involved varying white light intensities (2, 4, 8, and 16 mol.m−2.d−1), while the subfactor included different Hoagland nutrient solution concentrations (0.75, 1.4, and 2.8 dS.m−1). Results showed that optimal conditions (light intensity up to 8 mol.m−2.d−1 and nutrient concentrations of 0.75 to 1.4 dS.m−1) led to a 3.64-fold increase in saffron flower yield and a 2.09-fold increase in stigma dry weight. These treatments also significantly enhanced crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal content, improving the spice’s quality by 5.43, 10.30, and 8.22 times, respectively. Light intensity significantly influenced the weight of the mother corm, while nutrient concentration did not, although consistent nutrition combined with higher light intensity increased the mother corm’s diameter. These findings highlight the effectiveness of using light intensities up to 8 mol.m−2.d−1 and Hoagland nutrient concentrations of 0.75 to 1.4 dS.m−1 for hydroponic saffron cultivation in greenhouses.
Published Version
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