Response of Yield, Yield Components and Oil Quality of some Safflower Genotypes to Harvesting Date

Abstract

This study was conducted at experimental field, College of Agriculture, Baghdad University, Abu-Ghraib-Iraq, during winter seasons 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates arranged in a spilt-plot was used. Five genotypes (G2018, Gila, Al-mais, Aurduny and Rabee 500) represents main plots, whereas four harvesting dates at [ physiological maturity (PM), 10, 20 and 30 days after (PM) ] were assigned as sub-plots. In both seasons at physiological maturity stage, the plants attained the highest plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of heads per plant, 100-seed weight, seed yield, oil content and oil yield. Also, Rabee 500 genotype’s plants were characterized by recording the highest number of primary branches per plant, number of heads per plant, 100-seed weight, seed yield and oil content. Aurduny genotype when was harvested at first date obtained the highest seed yield (3.5 and 3.6 t ha-1) for both seasons, oil content (36.2%) in 2011-2012 season and the highest oil yield (1.3 t ha-1) in 2010-2011 season. In contrast, G2018 genotype obtained the highest oil content (35.4%) when harvested at the first date in 2010-2011 and oil yield (2.4 t ha-1) in 2011-2012 when harvested after 20 days from PM. Plants of first season produced the highest seed yield (2.4 t ha-1), while the same plants in the second season were recognized by recording the highest oil content (31.4%). There was a high significant positive correlation between seed yield with plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of heads per plant and 100-seed weight. Also, a positive and highly significant correlation between oil yield and seed yield and oil content for both seasons was found.