Irrigation and nutrient requirement of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) in black soil

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 1995 96 to 1997 98 to optimise the irrigation and nutrient requirement of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) in a black soil at Bhawanipatna, Orissa. Application of 2 post sowing irrigations at branching and flowering along with 1 pre sowing irrigation resulted in the maximum seed yield of 1,822 kglha being on par with 1 pre sowing and a post sowing irrigation at branching. These 2 irrigation treatments had similar benefit : cost and water use elficiency (WUE), but consumptive use of water (CU) was more with the former. The seed yield at 80 : 80 : 40 kg of N : P,O, : K,O/ha was the highest (1,718 kglha), followed by 60:60:30 kglha (1,696 kglha). A declining trend in seed yield at the highest fertility level (80 : 80 : 40 kglha) was noticed, particularly when irrigation was withheld at flowering stage. Though CU by safflower increased with in creasing level of fertility, both benefit : ost (1.79) and water use efficiency (4.21 kglha mm) were the maximum at 60 : 60 : 30 kglha of N : P,O, : K,O.