Determining The Effect of Diurnal Variability on Some Yield and Quality Characteristics of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.)

This study was conducted to determine the effect of diurnal variability on yield and quality characteristics of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) under the conditions of Harran Plain on research fields of Faculty of Agriculture of Harran University during winter growing seasons in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. The trial was arranged in randomized complete block design with three replicates. For determining the effect of diurnal variability, three different flower harvest times were used in the research: 07.00 hours, 12.00 hours and 17.00 hours. The following parameters including plant heights (50.47 - 50.73 cm), stigma lengths (3.44 3.47 cm), stigma weights (7.55-7.57 mg), saffron yields (1958.7-1959.5 g daˉ¹ ), safranal ratio 37.57-39.93), crocin ratio 192.5-200.0), picrocrocin ratio 86.97-89.63), corm numbers per plant (4.77 4.87 number plantˉ¹ ), corm yields (3663.0-3669.0 kg daˉ¹ ) and marketable corm ratios (%70.90-71.67) were determined in the study. As a result, it was recommended that the saffron should be harvested at 07:00 and at the day of full flowering under Harran Plain conditions. Keywords: Saffron, Crocus sativus, Diurnal variability, Crocin, Safranal, Picrocrocin DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-01-06