An agriculturist from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district having successfully cultivated the premium rice variety, Mushk Budji, has now grown saffron on the rooftop of his two-storey house using hydroponic techniques, a method of growing plants in a nutrient solution without soil.
Saffron, also known as “Red Gold,” is one of the most expensive spices globally, predominantly cultivated in Iran and in Kashmir, particularly in the Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Zahoor Ahmad Reshi, a resident of Kulgam town, has cultivated saffron on the rooftop of his house, employing biology without any pesticides or fertilizers, covering an area of approximately 100 square feet in eleven lay-flats.
Reshi, an enthusiastic agriculturist, stated that the main motive behind the cultivation is to develop quality corms and enhance saffron production. “Presenting saffron cultivation in trays as aeroponic technology is a shortcut. Placing mature saffron corms internally under optimal humidity and temperature, yields flowers but disrupts the normal growth cycle, hindering the production of daughter corms,” said the agriculturist.
Read more at dailygoodmorningkashmir.com