Thakur Sumedha, Walia Swati, Thakur Babita, Ghosh Arup, Kumar Rakesh
Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176 061, India.
CSIR- Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Jul 22;25(1):946. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-06955-3.
Biostimulants, particularly those derived from seaweeds, are gaining increasing attention in agricultural practices due to their potential to enhance plant growth, productivity, and stress tolerance. Saffron, a high-value crop, faces challenges in yield optimization and environmental sustainability. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of minimally processed homogenates (MPHs) of two red seaweed-derived species, Solieria chordalis (C. Agardh) J. Agardh and Gracilaria edulis (S.G. Gmelin) P.C. Silva, on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) growth and corm production. The experiment was conducted during the 2022-2023 growing season and employed a factorial randomized block design with two biostimulants (S. chordalis and G. edulis, both applied at 2.5%) and five corm sizes (C1: 6-8 g, C2: 8.1-10 g, C3: 10.1-12 g, C4: 12.1-14 g, C5: >14 g), replicated four times.
The results indicated that both seaweed treatments and corm sizes significantly affected saffron growth parameters and dry weight. Plants from larger corm sizes (C4 and C5) exhibited significantly greater plant height and leaf length, with C5 (> 14 g) showing the highest values 31.42 cm at 60 days after sowing (DAS) and 47.52 cm at 90 DAS. Additionally, chlorophyll 'a' content was higher in plants treated with S. chordalis and C2 (8.1-10 g) corms, while chlorophyll 'b' was elevated in plants treated with G. edulis and C1 (6-8 g) corms. Treatment combination T10, which involved larger corm sizes, particularly C5, along with the application of G. edulis, produced a higher number of daughter corms with a weight of more than 8 g per corm, suggesting improved corm multiplication. This treatment also aligned with PCA results, where T10 was distinctly positioned in the positive quadrant of both PC1 and PC2, highlighting its strong overall contribution to vegetative growth and corm multiplication.
The study highlights the importance of integrating larger corm sizes with biostimulants to not only boost saffron growth but also increase corm multiplication, a key factor in saffron cultivation. These findings support the application of seaweed biostimulants as a sustainable strategy for enhancing saffron productivity. By promoting plant growth, and increasing corm production, seaweed biostimulants offer an environmentally friendly alternative to the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, thus contributing to more sustainable saffron cultivation practices.
生物刺激素，尤其是那些源自海藻的生物刺激素，因其具有促进植物生长、提高生产力和增强胁迫耐受性的潜力，在农业实践中受到越来越多的关注。藏红花作为一种高价值作物，在产量优化和环境可持续性方面面临挑战。在此背景下，本研究旨在评估两种红海藻衍生物种——索氏索藻（Solieria chordalis (C. Agardh) J. Agardh）和食用江蓠（Gracilaria edulis (S.G. Gmelin) P.C. Silva）的最低限度加工匀浆（MPHs）对藏红花（Crocus sativus L.）生长和球茎产量的影响。该实验于2022 - 2023年生长季进行，采用析因随机区组设计，有两种生物刺激素（索氏索藻和食用江蓠，均以2.5%的浓度施用）和五种球茎大小（C1：6 - 8克，C2：8.1 - 10克，C3：10.1 - 12克，C4：12.1 - 14克，C5：>14克），重复四次。
结果表明，海藻处理和球茎大小均显著影响藏红花的生长参数和干重。来自较大球茎大小（C4和C5）的植株表现出显著更高的株高和叶长，C5（>14克）在播种后60天（DAS）时株高最高，为31.42厘米，在90 DAS时为47.52厘米。此外，用索氏索藻处理的植株和C2（8.1 - 10克）球茎的叶绿素“a”含量较高，而用食用江蓠处理的植株和C1（6 - 8克）球茎的叶绿素“b”含量升高。处理组合T10，涉及较大的球茎大小，特别是C5，以及食用江蓠的施用，产生了更多重量超过8克/球茎的子球茎，表明球茎繁殖得到改善。该处理也与主成分分析（PCA）结果一致，其中T10明显位于PC1和PC2的正象限，突出了其对营养生长和球茎繁殖的强大总体贡献。
该研究强调了将较大的球茎大小与生物刺激素相结合的重要性，这不仅能促进藏红花生长，还能增加球茎繁殖，这是藏红花种植中的一个关键因素。这些发现支持将海藻生物刺激素作为提高藏红花生产力的可持续策略。通过促进植物生长和增加球茎产量，海藻生物刺激素为过度使用合成肥料提供了一种环境友好的替代方案，从而有助于更可持续的藏红花种植实践。
