EFFECT OF PLANTING METHODS AND CORM DENSITY IN SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS L.) YIELD

A factorial experiment with randomized complete block design, was used to investigate the effect of planting methods and different mass density on yield of saffron. The experiment was carried out in a farm located in Homondabesard-Damavand in Tehran province from July 2000 till July 2004. The corms of saffron were brought from Birjand, one of the main saffron producing areas in southern Khorasan. Two planting methods were used: mass (group) planting (A1) and row planting (A2) with three corm densities. The results showed that in the first two years of the experiment, the mass planting had higher yield than row the planting method. However, in last two years the results changed so that the row planting method (A2) had a significantly higher yield than the mass planting. It is worth mentioning that from the second year and after, treatments with 10 and 15 corms in the row, has become more close to group farming and in the 4 th year row planting with 15 and 10 corms had the highest yield. The answer to doubt whether saffron plants are suitable for the area around Damavand or not is that saffron yield in Damavand has been exactly twice as much as the national yield.