Saffron production in India, known as “red gold,” is facing challenges that are causing a decline in its output. The town of Pampore in Indian-administered Kashmir is the center of saffron production in the country. Saffron, derived from the crocus plant, is a highly valuable spice, fetching around $1,500 per kilo. The process of harvesting saffron involves removing the deep-red threads, called stigma, from the crocus petals and drying them. However, the changing climate, with erratic rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, has made saffron cultivation more difficult. This, along with the expansion of towns and villages onto saffron fields and lack of investment in irrigation and training for farmers, has led to a decrease in saffron production.
To address these challenges, scientists are working on breeding hardier crocus plants that can thrive in different climatic conditions. They are using a technique called mutation breeding, which disrupts the DNA of the plants by exposing seeds to radiation. The hope is that some of the resulting gene mutations will be beneficial for the plants. Additionally, farmers are being advised on how to make their fields more productive, such as growing almond trees alongside saffron to provide shade and lower the soil temperature.
Some farmers are taking a more innovative approach to saffron production. Shailesh Modak, a former software engineer, decided to quit his job and venture into saffron farming. He grows crocus plants in a shipping container fitted with an air conditioning and circulation system to meet the specific needs of the plants. The plants are cultivated in tubes containing moisture and nutrients, using a technique called hydroponics. Modak has developed software to remotely control all the conditions required for saffron cultivation.
Another approach being explored is growing the crocus plants indoors for part of the year. This involves carefully removing the corms from the soil and growing them inside for three months before replanting them outside just before harvest. Some farmers have found this method successful in protecting the delicate plants and increasing productivity.
While these innovative methods show promise, some farmers have found them unreliable and prefer traditional outdoor cultivation. Despite the challenges, efforts are being made to revitalize saffron production in India and ensure the sustainability of this valuable spice.
Original news source: Red gold’: Why saffron production is dwindling in India (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article independently. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in a brief news summary. Encourage them to include the challenges faced by saffron production, the solutions being explored, and the importance of saffron in India.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to individually think about and write down their thoughts on the following question: “What are some potential solutions to the challenges faced by saffron production in India?” After a few minutes, have them pair up and share their ideas with each other. Finally, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their ideas and discuss the pros and cons of each solution.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Mutation breeding is the most effective solution to the challenges faced by saffron production” or “Indoor cultivation is a more sustainable method for saffron production.” Have students move around the classroom and place themselves along a spectrum from strongly agree to strongly disagree for each statement. After everyone has chosen their position, ask a few students from each side to explain their reasoning.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group the task of listing the pros of traditional outdoor cultivation for saffron production, and assign the other group the task of listing the pros of innovative methods like hydroponics or indoor cultivation. Give the groups a few minutes to brainstorm and write down their ideas. Then, have each group present their lists to the class. Facilitate a discussion where students can compare and contrast the pros and cons of each approach.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine that they are saffron farmers in India. In pairs or small groups, have them discuss and write down their predictions for the future of saffron production in the country. They should consider factors such as climate change, technological advancements, and market demand. After a few minutes, ask each group to share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each scenario.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What challenges are causing a decline in saffron production in India?
2. What is the process of harvesting saffron?
3. How has the changing climate made saffron cultivation more difficult?
4. What technique are scientists using to breed hardier crocus plants?
5. How are farmers advised to make their fields more productive?
6. What innovative approach to saffron production did Shailesh Modak take?
7. How does Modak control the conditions required for saffron cultivation?
8. What is another approach being explored to increase saffron productivity?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Saffron production in India, known as “red gold,” is facing challenges that are causing a decline in its (1)______. The town of Pampore in Indian-administered (2)______ is the center of saffron production in the country. Saffron, derived from the crocus plant, is a highly valuable spice, fetching around $1,500 per kilo. The process of harvesting saffron involves (3)______ the deep-red threads, called stigma, from the crocus petals and drying them. However, the changing climate, with erratic (4)______ patterns and higher temperatures, has made saffron cultivation more difficult. This, along with the expansion of towns and villages onto (5)______ fields and lack of (6)______ in irrigation and training for farmers, has led to a (7)______ in saffron production.
To address these challenges, scientists are working on breeding hardier crocus plants that can thrive in different climatic conditions. They are using a technique (8)______ mutation breeding, which disrupts the DNA of the plants by exposing seeds to radiation. The hope is that some of the resulting gene mutations will be beneficial for the plants. Additionally, farmers are being advised on how to make their fields more productive, such as growing almond trees alongside saffron to (9)______ shade and lower the soil temperature.
Some farmers are taking a more innovative (10)______ to saffron production. Shailesh Modak, a former software engineer, decided to quit his job and venture into saffron (11)______. He grows crocus plants in a shipping container fitted with an air conditioning and circulation system to meet the specific needs of the plants. The plants are cultivated in tubes containing moisture and nutrients, using a technique called hydroponics. Modak has developed software to remotely (12)______ all the conditions required for saffron cultivation.
Another approach being explored is growing the crocus plants indoors for part of the year. This involves carefully removing the corms from the soil and growing them inside for three months before replanting them outside just before harvest. Some farmers have found this (13)______ successful in protecting the delicate plants and increasing productivity.
While these innovative methods show promise, some farmers have found them unreliable and (14)______ traditional outdoor cultivation. Despite the challenges, efforts are being made to revitalize saffron production in India and (15)______ the sustainability of this valuable (16)______.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is saffron and why is it considered valuable?
2. How do you think climate change is affecting saffron production in India?
3. Do you think it is important for scientists to develop hardier crocus plants? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if your town or village expanded onto saffron fields?
5. Do you think it is worth investing in irrigation and training for saffron farmers? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think some farmers prefer traditional outdoor cultivation over innovative methods?
7. How do you think technology, like Modak’s software, can benefit saffron farming?
8. Do you think growing crocus plants indoors for part of the year is a good solution to protect the plants? Why or why not?
9. Why do you think some farmers find the innovative methods unreliable?
10. How would you feel if you were a saffron farmer and your production was declining?
11. Do you think it is important to revitalize saffron production in India? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the decline in saffron production could impact the economy of India?
13. What other challenges do you think saffron farmers face besides climate change?
14. Do you think saffron production can be sustainable in the long term? Why or why not?
15. How do you think the decline in saffron production could impact the availability and price of saffron worldwide?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. saffron
2. decline
3. climate
4. mutation
5. irrigation
6. innovative
7. cultivation
8. sustainability
Meanings:
(a) The changing weather patterns and conditions in a particular area
(b) The ability to maintain or continue production in a way that does not harm the environment or deplete resources
(c) The act of supplying water to crops or plants
(d) Highly valuable spice derived from the crocus plant
(e) The process of disrupting the DNA of plants to create beneficial gene mutations
(f) Introducing new and creative methods or ideas
(g) The act of growing and tending to plants or crops
(h) Decrease or reduction in output or production
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the town of Pampore known for?
(a) Rice cultivation
(b) Saffron production
(c) Tea production
(d) Cotton farming
2. What is the current state of saffron production in India?
(a) Stable
(b) Increasing
(c) Fluctuating
(d) Declining
3. What is the main challenge facing saffron production in India?
(a) Lack of investment in irrigation
(b) Expansion of towns and villages
(c) Changing climate
(d) Lack of training for farmers
4. What technique are scientists using to breed hardier crocus plants?
(a) Mutation breeding
(b) Genetic engineering
(c) Cross-pollination
(d) Cloning
5. What advice are farmers being given to make their saffron fields more productive?
(a) Increase irrigation
(b) Use more fertilizer
(c) Plant more crocus bulbs
(d) Grow almond trees alongside saffron
6. What innovative approach to saffron production is mentioned in the article?
(a) Growing crocus plants in a shipping container
(b) Growing saffron indoors all year round
(c) Using hydroponics to cultivate saffron
(d) Breeding genetically modified crocus plants
7. What is one benefit of growing crocus plants indoors for part of the year?
(a) Increasing the yield of saffron
(b) Protecting the plants from harsh weather conditions
(c) Reducing the cost of irrigation
(d) Improving the taste of saffron
8. What is the goal of efforts to revitalize saffron production in India?
(a) Increase the price of saffron
(b) Expand saffron cultivation to new regions
(c) Ensure the sustainability of saffron production
(d) Decrease the demand for saffron
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The town of Pampore in Indian-administered Kashmir is not the center of saffron production in the country.
2. The contraction of towns and villages onto saffron fields and lack of investment in irrigation and training for farmers has led to an increase in saffron production.
3. Conventional approaches to saffron production, such as growing crocus plants in open fields with uncontrolled conditions or growing them outdoors for all of the year, are being explored.
4. Saffron production in India is facing challenges that are causing a decline in its output.
5. Saffron is derived from the rose plant and is a highly worthless spice.
6. Farmers are being advised on how to make their fields more productive, such as growing almond trees alongside saffron to provide shade and lower the soil temperature.
7. Scientists are working on breeding hardier crocus plants that can thrive in different climatic conditions using a technique called mutation breeding.
8. The changing climate, with erratic rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, has made saffron cultivation more difficult.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What are the challenges facing saffron production in India?
2. How are scientists working to address these challenges?
3. What innovative approaches are some farmers taking to saffron production?
4. How does growing the crocus plants indoors for part of the year help protect the plants?
5. What efforts are being made to revitalize saffron production in India?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. The challenges causing a decline in saffron production in India include changing climate with erratic rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, expansion of towns and villages onto saffron fields, and lack of investment in irrigation and training for farmers.
2. The process of harvesting saffron involves removing the deep-red threads, called stigma, from the crocus petals and drying them.
3. The changing climate has made saffron cultivation more difficult due to erratic rainfall patterns and higher temperatures.
4. Scientists are using a technique called mutation breeding to breed hardier crocus plants. This technique involves exposing seeds to radiation to disrupt the DNA of the plants, with the hope that some resulting gene mutations will be beneficial for the plants.
5. Farmers are advised to make their fields more productive by growing almond trees alongside saffron to provide shade and lower the soil temperature.
6. Shailesh Modak took an innovative approach to saffron production by growing crocus plants in a shipping container fitted with an air conditioning and circulation system.
7. Modak controls the conditions required for saffron cultivation using software that he developed to remotely control the air conditioning and circulation system in the shipping container.
8. Another approach being explored to increase saffron productivity is growing the crocus plants indoors for part of the year. This involves carefully removing the corms from the soil and growing them inside for three months before replanting them outside just before harvest.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) output
(2) Kashmir
(3) removing
(4) rainfall
(5) saffron
(6) investment
(7) decrease
(8) called
(9) provide
(10) approach
(11) farming
(12) control
(13) method
(14) prefer
(15) ensure
(16) spice
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. saffron
Answer: (d) Highly valuable spice derived from the crocus plant
2. decline
Answer: (h) Decrease or reduction in output or production
3. climate
Answer: (a) The changing weather patterns and conditions in a particular area
4. mutation
Answer: (e) The process of disrupting the DNA of plants to create beneficial gene mutations
5. irrigation
Answer: (c) The act of supplying water to crops or plants
6. innovative
Answer: (f) Introducing new and creative methods or ideas
7. cultivation
Answer: (g) The act of growing and tending to plants or crops
8. sustainability
Answer: (b) The ability to maintain or continue production in a way that does not harm the environment or deplete resources
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is the town of Pampore known for?
Answer: (b) Saffron production
2. What is the current state of saffron production in India?
Answer: (d) Declining
3. What is the main challenge facing saffron production in India?
Answer: (c) Changing climate
4. What technique are scientists using to breed hardier crocus plants?
Answer: (a) Mutation breeding
5. What advice are farmers being given to make their saffron fields more productive?
Answer: (d) Grow almond trees alongside saffron
6. What innovative approach to saffron production is mentioned in the article?
Answer: (a) Growing crocus plants in a shipping container
7. What is one benefit of growing crocus plants indoors for part of the year?
Answer: (b) Protecting the plants from harsh weather conditions
8. What is the goal of efforts to revitalize saffron production in India?
Answer: (c) Ensure the sustainability of saffron production
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The town of Pampore in Indian-administered Kashmir is not the center of saffron production in the country. (Answer: False)
2. The contraction of towns and villages onto saffron fields and lack of investment in irrigation and training for farmers has led to an increase in saffron production. (Answer: False)
3. Conventional approaches to saffron production, such as growing crocus plants in open fields with uncontrolled conditions or growing them outdoors for all of the year, are being explored. (Answer: False)
4. Saffron production in India is facing challenges that are causing a decline in its output. (Answer: True)
5. Saffron is derived from the rose plant and is a highly worthless spice. (Answer: False)
6. Farmers are being advised on how to make their fields more productive, such as growing almond trees alongside saffron to provide shade and lower the soil temperature. (Answer: True)
7. Scientists are working on breeding hardier crocus plants that can thrive in different climatic conditions using a technique called mutation breeding. (Answer: True)
8. The changing climate, with erratic rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, has made saffron cultivation more difficult. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
