دانشگاه بیرجند پژوهش‌های زعفران 2345-3869 14 1 2026 05 22 Evaluating Research Directions and Identifying Research Gaps and Emerging New Topics in Iranian National Conferences of Saffron ارزیابی جهت‌گیری‌های پژوهشی و شناسایی شکاف‌های تحقیقاتی و موضوعات نوپدید در همایش‌های ملی زعفران ایران 1 33 3506 10.22077/jsr.2025.9315.1273 FA حمیدرضا فلاحی دانشیار، گروه مهندسی تولید و ژنتیک گیاهی و عضو گروه پژوهشی گیاه و تنش‌های محیطی، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه بیرجند، بیرجند، ایران. مهسا اقحوانی شجری استادیار، گروه اگروتکنولوژی، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد، مشهد، ایران. عباس همتی کاخکی استادیار، موسسه پژوهشی علوم و صنایع غذایی، مشهد، ایران؛ محقق میهمان، پژوهشکده زعفران ، دانشگاه تربت حیدریه. تربت حیدریه، ایران. 0009-0009-8684-0126 Journal Article 2025 04 30 Introduction: Saffron is considered as a strategic crop for Iran due to its food, cosmetic, health and medicinal uses, high economic value and adaptability to the arid climatic conditions. Accordingly, seven national conferences on saffron, have been held in Iran, from 1988. So far, no bibliometric study has been conducted with the aim of qualitatively examining and identifying the research directions of Iranian national saffron conferences. Accordingly, the aim of this study was identifying the research topics, being aware of research gaps and providing a way for future research based on information presented in the past saffron conferences. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, the research trend was evaluated during the seven sessions of the Iranian National Conference of Saffron. The first of them was held in Qaen in 1988 and the last one was held in Birjand in 2024. Research topics were divided into eight main axes, 17 branches, and 98 subgroups. Articles that examined more than one research topic were attributed to all relevant subgroups. Results and Discussion: Based on the results of eight main research axes, out of 601 articles presented at seven sessions of the national conferences of saffron, 236 articles (39.3%) dealt with the subject of production and cultivation, 90 articles (14.9%) with saffron uses and applications, 77 articles (12.8%) with harvesting and post-harvest issues, 73 articles (12.1%) with economic issues, 55 articles (9.1%) with genetics, breeding and biotechnology, 24 articles (0.4%) with pests and diseases, 19 articles (3.2%) with mechanization and 27 articles (4.5%) with other topics. In all these research topics, the largest number of articles was published in the 7th conference. In the last session of the conference, the topics of medical applications, biotechnology and breeding, as well as saffron compounds, have received more attention, so that out of 64, 55 and 11 articles dedicated to this topic in all conferences, 28 (43.7%), 30 (54.5%) and 7 (63.6%) articles were presented in the 7th conference, respectively. New technologies have received special attention from researchers since the 5th conference and have received the largest number of articles (21 articles out of a total of 31 articles, equivalent to 67.8%) in the 7th conference. Among the post harvest issues, the two topics of stigma drying method and identification of fraud and determination of product authenticity have received more attention from researchers in the last session of the conference, and about 50% of the total number of articles on these topics have been presented in this session. Regarding the topic of climate change and organic production, 17 and 9 articles have been published in the total national saffron conferences, respectively, of which 12 and 6 (70.6 and 66.7 %, respectively) are related to the 7th conference. Among the topics related to mechanization, the most attention in all conferences has been paid to mechanized stigma separation. Regarding nutritional management of saffron, 104 articles have been published independently or in combination with other topics (17.3 % of the total articles), of which 49 (47.1 %) were presented in the 7th conference, and among them, the use of new sources of fertilizer and foliar application of nutreints has received more attention in recent years. Of the 45 articles published on irrigation management, 28 (62.2 %) were presented in the last conference, and in recent years, more attention has been paid to the topics of water quality, water requirement, and irrigation methods. The topic of saffron disease identification and management has received 12 papers in all conferences so far, 10 of which (83.3%) were presented in the 7th conference. The most important ecological and agronomic issues that have recently received more attention include the effect of climatic factors on saffron, the allelopathic effects of saffron, crop rotation, pretreatment of corms with growth hormones, and the most important issues that have been considered in most conferences include corm weight and planting density. Some agronomic issues such as planting date, corm planting bed, corm specific propagation, corm storage conditions, and soil physical properties have received less attention from researchers. Indigenous knowledge and agrotourism are also among the issues that, although they have recently received more attention from researchers, have not yet been sufficiently researched. Conclusion: Although numerous researches have been conducted on saffron agronomic issues, this trend should be continued and focused on creating innovation in research and studying less studied topics such as corm storage conditions, identifying optimal levels of nutrients, adaptation to climate change, and crop rotation. The topic of biotechnology has not received sufficient attention from saffron researchers, and research development in this issiue is necessary. بررسی جهت گیری های تحقیقاتی زعفران از حیث شناخت موضوعات جدید پژوهشی، آگاهی از شکاف های تحقیقاتی و ارایة مسیر برای پژوهش های آتی دارای اهمیت است. در این تحقیق، روند پژوهش ها طی هفت دوره برگزاری همایش ملی زعفران (از سال 1367 تا سال 1403) مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. موضوعات پژوهشی به 8 محور اصلی، 17 شاخه و 98 گروه فرعی تقسیم بندی شد. بر اساس نتایج حاصل از هشت محور تحقیقاتی اصلی، از 601 مقاله ارایه شده در همایش های ملی زعفران، تعداد 236 مقاله (39.3 درصد) به موضوع تولید و به زراعی، 90 مقاله (14.9 درصد) به مصارف و کاربردهای زعفران، 77 مقاله (12.8 درصد) به مسایل برداشت و پس از برداشت، 73 مقاله (12.1 درصد) به مسایل اقتصادی، 55 مقاله (9.1 درصد) به ژنتیک، بهنژادی و بیوتکنولوژی، 24 مقاله (4.0 درصد) به آفات و بیماری ها، 19 مقاله (3.2 درصد) به مکانیزاسیون و 27 مقاله (4.5 درصد) به سایر موضوعات تعلق داشتند. در تمامی این محورهای تحقیقاتی بیشترین تعداد مقاله در همایش هفتم منتشر شده است. در خصوص مدیریت تغذیهای زعفران در کل همایشهای ملی تعداد 104 مقاله (17.3 درصد کل مقالات) بهصورت مستقل یا تلفیقی با سایر موضوعات انتشار یافته است. فناوری های نوین از همایش پنجم تا هفتم مورد توجه خاص محققان قرار گرفته است. موضوعاتی مانند تغییر اقلیم، تولید ارگانیک، مدیریت آبیاری، شناسایی و مدیریت بیماری ها، کاربردهای پزشکی، زیست فناوری و به نژادی و نیز ترکیبات زعفران در آخرین دوره برگزاری همایش بیشتر مورد توجه محقان قرار گرفته اند. برخی موضوعات زراعی مانند بستر کاشت بنه، تکثیر و تولید بنه بذری، شرایط ذخیره سازی بنه و خصوصیات فیزیکی خاک، کمتر مورد توجه محققان قرار گرفته اند.

https://jsr.birjand.ac.ir/article_3506_e82b7b72aa8edc45549c72289c0f36d5.pdf