The cost of 1 kg is Rs 4 lakh, the correct method of saffron cultivation
October 1, 20248 Mins Read
Lifestyle Desk: Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, it is also known as 'Red Gold'. Realizing the importance of saffron's fragrance and bright color in the Persian Gulf region in ancient times, the use of saffron was widespread among noble families. The origin of this crop is Greece. As the popularity of saffron increased, it gradually spread to the Indian subcontinent due to its use in Kandahar, Khorasan, Banedi Mahals of Kashmir. Saffron cultivation is practiced in many European Union countries. Saffron is cultivated more or less in Afghanistan, Iran, Türkiye, Greece, Egypt, China. In some parts of Spain and India, especially in Kashmir, the cultivation of this crop is very high. However, compared to other countries, the production of saffron in Spain is very high.
Cultivation of saffron
Spain is also well known as one of the exporting countries. Spain exports about 70 percent of the world's total demand for saffron. Among the countries that import saffron from Spain are Germany, Italy, America, Switzerland, UK and France. Obtaining saffron from boiling stigmas is a costly and labor-intensive task. For the same reason, many people have lost interest in cultivating this expensive spice. All plants planted in the first year do not flower, at this time about 40-60 percent of plants can flower. About 150 boiling saffron flowers are needed to get one gram of saffron. Next year about 2-3 flowers from each plant. However, from the third year, the saffron plant is able to give 5-7 flowers every year.
English name of saffron is 'saffron', belonging to Crocoid family. Its scientific name: Crocus sativus is about 30 cm tall. Each flower has 3 female parts, but only 3 male parts. Saffron is used to flavor food, especially biryani, kacchi, jorda and kaliya in expensive dishes. Also, saffron is one of the ingredients for making jorda in wedding ceremonies to bring natural attractive colors and marketing expensive bahari paan. Saffron has been used since ancient times by sober conscious women to beautify the face and brighten the skin. Saffron is used as one of the ingredients in cosmetics in beauty parlors.
Propagation: The pods or bulbs (much like onions) are collected and used for propagation. Only two mothas (fertilizers) suitable for transplanting are available from a one-year-old tree. But after 3-4 years 5-7 motha can be obtained from each tree. If you want to plant in new land, you have to collect motha from 3-4 years old tree and plant it in the land. It is not right to keep crops for more than 3-4 years on the same land. It is necessary to remove motha or bulb and adopt a new farming system.Selection of land: Saffron can be grown on almost all types of land. But sandy loam soil is more suitable for cultivation of this crop. Saffron does not grow well in clay soil, but this soil can be made suitable by mixing some sand and more organic manure. Waterlogging tolerance of this crop is not at all.
For this, it is necessary to give preference to the selection of high or medium high land with drainage facilities for crop cultivation. Soil pH 6-8 is best. This crop does not grow well in shade or partial shade. This crop should be planted in a place where there is sufficient sun and light and air.
To meet the family needs, this crop is usually cultivated in the border area of the garden. Many people grow saffron on roofs, pots or small 'beds' to meet their family's needs. Many people cultivate saffron by making seedbeds one meter wide and three meters long and 15 cm high. This system facilitates the maintenance and collection of stigmas from flowers. In commercial cultivation, the size of seed bed is 8-10 meters in length. Cultivation Method: Prepared seed beds will be about 15 cm high from the surface. Each saffron bulb or motha should be planted at a depth of 12-15 cm by making small holes at a distance of 10-12 cm. It takes about 150 saffron pods to plant this size seed. Motha or bulb (fertilizer) of this crop is planted in the month of July-August before the end of monsoon.
In the beginning, the land should be freed from weeds and labeled by plowing the land more deeply or cutting it with a spade. At the time of land preparation, 300 kg of rotted cow dung/garbage rotted manure, 3 kg of TSP and 4 kg of MOP should be applied to each century of land, mixing all the fertilizers well with the soil and leaving it with light irrigation after two weeks will be suitable for planting saffron bulbs. This crop is more suitable for cultivation in homestead areas. Once planted, this crop continues to flower for 3-4 years. At the end of monsoon, the tree grows from the ground in August and continues to grow and flower till February. By May the tops of the plants turn yellow and die. Motha survives under the soil fresh till the rainy season. At this time, the location of the tree is not visible from the upper part.
Plant Growth and Flowering: Plants flower in early winter i.e. October-November. Some trees may flower in the same year if large-sized mothas are planted. Plants grow better in winter. This growth stops at the end of winter. An additional 1 or 2 mothas are available when the tree is one year old. After three years, about 5 additional shoots will be obtained from the planted trees, which will be separated and used for new cultivation. Care: To grow this crop, the land should always be kept free of weeds. Occasional light loosening of the soil with a rake will facilitate the movement of air in the soil and the plant will grow well. Light irrigation can be given during dry season. However, the irrigation requirement is very less as compared to other crops. Care should be taken that water does not accumulate on the ground during monsoon. If water accumulates, the planted bulbs will rot.
Pests and Diseases: A variety of rats, mice and rabbits like to eat saffron leaves, flowers and even plant moths, destroying twice as much moth as they eat. For this, if such nuisance is seen, it should be controlled by using necessary traps or by using drugs to kill it. Drooping disease: A type of soil-dwelling fungus (Pythium, Rhizoc tonia) causes softening of the roots and browning of the trees. Spraying of Logan/Ridomil-Gold or Carbondazim group fungicides (Justin/Bavistin) at the rate of 2 grams per liter of water will give benefit. Root rot disease: It is a very harmful disease of saffron. Due to the attack of this disease, the roots rot and the tree dies. The disease is quite contagious, so special precautions should be taken and saffron cannot be grown in affected land for two years. If saffron cultivation is continued for 3-4 years in the same garden, the infestation of this disease increases. For this reason, after three years of harvesting, the fourth year must be raised and the cultivation of this crop must be done in a new way in another land. Saffron should not be cultivated in this diseased land for the next 2 years.
Harvesting Saffron: Flowering usually does not occur in the first year of planting. However, if the saffron planted bulb is quite large in size, only one flower may emerge from the saffron plant that year. Next year every plant will have 2-3 flowers in succession. A two-year-old tree will give 4-5 flowers and a three-year-old tree will give 7-8 flowers. Saffron has 3 female parts and 3 male parts. The plant starts flowering from October and continues till November.
But this flowering depends a lot on the seasonal temperature. The aroma level of boiling flowers is somewhat strong. As soon as the flower blooms, Garbdanda (Jharmasdha) should be collected by cuttings from the plant. It is wider or thicker than the anterior part of the rod. The color of this part is dark red. The lower part is threadlike and light yellow in color. The upper part is used as saffron, the lower slimy part is of less good quality. Special care should be taken to dry it thoroughly before storage. Otherwise, saffron cannot be kept for a long time, the natural quality may be lost. As soon as the flower blooms, the necessary part of the stigma or uterus is cut with scissors or in another way and it is spread in a wide container with clean paper and the collected saffron is dried in the sun.
At this time, the saffron container should be placed on a table/tool at a high place for sun exposure and care should be taken to ensure that it does not fall into the air or any other animals. A type of machine (desiccator or dryer) is used to dry saffron. Harvesting and processing saffron requires a lot of patience, much like harvesting tea. Harvesting, subsequent processing, storage and marketing are carried out by women in all producing countries.
In this country too, it will be very important to provide short training to women who are interested in performing these important tasks. After drying in the sun for two to three days, it should be stored in a moisture-proof container. If there is a risk of getting wet in the strong sun or rain, this valuable saffron should be dried in a safe place on the balcony of the house or by the window.
Caution: Saffron is a very expensive crop. For this reason, there are many instances of unscrupulous traders cheating the common buyers by adulterating it. Buyer must be aware of this while purchasing saffron. It is best to plant a number of trees on the roof of the house or in the vegetable garden and produce it yourself or encourage someone else to produce it and meet your needs from there.
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To be done in Saffron Cultivation: It is essential to plant 2-3 permanent seed plots of this expensive important high value crop at convenient locations in every horticulture centre. It is important to collect 2-100 saffron bulbs from any neighboring country and start cultivation. In case of saffron bulb collection, through year-round fruit production, nutrition development projects with necessary measures can create a source of mother garden with cultivation system in every horticulture center, especially Noorbagh Germplasm Horticulture Center. Author: Former Director General, Directorate of Agricultural Extension.
