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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp3 (2026): Climate-Weed Nexus: Innovations for Sustainable Farming (CWIS 2025)

Induction of early floral meristem transition in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) through hormonal and sugar-mediated regulation under in vitro conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13516
Submitted
3 January 2026
Published
09-06-2026

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a sterile triploid geophyte that flowers only once annually, limiting productivity and geographic expansion. Breaking corm dormancy and inducing early flowering are therefore essential for climate-smart, year-round saffron production. This study aimed to investigate the effect of in vitro hormonal, sugar and chemical treatments on dormancy release, identify the precise floral meristem transition stage and examine associated molecular regulation. Corms cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with gibberellic acid (GA₃) showed rapid and uniform bud sprouting, with 40 mg L-1 GA₃ inducing 100 % sprouting within 14 days compared to 45–50 days in controls. Sugars, particularly sucrose, moderately accelerated sprouting, whereas potassium nitrate (KNO3) and paclobutrazol (PBZ) did not significantly enhance it. Morphological and histological analyses identified stage 1(b), characterised by a bud length ≤ 1 mm, as the critical floral meristem transition point. Molecular analysis revealed a ~10-fold upregulation of SEPALLATA3 (SEP3) during early floral differentiation and increased expression of CHROMATIN REMODELING4 (CHR4) during advanced floral development. These findings demonstrate that GA₃ and sugars effectively regulate early flowering in saffron, offering a viable strategy for controlled, climate-smart cultivation.

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