Extent and pattern of Agro-morphological diversity in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) from Jammu and Kashmir in India

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) comprising of about 85 species is the most expensive spice of the world. In India, it is commercially cultivated in the Kashmir valley and Kishtwar area of Jammu. Plant exploration is quickest instrument to study the genetic diversity for crop improvement. A total of 28 accessions of saffron were collected from Jammu and Kashmir in India. Shannon-Weaver Diversity Index (SDI) ranged from 0.0 to 0.25. Frequency distribution showed that majority of accessions (64.3%) belonged to medium plant height (23–27 cm); and a similar trend was observed for other characters viz., days to anthesis, flowering duration and corm weight. Style length and fresh weight of saffron are only two parameters that influence its economic produce (style dry weight) significantly. The present agronomic evaluation revealed that, to increase the stigma production in saffron, quality corm exists in the growing areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Genetic improvement of saffron by hybridization with its close relatives viz., Crocus thomasii and Crocus cartwrightianus involving technological breakthrough is briefly discussed in this paper.