Corm Size Research Articles

Internet of things (IoT) based saffron cultivation system in greenhouse

Saffron is the world's most expensive and legendary crop that is widely used in cuisine, drugs, and cosmetics. Therefore, the demand for saffron is increasing globally day by day. Despite its massive demand the cultivation of saffron has dramatically decreased and grown in only a few countries. Saffron is an environment-sensitive crop that is affected by various factors including rapid change in climate, light intensity, pH level, soil moisture, salinity level, and inappropriate cultivation techniques. It is not possible to control many of these environmental factors in traditional farming. Although, many innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) have been used to enhance the growth of saffron still, there is a dire need for a system that can overcome primary issues related to saffron growth. In this research, we have proposed an IoT-based system for the greenhouse to control the numerous agronomical variables such as corm size, temperature, humidity, pH level, soil moisture, salinity, and water availability. The proposed architecture monitors and controls environmental factors automatically and sends real-time data from the greenhouse to the microcontroller. The sensed values of various agronomical variables are compared with threshold values and saved at cloud for sending to the farm owner for efficient management. The experiment results reveal that the proposed system is capable to maximize saffron production in the greenhouse by controlling environmental factors as per crop needs.

Corm size and planting density affect the yield and longevity of saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

The effect of the corm size of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and the planting density was determined on a field study for six years. The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of the corm size and planting density on flower and stigma yields. Two corm sizes were used: corms with a diameter up to 2.5 cm and corms with a diameter greater than 2.5 cm, and five planting density: 22, 27, 33, 44 and 67 corms/m2 with planting distances 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 cm on the plant row, respectively. The results showed that the year (growing season) and the interaction of year (growing season) with corm size affected all the characteristics that were studied. Over the six-year study period, there was a gradual increase in flowering from the first to the third year, followed by a decline in the fifth and sixth years. The yield of larger corms (greater than 2.5 cm) was higher during the first three years, while smaller corms (less than 2.5 cm) produced higher yields in the fourth through sixth years. On the contrary, the planting density, did not significantly affect the characteristics studied over the six years of cultivation and therefore did not affect the stigma yield of saffron. Therefore, corm size together with the environment are important factors that can affect the productivity and the longevity of the crop and should be considered when planting a new saffron cultivation.

Revealing the dynamics of saffron growth: Optimizing corm size and planting depth for increased yield synergies.

Saffron, the "golden spice" derived from Crocus sativus L., is renowned for its richness in secondary metabolites such as crocin and safranal, contributing to its unique properties. Facing challenges like decreasing global production, optimizing cultivation techniques becomes imperative for enhanced yields. Although the impact of factors like planting density, planting depth, spacing, and corm size on saffron growth has been studied, the interaction between corm size and planting depth remains underexplored. This study systematically investigates the interactive effects of corm size and planting depth on saffron growth and yield, providing evidence-based guidelines for optimizing cultivation. A factorial experiment, employing a completely randomized design, was conducted to assess the influence of corm size (05-10g, 10.1-15g, 15.1-20g) and planting depth (10cm, 15cm, 20cm) on saffron yield. Uniform-sized corms were obtained, and a suitable soil mixture was prepared for cultivation. Morphological and agronomic parameters were measured, and statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test. The study revealed that planting depth significantly affected saffron emergence. The corms sown under 15cm depth showed 100% emergence regardless of corm size (either 05-10g, 10.1-15g, 15.1-20g) followed by 10cm depth corms. Corm dry weight exhibited a complex interaction, where larger corms benefited from deeper planting, while intermediate-sized corms thrived at shallower depths. Similar patterns were observed in shoot fresh weight and dry weight. Specifically, the largest corm size (t3, 15.1-20g) produced the greatest fresh-weight biomass at the deepest planting depth of 20cm (T3), while intermediate-sized corms (t2, 10.1-15g) were superior at the shallowest 10cm depth (T1). The total plant biomass demonstrated that larger corms excelled in deeper planting, while intermediate-sized corms were optimal at moderate depths. This research highlights the intricate interplay between corm size and planting depth in influencing saffron growth. Larger corms generally promote higher biomass, but the interaction with planting depth is crucial. Understanding these dynamics can aid farmers in tailoring cultivation practices for optimal saffron yields. The study emphasizes the need for a coordinated approach to corm selection and depth placement, providing valuable insights for sustainable saffron production and economic growth.

Effect of Different Spacing and Corm Size on Growth and Corm Production of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cv Punjab Dawn under Malwa Plateau of Madhya Pradesh

The present experiment was carried out at Bahadari research farm of College of Horticulture, Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh) during rabi season of 2020-21 with an aim to find out the effect of different spacing and corm size on growth and corm production of gladiolus, using the three spacing’s (S1 30 × 30 cm, S2 30 × 20 cm and S3 20 × 20 cm) and three corm sizes (C1 <3.0 cm, C2 3.0-4.0 cm and C3 >4.0 cm). The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications. The result revealed that, the plant produced from wider spacing with larger corm size (30 × 30 cm + >4.0 cm) was superior in days taken to sprouting (9.07 days), number of sprouts per hill (3.07), plant height at 60 DAP (62 cm), number of leaves per hill at 60 DAP (20.73), length of longest leaf at 60 DAP (46.47 cm), width of longest leaf at 60 DAP (2.85 cm), number of corms per hill (3.47) and weight of corms per hill (71.20 g) at maturity stage.

Saffron corm sorting and rot treatment strategy for productivity enhancement for precision agriculture

One of the most economical and precious spices ever known is saffron. It has innumerable pharmaceutical applications, and its cultivation is limited to certain topographic regions throughout the world. Although efforts are continuously being made to increase productivity and increase the area under cultivation, there are multiple factors leading to its low production. Corm size is one of the major factors affecting the quality and production of saffron. The more the corm size for a plantation, the better the yield of the crop. This can pose a serious threat to saffron cultivators who are not able to get good quality corms and sort quality corms from infected ones. Additional factors affecting saffron cultivation include attack by fungus leading to corm rots and sclerotineal disease. In this paper, IoT (Internet of Things) has been used to provide an energy-efficient, ready-to-use, reliable, and user-friendly solution for corm sorting and treatment before sowing to promote quality, better yield and minimized wastage due to corm rots. After sorting the corms, they are treated with 0.2% of tiabendazole fungicide solution and dried, before sowing and for long-term storage. Firstly, sorting and treatment system for the saffron corms processing as per weight is proposed. First two-layer cleaning mechanism to remove foreign substances, then three-step treatment has been applied to remove microorganisms. An automated conveyor system equipped with IoT devices was used for sorting and treating saffron corms. Different energy efficient LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies used in the framework, for communication are NB-IoT (Narrow Band IoT) and LoRa (Long Range Radio).

Drought Stress Inhibits Starch Accumulation in Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott).

Colocasia esculenta L. Schott is a main traditional root crop in China, serving as an important vegetable and staple food. Drought stress plays vital role on the growth and development of taro corm. Two different varieties of taro in Jiangsu were selected: Xiangsha taro and Longxiang taro. The accumulation characteristics, morphological structure, and physicochemical properties of taro corm starch were studied by microscopic observation, particle size analysis, and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis. Transcriptome analyses were used to identify the related genes of taro corm under drought stress. During the growth of taro, the number of amyloplasts showed an obvious increasing trend and shifted from being dispersed throughout the cells to being gathered on one side of the cells, and morphological observations showed that smaller granular distribution gradually changed to a larger lumpy distribution. The particle size of Longxiang taro is smaller than that of Xiangsha taro. Under drought stress conditions, the occurrence of starch grains and corm size were inhibited in Xiangsha taro. Transcriptome sequencing of drought-stressed taro corms showed that the enzymes related to starch synthesis were differentially expressed. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of drought-stressed taro corms showed that drought affected hormone signal transduction, material metabolism, drought stress tolerance, plant growth and development, and stress resistance, which triggered the plant drought adaptive response. Drought stress inhibits starch accumulation in taro.

Propagation of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Using Cross-Cuttings under a Controlled Environment

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a valuable geophyte plant and one of the most expensive spices in the world. Recently, the demand for saffron spice has increased in worldwide markets owing to its enormous application and value. However, the production of saffron is limited by the vegetative propagation technique and the limited number of high-quality corms planted. Furthermore, climatic changes, notably increasing temperatures, negatively influence saffron multiplication and growth. Thus, it is important to develop alternative cultivation and propagation techniques for saffron under a controlled environment, which could ensure an increase in saffron yield and avoid the negative impact of climatic changes. The present study aimed to develop an alternative method for vegetative propagation of Crocus sativus under controlled conditions. The effect of different cross-cuttings, including basal cuttings (BCs) and top-to-bottom cuttings (CTBs), was evaluated on shoot, leaf, flower, and daughter corm production. All the growth parameters examined were influenced by the cutting treatment applied. The results showed that the highest number of shoots formed was obtained by BCs and CTBs, with an average of 6.68 and 5.47 shoots per corm, respectively, compared to the control with an average of 2.70 shoots per corm. The cutting treatment positively affected the formation of daughter corms in which, the high mean number of corms recorded was obtained by the BC treatment. Meanwhile, the lower size of the daughter corms was obtained after the cross-cutting treatment. This is the first report that provides an alternative propagation for saffron using a controlled environment, which could help to improve the production of saffron.

Effect of Corm Size, Aloe Vera Gel and Biofertilizers on the Growth of Freesia Plant Freesia hybrid L.

The experiment was conducted in the plastic house of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Forestry/University of Mosul. During the period from ((10/27/2021) to (7/22/2022) to study the effect of the size of corms, aloe vera gel, and bio fertilizers on the growth of the freesia plant. The experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design with three factors, which is the cultivation of freesia plants in large and small sizes and the treatment with three concentrations of aloe vera gel (zero - 25% - 50% - 100%) ml / liter, in addition to the comparison treatment, where the corms were immersed in distilled water only, and the two types of biological fertilizers, the first type represented by the fungal bio fertilizer Trichoderma harzinum (T-22) and Bio health, and the data were analyzed statistically using the SAS program, and the results were tested according to Dunkin’s multinomial test under the probability level of 5%. The results showed a significant superiority of the size of the treated corms in each of plant height, leaf area, The length of the main Inflorescence, and the number of florets on the main Inflorescence, which reached 23.08 cm, 79.21 cm2, 13.90 cm, and 9.09 florets, respectively, compared to the treated small corms, which amounted to 20.29 cm, 60.59cm2, 11.43cm, and 8.61 florets, as well as in the content of freesia leaves for each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbohydrates, at rates of 3.03%, 0.28%, and 0.57%, respectively, while no significant differences appeared in their content of potassium and chlorophyll compared to the standard treatment. And through the concentrations of the four aloe vera gels used, it became clear that the best one was with a concentration of 100% in each of the plant height, leaf area, The length of the main Inflorescence, and the number of florets on the main Inflorescence, which were 22.51 cm, 74.70 cm2, 13.50 cm, and 9.99 florets, respectively. In addition, the fourth concentration had an effective positive effect on the content of plant leaves of N, K, and P, at rates of 3.00%, 0.28%, and 0.93%, respectively. In each of the plant height and the number of florets on the main Inflorescence It turned out that the positive effect of bio health fertilizer it reached 25.58 cm and 10.13 florets, respectively, which differed significantly with fungal bio fertilizer (T-22), while there were no significant differences in the fertilizer treatments (bio fertilizers and bio health) in each of the leaf areas and the length of the stem.

Environmental and farming practice controls of productivity of Cyrtosperma merkusii (giant swamp taro), an underutilised wetland and potential paludiculture crop

AbstractGrowing recognition of the potential vulnerabilities of major crop systems has spurred a growing interest in the potential of alternative crops which may be resilient to climate change and also help mitigate its effects. In Indonesia, such issues are particularly pertinent given that country's particular vulnerability to climate change impacts high dependence on agricultural livelihoods and varied topographies and growing conditions. Cyrtosperma merkusii (giant swamp taro) is a wetland plant which has historically formed part of food systems in the eastern Pacific. The plant has the potential to be cultivated as a source of starch on marginal coastal land and on peatlands with high water tables. The aim of this paper was therefore to determine site conditions that promote growth of C. merkusii and the macro and micronutrient status of the corms. Naturally, the size of the plants varied substantially among sites, with a neutral pH, and low redox and conductivity being strong edaphic predictors of corm size. Despite substantial differences in the soil properties of the different study sites, there were no significant differences in the macro and micronutrient content of the corms. Field trials showed that although the plants grew under dry land conditions, the plants grew bigger and yielded corms with greater concentrations of Fe, Mn and K under waterlogged conditions, indicating that a high‐water table is the best cultivation environment for C. merkusii. The nutrient content of the corms suggests that, although primarily a starch crop, C. merkusii could also increase the intake of Fe in populations where Fe deficiency is pervasive. We conclude that the wetland plant C. merkusii has considerable potential as a paludiculture crop in low‐lying areas of SE Asia as it was tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and performed well when cultivated under waterlogged conditions without additional fertilisation.

The Effect of the Taro Corm Type and Storage on Morphophysiological Deterioration and Early Growth in the Field

Corm type correlates with corm size, which affects longevity and early growth in the field. Seed storage after harvesting is important to preserve viability and vigor. This study was conducted to determine the correlation between the corm type and storage period on corm deterioration, storage, vigor, and growth in the field. A factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was arranged, with the corm size (i.e., corm and cormels) and the storage period (i.e., 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks). Corms undergo color changes faster than cormels do. The weight and diameter decreased by more than 10–30% after 4 weeks, while the length decreased by more than 10% after 6 weeks, and even the hardness decreased by 50% compared to that at 0 weeks. Corms were stored for 6 weeks, when the weight loss was lower than that of cormels. The corm sprouted after 2 weeks of storage. Corm resulted in a higher sprouting percentage than cormels. The corm type did not have a significant effect on growth vigor, but corm resulted in higher growth vigor than cormels after storage. The storage period leads to growth vigor loss. Weight, length, and diameter loss were positively correlated with sprouting and negatively correlated with hardness and growth vigor. This research recommends that the storage period of taro tubers before planting should be less than six weeks to optimize growth in the field.

Evaluation of Gladiolus Cultivars for Growth, Flowering and Corm Multiplication under Jhansi Conditions of Bundelkhand Region

An experiment was conducted to evaluate different Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) cultivars for growth, flowering and corm multiplication at Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India during the year 2019–20. Ten cultivars of gladiolus namely ‘Australian Fair’, ‘African Star’, ‘Creamy Green’, ‘Pusa Srijana’, ‘Gunjan’, ‘Urvashi’, ‘Pusa Mohini’, ‘Urvashi’, ‘Suryakiran’ and ‘Chandni’ were selected for this study. Healthy and uniform sized corms of different cultivars of gladiolus were planted at a spacing of 30×10 cm2 in the month of November, 2019. Maximum plant height, spike length and rachis length was recorded in cv. ‘Australian Fair’. Significant results were also observed in case of leaf growth and maximum leaf length was recorded in cv. ‘Gunjan’ and number of leaves plant-1 were recorded maximum in cv. ‘Surya Kiran’. However, number of florets spike-1 was observed to be maximum in cv. ‘Urvashi’. Results were found to be significant for floret size and it was recorded maximum in cv. ‘Creamy Green’. Number of corms plant-1 was recorded maximum in cvs. ‘African Star’ and ‘Gunjan’ and corm size and corm weight were recorded maximum in cv. ‘Gunjan’. However, number of cormels plant-1 were found to be maximum in cv. ‘Pusa Srijana’. Significant results related to cormel development were also recorded and cormel diameter and cormel weight were found to be maximum in cv. ‘Australian Fair’.

Yield and quality attributes of elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst) nicolson] as influenced by corm size and integrated nutrient management practices

Yield and quality attributes of elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst) nicolson] as influenced by corm size and integrated nutrient management practices

Effect of Corm Size, Row Spacing and Plant Distance on the Flower Production of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Under Rainfed Conditions of Quetta, Balochistan

Effect of Corm Size, Row Spacing and Plant Distance on the Flower Production of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Under Rainfed Conditions of Quetta, Balochistan

Genetic diversity in gladiolus by using gamma rays

This investigation was carried out to determine the effects of gamma radiation on germination characteristics of gladiolus corms. This experiment was conducted through a factorial design in randomized complete block with three replications. Two factors included cultivars of gladiolus (Red Advance, White Prosperity, Amsterdam, and Rose Supreme) and doses of gamma radiation (0, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75 Gy). The results showed that corm weight, corm size, and number of daughter corms decreased with increasing radiation doses, however, low dose (15 Gy) stimulated them. High doses of gamma irradiation (75 Gy) showed the lethal effects on various vegetative traits. The low yield at high doses can be due to the reduced vegetative growth as a result of gamma treatments. The results of this study suggest a dose of 40-65 Gy as the optimal dose to improve the vegetative traits of gladiolus.Keywords: Gladiolus, Genetic diversity, Corm, Mutation

Effects on the plantain proliferation in two propagation environments brought by corm size and benzylaminopurine

Banana macropropagation in a thermal chamber is an economical technology, effective as a phytosanitary cleaning method, and efficient to enhance seedling production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of corm size (CS) and benzylaminopurine (BAP) on plantain cv. Barraganete seedling proliferation in two propagation environments (PE). The treatments consisted of two levels of BAP (with and without BAP), three CS (2 ± 0.5, 4 ± 0.5 and 6 ± 0.5 kg) and two PE (thermal chamber and raised bed). The variables evaluated were sprouting time (days), multiplication rate (MT) per unit (seedlings per corm) and area (seedlings per m2). Sprouting time was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by the PE, where the thermal chamber advanced shoot emergence by 12 days, with respect to the raised bed. MT of seedlings per corm and m2, were significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by BAP × AP and TC × AP interactions, where the highest seedling production per corm occurred inside thermal chamber with BAP and 6 ± 0.5 kg corms, while seedling production per m2 was higher with 2 ± 0.5 kg corms under the same thermal chamber conditions and with BAP. The main effects results reported that with BAP there were 30 and 31% increases in MT per corm and per m2, respectively, relative to the treatment without BAP. Within the thermal chamber the MT per corm and per m2 increased by 44% relative to the raised bed. Regarding the effect of CS, larger corms achieved higher individual MT, while smaller corms achieved higher MT per area. The use of a thermal chamber and BAP is recommended for mass production of banana seedlings through macropropagation.

Impact of gamma irradiation on vegetative growth of Gladiolus cv. White prosperity

The present research was carried out at Experimental Farm, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab during winter season of 2020-21. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with seven treatments (Control, 20gy, 40gy, 60gy, 80gy, 100gy and 120gy) and the treatments were replicated thrice. From the experiment it can be concluded that the lower dose (20gy) of gamma irradiation show positive result on growth i.e. maximum plant height (90.03 cm), size of leave (28.44 cm) and take less number of days to sprout (12.65 days) and flowering of Gladiolus cultivar White Prosperity. As the dose of gamma irradiation increases (60gy-120gy), it affect the vegetative characteristic like days taken to sprouting, plant height, number of leaves, size and length of longest leaf, it reduces with the dose increase, but it has no effect on number of sprouts/corm and on size of corm.

The Effects of Growth Regulators and Apical Bud Removal on Growth, Flowering, and Corms Production of Two Gladiolus Varieties

Gladiolus is commonly propagated from corms. The multiplication rate of corms is low and to increase the propagation rate, we examined a combination of apical bud removal and the application of growth regulators. The experiments were conducted in two varieties, ‘Rose Supreme’ and ‘White Prosperity’, and over two seasons. The apical buds on the planting corms were either removed or left intact before the same corms were soaked in a suspension with either 100 ppm of benzyladenine (BA), 100 ppm of gibberellic acid (GA3), or pure water. The results showed that apical bud removal increased the number of corms and shoots. GA3 had limited the effect on corm and shoot production, but instead resulted in increased total leaf area and leaf weight per shoot. BA, on the other hand, increased the number of corms and shoots. Overall, the removal of the apical bud plus application of BA increased the number of corms and shoots but reduced the average corm diameter and leaf weight per shoot. This was clearer in ‘Rose Supreme’ than in ‘White Prosperity’. To maximize flower production for the coming season, farmers need to produce a high number of planting corms, but they also need to balance this with a sufficient corm size and the production of flowers of good quality. The application of growth regulators in combination with apical bud removal should be fine-tuned to avoid a situation that leads to the production of too many small or too few large corms.

Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic and biological ones in transition to organic farming systems in saffron (Crocus sativus) cultivation

To evaluate the response of saffron to animal manure, and biological and chemical fertilizer in an arid climate, an experiment was performed as split plots based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications during three consecutive crop growth seasons (2015–2018) at the Research Farm of University of Gonabad, Iran. The experimental treatments included application (60 t ha−1) and non-application (control) of manure as the main plot and the use of biosulfur (5 kg ha−1), biophosphate (3 L ha−1), nitroxin (3 L ha−1), chemical fertilizer (150, 100, and 100 kg ha−1 of urea, triple superphosphate, and potassium sulfate, respectively), and no fertilizer application (control) as the sub-plot. The results showed a highly significant response of the quantitative traits of saffron to the application of manure, which increased the leaf, flower, and corm indices of saffron by a mean of 15.1–35.7% than control. The interaction effect of manure with biological and chemical fertilizers for leaf, flower, and weeds indices of saffron was significant. There was no significant difference between the interaction treatments of manure and chemical fertilizer with nitroxin and biophosphorus fertilizers in most of the mentioned traits in the three experiment years. The simultaneous application of these fertilizers increased the average by about 60, 105, 135, 110, 165, and 55% of the leaf dry weight, the number of flowers, fresh flower yield, dry flower yield, dry stigma yield, and weed dry weight of saffron, respectively as compared to control. There was no significant difference between the chemical fertilizer with nitroxin or biophosphate in terms of the effect on the traits related to saffron corm so the use of these fertilizers, as compared to control, increased replacement corm weight, replacement corm size, and bud number per corm by, respectively, about 35, 60, and 40% on average. The chemical and biological fertilizers improved the content of crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal of saffron stigma. The best results were obtained from the use of chemical fertilizers, although no significant difference was observed between this treatment and the nitroxin and biophosphate treatments. Overall, the results of this three-year experiment show a very high response of the saffron plant to the simultaneous use of manure and biological fertilizers and, therefore, it is possible to replace chemical fertilizers with organic and biological fertilizers in saffron cultivation to implement organic agriculture and achieve acceptable quantitative and qualitative yields in areas similar to the experiment location.

EVALUATION OF SAFFRON (Crocus sativus L.) CULTIVARS GROWN UNDER AGRO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF QUETTA VALLEY, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN

Two experiments were conducted: one on the evaluation of three different saffron cultivars i.e., Local, Mongra and Sergul and the other one was examined the effects of corm size on the growth and production of local variety. Results showed that the small sized (less than 10 g) corms couldn’t produce flowers during the first year of planting. While maximum size corms (S-1 to S-5) produced good quality flowers. The significant higher number of flowers (412568/ha) were produced by S-1 corms followed by S-2 (187614/ha). Among different varieties of saffron (Local, Mongra and Sargul), the significantly higher number of flowers (214936.24flowers/ha) were produced by local variety which followed by Sargul. The higher yield of flowers can be attributed to longer flowering period (flowering days, i.e., 24) by local as compared to Sargul (17.66) and Mongra (13.66). These results showed that maximum corms (20-35 g) resulted in the higher production of flowers, higher yield stigma (Saffron) with higher number of daughter corms in the very first year of plantation. And the local varieties proved to be the best cultivar in terms of flower and saffron yield along with its other related yield components. So, this study revealed that the local variety of saffron is very much suitable for planting under agro-climatic conditions of Quetta, Balochistan Pakistan.

Controlling Agronomic Variables of Saffron Crop Using IoT for Sustainable Agriculture

Saffron, also known as “the golden spice”, is one of the most expensive crops in the world. The expensiveness of saffron comes from its rarity, the tedious harvesting process, and its nutritional and medicinal value. Different countries of the world are making great economic growth due to saffron export. In India, it is cultivated mostly in regions of Kashmir owing to its climate and soil composition. The economic value generated by saffron export can be increased manyfold by studying the agronomical factors of saffron and developing a model for artificial cultivation of saffron in any season and anywhere by monitoring and controlling the conditions of its growth. This paper presents a detailed study of all the agronomical variables of saffron that have a direct or indirect impact on its growth. It was found that, out of all the agronomical variables, the important ones having an impact on growth include corm size, temperature, water availability, and minerals. It was also observed that the use of IoT for the sustainable cultivation of saffron in smart cities has been discussed only by very few research papers. An IoT-based framework has also been proposed, which can be used for controlling and monitoring all the important growth parameters of saffron for its cultivation.