Training on aeroponic saffron cultivation

Training on aeroponic saffron cultivation

People from various backgrounds attended a one-day training programme on aeroponic saffron cultivation methodology, held at the College of Horticulture in Mojerla village, Wanaparthy district, on Friday.

In November last year, Pidigam Saidaih, principal investigator of the saffron project at the college — affiliated to Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticulture University (SKLTGHU) — announced that saffron bulbs at the 200 sft lab bore flowers that month.

The college received calls from people from various backgrounds, including retired government officers, private employees, business persons and others. On Friday, student entrepreneurs too participated. People from the two Telugu States and Karnataka attended the training.

Chief guest of the programme, B. Uday Bhaskar, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Telangana, inaugurated a laboratory to pursue research on the saffron cultivation using modern methods.

He commended the experiments conducted by the university — with financial assistance from NABARD — which focused on controlling factors such as temperature, artificial light, and atmospheric humidity to achieve high yields of high-quality saffron.

Vice-Chancellor D. Raji Reddy said that SKLTGHU would conduct research on modern technological aspects and disseminate the findings to farmers on a regular basis.