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Using the novel aeroponic technique, Gaurav Sabarwal is experimenting with bringing the cold temperatures of Kashmir to Solan for the growth of saffron (kesar). With this technique in which soil, land or water is not used and is mostly popular in Iran and Israel, this local businessman turned agriculturist aims to transform the ‘mushroom city of India’ into ‘saffron city’.
Sabarwal told The Indian Express that after his father’s death four years ago, he had to step into his father’s shoe, quite literally by managing the latter’s shoe shop. “But I always had a dream of being an agriculturist. Despite several resentments from my family, I wanted to try my luck at farming. It was then that I started surfing the internet on mushroom farming. But Solan already has an abundance of mushrooms and is the ‘mushroom City of India’. Aiming to do something different, I came across this unique technique from Israel and Iran, where without the use of soil, water and land, one can grow saffron, the costliest spice in the world,” he added.
Factoring in the similarities of temperatures of India and Iran, Sabarwal was convinced that this technique could work in India too. “This technique is called aeroponic – a unique way to grow plants without the use of soil – in which roots of the plants are suspended in the air and irrigated with a nutrient dense mist. In this technique, we keep the conditions of very low temperatures as is the case in Kashmir, and is best suited for the growth of saffron using machines and provide the environment best suited for its cultivation,” he explained.
Sabarwal added that initially his family laughed off the idea, but after seeing the results got “happy” and “excited. “Recently, when the yield started showing up, the family got very happy and excited,” he said.
Scarcity of resources made him use 300-sq feet lawn opposite his house for cultivation and work with thermocol sheets instead of puff panels in what Sabarwal described as his “start-up”. “Saffron is grown in cold weather between the months of August to November. In August, the saffron bulbs are put in soil. Saffron needs a temperature of around 10 degree Celsius and less to grow. Solan, being much warmer than Kashmir, with mercury currently hovering around 20 degree Celsius is very high for the bulbs to grow. To bring the temperature of Kashmir to Solan, I purchased a chiller to maintain the temperature inside the container,” he added.
Sabarwal further explained: “we have used the wood of the trees, rather than any other material, to make the trays in which the saffron bulbs are placed, with no soil or water in it. For the moisture part, another machine called humidity fire has been placed inside the container which produces mist, which is further absorbed through the wooden trays by the saffron bulbs. It is through this mist only, that the saffron bulbs get their entire nutrition. Then I have put up a large number of glowing LED lights, which give the saffron bulbs the effect of sunlight to grow. It was in August that I had placed the bulbs in the tray and the yield which was expected to come up by November has started showing up with a large number of flowers having come now. To start off, I had placed 75 trays with 4,000 bulbs in each tray. The process requires constant watch of temperature and mist for which I keep visiting the container after every two hours each day”.
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He said that the entire project required an investment of around Rs 8- 10 lakh, and to fund it, he had to take a loan under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme. Sabarwal, along with his close friend went to Kashmir’s Pampore, which is known for its saffron and purchased best quality saffron bulbs available.
Explaining the economics of the project, Sabarwal said: “while saffron is around Rs 4 to Rs 8 lakh per kg, so even if I manage to get a yield of 1 kg this year, I will be able to cover some of the cost this time. As for the cost of bulbs, which is a one time investment, is around Rs 400 to 600 per kg. Once I complete yield this year, I will use the bulbs again, and each will produce four more more next year. So I will not have to buy more of them”.
He also plans to not sell his saffron to any wholesaler, but create a brand of his own. “Residents of Solan strongly believe in Goddess Shoolini (Solan is named after Shoolini goddess), and it is for this that I plan to name my product as Shoolini Saffron. Presently, as a good amount of the flowers have already come up, I am now planning for the packaging part of my produce, which I plan would be packed in small boxes of 1 gram to 10 gram,” Sabarwal added.
He also wants to train interested youths of Solan from December this year so that the ‘City of mushroom’ can be transformed into the ‘City of saffron’.
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