IMPROVING SAFFLOWER (Carthamus tinctorius L.) GROWTH AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES UNDER SALINE WATER IRRIGATION BY USING IRON AND ZINC FOLIAR APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate growth and biological activities ofSafflower Carthamus tinctorius L. treated with Iron and Zinc foliar applicationunder Irrigation with saline water at Wadi El-Natrown, El-Behera Governate Egypt during two winter seasons; 2011/ 2012 and 2012/ 2013. It aimed to find out the individual and combination effects of foliar application of Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) on vegetative growth, reproductive and yield characters, in addition to some chemical constituents of Safflower plants. All the vegetative growth characters; plant height, number of primary and secondary branches were significantly affected by the foliar application. Foliar application by Zn at 0.6% significantly promoted the plant height followed by application by the combination between Fe: Zn at 0.3:0.6%. The later treatment gave the greatest number of primary and secondary branches followed that of Zn at 0.6% where there was no significant difference between the two treatments. The highest number of inflorescences and seed yield per plant or plot or fadd was obtained by using the combination between Fe : Zn at a ratio of 0.3:0.6% or by Zn only at 0.6%. The percentage of Zinc, Iron, lipid, protein and pigments in addition to biological activity in different plant treatment were determined. All of chemical parameters were significantly affected by Zn, Fe foliar application at different concentration.