5. Production:-
Important Rabi oil seed crop in India
India occupies first position in area and production
in the world with 60% of area and 66% production
Maharashtra and Karnataka are the major growing
states with 94% area and 80% of production
Productivity is highest in Mexico with 1200kg ha-1
and India with 630kg ha-1
6. Introduction:-
It is one of the humanities oldest crop but world wide
comparatively a minor crop limited in distribution
because of environmental factor and spiny nature of
the crop
Earlier Safflower was grown for its petals used for
coloring beverages, flavoring food and dye cotton and
silk earlier to the availability of low price aniline dyes
Floret contain two coloring material
1.Carthamidin(20%):- a water soluble yellow pigment
2.Carthamin(2%):- a orange red dye insoluble in
water but readily soluble in alkaline solution
7. Important facts about safflower:-
More or less Day neutral crop but thermo-sensitive so grown as a
rabi crop
It has got phenotypic plasticity of plant population i.e. variation in
plant density changes structure and branching maintaining same
yield levels
Tolerant to salinity but sensitive to water logging conditions
Self pollinated crop with out crossing of 5% to 40% due to the action
of honey bees.
100 seed weight varies from 2.5 to 8 g
Both oil and protein content decreases with increased
altitude(Optimum range is 300-1000 above MSL)
8. Uses of safflower:-
Oil contains 90% PUFA so it is good for heart patients
Suitably dried flowers used to treat
circulatory, inflammation and muscular
problems
Leaves are rich in carotene, riboflavin
and vit.C so can be used as leafy vegetable
Dye extracted from petal is used
for dyeing purposes
Crop can be grown as guard crop because
of spiny nature
Used to feed the birds
10. Properties of oil:-
particular Values
Color Golden yellow
Specific gravity 0.9
Refractive index 1.4
Iodine value 130-150
Saponification value 186-194
Free fatty acids 0.15-1%
11. Floral morphology:-
Inflorescence is called as capitulum/head
it consist of 20 to 100 florets collected
closely together on a circular receptacle
It is surrounded by several layers of bracts,
outer layer is spined
A small apical opening through which
corolla tubes of flower protrude
Color of the flower vary from yellow
to red orange but deep yellow is common
Stigma is well covered with florets own pollen ensuring self
pollination
12. 1. Plant habit; 2. Flowering branch; 3.Detail of head; 4.
Lower part of flower; 5.Upper part of f lower (opened); 6.
achene(Seed)
13. Anthesis:-
On main branch flower blooms earlier than on secondary
branches
Within a capitulum blooming begins in the outer circle of
floret and progresses centripetally.
Disc florets usually begin to open in the morning and
prolongs till mid day
Self pollinated crop(90%) with Out crossing of 5-40%
depending on bee activity
14. Breeding objectives:-
Breeding for spinelessness
Breeding for developing thermo insensitive varieties
Breeding for resistance against pest and diseases
Breeding for higher yields
Breeding higher oil contents
15. Selfing and crossing techniques:-
Selfing :-
safflower is a self pollinated crop(90-100%) with an
out crossing of 5-40% depending on bee activity
Selfing can be achieved through covering the
capitulum with paper cover before opening of the
flowers .
Crossing:-
Flower should be emasculated before anthesis i.e.
stamens are removed without damaging stigma.
In the next morning freshly collected pollens are
dusted and head is coved with paper cover.
16. Varieties and hybrids:-
Varieties:-
S 144, A1, A2, A300, NARI 6, NARI 38, Parbhni
kusum, Phule kusum, Bhima, sharda, PBNS 40, SSF
658
Hybrids:-
DSH 129 :-First hybrid released by directorate of oil
seed research, hyderabad
MKH 11, NARI 11, NARI-NH-1, NARI-NH-15, MRSA-
521
17. Pest and diseases:-
Important pests:-
1.Saflower aphid
(Uroleucon compositae)
Most destructive disease in
all safflower growing area
Resistant var. Bhima, Sharda, Girna, A-1, JSF-1
2.Other pests:-
cutworms, fly, surface grass hopper
