SAFFRON CROP: AGRICULTURE
News: The erratic weather patterns have led many farmers to convert
their saffron fields into apple orchards or to grow mustard crops in Kashmir.
What’s in the news?
Saffron Crop
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Saffron is
known as one of the costliest herbal spices globally, often referred to as “Red
Gold” or the “Golden Condiment.”
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The
commercial part used from the saffron flower is the stigma, also known as saffron
filament, thread, or stigmata.
·
Saffron
seeds, called corms or bulbs, regenerate the plant through vegetative
multiplication.
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The plant
contains key compounds such as crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, which are
valued for both medicinal and aesthetic purposes.
·
Native to
Greece and Asia Minor, saffron is now cultivated in various parts of Europe
(notably Italy, France, and Spain), China, and India.
·
In India,
approximately 90% of saffron production is concentrated in Kashmir, where it
has a long history of cultivation.
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Elevation: Saffron thrives at elevations of
1,500-2,000 meters above mean sea level.
·
Temperature: It requires specific climatic
conditions, with summer temperatures not exceeding 35°C to 40°C and winter
temperatures as low as -15°C to -20°C.
·
Climate
Types: Suitable for
dry, moderate, and continental climates.
·
Soil: Saffron grows best in loamy, sandy, and
calcareous soils, with a preference for acidic conditions, thriving in soil pH
ranging from 5.5 to 8.5.