Saffron farming/Saffron Aeroponics/ Indoor Saffron Farming. The Future of Saffron Cultivation
The saffron farming is limited to a few geographical regions in the world, including Kashmir. The method of saffron farming is a labour-intensive process with many challenges, the major one being climate change. With the help of the saffron aeroponics technique, it is easy and possible to do saffron farming in other parts of the world. The main advantage of saffron aeroponics is that it gives us a higher yield of saffron.
Using the indoor saffron farming method, saffron farming breaks the barrier of geographical location and can now be grown everywhere.
What Is Saffron Farming?
Saffron farming means cultivating or growing saffron on farmland. Saffron is extracted from saffron flowers, which develop from saffron corms. Saffron corms are reduced stems that produce first flowers and then leaves. Saffron farming is practised in a few geographical regions, such as Iran, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Greece, Spain, etc. The major producers are Iran and Kashmir.
Why Saffron Is So Expensive?
The extraction of saffron occurs from delicate saffron flowers, each of which bears three red stigmas, representing the actual saffron. To understand why saffron is so expensive, we need to understand how it is grown and processed. For example, once the saffron flowers occur, the flowers need to be collected manually, and after the collection of a huge number of flowers, the saffron (red stigmas) are to be removed manually. This whole process of collection and extraction of saffron from the flowers is a labour-intensive process. Once the saffron is extracted from the flowers, it must be dried in the shade so that it loses its moisture. When saffron is dried, its weight further reduces due to the loss of moisture. All these factors together make saffron so expensive.
Morphology: The Saffron plant is very small. It has a small, modified underground stem called a corm. Each corm is round in shape and externally covered by a protective sheath called a tunic. A saffron corm bears a number of circular nodes which give rise to 4-6 baby corms after the flowering period is over.
Saffron Farming in India/Pune
Saffron farming in India has been in the news for the last few years, as due to the development of the saffron aeroponic technique, it has become possible to grow saffron in other parts of India like Pune, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Darjeeling, etc. Some people have already started in Pune, and some have even used containers instead of a room. So this Aeroponics technique is useful in establishing indoor saffron farming units in different parts of India.
Saffron farming at home
Saffron farming is done only in a few geographical regions around the world due to their climatic conditions. However, with the advancement in technology, now you can grow saffron at home. This is possible only by using the saffron aeroponics technique. All you need to know is the technique. We are on a mission to help people grow saffron at home and start their vertical saffron farms by using our proven and tested saffron aeroponics technique. You can join our training on the Saffron Aeroponics Technique, where we guide you in every step on how to grow saffron at home.
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Growing Saffron Without Soil
When saffron corms are planted in soil under the traditional method of saffron farming, the type of soil matters a lot and becomes an important factor in deciding the growth and development of saffron corms (Crocus). However, with the help of the saffron Aeroponics technique, it is very easy to grow saffron anywhere without using soil. So this technique has removed the soil requirement for saffron farming.
Saffron is grown only in a few places around the world, like Iran, which is the number one producer of saffron (80.88%). In India, saffron/kesar farming is done only in Kashmir (5.05% production). The other countries like Afghanistan, Morocco, Spain, China and Italy produce a lesser quantity.
Is Saffron Farming Profitable?
As we know, saffron farming can be done either through traditional methods using a large piece of farmland or by using saffron Aeroponics. Saffron farming has always been a profitable business, either way. However, it fetches more yield and profit when done aeroponically under controlled conditions because we can use the same quantity of saffron corms(seed) in a small space, which we would use in a big piece of farmland. Therefore, there is no doubt about saffron farming being profitable business.
How to Do Saffron Farming?
Saffron farming can be done in two ways-
- Growing the saffron on a farmland, which of course requires a huge farmland and is labour labour-intensive process. It is mainly dependent on natural conditions for growth, such as Temperature, rainfall, etc.
- Saffron farming using an indoor saffron farming setup or an Aeroponics setup. It is also called a controlled environment system (CES).
Saffron farming profit per acre
When saffron farming is practised on a farmland, we often calculate how much saffron will be produced every year. One acre of land is equal to 8 kanals (43560 sq. ft). The production mainly depends on the density of saffron corms(Crocus) planted. For example, if saffron corms (Crocus) are planted in high density, they can produce dried marketable saffron between 2 kgs and 3 Kgs, which is roughly 1.5 million rupees.
Mongra saffron: This is premium-quality saffron. It is crimson red with a distinctive aroma. It mainly consists of stigma alone. This is considered Grade A saffron and is sold at higher prices globally.
Saffron Farming in A Container
A container is a steel structure which can be used for many purposes from transportation of goods to storage. If improved internally like insulating it from the inside, the same container can be used to control conditions for saffron farming as well as hydroponics. There are no restrictions on what kind of space is used so far as the space one intends to use is a closed one in which creating controlled environment system (CES) is possible. However, when it comes to use of a container for saffron farming, the internal insulation becomes must to control the temperature.
Saffron Aeroponics System
In a Controlled Environment System (CES), all the important conditions for optimum growth and development of the saffron crop are controlled artificially. When such a system, which usually consists of a vertical setup along with the necessary instrumentation, is used for saffron farming, it makes up the saffron Aeroponics system.
No planting material is used for the plantation of corms, but instead, the corms are planted in high density in trays which are exposed to the air and sharing the common air.
Saffron Farming On A Farming Land
Cultivation method: Saffron is a rain-fed crop and does not need much water for its growth. The annual rainfall requirement is 400mm. It is cultivated on open farmlands. In India, saffron farming or kesar farming is done on raised soil beds prepared in September to plant the saffron corms. Kashmir is the only place in India where farmers practice saffron farming (kesar farming). Saffron/Kesar farming requires huge farmland and faces many challenges like drought, diseases, rodents, etc.
Need for modern farming: As there are many challenges, including lesser saffron production in the farming of saffron under natural conditions using traditional methods, there is a need to modernise the farming method using special techniques like indoor saffron farming and the Aeroponics technique.
Indoor Saffron Farming/Saffron Aeroponics
It is a modern, novel and simple to learn and use technique in order to increase the saffron yield many folds. The technique requires minimal resources and can be done anywhere in the world. Thus making it possible to grow saffron across the globe. Saffron Aeroponics can be done easily at home without requiring to have any specific scientific or technical background.
Aeroponic saffron farming training in India: Recently indoor saffron farming has gained popularity in India and more and more people are showing interest in learning the same technology. We have developed a robust protocol and a comprehensive training module which can be learnt by anyone anywhere in the world. We provide the best training on saffron Aeroponics technique to grow saffron.
Saffron Aeroponics Farming Training in India
Nowadays more people are adopting the aeroponics technique in saffron cultivation as the traditional method has not produced much yield. We are committed to providing the best quality training on the same so that people become well-skilled in saffron aeroponic techniques around the world.Â