Soil-free farming ray of hope for Kashmir’s saffron crop: Study

Srinagar, Sep 24: Pointing to a possible alternative cultivation method for the climate-sensitive crop, a study by researchers in Kashmir has found that saffron grown under protected conditions in a soil-free medium develops stronger vegetative growth and heavier daughter corms than plants cultivated in the soil.
The study, conducted at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K), examined the growth and biomass accumulation of saffron under protected soilless and soil-based cultivation systems at Pampore, one of the traditional saffron-growing areas of Kashmir.
Researchers said saffron cultivation in Kashmir is increasingly exposed to fluctuations in temperature and rainfall, drought and excessive precipitation, all of which can affect flowering, corm development and ultimately production.
In the experiment, saffron corms were grown inside protected structures using a soilless growing medium consisting of peat and crushed silica, with nutrients supplied through controlled fertigation. The results were compared with saffron grown under protected conditions in soil.
The researchers recorded growth at different stages of the crop cycle, including foliage, roots, mother corms and daughter corms.
The soilless plants showed greater accumulation of biomass in several growth parameters, while the development of daughter corms was particularly significant because these corms form the basis for multiplication of saffron plants in subsequent seasons.
The study found that the soilless treatment produced heavier daughter-corm biomass towards the end of the growing period than the soil-based treatment.
Researchers observed that foliage development peaked at around 120 days after planting, while root growth reached its maximum around 140 days. The plants subsequently shifted resources towards the development of replacement and daughter corms.
The findings suggest that controlled soilless cultivation could offer researchers another approach to saffron production, particularly in situations where soil conditions, water availability and weather variability pose challenges.
The study, however, does not establish that soilless cultivation produces a higher commercial saffron-stigma yield than conventional farming.
The researchers noted that further work would be required to identify suitable growing media, optimise nutrient requirements and determine methods for maximising saffron yield under soilless conditions.
Saffron is traditionally cultivated in the Karewa lands of Kashmir, with Pampore widely recognised as the centre of the region’s saffron production. The crop has also been affected by changes in weather patterns and fluctuations in rainfall and temperature, making production vulnerable to environmental conditions.
The researchers said protected cultivation could provide greater control over the growing environment and nutrient supply, while soilless systems could also help overcome some limitations associated with conventional soil-based cultivation.
The findings assume significance as efforts continue to modernise saffron cultivation in Kashmir and improve the productivity and sustainability of the high-value crop.
Results of the study indicate that soil-free cultivation merits further field-level testing to determine whether the gains in plant growth and corm development can translate into economically viable saffron production for farmers in Kashmir, researchers said. (KNO)