Saffron: Science, Technology and Health summarizes the scientific, technical and health aspects of this crop. Saffron possesses unique agronomical, ecological, social and physiological characteristics. And, there are various chemical components present in saffron, including carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, color pigment, aromatic and flavoring agents. Saffron has a long history of use in traditional medicine, and in recent years, the application of saffron in the medical industry as a cancer curing and antidepressant agent has brought more attention. There is also a growing trend of saffron use in the conventional food industry, including saffron desserts, cream, butter, beverages, powders, cake mixes and soups. Intended for nutrition scientists and scientists and technologists working in the areas of food, agriculture, new product development and pharmacology.

The papers in this volume comprise the refereed proceedings of the Second IFIP International Conference on Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture (CCTA2008), in Beijing, China, 2008. The conference on the Second IFIP International Conference on Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture (CCTA 2008) is cooperatively sponsored and organized by the China Agricultural University (CAU), the National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (NERCITA), the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering (CSAE) , International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), Beijing Society for Information Technology in Agriculture, China and Beijing Research Center for Agro-products Test and Farmland Inspection, China. The related departments of China’s central government bodies like: Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Education and the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, etc. have greatly contributed and supported to this event. The conference is as good platform to bring together scientists and researchers, agronomists and information engineers, extension servers and entrepreneurs from a range of disciplines concerned with impact of Information technology for sustainable agriculture and rural development. The representatives of all the supporting organizations, a group of invited speakers, experts and researchers from more than 15 countries, such as: the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Germany, Greece, Australia, Estonia, Japan, Korea, India, Iran, Nigeria, Brazil, China, etc.

Providing a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the status of this particular genus, this book will be of interest to all those concerned with the study and uses of spices, medicinal and aromatic plants.