PAMPORE: On the directions of Vice Chancellor, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir Nazir Ahmad Ganaie, a team from SKUAST-K’s Advanced Research Station For Saffron Dusoo Pampore headed by its head Pro Dr Bashir Ahmad Alie and other officials carried out an on field awareness programme for enhancing saffron and corm yield at different areas in Saffron fields of Pampore.
During the Awareness Programme, the team included Pro Dr. Bashir Ahmad Alie, Dr. G H Mir Associate Professor, Dr. M H Khan Assistant Professor and Dr. N A Dar
Assistant Professor sensitized many saffron farmers including Young Progressive farmer and member of Kisan Advisory Board Irshad Ahmad Dar in Patalbagh, Galander and other areas of Pampore on how to enhance yield and corm multiplication, officials told Kashmir Reader.
“Recently a Workshop on Saffron was held at SKUAST-K in which farmers put forward certain concerns,” head SKUAST-Kashmir Advanced Research station for Saffron, Dr Pro Bashir Ahmad Alie told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the VC of SKUAST-K instructed them to address the concerns of the growers particularly about the decrease in corms.
” Today we are here in Patalbagh, ploughers are being instructed how deep they should plough the beds to create awareness among them,” he said, adding that cuts given to Corms during can result in their destruction.
He said that they will continue the awareness programme.
He said that they observed a good number of corms and expected a good crop this year.
Irshad Ahmad, a progressive farmer from Patalbagh village, thanked VC SKUAST-K Nazir Ahmad Ganaie for sending a team from Advance Research Station Pampore to our village.
He said that the scientist guided them on ploughing of beds.
” Saffron is our heritage crop, we need to cultivate it according to the advice of our research scientists,” he said, adding that it needs their attention.
He told Kashmir Reader that they should avoid using mechanical devices like tillers for ploughing.
” We should fall back to manual ploughing to have a good crop,” he said.

BILAL HABIB