| Spices -> Saffron |
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| Crocus sativus, unknown as a wild plant, is considered to be a mutant that has derived from C.
cartwrightianus. The cultivated clone was probably
selected for its triploid vigour and extra long stigmas and
has been maintained in cultivation for over 3000 years.
The saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) is sterile and
does not set viable seed. Therefore, the crop must be
propagated by corm multiplication.
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The saffron crocus
flowers in autumn shortly after planting, before, together
with or after leaf appearance. The remainder of its growing
season consists of initiation, filling up, and maturation of
the daughter corms at the beginning of summer. Each
corm only lasts a single season and is replaced by 1 to
10 cormlets, depending on the original size of the mother
corm.
Cultivation
Flower yield is highly dependent on corm density and
corm size. Traditionally, saffron is grown on raised beds
to allow good drainage and easy access for picking.
Corms are planted out during their dormant period in
summer.
In Italy, where annual planting is practised, the
best yields for flower and corm production are obtained
by leaving a space of 2-3 cm between each corm in the
furrow, with a planting depth of 8-10 cm. Optimal corm
quantity per hectare is 13-15 tons, which is about 600-
700 thousand corms with an average weight of 20-22 g
each (45-48 corms/kg). In Morocco they use 2 x 2 m
raised beds with rows 20 cm apart. Bunches of two or
three corms are planted 10-15 cm apart within rows.
There the planting depth is about 15 cm and about 3 tons
of corms are used per hectare. In Greece, corms are
planted in furrows formed with a plough, with corms placed
about 12 cm apart along the row and about 15 cm deep.
The distance between the rows is about 25 cm. This is
about 230 000–250 000 corms per hectare. In India,
corms are planted 7.5-10 cm apart, in rows
15-20 cm apart. Double rows are often used in Spain
with a spacing of 3.0 cm between rows and 6.0 cm between
corms in a row.
Recommended planting depths for corms vary from
7.5-10 cm to 15-22 cm. In Italy, a planting depth of 15 cm
gave better yields than shallower or deeper planting.
Planting depth affects corm production; more buds sprout
from shallow planted corms than from deep planted ones,
resulting in more daughter corms.
Corm size has a significant effect on the production of
daughter corms and on the production of flowers and the
yield of saffron. The larger the mother corm, the more
daughter corms will be produced in the annual cycle,
which increases the potential for higher yields in
subsequent years. Our research shows each original
mother corm, above 30 g, produced an average of six
new corms (in the second year), while the mother itself
decayed. In the third year, the total mean corm number
had risen to 22 new corms from each original mother
corm, while in the fourth year that total had risen to 65.
The weight of corms produced is also affected by the
weight of the original mother corm. When the original
mother corm is above 30 g, the total weight of replacement
corms doubles in the second season, is 10 times heavier
than the original in year three, and in year four is about 16
times heavier.
New saffron corms also grow above the old ones each
season, so they creep towards the soil surface by 1-2 cm
each year. Therefore, the crop needs to be lifted and
replanted periodically. This occurs about every 4 years in
Spain, but fields may last up to 12 years or more under
non-irrigated conditions in Kashmir. Replanting is
normally done when yields begin to fall due to
overcrowding or damage to corms that are too close to
the soil surface.
At Clyde, large corms were planted at least 10 cm
deep, while smaller corms were planted at 7-8 cm. We
grew our saffron in beds with four or five rows, each 20
cm apart. Corms were planted 10 cm apart in the row.
This gives a final density of 50 corms/m2. To guard against
possible fungal or bacterial diseases before planting,
the corms were dipped for 5 minutes in a solution of 20 g
Benlate® and 10 g Captan® mixed in 10 litres of water.Saffron flowers in the autumn, about 40 days after
planting, and continues for 30-40 days, depending on the
weather. The flowering period of each plant may last up
to 15 days. Rain 10-15 days before flower picking results
in excellent flowering and high production, whereas under
drought conditions, small flowers with small stigmas can
be expected. A cold period or a late planting can retard
flowering.Saffron is used sparingly, but it is also important to
note it is toxic and fatalities have been recorded from
consuming as little as 1.5 g of pure saffron.
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