INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON WATER-USE, YIELD AND OIL CONTENT OF SAFFLOWER (CARTHAMUS-TINCTORIUS)

A field experiment was conducted during 1986-88 on deep Vertisols of Bhopal to study the effect or irrigation and nitrogen on water use, yield and oil content of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L). Pre-sowing irrigation increased the yield by 31 % over the control. Two and 3 irrigations (1 each at pre-sowing, flowering and or seed-development stage) also raised the yield level by 47 and 60% respectively over the no irrigation. Yield attributes, oil content and water use also increased with increase in moisture supply, however, the water-use efficiency was the highest with 1 irrigation at pre-sowing stage.The number of heads/plant, seeds/head and test weight were favourably influenced by N application.