ABSTRACT
1.INTRODUCTION:
Saffron (Crocus sativus L) belongs to the family Iridaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial-cormousplant.Theheightoftheplantisabout0.25to0.5footandthe widthisabout0.25to0.5foot.Thebestseasonforthegrowthofsaffronisearly spring.Itpreferssunnytopartshady,moderatelydry,well-drained,ordinarygardensoil.Theflowerstylesarecommonlyusedasaflavouringandyellowcolouringforvariousfoodssuchasbread,soups,sauces,riceandpuddings.Yieldsper plant are extremely low, about 4000 stigmas yield 25g of saffron. Saffron is a spicederivedfromtheflowerofCrocussativus,commonlyknownasthe"saffroncrocus".Saffroncrocusgrowsto20–30cm(8–12in)andbearsuptofour flowers,eachwiththreevividcrimsonstigmas,whicharethedistalendofacarpel. The styles and stigmas, called threads, are collected and dried to be used mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. Saffron, long among the world'smostcostlyspicesbyweight,isnativetoGreeceorSouthwestAsiaand was probably first cultivated in or near Greece.As a genetically monomorphic clone, it was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later broughttopartsofNorthAfrica,NorthAmerica,andOceania.Saffron'stasteand iodoform or hay-like fragrances result from the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid pigment, crocin, which imparts a rich golden-yellowhuetodishesandtextiles.Itsrecordedhistoryisattestedina7thcenturyBCAssyrianbotanicaltreatisecompiledunderAshurbanipal,andithas been traded and used for over four millennia. Iran now accounts for approximately90%oftheworldproductionofsaffron.Theplantsfarepoorlyinshady conditions;theygrowbestinfullsunlight.Fieldsthatslopetowardsthesunlight areoptimal(i.e.,south-slopingintheNorthernHemisphere).Plantingismostly done in June in the Northern Hemisphere, where corms are lodged 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9in)deep;itsroots,stems,andleavescandevelopbetweenOctoberand February Plantingdepthandcormspacing,inconcertwithclimate,arecritical factorsindeterminingyields.Mothercormsplanteddeeperyieldhigher-quality saffron,thoughformfewerflowerbudsanddaughtercorms.Italiangrowersoptimisethreadyieldbyplanting15cm(5.9in)deepandinrows2–3cm(0.79–1.18 in)apart;depthsof8–10cm(3.1–3.9in)optimiseflowerandcormproduction. Greek,Moroccan,andSpanishgrowersemploydistinctdepthsandspacingsthat suittheirlocales.
Saffronasacultivatedplantgrowsfromaltitudeofsealeveltoalmost2000m, althoughitismoreacclimatizedtohillsides,plateausandmountainvalleysranginginaltitudesbetween600and1700m(Delgadoetal.,2006).Theadvantage withthiscropisthatthisplantcanbecultivatedinaridorsemi-aridareaswhere the water deficit is extreme in summer (Agavev, 2003). There are different accountsontheoriginofsaffronfromthemountainousregionsofAsiaMinorto Greece, Western Asia, Egypt or Kashmir (Delgado et al., 2006). Saffron was known by the Sumerian civilization (6th millennium BC) and Greece was the physicalbridgeforitsentryinEurope.Polien,theGreekhistorianat2BC,has recordedallthespicesfromthemetalcolumnerectedinfrontoftheKing'spalace (Kafietal.,2006).Around2400BC,therewereevidencesofitsuseincoloring tunics in Castile-la-Mancha region of Spain (Perez-Bueno, 1995). Saffron becamemorerenownedinMesopotamiawiththedevelopmentofBabylonianculture.SeveraltextsspeakofitsuseasacondimentduringthereignofHammurabi (1800to1700BC)andalsoofthefactthatdyesandpaintsconstitutedotheruses towhichitwasput(Perez,1995).ItwasalsoreportedtobeimportantinAcadia culturearound2350BC(PoluninandSmythies,1981).Iranianhistorianshave differenttheoriesabouttheoriginofsaffron.AccordingtotheIranianhistory,saffron originated from Zagross andAlvand Mountains. Its oldest evidence dates back to “Achaemenian”, an ancient Persian dynasty (Kafi et al., 2006) Saffron
findsitsnameintheoldesttextofKashmir(Nilamatapurane,Vol.1).Also,inthe much celebrated ancient cluster of Kashmir, “Rajtarangini”, Kalhana includes KashmirisaffronamongthosespecialattributesofKashmir,whichaccordingto the people of Kashmir cannot be available even in the paradise (Nehvi, 2010; Nehvi and Salwee, 2010). Saffron is mentioned in the 5th century BC in Kashmirirecords(Nauriyaletal.,1977).Iran,KashmirandSpainarethemajor saffron producing countries of the world. In Iran, saffron is cultivated in Sourthern Khorasan province located at an altitude of around 1000 AMSL (Koocheki, 2004; Agavevet al , 2009) Birjand, Ghaen, Gon-Abad, Torbathadariah,Firdous,Istahban,Kerman,Isfahan,KashanandShahr-kordare majorsaffronproducingareasofIran(Ehsanzadehetal.,2004).Kashmir,thesecondlargestcontributorofsaffrontotheglobalmarketaccountspamporeTehsil ofKashmir(India)themainhubofsaffronactivitylocatedat34°1'N,74°56'E, with an average alleviation of 1574 AMSL. Khunmoh, Zewan, Balhama, Sampora, Ladhoo, Chandhara, Woyan, Khrew, Shar Konibal, Dussu, Namblabal,Kadlabal,Hatiwara,SambooraandLethporaareprominentsaffron villagesofTehsilPampore(NehviandYasmin,2011).
2.NATIONALSAFFRONMISSION: Kashmirhastheproudprivilegeofproducingthefinestqualitysaffron,whichis famous for its colour and flavour all over the world. The Central Government launchedtheNationalSaffronMission(NSM)inNovember2010afterthePrime MinisterDr ManmohanSinghannounceditduringhisvisittoKashmirearlierin the year In Kashmir valley, 90 percent of saffron production comes from Pampore uplands, locally called 'wudar' on the southern outskirts of Srinagar city.As elsewhere in the world, saffron is grown here too by small individual farmersandthetraditionalqualitycontrolmethodsaretheonlywaytomaintain thequalityandtheoriginalityoftheworld'scostliestspice.Therehasbeenadrop insaffroncultivationareaaswellasinproductionyields.Theofficialproduction figuresshowthatsaffronareahasgonedownfromabout5,700hectarestojust around3,800hectaresandtheproductivitytoohasdippedfrom3.13kgperhectareto2.50kgperhectareintherecentdecade.Officialssaythat“mindlessand unplanned”constructionofresidentialhousesinthemidstofsaffronfieldsduringthelasttwodecadesisoneofthemajorcausesforshrinkingofacreage.Other reasonsthatthreatenthecostliestcashcropofthestate,accordingtoexperts,are thelackofirrigationfacilities,poortechniquesadoptedbythegrowersandlack ofpost-harvestmanagementthathaveledtolowproductivityandpoorquality Moreover,acommissionappointedbytheGovernmentpointedoutthattherehas beenashortfallinthereplacementofseedforthelasttwentyyearspartlydueto neglectinimprovingtheseedquality Amulti-croreindustryengagedinproductionofeatablecolourdyes,pharmaceuticals,cosmeticsandotherusesdepends on Kashmir Saffron. However, due to its shortfall in production, the industry lookedotherwardstomeetitsrawmaterialrequirements.Thedwindlingdomestic production has led to demand outstripping the supply and thus spurting the prices,makingsaffronsmugglingalacerativebusiness.ItisreportedthattheIraniansaffronfetchesdoubleitspriceinIndia.ExpressingconcernoverthesmugglingofIraniansaffronUnionAgricultureSecretary,ShriA.K.Basuconceded that''whilethiswashappeningnoonepaidanygreatattentiontotheproblemor failedtoaddressit.''HesaidthatNationalSaffronMissionwouldwipeoutmany aspectsoftheproblem.
Thestudyiscarriedoutwithanaimtoshowtheverticalandhorizontaldynamics in the overall production of saffron with special reference to NSM. This study focuses on the importance of the Saffron in the state. Saffron has a great economicsignificancebothinthedomesticaswellasintheinternationalmarket.In
ordertoincreasetheyieldofthecashcropitsproductionandproductivitypatternsneedtobeanalysedovertime.Reviewdeliberatesonthelatestworkbeing doneforpromotionofsaffronfarmingasaneconomicallyviableventureforlivelihoodsecurity Tilldate,novarietyisavailableinsaffronthatwouldconfirmproductivitygains.Thelossoflandsurfacededicatedtosaffroncultivationinsome areas,particularlyintheMediterraneanBasincountrieshasresultedinacorresponding genetic erosion of this crop.About 30 clones with high productivity andqualitypotentialwithdistinctvariabilityatgeneticandmolecularlevelare under breeding trails for release as high yielding clone (Nehvi et al., 2007, Makhdoomietal.,2010;Imranetal.,2010).Forgeneticconservationandutilization,workisalsobeingcarriedoutinAzerbaijan(Agavey2002,2003;Agavev et al., 2010), Iran (Koocheki, 2007) and Greece (Tsoktouridis et al., 2009). In ordertoaddressissuesrelatingtodeclineinsaffronproduction,productivityand quality,researchorganizationsatinternationallevelhavedevelopedrelevantproduction, protection and post-harvest technologies to achieve high productivity Irrigatingsaffronat700m3/hathroughsprinklersenhancessaffronproductivity Initial corm treatment with 0.3% mancozeb and 0.1% Carbendizime or initial cormdressingwithTrichodermaviridaeat4g/kgofseedprotectscormfromrotting.Likewise,initialsporeloadadjustedto2×107sporesm-1withthehelpof haemocytometer helps in the management of corm rot over shorter planting cycle(Nehvi,2003;Ghani,2002;Kalhaetal.,2008).
3.GEOGRAPHICSETTING:
ThevalleyofKashmir(seeFig.1)isroughlylocatedbetween32°22'Nto34°43' Nlatitudesand73°52'Eto75°42'Elongitudes.Thevalleyisdividedintothree physiographicdivisions-theJhelumvalleyfloor,theGreaterHimalayasandthe PirPanjal.
2008-09ledtothepooryieldsandforcedthesaffrongrowerstomainlytopaddy cultivation.
Therehasbeenaprominentchangeduringtheyear2009withrespecttoarea,productionandproductivitylevelsofsaffroninKashmirbutthefiguresarelagging behindwhencomparedtothesaffronproductionduringtheyear1997.Asperthe data available from the state Financial Commissioner, Srinagar, the total area undersaffronintheterritorywasestimatedat5361hectares,whileproduction wasrecordedat173.70quintalsandtheaverageyieldwas3.24kg/hectareduring theyear1997.However,intheyear2009,thetotalareaundersaffronwas3675 hectares,theproductionlevelwasrecordedat91.88quintalswhileproductivity was2.50kg/hectare(Economicsurvey2010-11J&K).Thepercentagechange overtheyear2009revealedthattheareahasgonedownto31%,whileproductionlevelhasreducedto47% Moreover,theproductivityhasdeclinedtoabout 23%duringthisperiod.ThecontributionofsaffroncropintermsofGrossState Domestic Product (GSDP) during the year 2004-05 was recorded at 0.025 per centwhileitis0.013percentfortheyear2009-10indicatingitsgradualslump (E.S2011-12,J&K).
Thelackofdesiredfrequentlightirrigationthroughouttheseasonespeciallyat thetwocriticalstagesisbelievedtobeoneofthemajorcausesfordeclineinarea aswellasproductivity Lowproductivityalsoresultedduetohighincidenceof cormrotdiseaseandunscientificcultivationpractices.Theproblemofadulteration,lackofwell-definedmarketinginfrastructureleadstoalimitingfactorfor gettingremunerativepricestothefarmer Concernedovertheslowgrowthand declining trends of saffron in Kashmir, Govt. of India approved a flagship programme for the revival of saffron through National Saffron Mission. It is a welcomechangethatsaffronhasnowbeenincludedunderNationalAgriculture InsuranceSchemewithanobjectiveofprovidingfinancialsupporttofarmersin eventofcropfailureduetonaturalcalamitiesetc.
Fig.1:Mapshowingthelocationofstudyarea
ItformsapartofthegeologicallyyoungfoldedmountainsystemoftheHimalayas.ThevalleyissandwichedbetweentheGreaterHimalayas(ZanskarRange) intheNorthandthePirPanjalrangeintheSouth.TheHimalayasplayasignificant role in determining the weather and climate of the region. The valley receivesmeanannualrainfallof840mm(Hussain,1987). ThevalleyhasasubMediterraneantypeofclimatereceivingprecipitationmainlyfromtwosources–the Western Disturbances and the summer monsoons or the South West monsoons.TheWesternDisturbanceswiththeaidofRossbywavesbecomeintense duringwintermonthsandstrikethevalleycausingheavyprecipitationusuallyin theformofsnow ThesummermonsoonsarisingfromtheArabianSeaandBay ofBengalarrivelatearoundthefirstweekofJulyandshowerthevalleyduring summermonths.TheKashmirvalleyliesintemperatezonewithanalluvialsoil richinnitrogenandorganicmatter Therearedifferenttypesofsoilsinthevalley which include slit (Gurti), loam (Bahil), sandy (Sekil), vegetable soil (Surzamin),kerewasoil(Wuder)andpeaty(Nambalsoil).Kerewasoilsarevery importantforthecultivationofsaffronbecausethesesoilsaregenerallydry,havingdeepwatertable.
4.RESULTSANDDISCUSSION:
India,thesecondlargestproducerofsaffronintheworldafterIran,sharesanarea of 3785 under cultivation with a production of 9.462MT and productivity of 2.50kg /hectare, against the average world productivity of 4.80kg/hectare. In IndiathelargestproductionofsaffroncomesfromthestateofJammuandKashmircontributinganareaof3134hectaresundercultivation(2007).Itscultivation is presently confined to the districts of Pulwama, Budgam some hamlets of SrinagarandDoda.DistrictPulwamaaccountsfor75%ofthetotalareaundersaffroninthestatefollowedbydistrictBudgamwith16.13%.Somepocketsofdistrict Srinagar accounts for about 6 68% while hamlets of district Doda represent2.5%ofthetotalareaundersaffron(ES2010-11J&K).Declineinarea, production,andproductivitytrendsofsaffroninourstatecontinuestobeagreat concern .The continued incidence of drought from 1999-2000 to 2002-03 and
The analysis of the data revealed greater area under saffron cultivation at the beginningofthemissionin2010wasrecordedbyPulwamaDistrict-2414hafollowedbythedistrictsofBudgam-197ha,Srinagar-81haandKishtwar-23ha. Moreover,themajorareaisinKashmirDivision-2692hathaninJammuDivision-23ha.ThetotalareaundertheSaffroncultivationwas2715hain2010.The totalProductionofSaffronhasbeen85.988quintals.AverageProductivityofSaffronhasremained3.1672kg/haintheunionterritorywithhighestproductivityin Kishtwar District. The highest area under saffron cultivation during the year 2011wasofthePulwamaDistrict-2430hafollowedbythedistrictsofBudgam197ha,Srinagar-85haandKishtwar-23ha.Therehasbeenaslightchangeinthe totalareaastheareahasincreasedintheDistrictsofSrinagarandPulwama.The totalareaundertheSaffroncultivationincreasedfrom2715hain2010to2735ha in 2011. The area however remained constant in the districts of Badgam and Kishtwar ThetotalProductionofSaffronhasbeen88.093quintals.AverageProductivityofSaffronhasremained3.221kg/hainthestatewithhighestproductivityinSrinagarDistrict.Thegreaterareaunderthesaffroncultivationin2012was reportedbyPulwamaDistrict-2470hafollowedbythedistrictsofBudgam-204 ha, Srinagar- 85 ha and Kishtwar- 28 ha.There was a slight change in the total areaastheareahasincreasedintheDistrictsofBudgam,KishtwarandPulwama. ThetotalareaundertheSaffroncultivationhasincreasedfrom2735hain2011to 2787hain2012.TheareahoweverremainedconstantinthedistrictsofSrinagar ThetotalProductionofSaffronhasbeen79.680quintals.AverageProductivity of Saffron has remained 2.859 kg/ha in the state with highest productivity in Pulwama District. The greater area under the saffron cultivation in 2013 was again reported by Pulwama District- 2826 ha, as compared to the year 2012, (2470areaundersaffroncultivation)ismuchbetter,followedbythedistrictsof Budgam-319ha,Kishtwar-140haandSrinagar-85ha.Therewasachangein the total area as the area increased in the Districts of Budgam, Kishtwar and Pulwama.ThetotalareaundertheSaffroncultivationincreasedfrom2787hain 2012 to 3370 ha in 2013.The total Production of Saffron was 87.317 quintals. AverageProductivityofSaffronremained2.591kg/hainthestatewithhighest productivity in Budgam District. District Budgam reflected a great increase in thetotalareaoverthestudiedpastyears.Theareaincreasedfrom197hain2010 to530hain2014.AreaundersaffroncultivationinPulwamaandSrinagarDistricts remained same. The total Production of Saffron was at 55.238 quintals. AverageProductivityofSaffronremained1.551kg/hainthestatewithhighest productivityinBudgamDistrict.DistrictSrinagarshowedanincreaseinthetotal areaascomparedtothepreviousyear Ithasincreasedfrom85hain2014to188 ha in 2015. Area under saffron cultivation in Pulwama District declined. The totalProductionofSaffronhasbeen49.460quintals.AverageProductivityofSaffronhasremained1.634kg/hainthestatewithhighestproductivityinBudgam District.
DistrictSrinagarhasnotshownanychangeinareaundersaffroncultivationfrom 2010to2014.However,theareahasslightlychangedfrom2014to2015.Area has remained same up to 2012 in Budgam District and has shown an increase afterwardsupto2014buthasagaindeclinedin2015probablyduetothefloods of2014.PulwamaDistricthasthelargestareaunderSaffronandhasincreasedup to2014butithasalsodecreasedin2015.AreainKishtwarDistricthasremained sameduringthefirstthreeyearsofthemissionandhasshownanincreaseafterwards.Theareathatwaserodedorgulliedduetotheeffectsofthefloodin2014 canbeaprobablecauseforthedecliningareainthesubsequentyear(2015)after floods.
Ÿ
Ÿ
TheproductionofsaffronhasshownadecliningtrendinPulwamaDistrictfrom 2013to2015.Ithasremainedmoreorlessconstantfrom2010to2013.Budgam Districthasshownanincreasingtrendupto2014buthasdecreasedinthesubsequentyearof2015.SrinagarDistrictandKishtwarDistricthaveshownanirregulartrendwithcertainhighsandlowsoverthetimeperiodfrom2010to2015. Thelackofdesiredfrequentlightirrigationthroughouttheseasonespeciallyat thetwocriticalstagesisbelievedtobeoneofthemajorcausesfordeclineinarea aswellasproductivity Lowproductivityalsoresultedduetohighincidenceof cormrotdiseaseandunscientificcultivationpractices.Theproblemofadulteration,lackofwell-definedmarketinginfrastructureleadstoalimitingfactorfor gettingremunerativepricestothefarmer
TheoverallproductionofSaffronhasshownaslightincreasefrom2010to2011. Theproductionhasdeclinedfrom2011to2012.Ithasthenincreasedfrom2012 to2013.From2013ithasshownadecliningtrendupto2015.Thelackofdesired frequent light irrigation throughout the season especially at the two critical stagesisbelievedtobeoneofthemajorcausesfordeclineinareaaswellasproductivity Lowproductivityalsoresultedduetohighincidenceofcormrotdiseaseandunscientificcultivationpractices.Theproblemofadulteration,lackof well-definedmarketinginfrastructureleadstoalimitingfactorforgettingremunerativepricestothefarmer
TheSWOTanalysisrevealedthefollowingaboutthecashcrop.Superiorityof Kashmirsaffron(bestintheworld),Availabilityoftechnologicalbackstopping, Farmerschangingoutlookweresomeofthestrengths.Stagnatedproductionand productivity,Lackofawarenessaboutmoderntechnology,Unorganizedmarketingsystem,Smallnumberoffarmersassociated,Lackofproperirrigationwere the weaknesses. The opportunities involved the Expansion of saffron in nontraditional areas, Expanding international trade, Government Support and the threatstotheexpansionincludedtheAdulteration,Climaticchange,Hugelosses duetopests/diseases,Qualitystandardcompetition.
5.CONCLUSIONS:
Ÿ Overall area under the saffron cultivation has shown an increasing trend since the beginning of the mission in 2010 up to 2014 with a downfall in 2015.
TheoverallProductionhasnotshownaregulartrend.Ithasvariedoverthe firstthreemissionyears.Afterwardsithasshownadecliningtrend.
Ÿ Productivitywashighestduringthestartingyearsofthenationalsaffronmissionbutitshowedadeclineinthelateryearsofthemission.
PulwamaDistricthasthelargestareaunderSaffroncultivationandthehighestproductionofsaffronintheterritory
6.SUGGESTIONS:
Ÿ Co-Partner in establishing sprinkler system needs to be created so that all sprinklersystemwillgetcommissionedwithinprojectperiod.
Ÿ
Mandatory Saffron size of 8 gms needs to be re-looked by recommending/approving 6 gms of saffron corm for rejuvenation program under NationalSaffronMission.
Ÿ Moreandmoreincentivesshouldbegiventothefarmers.Loansshouldbe providedtothemonthelowestinterestrates.
REFERENCES:
I. AbdullaevFI(2002).Cancerchemopreventiveandtumoricialpropertiesofsaffron (CrocussativusL.).Exp.Biol.Med.227:20-25.
II. Abedin F (2009a). Effect of fertilizers on Saffron Production. Proceedings of 3rd InternationalSymposiumonSaffrononForthcomingChallengesinCultivation,2023May2009,Krokos,Kozani,Greece.
III. Agayev YM, Zarifi E, Fernandez JA(2010).AStudy of karyptypes in the Crocus SativusL.AggregateandOriginofCultivatedSaffron.Proceedingsof3rdISonSaffronActaHorticulturae.850:10-11.
IV AhujaA,KoulS,RamG,Kaul,BL(1994).Somaticembryogenesisandregeneration ofplantletsinsaffron,CrocussativusL.IndianJ.Exp.Biol.32:135-140.
V Ait-OubahouA,El-OtmaniM(1999).SaffroncultivationinMorocco”.En:Saffron En:SaffronCrocussativusL.MedicinalandAromaticPlants.
VI. AlamA(2008)StatusandProspectsofMechanizationinSaffron“SaffronProductioninJammuandKashmir”PublishedbyCommunicationandPublicationCentre, SKUAST-K.pp.99-113.
VII. Bazoobandi M, Reza NH, Mousavi Sarvineh BR (2009) Evaluation of soil solarizationeffectsonweedpopulationdynamicsinsaffronyieldProceedingsof3rd International Symposium on Saffron on Forthcoming Challenges in Cultivation, ResearchandEconomics20-23May2009,Krokos,Kozani,Greece.p.14
VIII. BehniaMR,MokhtariM(2009)EffectofplantingmethodsandcormdensityinSaffron(CrocussativusL.).Proceedingsof3rdInternationalSymposiumonSaffronon ForthcomingChallengesinCultivation,ResearchandEconomics20-23May2009, Krokos,Kozani,Greece.
IX. CapelJA,GirbesA(1988).Elazafranenlahistoria.Sobremesa46:34-36.
X. ChatterjeeS,DattaRN,BhattacharyyaD,BandopadhyaySK(2005).Emollientand
antipruritic effect of Itch cream in dermatological disorders: A randomized controlledtrial.Res.Lett.37(4):253-254.
XI. DharAK,MirGM(1997).SaffroninKashmirVI.Areviewofdistributionandproduction.J.HerbsSpices.Med.Plants4:83-90
XII. Ganai.MR,WaniMA,ZargarGH(2000).Characterizationofsaffrongrowingsoils ofKashmir Appl.Biol.Res.2:27-30
XIII. Ghaffari SM (1986). Cytogenetic studies of cultivated Crocus sativus (Iridaceae). PlantSyst.Evol.153:199-204.
XIV GhaniMY(2002).Saffrondiseasesandtheirmanagement.ProceedingsoftheSeminarcumWorkshopontheDevelopmentofSaffron,2001.pp.107-112
XV Hussain M, (1987) Geography of Jammu and Kashmir Rajesh Publication, New Delhi,pp.14-16.
XVI. Imran S, Nehvi FA, Wani SA, Zaffar G, Khan MA (2010). Studies in relation to molecularvariabilityinsaffron.ActaHorticulture850:75-78.
XVII. KoulKK,FarooqS(1984).Growthanddifferentiationintheshootapicalmeristemof saffronplant(CrocussativusL).J.Ind.Bot.Soc.63:153-116.
XVIII.ManuelCD,AmayaZA,GonzaloL,AlonsoDM(2006).TheChemicalComposition ofSaffron:colortasteandaroma.ImprentaJunqueraS.L.Albacete.
XIX. ManzarA,NehviFA,DarSA,PirFA(2008).RodentsinSaffronandtheirManagement “Saffron Production in Jammu and Kashmir” Published by Communication andPublicationCentre,SKUAST-K.pp.221-231.
XX. ManzarA,NehviFA,PirAllieFA(2010)DistributionofRodentsinSaffronGrowing BeltsofKashmirValley ProceedingofNationalSeminaronTechnologicalInnovationsinSaffron,November25-26.pp.1-21.