Safflower grown in different sowing dates and plant densities

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to test the effects of different plant densities on stem characteristics in two growing seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. The plant densities evaluated were 48, 64, 80, 96, 112 and 128plants m-2. The Fall/Winter growing season was from 04/04/2008 to 23/08/2008 and the Spring/Summer growing season was from 03/10/2008 to 23/12/2008. Total and partial plant height did not differ among plant densities in the Fall/Winter growing season. However, in the Spring/Summer growing season total plant height had a quadratic response to increase in plant population whereas the partial height did not vary. In the Fall/Winter cultivation, plants presented larger stems and branches diameter, branches length and total number of nodes main stem and branches diameters, number and length of branches, fresh and dry mass decreased as density increased in the two growing seasons. The capitulum's diameter decreased as density increased in the Fall/Winter growing season, but at the Spring/Summer growing season it decreased in the density from 48 to 96plants m-2 and increased in the density from 112 a 128plants m-2.