EFFECT OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SAFFLOWER

Studies on water use and nitrogen in lateritic soil at the Regional Research Farm of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya at Jhargram (West Bengal) during rabi 1983-84 and 1984-85 revealed that both the irrigation and nitrogen significantly increased the seed yield and improved the quality of safflower. Per cent N content in seed, flowerhead, leaf and stem, and oil content in seed of safflower grown with different moisture regimes and N-levels increased significantly with increasing levels of irrigation and nitrogen. Consequently, significant effect of both irrigation and nitrogen was also observed in total N-uptake and the oil yield where the influence of irrigation was more pronounced that of nitrogen.