Saffron: Crocus sativus L.

Cover......Page 1
Front Matter......Page 2
SAFFRON: Crocus sativus L.......Page 4
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE TO THE SERIES......Page 8
PREFACE......Page 10
CONTRIBUTORS......Page 12
Series......Page 14
INTRODUCTION......Page 15
SAFFRON CULTIVATION AREA, PRODUCTION AND EXPORT......Page 16
Flowering......Page 19
Root Development and Function......Page 20
STERILITY AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE SAFFRON CROCUS......Page 21
DRYING AND STORAGE OF SAFFRON AND QUALITY DETERMINATION......Page 22
Histochemistry......Page 23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 24
REFERENCES......Page 25
END NOTES......Page 31
CLASSIFICATION [THE POSITION OF THE “SAFFRON GROUP” IS SHOWN IN BOLD]......Page 33
SPECIES COMPRISING SERIES CROCUS......Page 34
IDENTIFICATION KEY TO SPECIES OF CROCUS, SERIES CROCUS......Page 35
REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 44
INTRODUCTION......Page 45
POLLEN ORGANIZATION AND VIABILITY......Page 48
PISTIL ORGANIZATION......Page 53
FERTILIZATION......Page 55
THE ROLE OF CALCIUM ION IN THE REPRODUCTION PROCESS OF SAFFRON AND ITS ALLIES......Page 56
REFERENCES......Page 57
CHAPTER 4. SAFFRON CHEMISTRY......Page 59
REFERENCES......Page 63
INTRODUCTION......Page 67
Cultivated Area......Page 68
Soil Preparation......Page 69
Planting Out......Page 70
Flowering and Harvesting......Page 71
Crop Rotation......Page 72
QUANTITY, ACREAGE AND PRICES......Page 73
L’AQUILA SAFFRON: A TYPICAL ITALIAN PRODUCT......Page 74
ENDNOTES......Page 75
DISTRIBUTION AND ADAPTATION......Page 77
ORGANOGENESIS......Page 79
THE BENEFITS OF GROWTH REGULATORS......Page 83
REFERENCES......Page 85
INTRODUCTION......Page 87
Botany......Page 88
Propagation—Lifting up of the corms......Page 89
Fertilization......Page 90
Flower Picking......Page 91
Drying......Page 93
Main Chemical Ingredients......Page 96
PROFITABILITY OF THE CROP AND AGRICULTURAL INCOME......Page 97
PRODUCT MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION......Page 98
REFERENCES TO GREEK PUBLICATIONS ON SAFFRON......Page 99
BOTANICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS......Page 101
GEOGRAPHICAL, SOIL AND CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TALIOUINE......Page 102
LAND PREPARATION AND PLANTING......Page 103
Flower Harvesting......Page 105
Storage of the Dried Product......Page 106
REFERENCES......Page 107
QUALITY......Page 109
DRYING......Page 110
DYE......Page 111
PACKAGING......Page 112
REFERENCES......Page 113
INTRODUCTION......Page 117
Studies In Vivo......Page 119
Studies In Vitro......Page 121
Possible Mechanisms of Action......Page 122
CONCLUSION......Page 123
REFERENCES......Page 124
CHAPTER 11. MECHANIZED SAFFRON CULTIVATION, INCLUDING HARVESTING......Page 129
PREPARATION FOR PLANTING......Page 130
PLANTING......Page 132
WEEDING AND CULTIVATION......Page 133
BLOSSOM COLLECTION......Page 135
CORM GATHERING......Page 137
CONCLUSIONS......Page 139
REFERENCES......Page 140
INTRODUCTION......Page 141
KARYOLOGY......Page 142
MICROSPOROGENESIS AND POLLEN DEVELOPMENT......Page 143
MEGASPOROGENESIS AND EMBRYO-SAC DEVELOPMENT......Page 144
INTERSPECIFIC CROSSES......Page 145
CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES......Page 146
REFERENCES......Page 148
INTRODUCTION......Page 151
MEDIUM COMPOSITION FOR SAFFRON CULTURE IN VITRO......Page 152
CORM AND LEAF EXPLANTS......Page 157
FLORAL ORGANS AS A SOURCE FOR EXPLANTS......Page 158
SECONDARY METABOLITES IN C.SATIVUS IN VITRO......Page 159
CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS......Page 160
REFERENCES......Page 161