ASHS 2025 Conference

Saffron, scientifically recognized as Crocus sativus, is a perennial plant celebrated for its vibrant red stigmas. This crop has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years, originating in ancient Persia. The climate of northern New Mexico appears conducive to saffron cultivation, suggesting its viability for small-scale farmers in the area. The initiative seeks to introduce saffron as a low-input, high-value crop suited for New Mexico's agricultural landscape. Research performed during 2023 and 2024 indicates that saffron can flourish in this region's climate, demonstrating promising stigma yields in the initial years. This research program assesses how corm size, planting timing, and irrigation levels impact saffron flower and stigma production within both hoop house and open field systems at the Certified Organic Farm of the Alcalde Sustainable Agriculture Science Center of New Mexico State University. Results reveal that larger corms yield significantly more stigmas compared to smaller ones; specifically, corms larger than 10 produced over 5 kg/ha of dry stigma yield in their first and second years. However, there was no significant difference noted between yields from high tunnel versus open field systems. Additionally, planting saffron corms earlier—around mid-August—instead of later dates like late August or mid-September resulted in enhanced stigma production (approximately 6 kg/ha). Conversely, variations in irrigation treatments did not significantly affect first-year stigma yield. Measurements of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity demonstrated that both saffron stigmas and flowers lacking stigmas are valuable sources of phenolic compounds, with saffron stigmas exhibiting higher TPC than those flowers without stigmas. In conclusion, the findings from this research indicate that saffron can be successfully cultivated even in an open field system in northern New Mexico. Employing larger corms and opting for mid-August planting could lead to increased yields in the first year.