Impact of Cement Dust on Growth of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Pampore Saffron Fields of Kashmir

The present study was carried on the impact of cement dust on growth of saffron in Pampore saffron fields. For this experiment two sites were selected site-I was selected Kadlabal Pampore about 6 kms away from cement industries and site-II was selected near 100 meters of the industries. The results revealed that at site-I the environment for saffron cultivation was observed favorable and no any anthropogenic activity were identified. At site-II a heavy plume of cement dust coming from chimneys are suspended in the atmosphere and takes about 1 km of area and fall under the cultivation fields of saffron. Then corm size at site-I ranging from 3–4 cms of length and 2–3 cms of width while at site-II the corms ranged from 1–2.5 cms of length and 1.2 cms of width. Colour of leaves was grey green and nature of leaves are identified soft with leaf length 10 to 15 cm's was observed at site-I but at site-II around the cement industries the colour of leaves was grey green and nature of leaves was identified brittle by hand touching, moreover the leaf length are measured 7 to 11 cm's only.