Analysis of Soil Differences in Saffron Fields Managed by Leading, Skilled, and Ordinary Farmers in Torbat-Heydarieh County

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Plant and Environmental Stresses Research Group, University of Birjand, Iran.

2 Researcher and Technical Expert of Research, Educational and Extention Affairs of Saffron Institute, University of Torbat-Heydariyeh, Torbat-Heydariyeh, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Differences in the physical and chemical properties of soil are among the major factors contributing to the high yield variability observed among saffron fields in Iran. Although some physical properties, such as soil texture (percentages of clay, sand, and silt), are considered inherent soil characteristics and are rarely altered by farmers, other soil properties- including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter content, soil bulk density, and saturated moisture percentage- are directly or indirectly influenced by various management practices, such as the type and rate of fertilizers applied and the quality of irrigation water. Saffron farmers can improve soil properties to better meet the crop’s requirements through practices such as selecting soils with suitable texture, applying sand to partially amend heavy soils, using organic fertilizers, and incorporating plant residues. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate differences in soil properties among ordinary, skilled, and leading saffron farmers in Torbat-e Heydarieh County, Iran, as one of the main centers of saffron cultivation in Iran and worldwide.
Materials and Methods: In this study, selected soil properties from 125 saffron fields in Torbat-e Heydarieh County were compared among three producer groups: leading (expert) farmers, skilled farmers, and ordinary farmers. The numbers of selected farmers in the ordinary, skilled, and leading groups were 45, 48, and 31, respectively. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed to compare soil properties among three groups. Due to the unequal number of farms in each treatment, an unbalanced completely randomized design was applied. As the results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not indicate significant differences among the three farmer groups for many of the evaluated traits, descriptive statistics were also used to obtain a more detailed understanding of data behavior. Accordingly, for each soil property examined, the minimum, maximum, range (maximum-minimum), median, mean, variance, and standard deviation were calculated separately for each producer group. Data analysis was performed using SAS and Microsoft Excel software.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that the soil of saffron fields in Torbat-e-Heydariyeh is alkaline (pH: 7.5-8.4). Also, the soil pH of the fields of the three groups of farmers was very similar, and its average for the fields of ordinary, skilled, and expert farmers was 7.9, 7.8, and 7.8, respectively. The mean soil electrical conductivity (EC) of the fields of all farmers was about 1.2 dS m-2, which is within the range tolerated by saffron. The mean soil saturation percentage for the fields of ordinary, skilled, and expert farmers was 36, 37.4, and 38.2 %, respectively. The range of soil organic matter changes in the fields of ordinary, skilled and expert farmers was between 0.14-1.36, 0.14- 1.51 and 0.21-1.4 %, respectively, and its mean value was 0.54, 0.62 and 0.64 %, respectively. The highest and the lowest soil bulk density (1.61 and 1.53 g cm3) were obtained in the fields of ordinary and expert farmers, respectively. The mean soil clay content in the fields of ordinary, skilled and expert farmers was 13.1, 13.8 and 17.4 %, respectively. Overall, the soil of the fields of expert farmers had higher clay content, organic carbon and saturation percentage and lower bulk density.
Conclusion: Overall, higher clay content, organic matter, and saturation percentage, and lower soil bulk density can be considered as the important reasons for achieving higher yields by leading farmers. In the present study, only differences in soil properties among the three groups of farmers were examined; however, soil-related factors are not the sole contributors to the yield gap observed in saffron fields. Other factors, such as differences in the level of technical knowledge and the agronomic management practices implemented by farmers, may also account for the higher yields achieved by leading farmers.

Keywords

References

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Available Online from 01 January 2026

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