The Influence of Nitrogen Doses on Yield and Yield Properties of Safflower (Carthamus Tinctorius) Varieties Under Micro-Climate Conditions of Igdir Plain - Turkey

Abstract

The growth and development of safflower are affected by several factors such as genotype, agronomic practices, and environmental conditions. One of the most important agronomic practices is fertilization. As a fertilizer, nitrogen is a basic element required for successful plant growth. In the study, it was aimed to determine the effects of different nitrogen doses (0, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha(-1)) on yield and yield properties of three safflower varieties (Remzibey-05, Dincer, and Yenice) under micro-climate conditions in the Igdir University Agricultural Research fields, Turkey during 2012 - 2013 according to the split-plot experimental design in randomized blocks with three replications. The investigation denoted that the differences among the varieties were found significant for all attributes except seed number per head. And also, the effect of differences between observation years and the effects of nitrogen rates were determined to be significant for all observed properties. Increasing the nitrogen rate increased all observed attributes. Seed oil content increased with nitrogen applications up to 100 kg ha(-1) but reduced again in higher nitrogen rates. In the study, the interactions of both factors had no significant effects on all observed attributes. The results of two years study show that the Yenice safflower cultivar as an alternative oil plant and the most economical nitrogen dose of 150 kg ha(-1) can be suggested for the maximum yield in the unit area where the experiment is carried out and in other regions with similar climatic conditions.