Top-dressing of Potassium Fertilizers on Safflower

Abstract

To determine the effects of potassium foliar application (with two levels, use and non-use) from potassium sulphate source and top-dressing application of potassium fertilizer (with two levels, use and non-use) from potassium chloride source on number of seeds per capitulum, number of side branch per plant, seed yield, seed oil content, oil yield, seed to coat ratio, plant height and shoot dry weight in three safflower, genotypes including KW.2, Padideh and Goldasht a factorial experiment based on the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, was conducted during 2013 growing season at the Agricultural Research Center of Semnan province (Shahroud). Results showed that the highest average of number of seeds per capitulum (28.70), number of side branch per plant (17.83) and seed to coat ratio (1.47) were found in KW.2 genotype. The highest seed yield (2627.7 kg/ha) and oil yield (1350.5 kg/ha) were found from potassium sulphate foliar application in Padideh and KW.2 genotypes respectively. The interaction effect of genotype × potassium foliar application was significant for seed and oil yields. In conclusion, it was determined that potassium sulphate foliar application has better impacts on seed and oil yield of safflower genotypes than potassium top-dressing application.

Keywords

• Foliar application
• Grain yield
• Oil content
• Potassium
• Safflower
• Top-dressing