Flowering Intervals, Head Flowering Date and Head Position Effect, and Effects of Phytohormones on These Characters in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the flowering intervals, the effects of head flowering date and the head position on morphological and quality characters related with heads and seeds and also the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) on flowering pattern, stem elongation and head development in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). As a result of this research, safflower had a regular flowering intervals within a plant which appeared to initiate from top to bottom and from outhermost branch to innermost branch. It was determined that from first flowering head and also from main stem head to primer, seconder and tersiary branch head; head size, head weight, number of seed per head, seed weight per head, 1000 seed weight, percent hull and oil content were decreased . GA3 applications to the rosette plants shortened rosette stage and promoted stem elongation and also caused main stem and lateral branches to elongate. Although GA3 applications which were applied in the head primordia stage promoted head development until flowering and initiated flowering earlier than control plants, they inhibited the development of the heads after flowering. ABA applications had a little effects on stem elongation, flowering and head development.