Saffron

Water

Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 210 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 110 mm it can use in a normal year, and 70 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 7–23 °C on average, and survives 4–28 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jul 37 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 35 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 34 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 33 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)

Days in July get hotter than it likes. Time sowing so it flowers before then.

Soil

Soil for Saffron: 8 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of manganese.

Likes pH 6.0–7.0.

Money

Yield: about 0.4 kg an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.