Excessive solar radiation and temperature fluctuations impose major constraints on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) productivity in arid and semi-arid environments. This two-year pot experiment examined the interactive effects of shading intensity (0-45%), planting depth (10-20 cm), and corm weight (4-6 g and 9-11 g) on physiological traits, daughter corm development, and stigma yield under high irradiance stress. A strong three-way interaction among these factors emerged as the principal finding of the study. Severe shading (45%) caused marked chlorophyll degradation, reducing pigment content, daughter corm biomass, and stigma yield by up to 51% compared with non-shaded plants, while also suppressing peroxidase activity. In contrast, moderate shading (15-30%) increased carotenoid accumulation and maintained higher antioxidant activity, indicating improved physiological adjustment to radiation stress. This response was most favorable when combined with shallow planting (10 cm), whereas deeper planting under shaded conditions intensified pigment loss and weakened growth performance. Corm size further modified these responses; larger corms consistently produced greater daughter corm biomass and higher stigma yield than smaller corms, reflecting stronger reserve-supported assimilate partitioning. The combination of moderate shading (15-30%), shallow planting (10 cm), and large corms resulted in the highest overall performance, identifying this treatment as the most effective management strategy. These results suggest that integrating moderate shading with optimized planting depth and vigorous planting material can buffer excessive radiation stress and improve saffron productivity under environments characterized by intense solar exposure and high thermal variability.