EFFECT OF PLANT DISTANCE ON FLOWER YIELD AND QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF FORAGE PRODUCTION OF SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS) IN MASHHAD CONDITIONS

Effects of different plant distance on stigma dry matter yield, leaf dry matter yield, in vitro dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility and Digestible-value of Crocus sativus leaves were studied in an experiment which was conducted at the Experimental Station, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, in 2005-2006. Four plant distances (5 x 20, 10 x 20, 15 x 20 and 20 x 20 cm) were compared in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that there were no significant differences between different plant distance in terms of fresh flower yield, and fresh and dry matter stigma yield. However, by increasing plant distance fresh flower yield and fresh and dry matter stigma yield were decreased. Plant distance had a significant effect on dry matter leaf yield. Dry matter leaf yield was higher in shorter plant distance. There were no significant differences between different plant distance in terms of in vitro dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility and D-value of saffron leaves. There were significant differences between different plant distances in terms of dry matter digestible yield. By increasing plant distance, dry matter digestible yield of saffron leaves was decreased.