Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a multipurpose oilseed crop with considerable potential for diversification of oilseed production in semi-arid environments. However, productivity depends strongly on genotype and plant population, which influence canopy architecture, biomass accumulation, yield formation, and assimilate partitioning. This study evaluated the effects of three plant densities (128,571, 257,142, and 385,714 plants ha⁻¹) on the growth, yield components, biomass production, harvest index, and seed quality of two safflower varieties, Dongla and Giza, during two winter growing seasons (2014/15 and 2015/16) in Sudan. Field experiments were conducted at Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan, using a randomised complete block design with three replications based on split-plot arrangements. Analysis of variance was performed separately for each growing season, and combined means were used to assess overall treatment responses. The varieties exhibited contrasting growth architectures. Giza was consistently taller and developed a greater leaf area, whereas Dongla produced substantially more branches and heads per plant. Relative growth rate, plant height, branch number, and leaf area showed considerable numerical variation among treatments, although treatment effects were not statistically significant. Thousand-seed weight was significantly affected by treatment combinations in the first season and in the combined analysis, with the highest overall value recorded for Giza at 257,142 plants ha⁻¹ (27.7 g). Giza generally produced greater biomass, reaching 10.3 t ha⁻¹ at 385,714 plants ha⁻¹, whereas Dongla achieved the highest combined harvest index (15.5%) at 257,142 plants ha⁻¹. Seed yield ranged from 0.9 to 1.4 t ha⁻¹, with the highest combined mean yield (1.2 t ha⁻¹) recorded for Dongla at 257,142 plants ha⁻¹ and Giza at 385,714 plants ha⁻¹. Seed fat, protein, and crude fibre contents remained stable across treatments. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of variety-specific plant-density management for optimizing safflower growth, biomass production, and assimilate partitioning under varying Sudanese environmental conditions.
Rasha Gasim Gadora, M. M. Beshir, N. Khalil et al.· Asian Journal of Research in...· 0 citations
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a drought-tolerant oilseed crop with considerable potential for sustainable production in water-limited environments. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation interval and cultivar on growth, yield, biomass partitioning, seed quality, and trait relationships of two safflower cultivars (Giza and Dongla) under Sudanese conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted using three irrigation intervals (7, 14, and 21 days). Growth, yield components, biomass, harvest index, and seed quality traits were measured, and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine relationships among agronomic traits. Significant varietal effects (P < 0.05) were observed for several growth and yield-component traits. Giza produced significantly taller plants and greater dry matter, whereas Dongla produced significantly more heads per plant and exhibited a higher harvest index, reflecting contrasting growth and assimilate partitioning strategies. Irrigation interval significantly affected some vegetative growth traits, but had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on seed yield, harvest index, or seed quality. Likewise, although the 7-day irrigation interval produced the highest numerical seed yield, this difference was not statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed that plant height and leaf area were positively associated with seed production, whereas branch number promoted head formation but exhibited trade-offs with vegetative growth. Seed yield was more closely associated with harvest index than with total biomass, highlighting the importance of assimilate partitioning for productivity. These findings demonstrate that safflower can maintain yield and seed quality under moderate deficit irrigation, indicating that irrigation intervals of up to 21 days can reduce irrigation frequency without significant yield penalties. The results also support variety-specific cultivar selection, with Giza better suited for biomass production and Dongla for efficient reproductive allocation under water-limited conditions in Sudan.
Rasha Gasim Gadora, M. M. Beshir, N. Khalil et al.· Journal of Agriculture and E...· 0 citations
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