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Clonal selection of saffron (Crocus sativus L.): the first optimistic experimental results

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Abstract

We report here the results of a unique, large-scale research project that focused on the problem of clonal selection of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Samples of saffron populations from the five most ancient cultivation regions in Iran were obtained for the study, with ≥20,000 corms comprising the sampled populations from each region. The corms were divided onto weight groups (for example, 3.0–3.9, 4.0–4.9 g, up to the largest) and then planted in rows separately in the field with one corm per hole (pit). This strict separation of the corms and the strict planting procedure was maintained for four growing seasons, enabling a comparison of the pits with grown plants and a study of the differences between clones. A comparison of many hundreds and thousands of clones, each grown from one corm of the same weight, resulted in the identification of “superior” clones in terms of exceptionally large numbers of flowers and large (≥10 g) corms. Based on the number of flowers and number of large corms, which are the two most economically important attributes of saffron, the clones were classified as extraordinary, superior, ordinary, inferior and declining clones. The first two classifications of clones, which had the highest numbers of flowers and largest corms, have been chosen for use in a saffron breeding program aimed at developing new high-yielding cultivars of saffron. Those clones would also be very suitable for facilitating the mechanization of saffron agriculture in terms of the lifting, sorting and planting of corms, weeding, softening ground and harvesting flowers.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) (Project number: 1-100-14-00-00-03-83-03-00-00). The authors thank Dr. B. Ghareyazie for his assistance in the acceptance and performance of the project, respected reviewers for their valuable comments and discussions on the manuscript and the agricultural assistant M. Fathi for his irreproachable help.

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Author notes

  1. Eissa Zarifi

    Present address: Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110, Diskapi, Ankara, Turkey

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), P.O. Box 31535-1897, Karaj, Iran

    Yusif Musa-oghlu Agayev

  2. Genetic Resources Institute, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box AZ1106, Baku, Azerbaijan Republic

    Yusif Musa-oghlu Agayev

  3. Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain

    Jose-Antonio Fernandez

  4. Genetics and Genetic Resources Research Department, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, P.O. Box 4119, 31585, Karaj, Iran

    Eissa Zarifi

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  1. Yusif Musa-oghlu Agayev
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  2. Jose-Antonio Fernandez
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  3. Eissa Zarifi
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Correspondence to Yusif Musa-oghlu Agayev.

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Agayev, Y.Mo., Fernandez, JA. & Zarifi, E. Clonal selection of saffron (Crocus sativus L.): the first optimistic experimental results. Euphytica 169, 81–99 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-009-9946-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-009-9946-z

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