Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a geophyte plant belonging to the Iridaceae family and it is appreciated for its red dried stigmas used as cooking spice and flavouring agent. Effects of crop cycle length and mother corm dimension, as well as their interaction, have been evaluated on the flowering (morphological traits of flowers, days to flowering, flowering interval and flower production), quantitative traits (stigma and daughter corm yield), vegetative development (leaf and daughter corm traits) and qualitative characteristics (coloring, bittering and aromatic powers) of spice. A two-year field study (2017–2019) was conducted to compare annual and biennial crop cycle of saffron using three corm dimensional classes (D1: 2.0–2.5 cm, D2: 2.6–3.5 cm and D3: 3.6–4.5 cm) according a split-plot design with 3 replications. The results showed that the corms of D3 class, planted in annual crop cycle, produced flowers with the highest stigma length (42.2 mm), and dry weight of stigmas (7.4 mg), stamens (11.4 mg) and tepals (40.7 mg). The highest number of flowers per m² (311.8) and stigma yield (20.7 kg ha⁻¹) were found when corms belonging to D2 class were planted in biennial crop cycle, meanwhile the highest daughter corms production (35.9 t ha⁻¹) was obtained when corms belonged to D3 class were planted in annual crop cycle. Number of daughter corms per m² with a horizontal diameter from 3.1 to 4.5 cm and weight from 10.1 to > 25 g decreased as increasing the crop cycle length. In biennial crop cycle, corms of D1 class produced more daughter corms belonged to 3.1–3.5 cm diameter class and to 15.1–20 g weight class compared to D2 and D3 classes. Regarding to the spice quality, coloring and bittering powers were positively influenced by biennial crop cycle. According to International Standardization Organization (ISO 3632) references, the maximum values of color (306.3 $A_{1cm}^{1\%}$ 440 nm) and taste (116.2 $A_{1cm}^{1\%}$ 257 nm) were reached in spice obtained from “biennial crop cycle x D2 class” interaction. No significant effect of all experimental factors on aromatic power was found. It was concluded that the evaluation of combination between crop cycle length and corm dimension is necessary in the saffron management in order to achieve the optimum yield of stigmas and corms, to improve the qualitative traits of spice and to enhance the by-products as corms of D1 class.

藏红花 ( Crocus sativus )L.) 是属于鸢尾科的一种地生植物，因其干燥的红色柱头用作烹饪香料和调味剂而受到赞赏。已经评估了作物周期长度和母球茎尺寸以及它们的相互作用对开花（花的形态特征、开花天数、开花间隔和花产量）、数量性状（柱头和子球茎产量）、营养性状的影响。香料的发展（叶和子代球茎性状）和定性特征（着色、苦味和芳香能力）。进行了一项为期两年的田间研究（2017-2019 年），使用三个球茎尺寸等级（D1：2.0-2.5 厘米，D2：2.6-3.5 厘米和 D3：3.6-4.5 厘米）比较藏红花的一年生和二年生作物周期。具有 3 个重复的裂区设计。结果表明，D3级的球茎，以一年生作物周期种植，产生的花具有最高的柱头长度（42.2 毫米），以及柱头干重（7.4 毫克）、雄蕊（11.4 毫克）和花被片（40.7 毫克）。每平方米的最高花数² (311.8) 和柱头产量 (20.7 kg ha ^-1 ) 当属于 D2 类的球茎在两年一次的作物周期中种植时，同时获得最高的子球茎产量 (35.9 t ha ^-1 ) 属于 D3 类的球茎在一年的作物周期种植。每平方米的子球茎数²随着作物周期长度的增加，水平直径从 3.1 到 4.5 厘米，重量从 10.1 到 > 25 克减少。在两年一次的作物周期中，与 D2 和 D3 类相比，D1 类球茎产生更多的子球茎，属于 3.1-3.5 厘米直径类和 15.1-20 克重量类。关于香料质量，着色和苦味能力受到两年一次的作物周期的积极影响。根据国际标准化组织 (ISO 3632) 参考，颜色的最大值 (306.3${\mathrm{一种}}_{1C米}^{1\%}$ 440 nm) 和味觉 (116.2 ${\mathrm{一种}}_{1C米}^{1\%}$257 nm) 在从“两年一次作物周期 x D2 类”相互作用中获得的香料中达到。没有发现所有实验因素对芳香力的显着影响。得出结论，在藏红花管理中，为了达到柱头和球茎的最佳产量，改善香料的质量性状并提高作为球茎的副产品，在藏红花管理中需要对作物周期长度和球茎尺寸之间的组合进行评价。 D1级。