Screening of Different Nitrogen Rates and Intra-Row Spacing Effects on Yield and Yield Components of Safflower (Carthamus Tinctorius L.) Under Microclimate Conditions, Igdir Plain, Turkey

Abstract

The yield of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is affected by many factors, among which nitrogen fertilization and plant density are significant. This study was conducted as a split plot in a randomized complete block design arrangement with four replications, during the successive seasons 2011 and 2012, to determine the effects of nitrogen application rate and intra-row spacing on the growth, yield and yield components of safflower under the ecological conditions of the Igdir Plain, Turkey. The main plots were three intra-row spacing (IRS1, IRS2 and IRS3) and subplots were four nitrogen rates (N-1, N-2, N-3 and N-4). Intra-row spacing had significant effects on all parameters except plant height and seed oil content. There were significant effects of fertilizer rate on all parameters except seed oil content. The interaction of nitrogen rate and years had significant effects on seed yield. Correlations showed significant negative results between 1000-seed weight and seed oil content (-0.217). However, there was a high seed yield in 2011 compared with 2012. Among intra-rows, IRS2 and IRS3 gave greater yield compared with IRS1, while N-3 gave a higher yield than other N rates (0, 100, 150, 200 kg ha(-1)) in both years of the study, especially 2011.