Saffron is an important flowering plant, generally known as a golden condiment. The present study was performed to find the influence of different levels of SA and pre-cold treatment in the dormancy period of saffron and their effects on content enzyme activity. The results indicated that the SA2%, SA1%, and, pre-cold treatments took the shortest day to flowering. PAL enzyme activity was highest in pre-cold treatment. The higher total amount of protein was measured in the control, SA1% and SA2%. The highest amount of starch content and total soluble sugar was detected in pre-cold, SA2%, and control, respectively. No significant differences between treatments were present for CAT, PPO, GPX, and APX enzymes activity. There was a negative significant correlation between flowering time and some studied traits, i.e., starch and PAL activity. Applying SA and pre-cold treatment can induce saffron flowering and effect on pal enzyme activity and corm total protein, sugar, and starch content accordingly.

Saffron is an important plant whether in the food or medical industry. So, improving stigma quality and quantity is of special importance. To evaluate the effects of chemical/hormone treatment on saffron yield and stigma quality, its corms were treated with Gibberellic acid, 6-Benzylaminopurine, Salicylic acid, and Potassium nitrate. Some floral traits such as flower fresh weight, stigma length, stigma weight, and some quality traits (crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal) and corms’ total sugar and starch content were measured. The results showed significant differences between control and treatments, in a way that in all floral traits, picrocrocin, and safranal, an improvement was observed in treated corms. Also, corm total sugar and starch content were affected by treatments. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship in some studied traits such as stigma dry weight and stigma length, stigma dry weight and flower fresh weight (r = 0.410) as well as in picrocrocin and safranal. While, a negative correlation was detected in day-to-flowering and flower fresh weight, day-to-flowering, and safranal. Almost all floral traits had a positive correlation with corms’ starch content and a negative correlation with corms' total sugar. Generally, it could be pointed out that earlier flowering was in a positive relationship with quality and quantity traits in this plant. Consequently, exogenous chemical/hormone treatments in appropriate dosage would lead to earlier flowering and improve saffron yield and quality.