Spatial and temporal patterns in Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield of Khorasan province and their relationship with long term weather variation

پژوهشهای زراعی ایران

Article 9, Volume 6, Issue 1 - Serial Number 11, 2008, Pages 79-88   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/gsc.v6i1.1178

Authors

M Hoseyni^{* 1}; A Mollafilabi²; M Nasiri mahalati³

¹-

²Research Institute of Food Science and Technology

³Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Abstract

With respect to effect of climatic changes on crop yields, study of long term trend of yields is conducted on the basis of statistical procedures that will be a suitable way to determine contribution of climatic factors affecting yield changes. As this trend of yield changes has been studied at regional and national levels in many parts of the world, conducting these studies will be necessary for Iran. So, with respect to economical importance and social aspect of saffron for Khorasan province and Iran, evaluation of yield trend of saffron in recent years and study of relationship of its changes to climatic changes have been purpose of this research. Findings show that yield reduction of saffron in Khorasan has been affected by changes in climatic indices particularly temperature and precipitation during the past ten years, so that among main cities of saffron cultivation in Khorasan 31 to 66 percent of yield variation can be explained by these climatic variables. In this research, from meteorological parameters, effect of precipitation compared with monthly temperature has been less and results show that precipitation has been effective only in Torbat-e-heidarieh while minimum and maximum monthly temperatures are considered as the most important variables affecting saffron yield. It was also concluded that temperatures of spring season and almost the first month of summer have highest effects on saffron yield. Patterns of increasing minimum and maximum temperatures of these months during the past ten years are related to trend of yield reduction in saffron, and It seems that this decreasing trend will be continued.