The Effect of Various Nitrogen Fertilizers on Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Yield

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is one of the world’s highest priced medicinal and aromatic plants from which dried stigmas are used. This study was carried out in Kocaeli-Turkey to determine the effect of various nitrogen fertilizers on number of flower, length of leaf, fresh and dried saffron yield in 2004-2005 growing seasons. Experiments were conducted in a randomized blocks design with three replications using four different nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea, calcium ammonium nitrate) and control. Before planting saffron corms, 4 kg/da fertilizers in the form of NPK were applied to all parcels and after 25 day of planting, different nitrogen fertilizers were applied as pure nitrogen 6 kg/da to each parcel. The highest numbers of flowers, 14330 per da were obtained from urea treatment while the lowest numbers of flowers, 8330 per da, were obtained from control treatment. There were no significant differences among fertilizers treatments in leaf length trait. The highest fresh saffron yields of 431 g/da were obtained from urea treatment while the least fresh saffron yield of 224 g/da was obtained from parcel with ammonium sulphate. The highest dried saffron yield of 78 g/da was harvested on urea treatment while the least 40 g/da was harvested on ammonium sulphate treatment.