Saffron Cultivation In India

Introduction

Saffron or Kesar plant is one of the costliest spices in the world. And even being the most expensive spice, it can grow anywhere in the world. It is a flowering plant. In India, saffron cultivation is mainly done in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

Some Information About Saffron Plant

● The scientific name of wild saffron is Crocus cartwrightianus.
● It is said that saffron originated in Greece.
● Saffron plants can grow up to a height of 20 cm.
● Saffron flowers are divided into three branches.
● The flower varies in colour from purple to lilac, and the red coloured stigma is cultivated to be used as a spice.

Uses Of Saffron Or Kesar

● In India, saffron is mainly used for colouring and flavouring purposes in many dishes.
● It is also used for curing arthritis, infertility, liver enlargement and fever in Indian Ayurveda.
● Saffron is also used commercially in cosmetic and perfumes.
● It is also believed that if a pregnant woman drinks milk properly boiled with saffron in it, it can result in good health and colour of the baby to be born.

How To Do Saffron Farming?

Climate: - The best climate to grow saffron in warm subtropical. And it grows best when it receives at least 12 hours of direct sunlight every day. And the altitude of the field should be above 2000 metres of mean sea level.

Soil: - Like all other crops and spices, saffron or Kesar farming is highly based on soil type. Acidic to neutral, gravelly, loamy and sandy soils are best for the proper growth. The PH level of soil for saffron farming should be 6 to 8. Must avoid heavy, clayey soil.

Season: - June, July, August, and September are the months for Kesar cultivation. The plant starts flowering in October and requires heat and dryness in summer and extreme cold during winter.

Water: - The saffron plant does not need very wet soil; hence it requires little water. If we go by the numbers, around 283 m3 water per acre should be provided throughout the period of saffron cultivation.

Harvesting of Saffron

Apart from the high care, the main reason why saffron is so expensive is that it is laborious and time-consuming to harvest saffron. Harvesting of flowers must be done at dawn because the flowers bloom at dawn and wilt as the day progresses. To be more specific about saffron's harvesting, the saffron flowers must be plucked between the sunrise and 10 am.