Safflower Yields and Quality Depending on Cultivation Technology in the Irrigated Conditions

The article presents the results of scientific researches devoted to investigation of safflower yields and quality depending on cultivation technology in the irrigated conditions. Field trials were carried out during 2010-2012 at the irrigated lands of the Institute of Rice of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine in four replications by using the randomized split plot design method. We studied the effect on the crop yield and quality of such cultivation technology elements as: soil tillage, time of sowing, inter-row spacing and mineral fertilizers doses. We determined that all the studied factors had significant effect on the yields of safflower. The highest safflower seed yield averaged to 2.11 t ha⁻¹ under the plowing at the depth of 20-22 cm, sowing in the 3rd decade of March with inter-row spacing of 30 cm, application of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N₉₀P₉₀. The yield of safflower under the lower dose of mineral fertilizers N₆₀P₆₀ averaged to 2.02 t ha⁻¹, however, the difference between the treatment with N₉₀P₉₀ was proved to be insignificant. We also established that the studied cultivation technology elements caused significant effect on the safflower seed quality, except of husks content in the seeds. The maximum weight of 1000 seeds of 42.5 g, and the highest oil content of 29.31% were determined under the agrotechnological complex with plowing at the depth of 20-22 cm, sowing in the 3rd decade of March with inter-row spacing of 30 cm, application of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N₉₀P₉₀. The husks content in the seeds of the crop fluctuated within the values of 54.2-56.1%.