Saffron in HD apple orchard: Pampore farmer’s experiment shows promise

Ziraat Times Spotlight Report

PAMPORE, October 18: A farmer in Pampore, Kashmir’s saffron-growing belt, has recorded a bumper saffron harvest in the first season of an experiment to grow saffron alongside high-density fruit orchards, raising the possibility of diversifying farm incomes while exploring ways to sustain saffron production.

Mohammad Sultan Rather, who has undertaken the experiment, believes the approach could help improve saffron yields and make better use of agricultural land. He has also stressed the importance of timely irrigation during August and September, a period he considers crucial for improving production.

The experiment comes amid growing interest among saffron farmers and experts in exploring orchard-based cultivation systems. They have advocated trials of saffron cultivation alongside apple and other fruit trees, particularly in areas where soil and growing conditions are suitable.

Unlike saffron grown in open fields, cultivation under fruit-tree cover could provide some shade to saffron corms and potentially help conserve soil moisture. The approach is also being explored against the backdrop of warmer autumn conditions and greater exposure to direct sunlight in open saffron fields.

However, the results of a single-season experiment would need to be assessed over successive growing seasons before the approach could be recommended more widely.

Ziraat Times spoke to farmers and experts who have experimented with or explored this model. They said pilot projects involving apple growers with comparable soil and climatic conditions could help establish whether combining saffron with fruit orchards can improve farm incomes and contribute to sustaining Kashmir’s saffron production.

They stressed the need for systematic trials to assess saffron yields, irrigation requirements, the effect of tree cover, and the compatibility of saffron cultivation with high-density fruit orchards.

If validated through field-level research, the approach could offer an additional option for farmers seeking to diversify agricultural production while supporting Kashmir’s saffron sector, which has been facing a decline in production.