Safflower

Safflower, with the scientific name Carthamus tinctorius, is a native safflower plant of the Orient and the Middle East, and its original origin is attributed to Arabia. It is a plant that grows mainly in hot and dry climates. Oil seeds are the source of extracting vegetable oils and have long been the perfect food for birds. Flowers are used to color food and as a source for extracting natural color. and it is also used for medicinal purposes.

Safflower planting:
Safflower planting is done through seed planting. It is cultivated in hot areas and soils with medium texture with suitable thickness. The suitable temperature for seed germination is around 18-20 degrees Celsius. It needs heat and proper light.

The proper distance between planting rows is 40-50 cm and the distance between plants in each row is about 5-15 cm.

The seed depth varies from 3-6 cm. The amount of seed required for each hectare is 20-25 kg, and to accelerate the germination, the plant seeds can be soaked in water for 24 hours before planting.

Growth stages:

The growth stages include seven stages: germination, rosette, stem formation, branching, flowering, seed formation and seed ripening.

Crop rotation:
Saffron is sensitive to soil diseases and should not be planted in the same plot more than once in four consecutive years and should be alternated with sensitive plants that go to the Jaliz bush.

Planting spring safflower:
The ground is deeply plowed for some time before, so that the seeds germinate uniformly and quickly with the accumulation of moisture from snow and rain.

Planting time:
Spring sowing of safflower in cold regions is from mid-March to late April and in temperate regions from late February to early April.

Planting depth:

Safflower seeds are planted at a shallow depth (maximum 5 cm) in moist soil.

Sown seed distance
In safflower rainfed cultivation, the distance between the planting lines is usually 30 to 45 cm and the distance between the seeds on the line is 10 to 20 cm.

Water required for saffron
Due to its deep roots, safflower is able to absorb moisture from a depth of 3-4 meters in the soil, but it should be noted that safflower is sensitive to excessive watering in the early stages of growth and causes an increase in diseases in safflower, in such cases, use From the resistant varieties, it is recommended to cultivate in atmosphere and stack and avoid water stagnation in hot weather.

In general, irrigation is necessary in the stages after cultivation, germination, rapid growth of the stem, budding, flowering and seed setting (7 times) and this number is up to 10 depending on the time of cultivation, type of variety, cultivation area, soil structure and fertilizer consumption. The turn also increases.

Saffron fertilization:
The production of each ton of safflower seeds causes the release of 25-30 kg of nitrogen, 4-12 kg of phosphorus and 10-15 kg of potassium oxide from the soil. Any amount added to the number of saffron branches increases the number of flowers and seeds and thus the yield.

Nitrogen affects not only the yield of seeds, but also the composition and growth of safflower foliage.

But the high consumption of nitrogen fertilizers causes the plant to fall asleep and causes the development of diseases in humid and semi-humid areas.

Safflower needs phosphorus, but excessive use will reduce the oil.

Fertilizer required for safflower:

70 kg of pure nitrogen from urea and ammonium phosphate fertilizer sources

50 kg of pure nitrogen from urea fertilizer sources in the form of leaves in the stemming stage

25 kg of pure nitrogen from urea fertilizer sources in the form of vinegar at the budding stage

50 kilos of phosphorus from diammonium phosphate source

Among the fertilizers that are produced in Yadnegar Structures Company (Cinco) and can be recommended for safflower. We can refer to complete NPK 10-52-10 chemical fertilizers due to the presence of monoammonium phosphate