Enhancing saffron (Crocus sativus) productivity by land configuration and corm intensity manipulation under Kashmir condition

Abstract

Field study was carried out to enhance saffron productivity by land configuration and corm intensity manipulation. The principal findings revealed that in land configurations, raised beds resulted in significant improvement in average, total and corm yield of saffron (4.16 kg/ha, 22.38 kg/ha and 33.76 t/ha) over flat beds (1.57 kg/ha, 9.76 kg/ha and 9.86 t/ha) while in corm intensities, maximum average, total and corm yield of saffron was obtained in 15 lakh/ha corm intensity (3.19 kg/ha, 15.98 kg/ha and 28.49 t/ha) as against minimum in 5 lakh/ha corm intensity (2.15 kg/ha, 10.76 kg/ha and 13.89 t/ha), respectively. The land configurations and corm intensities interaction significantly enhanced average and total yield of saffron, and maximum were found (4.76 and 23.84 kg/ha) in raised beds with 10 lakh/ha corm intensity and minimum (1.20 and 6.00 kg/ha) in flat beds with 5 lakh/ha corm intensity. High corm intensity increases total saffron yield that arises from increase in number of flowers from unit space. Land configurations significantly affected stigma length and fresh weight owing to improved drainage and microclimatic condition which altered corm production behaviour while foliage length, number of leaves, flowers number and saffron yield were significantly affected by both land configurations and corm intensities and increased in successive years. The combination of raised beds with 10 lakhs/ha corm intensity proved economically viable with highest benefit cost ratio of 4.34 under irrigated condition. Flat beds and high corm intensity of 15 lakh corm/ha are not suggested owing to poor drainage and high corm cost. Management of optimal soil moisture through critical irrigation during active growth play crucial role in enhancement of saffron yield, corm multiplication and corm rot management.