Skip to content
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)
- Origin and History
- Origin: Mediterranean region (Egypt, Middle East).
- Cultivated since 2500 B.C. for dyes (Carthamin) and later for oil.
- Introduced to India in ancient times; now an important Rabi oilseed crop.
- General Information
- Family: Asteraceae (Compositae).
- Oil content: 30–35%.
- Protein: 18–20%.
- Oil rich in linoleic acid (70–75%) → heart-friendly oil.
- Duration: 120–150 days.
- Grown mostly under rainfed conditions.
- Area, Production & Distribution (India, 2023)
- Area: ~2.5 lakh ha.
- Production: ~1.6 lakh tonnes.
- States: Maharashtra (60% area) > Karnataka > Andhra Pradesh > Madhya Pradesh.
- India contributes ~50% of world safflower area.
- Climatic Requirements
- Cool, dry Rabi climate.
- Temp: 18–26°C.
- Rainfall: 300–500 mm (requires dry weather during flowering & maturity).
- Drought tolerant, but sensitive to waterlogging.
- Soil
- Suited to well-drained deep black cotton soils.
- Also grows on loamy soils.
- pH: 6.0–8.0.
- Varieties
- Spiny types (high yielding): Bhima, Nira, JSI-7, A-1.
- Non-spiny types: Manjira, Surya, Sharda, JSI-73.
- Agronomy
- Season: Rabi (Oct–Nov).
- Seed rate: 10–15 kg/ha.
- Spacing: 45 × 20 cm.
- Fertilizer: 40–60 kg N + 20–40 kg P₂O₅ + 20 kg S/ha.
- Irrigation: Usually rainfed, but 1–2 irrigations (flowering & seed filling) improve yields.
- Weed Management
- Critical stage: 20–40 DAS.
- 2 hand weedings (20 & 40 DAS).
- Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha (PE) effective.
- Pests & Diseases
- Pests: Safflower caterpillar (Perigea capensis), aphids.
- Diseases: Alternaria blight, wilt, rust.
- Uses
- Oil: edible, rich in PUFA (linoleic acid).
- Flowers: source of natural dye (Carthamin).
- Oilcake: cattle feed.
- Important MCQ Facts
- Botanical name: Carthamus tinctorius.
- Family: Asteraceae.
- Origin: Mediterranean.
- Oil: 30–35%, linoleic acid ~70–75%.
- Seed rate: 10–15 kg/ha.
- Major pest: Aphids.
- Major disease: Alternaria blight.
Niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.)
- Origin and History
- Origin: Ethiopia (primary centre).
- India is secondary centre of diversity.
- Ancient oilseed of tribal regions.
- General Information
- Family: Asteraceae (Compositae).
- Oil content: 35–40%.
- Protein: 20–22%.
- Oil rich in linoleic acid (70%), similar to sunflower.
- Duration: 90–100 days → short-duration crop.
- Mostly grown under tribal, rainfed, low-input conditions.
- Area, Production & Distribution (India, 2023)
- Area: ~2.5 lakh ha.
- Production: ~1.2 lakh tonnes.
- States: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand.
- India: largest producer of Niger seed globally.
- Climatic Requirements
- Warm & humid climate.
- Temperature: 18–30°C.
- Rainfall: 1000–1200 mm (tolerates high rainfall better than most oilseeds).
- Drought tolerant; also grows in tribal uplands.
- Soil
- Best in well-drained light soils.
- Suited for poor, degraded, acidic soils of tribal belts.
- pH: 5.0–7.0.
- Varieties: GA-7, GA-10, Ootacamund-9, Indira Niger-1, JNC-6.
- Agronomy
- Season: Kharif (June–July sowing).
- Seed rate: 8–10 kg/ha.
- Spacing: 30 × 10 cm.
- Fertilizer: Low requirement → 20–30 kg N + 20–30 kg P₂O₅/ha.
- Irrigation: Usually rainfed, needs no irrigation.
- Weed Management
- Critical stage: 20–30 DAS.
- 1–2 hand weedings sufficient.
- Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha (PE) effective.
- Pests & Diseases
- Pests: Bihar hairy caterpillar, leaf roller.
- Diseases: Powdery mildew, Alternaria blight, Cercospora leaf spot.
- Uses
- Edible oil: good frying quality, light, easily digestible.
- Oilcake: rich in protein, used in cattle & poultry feed.
- Exported to USA & Europe (bird feed market).
- Important MCQ Facts
- Botanical name: Guizotia abyssinica.
- Family: Asteraceae.
- Origin: Ethiopia.
- Oil: 35–40%, linoleic acid ~70%.
- Seed rate: 8–10 kg/ha.
- Major pest: Bihar hairy caterpillar.
- Major disease: Powdery mildew.
- Special note: India = largest producer of Niger in the world.
error: Content is protected !!
