| Introduction: |
|
Safflower
(Carthamus tinctorius L.) is cultivated for its seeds, which yield oil and for the
extraction of a dye. The oil content varies from 24-36%. The cold-pressed oil is used for
culinary purposes, or for making soap. The oil obtained by dry hot distillation is black
and sticky and is used only for greasing well ropes and leather goods exposed to water. In
the manufacture of paints, varnishes and linoleum safflower oil is used. The decorticated
seed cake is used as concentrated cattle feed, undecorticated seed cake is sometimes used
as manure. |
Requirement |
|
The crop is grown
during rabi primarily as a rainfed crop. At all stages of growth of the crop, excessive
rainfall or humidity increases damage from fungal diseases. Water-logging due to poor
drainage or prolonged rains can cause substantial fall in seed-yield.
It is cultivated on all types of soil,
including sandy soil, but it thrives best on water-retentive black soils and alluvial
loams. The crop is fairly resistant to saline conditions. |
Varieties |
|
'A.1', 'A-300', 'No.7',
'N.62.8', 'Nag-7', 'Tara', 'K-1', 'Manjira, (C 438), Bhima, Girna and Sharda. |
| Cultivation |
|
Safflower is grown
mostly as a mixture with wheat, barley, gram and rabi jowar, three rows of safflower being
planted after every nine, 12 or more rows of the main crop. As a pure crop, it is rotated
with wheat, gram, cotton and rabi jowar. |
| Sowing |
|
In general, the pure
crop is given one or two weedings, combined with hoeings on the 20th and the 45th
day after sowing. When growth in strips, a row spacing of 45cm is adopted. |
Fertilizer |
|
The application of
20-40kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare results in a substantial increase in yield. The mixed
crop shares the preparatory tillage, manuring and cultivation given to the main crop. When
the plants have developed the central flowering head, they are topped to promote
branching, flowering and seed production. |
| Pests and diseases |
|
The
safflower aphid (Dactynotus carthami), thrips (Frankliniella sulphurea) and
the safflower budfly (Acanthiphilus helianthi Rossi) are the serious pests of this
crop. Spraying the crop with 0.1% Fenithion, 0.03% Dimethoate and 0.07% Endosulfan is
recommended for controlling. The growing of resistant varieties is recommended to avoid
damage from these diseases. |
|
Harvesting and yield |
|
The crop matures in 4 or
5 months after sowing. The ripe plants are either cut or pulled out, stacked for a few
days to dry, threshed by beating with sticks, and the resulting material is winnowed to
obtain clean seeds. The average yield of the pure crop is 400-500 kg of seed per hectare,
whereas that of a mixed crop is about 100kg. |
