Effect of Planting Dates and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Growth and Yield of Safflower

Abstract

Abstract A field experiment was carried out during winter agricultural season 2020/2021 in Babylon Governorate in at Tajieh region, southeast of Hilla city, to study the effect of planting dates and nitrogen fertilizer on the growth and yield of safflower. The experiment included two factors: planting dates (1 and 15 November and 1 December), and nitrogen fertilizer at levels (0, 90, 120 and 150 kgN.ha-1), the treatments were distributed in a factorial experiment with a randomized completely block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The results showed significant superiority of planting date at December 1 on most growth and yield components parameters, it recorded the highest averages on seed yield, dry matter yield and harvest index amounted to 1576.2, 6126.0 kg.ha-1 and 25.6% respectively. However, nitrogen fertilizer at concentration 150 kg N.ha-1 affected all growth and yield and its components, it gave the highest averages for seed yield, dry matter yield and harvest index amounted to 1762.2, 6626.8 kg.ha-1 and 26.6%, respectively.