title: Effect of split foliar fertilisation on the quality and quantity of active constituents in saffron (Crocus sativus L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is one of the most expensive medicinal and aromatic plants in the world. Due to the excessive application of chemical fertilisers in saffron farms and alkalinity of most cultivated soils, split foliar fertilisation has been suggested. The primary goal of this study was to propose split foliar fertilisation as a technique in increasing the quality and quantity of active constituents in saffron. HPLC analysis was used to quantify the most important saffron components; crocins (colour), picrocrocin (taste), and safranal (odour). This study was carried out in Kashmar, Iran, to determine the effect of split foliar fertilisations on quality and quantity of saffron in 2011 and 2012. A split-plot design experiment based on randomised complete block with three replications was conducted to examine three fertiliser types in three regimes for split foliar fertilisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis showed that split foliar fertilisation and the fertiliser type significantly increased saffron yield, number of flowers and crocin; whereas it decreased the picrocrocin and safranal content of the saffron stigmas (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, split foliar fertilisation increased saffron yield and colour but decreased the taste and the odour of saffron.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rabani-Foroutagheh
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamidoghli
authors.forename: Seyed Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mohajeri
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D027622:Crocus / Q000378:metabolism*; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005308:Fertilizers; D035264:Flowers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053138:Cyclohexenes; D005308:Fertilizers; D005960:Glucosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013729:Terpenes; D002338:Carotenoids; C087963:safranal; C029036:crocin; C087962:picrocrocin
keywords: crocin; picrocrocin; saffron; safranal; split foliar fertilisation