Saffron crocus

Short description of the species

Botanical name

Saffron crocus

Latin name

Crocus sativa

Family

Iridaceae

Origin

western Asia

Crop classification

herbs and spices

Exposure

light-loving

Frost resistance

Frost-hardy (tolerates mild frosts) / perennial

Optimal growth temperature

15 - 20°C

Water requirement

Resistant and drought-tolerant plant, controlled irrigation during flowering

Soil requirement

Light to medium loamy

Soil pH

6,0 – 8,0

Edible part

Stigma Croci (saffron stigma), Flos Croci (saffron flower)

lightbulb

Interesting

It is the most expensive spice in the world. Each stigma weighs about 2 mg, so producing 1 kg of saffron requires approximately 150,000 flowers.

accessibility

Usage

In the kitchen, it is valued for its aroma, slightly bitter taste, and golden color, especially in dishes like paella, risotto, or desserts, popular in Indian, Mediterranean, and Arabic cuisine.

Cultivation practices

Propagation: Saffron is propagated vegetatively using daughter corms, which are planted from late August to September at a depth of 6–7 cm so that they have time to root before winter.

Cultivation practices – from bulbs:

Inclusion in crop rotation and fertilization requirements

It is frost-hardy. It is cultivated in the same place for three years, after which the soil needs to rest.

Track: II.

Suitable preceding crops: legumes, cereals, grass stands or perennial herbs, cruciferous plants

Fertilization: Saffron is planted after a well-fertilized preceding crop.

Varieties: The most valuable saffron varieties on the market are mainly the Spanish *La Mancha*, Iranian *Sargol* and *Super Negin*, Kashmiri saffron, and Greek *Krokos Kozanis*. They differ in aroma intensity, coloring capacity, and origin, but share a high crocin content, which determines their quality.

Cultivation is demanding and economically disadvantageous in Slovakia, but abroad, especially in the Netherlands and Israel, experiments are carried out with hydroponic and aeroponic cultivation under controlled conditions. In Slovakia, modern vertical cultivation is used, for example by the farm Veles Farming (Bratislava), where corms are placed in racks, increasing efficiency and yield.

Harvest and storage:
Saffron is harvested by hand in autumn, especially early in the morning during a short 3–5 day flowering period. Unopened flowers are collected, from which the stigmas are separated and then dried. During drying, they lose up to 80% of their weight, and their low moisture content (below 12%) ensures longer shelf life and spice quality.
Due to its high price, real saffron is often imitated. Cape saffron, obtained from the plant Lyperia crocea, is similar in color, taste, and aroma to true saffron. Other substitutes include the flowers of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), marigold (Calendula officinalis L.), and mountain arnica (Arnica montana L.).

Use:
In cooking, it is valued for its aroma, slightly bitter taste, and golden color, especially in dishes such as paella, risotto, or desserts, and is popular in Indian, Mediterranean, and Arabic cuisine.

Effects on human health:
Constituents: yellow pigment crocin, glycoside, picrocrocin, essential oils
Phytotherapeutic groups: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant

Diseases and pests:
Saffron is threatened by diseases such as bulb rot (Fusarium, Penicillium, Erwinia spp.) and pests such as nematodes, saffron fly, and mites, which damage leaves and corms. Prevention includes corm disinfection, crop rotation, and irrigation control.