SAFFRON |KESHAR : केशर|

Scientific Name: Crocus sativus

Family: Iridaceae

Common Name: Saffron

Altitude: Sea level to 2000m but best acclimatized to hill sides, plateaus  and mountain valleys ranging from altitude 600-1700m

Season: Planting is done in July-August-September and harvesting is done in October- November roughly after 8 weeks of plantation.

Parts used: Dried stigmas  

Description:

Crocus sativus

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world derived from the stigma of flower of Crocus sativus commonly known as saffron crocus. It has a strong, exotic aroma and a bitter taste which is used to color and flavor many dishes. It is a labor intensive crop chiefly grown in Iran and found in Spain,Kashmir, India etc. The three stigmas on each flower are handpicked, spread on a tray and dried on charcoal fires. The main components of saffron: crocin, picrocrocin and safranal.

Uses:

Saffron

• Saffron has been suggested to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of disorders including coronary artery diseases, hypertension, stomach disorders, dysmenorrhea and learning and memory impairments. (1*)
• It may improve depressive symptoms and improve mood (2*)
• Saffron is high in antioxidants and helps to neutralize harmful free radicals which has been linked to chronic diseases such as cancer (3*)
• It is said to be useful in treating PMS syndrome. PMS refers to Premenstrual Syndrome in which women go through anxiety, irritation, cravings, pain, headache etc.(4*)
• It may reduce appetite and aid weight loss (5*)

Cultivation:

Saffron is popularly known as red gold and is the most expensive spice because of the difficulties in its cultivation and harvesting. It is said that 0.45 kg of saffron is equal to 75,000 blossoms and costs about $2000 per pound. It can be estimated that growing saffron is a tough task to do. Many aspects have to be considered for saffron farming. They are mentioned below:

Soil and Climate:

• Saffron thrives in subtropical climate and can be grown best at an altitude of 2000 m above mean sea level. 

• More than anything, the type of soil is most important for saffron farming. The required pH of the soil is 6-8 and texture can be gravelly, loamy and sandy. 

• The amount of clay should be minimum and the soil should be well drained. Sunlight availability for optimum of 12 hours a day is desirable. 

• High humidity and low temperature coupled condition in flowering season and spring rain boosts the production of new corms. 

Preparation of land, Spacing and Plantation:

The land should be prepared before the plantation. Ploughing has to be done several times so that the soil is loosened which boosts the better growth of corms. The selected land should be rich in organic matter and and weed free. Plantation can be done from July- Sept and flowering starts roughly after 8 weeks of plantation i.e. October.  winter will be the season of vegetative growth. Corms should be planted at a spacing of 10-12 cm and 12-15 cm depth. Irrigation is not needed but in case there is drought for a long time it can be done depending of the moisture of the soil.

Saffron Cultivation

Weed control and use of fertilizers:

The plants are mulched with saw dust which will control the weed to some extent. For more weedicides can be used. As fertilizers, 35 kg of yard manure can be used before plantation and 20 kg of Nitrogen 80 kg of Phosphorus and 30 kg of Potassium can be used annually in autumn and after flowering.

Pests-Diseases and Protection:

There are 3 types of diseases in Saffron: Fusarium, Violet root rot and Rhizoctonia crocorum. For controlling these diseases agricultural expert's idea has to be taken. It is suggested that same field should not be used for more than 8-10 years and the field should be fenced to protect the cultivation from the predators of the plants such as rabbit.

Harvesting:

Saffron harvesting

As flowering starts in the month of October and lasts for a month, we should be prepared to harvest when the flowers are in full bloom stage. The red pistils are extracted from the flowers. Morning picking is preferred.