Scope of mechanical harvesting of Saffron for economic development of farmers in Kashmir Region of Jammu & Kashmir, India


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Authors

  • Vinay Kumar
  • Sawati Nirbhavane
  • Neeraj Singh Parihar

Keywords:

Saffron, Saffron harvest Jammu and Kashmir, Stigma separation, saffron mechanization

Abstract

Saffron a perennial herb, well-known for its aroma and used for flavouring, is a culinary delight. It is an important commodity and is of great significance in the agricultural economics of Jammu and Kashmir. Saffron is popularly known as Red Gold. The commercial part of saffron is Stigma. Saffron is used in industries like food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumery as well as in the textile dyes. In India most of the saffron production is limited to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, having tremendous medicinal values, saffron has traditionally been associated with the famous Kashmir cuisine and undoubtedly represents the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir. This legendry crop is under threat of extinction and warrants collective attention of Mechanisation, researchers, farmers and policy makers. In the production process of Saffron spice, flower harvesting and stigma separation are the most challenging phases of the entire process. In this paper, mechanical devices for supporting the human work in
harvesting and field tests are provided, presented and described as well. The harvesting device described has a simple design and is capable of performing the cutting procedure with only one actuated degree of freedom.

Author Biographies

  • Vinay Kumar

    Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana,

  • Sawati Nirbhavane
    Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana,
  • Neeraj Singh Parihar
    Division of Agricultural Engineering, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu Chatha
    campus, 180009

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Submitted

2019-10-23

Published

2019-10-24

Issue

2019: special issue 2019

Section

Articles

License

Submission of a manuscript implies that when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher. The Indian Association of Hill Farming (IAHF), as the publisher, has the right to enter into any agreement with any organization in India or abroad engaged in reprography, photocopying, storage and dissemination of information contained in these journals. The IAHF has no objection in using the material, provided the information is being utilized for academic purpose but not for commercial use. Due credit line should be given to IAHF where information will be utilized.

How to Cite

Kumar, V., Nirbhavane, S., & Parihar, N. S. (2019). Scope of mechanical harvesting of Saffron for economic development of farmers in Kashmir Region of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Indian Journal of Hill Farming. https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJHF/article/view/94740