Sustainable AI based Hi-Tech climate resilient Soilless Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) cultivation technology using high-efficiency bio based protectant medium integrating Dormancy-Breaking approach for year-round production Ref.No.SSTCRC2634
1. Introduction
-Development of climate-independent, soilless cultivation system for saffron using controlled environment agriculture techniques.
-Integrate AI-driven monitoring and optimization tools for precise management of temperature, humidity, light, and nutrient delivery.
Formulate and validate high-efficiency bio-based protectant media to enhance corm protection, nutrient availability, and plant health.
-Implement and optimize accelerated integrated dormancy-breaking protocol combining, hormonal, chemical and thermal triggers for faster, synchronized sprouting enabling continuous, year-round saffron growth and flowering.
-Evaluate system performance in terms of yield, quality, resource efficiency, environmental sustainability and commercial adaptability.
-To enhance Flowering Corm Index, Net Corm yield, flower yield, stigma quality, and corm multiplication rate, prioritizing HFCI, BCMI, and stigma yield, key productivity metrics in saffron.
2. Research Progress
-Protocol for the desired setup is formulated regarding temperature, humidity, water requirements.
-Critical phases of cropping cycle identified for soilless cultivation.
-Biosubstrate nutrient and protectant media testing in progress and showing positive results.
-Design for integration of all the requisite systems formulated.
-Dormancy breaking process is in its initial phase and needs to be tested.
3. Cooperation Required
The proposed research aims to revolutionize saffron (Crocus sativus L.) cultivation through the development of a sustainable, AI-driven, climate-resilient soilless production system integrated with a bio-based protectant growing medium and an innovative dormancy-breaking approach. This interdisciplinary project combines artificial intelligence, controlled environment agriculture, and plant biotechnology to overcome the major limitations of traditional saffron farming—low productivity, strict climatic dependency and seasonal constraints. By enabling year-round saffron cultivation through intelligent automation and biological optimization, the research pioneers to significantly enhance yield, quality consistency, and resource use efficiency. The project aligns with global sustainable agriculture goal, climate resilience, and high-value crop innovation, offering strong potential for commercial scalability and technology transfer to industry partners.
Support through a fully funded PhD program or partnership under SciCo’s Science and Technology Innovation Program will enable the development, validation, and optimization of this pioneering system, positioning the research at the forefront of smart agri-biotech solutions redefining the future of sustainable agri-biotech systems for next-generation sustainable food and spice production.
4. Benefits
-Establishment of a fully functional, AI-integrated soilless saffron cultivation platform capable of year-round production.
-Significant improvement in saffron yield, corm survival, and bioactive compound content compared to traditional methods of cultivation.
-Demonstration of eco-friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, reducing water and chemical inputs.
-Creation of a commercially scalable model with strong potential for technology transfer and industry adoption.
-Generation of scientific knowledge and publications in AI-assisted precision agriculture and high-value crop production system.
-The proposed technology utilizes eco-sustainable bio-substrate and carbon-negative material combining organic nutrition, carbon sequestration and disease suppression through bioprotection in saffron, replicable to related crops like Tulip, other floriculture crops thereby adding to its diversified commercial adaptability.
5. Outputs
-Peer-reviewed publication or IPR/Patent for novel substrate technology
-First documented use of bio-based composite medium for saffron cultivation
-IPR/Patent for integrated dormancy-breaking matrix for rapid corm activation in saffron and related high value crops
-Quantified enhancement in HFCI, BCMI, and flower yield in saffron
Prototype modular saffron growth unit design for commercial scalability which enables AI-driven climate-independent saffron production, suitable for commercial vertical farms and smart agriculture
-IPR/Patent rights for novel biocontrol of fungal diseases in saffron and other related high value crop species
-5 academic papers upon completion of research project