Report-Nikhil Swami
Bikaner. Can saffron, which grows in a cold state like Kashmir, grow even in the scorching heat and scorching sandy shores of Rajasthan? What can’t happen if you decide? Kashmir has emerged in the desert. The crops of the cold region blossomed in the sandy region. This is the result of the hard work of a young farmer along with the charisma of nature. You will be dizzy after hearing the market price of this precious and delicate crop. Its current price in the market is Rs 3 lakh per kg.
Your ears will not believe it once you hear it. Saffron, a delicate crop of a cold state like Kashmir, is now growing in the desert area of Bikaner. Saffron has been grown in a city with a temperature of 45 degrees. Sunil Jajra, a young farmer here, did this experiment and it was successful.
Kashmir in the desert
Growing crops of Kashmir in the desert was not easy. It is difficult to even imagine the yield from a cold region to a hot region. But Sunil has set a unique example by cultivating saffron using aeroponics technique. Saffron was cultivated here in a room in the desert by artificially creating an environment of five degrees minimum temperature and more than 80 percent humidity in the valleys of Kashmir. Sunil has cultivated saffron in a room measuring 10 by 18 feet using aeroponics technique.
The crop is very delicate and expensive
Sunil Jajda told that when he was in free time during the lockdown, he started research on saffron cultivation. Then it was discovered that saffron can be grown anywhere using aeroponics technology. He started efforts on this in the year 2020 and finally got success. Aeroponics technology was completely successful here. Rs 6 lakh were spent on this technology and a profit of Rs 4 lakh was also made. Encouraged by his success, Sunil is preparing to grow saffron again. Saffron is planted in July and August and becomes ready in October-November. Sunil says- I have used superior quality of saffron.
Cultivation of saffron is very difficult in the desert
Sunil told that for the first time he had to buy and bring saffron seeds. Now many times more seeds will be produced every year. In the room prepared with aeroponics technology, electricity will be spent only on maintaining the temperature and required humidity and on the UV ultraviolet light required for flowering of flowers. The temperature of the room has to be changed twice a day. He says that his ancestral work is only farming. I thought of moving from traditional farming to modern farming. Saffron can give more profit in less space.
This is how farming started
Sunil says that this time he is preparing to grow one kilo of saffron. Sunil Jajra, educated till post graduation and son of a farmer, lives in Choprabadi, Gangashahar area of Bikaner. His tire showroom was closed during the lockdown in April 2020. Then the idea of cultivating saffron came after watching a video. Went to Srinagar in the year 2021. Saw the cultivation of saffron there and talked to the scientists of the Agricultural University. Then he went to Srinagar four-five times and collected information from farmers about temperature and moisture for saffron cultivation and came to Bikaner and started farming.
bulbs from one to ten
Sunil, after harvesting a crop of saffron, in December, made a bed of 30 by 45 feet outside the room and sowed the rooted bulbs left in the tray after adding fertilizer to the soil. It has grown like garlic and onion. Keep giving fertilizer and water for nine months and ten to twelve bulbs will be formed from one bulb inside the soil.
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Tags: Amazing news, Bikaner news, Farming in India, Local18
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 29, 2024, 16:45 IST