VOL. 12, NO. 7, JULY 2017 ISSN 1990-6145 ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science © 2006-2017 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved. www.arpnjournals.com 236 DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM CORM SIZE FOR SAFFRON (Crocus sativus L.) AND CORM YIELD UNDER THE HARRAN PLAIN CONDITIONS Abdulhabip ÖZEL, Kaan ERDEN and Tuncay DEMİRBİLEK Agricultural Faculty Department of Field Crops, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey E-Mail: hoze@harran.edu.tr ABSTRACT The present research was carried out to determine the most suitable corm size of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in terms of saffron yield (g/m²), corm yield (g/m²), corm number (number/plant) and marketable corm ratio (%) during growing seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, under the Harran Plain conditions, Şanlıurfa, Turkey. The field experiments were arranged in completely randomized block design with three replications and 1-2 cm, 2-4 cm, 4-7 cm, 7-10 cm circumference lengths were used as plant material. The results of study indicated that the saffron with a large size corm was flowered earlier than the small corms. Large-size corms were also found to continue to flowering for longer period than the small corms. These findings showed that the corm size of 7-10 cm could be suggested for saffron production but not for corm production, due to lower marketable corm ratio (%) though the highest corm yield (g/m²) values in small- size corm. For corm production2-4 cm and 4-7 cm sized corms could be suggested. It was also determined that the corm sizes did not significantly affect the saffron quality. Keywords: saffron, crocus sativus, saffron yield, corm yield, corm number, marketable corm ratio. INTRODUCTION Saffron has specific aroma, flavour and dye. The mentioned traits have given a special place to this plant in pharmaceutical, food and textile industries. Its stigmas are highly valued for flavouring and colouring for foods. They are also being used for dying textiles. There is also a long traditional using in the medicinal treatments (Molina et al., 2005). In traditional medicine, saffron was considered as an excellent drug for stomach ailments and helps digestion and increases appetite. It has also aphrodisiac effects (Andabjadid et al. 2015). Newly use of saffron in recent years has been associated with cancer treatment (Hassan- Beygy et al., 2010).Saffron is the most expensive plant spice in the world and despite this fact it is being cultivated on small areas due to high labour demand. The cultivation of saffron has not been mechanised yet and saffron is being cultivated traditionally on most areas. Due to intensive labour requirement saffron will be useful for management of family labour potential during the winter season that low labour demand associated with other plants (Özel and Erden, 2005). Globally, saffron is commonly cultivated mainly in Iran, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Spain, Greece and Turkey in intensively low labour costs areas and small family farms under semi-arid and arid conditions. Saffron has a potential to exploit marginal fields especially at small family farms. Iran is the biggest saffron producers in the world with more than 90% of world production which annual production roughly equals to 300 ton dried product (Hassan-Beygy et al., 2010). Turkey has a great deal of flora of medicinal and aromatic plants but despite this fact it imports almost more than 70% of its requirements from outside sources. The main reasons of this situation are gathering habit of plants from nature and production of only a little part of those plants through cultivation. Saffron, from the B.C. times to beginning of the 20 century was one of the important plants that cultivated in Anatolia region. The production sum of saffron varied age to age in Anatolia depends on different factors (Erden, 2010). Saffron is sterile plant that has no seeds and reproduced by corms. Therefore selection of corms for propagation intention is an important factor in saffron production. Yield and quality of stigma and corms are affected by corm size (Andabjadid et al., 2015). The determination of most suitable corm size would contribute to application of cultivation practices and ultimately yield and quality. This research was carried out to determine the most suitable corm size regarding saffron yield and corm yield production. MATERIAL AND METHOD The research was conducted on research field of Harran University of Agricultural Faculty during growing seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Field experiments were conducted according to Randomised Completely Block design with three replications in both seasons. In research, corms with 1-2 cm, 2-4 cm, 4-7 cm and 7-10 cm circumference lengths were used as plant material. Corms were stored at 20 °C and germinated under controlled conditions before being transferred to the field on mid-October in the both research seasons. Experiment field was irrigated and tilled for corm beds and fertilizations were made for pure 10 kg/da N and 10 kg/da P in both seasons. Corms were placed in 10 cm depth with 10x10 cm row spaces. Other standard cultivation practises were applied as needed. The experiment was set up as four rows; each was 4 m in length, with three replications. After the removal of two side effects from the middle parts, the saffron was harvested for spices and corm yields. The saffron and corm harvest periods are presented in Table-1.