How to Grow Saffron for High Yields? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Techniques

Saffron, also known as West Saffron, Fan Honghua, Saffron Crocus, Safuran, and Jifulan, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Iridaceae. Saffron originated in Spain, the Netherlands, and other countries along the Mediterranean coast. China began introduction trials in 1965, and it has now been successfully introduced in 22 provinces and municipalities including Shanghai, Zhejiang, Henan, Beijing, and **. Saffron is a precious gynecological medicine, and is also widely used in daily chemicals, food, dyes, and other industries; it is a valuable raw material for beauty cosmetics and spice products, and its corms can also be sold as high-grade flowers.

I. Growth Characteristics of Saffron

Saffron is a subtropical plant that prefers mild, cool conditions, fears heat, and is relatively cold-tolerant. Fertile sandy soil is best, and waterlogging should be avoided. The optimum temperature for saffron is 2-19°C. In northern China, it can overwinter safely at -18°C with slight cold-protection measures. In southern China, under high temperatures of 25°C, appropriate shading can extend the growth period of saffron and help its corms gain weight.

II. Land Preparation Techniques for Saffron

According to the environmental requirements of saffron, choose a plot with a warm winter, sufficient sunlight, and loose, fertile soil. Saffron benefits from crop rotation and should not be continuously cropped. The previous crop is best as beans, corn, rice, etc., and it can also be intercropped in orchards. Saffron is a shallow-rooted crop with a fibrous root system. In the north, winter temperatures are low and topdressing is inconvenient, so applying sufficient base fertilizer is very important. Along with plowing, apply 100 kg of lime or 1.5 kg of quintozene per mu for disinfection. Apply 5000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure, 50 kg of superphosphate, 30 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, and 200 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. Break the soil up finely and rake it level, then dig trenches in a north-south direction to build beds. The beds should be 1.3 m wide and 30 cm high, with the bed surface shaped like a turtle shell, and the spacing between beds 30-40 cm.

III. Sowing Saffron

Open-field cultivation of saffron takes place in September. In the north, earlier is better than later. Early planting leads to early sprouting, with roots developing first and then shoots, and the plants grow robustly. If planted late, shoots sprout first and roots develop afterward, and plant growth is also poor. For corms flowering indoors, after 80% of the flowers are picked indoors from late October to mid-November, they should be immediately transplanted to the field, while the other 20% of flowers are picked in the field. Before planting, separate the corms into large and small ones; plant the large ones more sparsely and the small ones more densely. Generally, the plant and row spacing is 20×20 cm, with furrows about 10 cm deep. Place the corm buds upward and cover with soil to 2-2.5 times the height of the corm, that is, 3-6 cm. Deep planting of corms is also one of the methods for cultivating large corms. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots and keep the soil moist; sprouts emerge in about one month. IV. Indoor Management Techniques for Saffron

IV. Indoor Management Techniques for Saffron

Without being supplied with water, soil, or fertilizer, saffron corms can flower normally relying on the nutrients stored in themselves. Moreover, flower harvesting is convenient, saving labor and effort, unaffected by external climatic conditions, free of pests and diseases, and free of pesticide contamination, with yield increased by about 30% compared with open-field cultivation, and side buds are easy to remove. In view of these advantages, China mostly adopts the method of flowering indoors and multiplying corms in the field.

The racks for saffron can be designed as follows: about 1 m long, 60 cm wide, with 30-40 cm between layers, and about 5 layers high, with ease of operation being best. Using wooden boards or bamboo carrying poles, about 10 kg of corms can be placed per square meter, and generally one room can hold the corms for about one mu.

From August to October, separate the West Saffron corms into large and small ones; those below 8 g that do not flower can be planted directly in the field. Place the large corms bud-up on the prepared racks, and the small corms can be placed directly on the floor of the room. Keep indoor humidity above 80%. If the humidity is insufficient, sprinkle water on the ground; strictly do not sprinkle water on the corms, so as to avoid early rooting. The indoor growth period of saffron is about 60 days.

V. Field Management of Saffron

Saffron grows in the field from mid-November to early May of the following year, about half a year, and during this period the following work should be done:

1. Fertilizer and water must be supplied scientifically. About 20 days after planting, apply 2000 kg of human and livestock manure per mu diluted with water. In dry conditions, dilute with more water. In mid-February of the following year, when West Saffron turns green again, apply 3000-4000 kg of human and livestock manure per mu diluted with water. From March onward, West Saffron enters a vigorous growth stage; spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate once every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.

2. Moisture must be regulated reasonably. After planting saffron, if the soil moisture is insufficient, water enough. Northern regions have little rain and are dry, so before winter, irrigation should be done to prevent freezing, and irrigation should be done again in April of the following year to meet growth needs.

3. Attention must be paid to preventing freezing and protecting seedlings. Although saffron is a cold-tolerant crop, when encountering severe cold weather of -10°C to -20°C, cold-protection measures should be taken by covering the beds with a layer of dry grass, covering with plastic film, and setting up windbreaks.

4. Weeding and loosening the soil must be done in time.

5. Side buds must be removed in time. When planting the seed corms, excess side buds have already been removed. If additional side buds are found growing after entering field growth, insert a small knife into the soil and remove them together with the leaves.

6. Pest and disease control must be carried out well. Throughout the growth period, saffron is basically under low temperatures, with few pests and diseases, and generally only preventive measures are needed in spring. If rot disease occurs, pour on a 5% Tuzet 800-fold solution. If there are aphids, spray with a 10% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 2000-fold solution to kill them. At the same time, prevent rats from biting and eating the corms, and prevent rabbits in the field from eating West Saffron leaves.