Mariani Alessandro, Marconi Gianpiero, Ferradini Nicoletta, Bocchini Marika, Lorenzetti Silvia, Chiorri Massimo, Russi Luigi, Albertini Emidio
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy.
Plants (Basel). 2024 Dec 27;14(1):51. doi: 10.3390/plants14010051.
Saffron ( L.) 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 labor and has significant costs. New cultivation methods and traceability systems are required to improve and valorize local Italian saffron production. In this study, we conducted a three-year trial in Umbria (Central Italy), looking for a soilless cultivation method based on wooden bins posted at a suitable height from the ground to ease the sowing of corms and harvesting of flowers. Moreover, the spice traceability could be based on investigating the genetic variability of Italian saffron populations using SNP markers. The proposed novel cultivation method showed significantly higher stigma and corm production than the traditional one. At the same time, the genetic analysis revealed a total of 55 thousand SNPs, 53 of which were specific to the Italian saffron populations suitable to start a food traceability and spice certification.
藏红花（Crocus sativus L.）是世界上最昂贵的香料之一，因其市场需求强劲，加上生产过程劳动密集，需要大量劳动力且成本高昂。需要新的种植方法和可追溯系统来改善和提升意大利本土藏红花的生产。在本研究中，我们在翁布里亚（意大利中部）进行了为期三年的试验，寻找一种无土栽培方法，该方法基于放置在离地面合适高度的木箱，以便于球茎播种和花朵采收。此外，香料可追溯性可以基于使用单核苷酸多态性（SNP）标记研究意大利藏红花种群的遗传变异性。所提出的新型栽培方法显示出柱头和球茎产量明显高于传统方法。同时，遗传分析共揭示了5.5万个SNP，其中53个是意大利藏红花种群特有的，适合用于开展食品可追溯性和香料认证。
