A new cultivation system of saffron for a quality spice certified by genetic analysis: a study case in Central Italy

Saffron (Crocus sativus) is one of the most expensive spices in the world due to its strong market demand combined with its labor-intensive production process, which needs a lot of employment and incurs significant costs. To improve and valorize Italian local production of saffron, new cultivation methods and traceability systems are re-quired. In this study, we conducted a three-year trial in Umbria (central Italy) looking for a new cultivation method based on wooden bins posted at a suitable height from the ground to ease the harvesting of flowers and assess the genetic variability existing in different saffron populations from Italy and from major producer countries such as Spain, Iran, India, Greece, Turkey, Argentina, and France by using SNP markers. The proposed novel cultivation method showed the highest stigma and corm production compared with the traditional one. At the same time, the genetic analysis revealed a total of 55 thousand SNPs, 53 of which were specific to the local saffron populations suitable to start a food traceability and spice certification.