Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, with its origin in Greece. It is also known as "red gold". Here is how to grow it.

In ancient times, people in the Persian Gulf region recognised the value of saffron's fragrance and bright colour, and it was widely used by aristocratic families. As its popularity grew, it spread gradually to the Indian subcontinent to meet demand in the grand households of Kandahar, Khorasan and Kashmir.

Known in Bengali as jafran, saffron belongs to the Crocoideae family and its scientific name is Crocus sativus. The plant grows to about 30 centimetres. Each flower has three female parts (stigmas) and only three male parts (anthers). Saffron is used to flavour many costly dishes, especially biryani, kacchi, zarda and kalia.

Saffron is grown in many European Union countries. Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and China grow it to a greater or lesser extent. It is grown widely in Spain and parts of India, especially Kashmir, but Spain produces far more than any other country.

Spain is also a leading exporter, supplying about 70 per cent of total world demand. Germany, Italy, the United States, Switzerland, the UK and France are among the countries that import saffron from Spain. Collecting the stigmas of open flowers to obtain saffron is costly and labour-intensive work.

Saffron is propagated from the corms or bulbs of the plant, somewhat like onions. A one-year-old plant yields only two bulbs fit for planting, but after 3-4 years each plant may yield 5-7. To plant new land, bulbs should be collected from plants 3-4 years old. The crop should not be kept on the same land for more than 3-4 years; the bulbs should be lifted and planted afresh.

Saffron can be grown on almost any land, but sandy loam suits it best. It does not grow well in clay soil, though such soil can be made suitable by mixing in some sand and plenty of organic manure. The crop has no tolerance at all for waterlogging.

So high or medium-high land with good drainage should be chosen. A soil pH of 6-8 is best. The crop does not do well in shade or half-shade, and should be grown where there is plenty of sun, light and air.

To meet household needs, saffron is usually grown along garden borders. Many people grow it on a small scale on rooftops, in pots or in small beds for family use. Some make beds one metre wide, three metres long and 15 centimetres high, which makes care and collecting the stigmas easier. For commercial growing, beds are made 8-10 metres long.

The prepared bed should stand about 15 centimetres above ground level. Each saffron bulb should be planted in a small hole 12-15 centimetres deep, spaced 10-12 centimetres apart. A bed of this size needs about 150 bulbs. The bulbs are planted in July-August, just before the end of the monsoon.

Source: Staff Correspondent. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.