Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mohammad Hassan Hatefi Farajian ¹
• Parviz Rezvani Moghaddam ²
• Soroor Khorramdel ³

¹ PhD Student of Agroecology, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

² Professor, Department of Agrotechnology, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Department of Agrotechnology, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

 
Introduction: The history of saffron cultivation in the southern and central regions of Great Khorasan spans over 750 years. Iran has now become the world's largest producer of saffron, with the majority of cultivation taking place in this country. Various biological, agronomic, and environmental factors play a role in determining saffron yield. It is believed that a decrease in saffron yield can be attributed to factors such as drought, global warming, inefficient management, and a shift towards unsustainable agricultural systems. These factors have significantly impacted saffron yield, leading to a decline in both yield and farmers' income in recent years. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to evaluate and investigate the characteristics of saffron farmers, as well as the management factors that contribute to the reduction in saffron yield in the provinces of North, Razavi, and South Khorasan, which are major production hubs for this crop.
 
Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in a descriptive manner using a questionnaire. The questionnaires were compiled through face-to-face interviews with 56 saffron farmers in three provinces during the period of 2018-2019. The interviews were conducted in Faruj, Chenaran, Neyshabur, Kashmar, and Ferdows, with 13, 9, 12, 11, and 11 farmers, respectively. The farms included in the research varied in age from 1 to 8 years, with two farms of each age in each county, resulting in a total of 16 farms per county. The research focused on factors such as the age and education level of the farmers, farm area, weight range of mother corms, and total weight of mother corms in the first year. These factors were examined separately and compared to determine their impact on yield reduction. The figures were created using Excel software.
 
Results and Discussion: In general, it appears that saffron farmers in higher latitudes tend to be younger. The percentage of farmers with university education (including associate and bachelor's degrees) was 18% overall. The education level of farmers generally decreased with age, with younger individuals having relatively higher education levels compared to older individuals. Additionally, the trend observed is that farm size tends to increase with latitude, which can be attributed to younger farmers, uncultivated land, and fewer small landowners in the northern half of Great Khorasan. The northern half of Great Khorasan also benefits from a better climate and greater access to water. Overall, farmers predominantly used medium-sized mother corms (with 4-7.99 g) for planting, with Neyshabur and Kashmar counties having the highest percentage of farms using these corms (87.5% each). As education level increases, there is a decrease in the use of medium and large corms among farmers, potentially indicating less experience among individuals with higher education. However, university-educated farmers still used more medium-sized corms than large ones. The effect of desired traits, including the cultivated area and the total weight of cultivated mother corms in the first year, on the dried yield of stigma were significant.
 
Conclusion: The results of this research indicate that one of the main challenges in increasing saffron yield is the advanced age and low education level of farmers. It was observed that farmers predominantly used medium-sized corms, as small corms do not yield significantly in the first year, while very large corms may experience a decrease in yield in subsequent years. Therefore, it is recommended to organize training workshops and provide technical advice through agricultural organizations in the counties. Furthermore, establishing a connection between experienced saffron farmers and beginners, as well as experts and promoters, would enhance the general and technical knowledge of saffron farmers, ultimately leading to an increased yield in Greater Khorasan.

Keywords

• Education
• Cultivated area
• Age
• Latitude
• Mother corm weight