Only 16 or so elements are truly essential for plant growth. The rest of the elements present in plant tissue are largely taken up in small quantities incidentally (or accidentally!) as plants take up the nutrient elements that they need for growth and reproduction.
Turkey has the largest economy in the region, followed by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Petroleum is the major industry in the regional economy, as more than half of the world's oil reserves and around 40 percent of the world's natural gas reserves are located in the region.
Currently saffron is commercially produced in Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Kashmir and Italy. Iran is the most important producer of saffron both, in terms of volume and quality, and Spain being the largest importer of the spice. Healing Benefits of Saffron. The benefits and medicinal properties of this highly priced spice, make it a valuable culinary ingredient worldwide.