Influence of planting dates and foliar feeding with nano-boron on safflower production and fatty acid quality

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture & Forestry, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq.

Abstract

Objective
Improving both yield and oil quality is important for increasing the economic value of safflower under local environmental conditions. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of different planting dates and foliar application of nano-boron on seed yield, oil content, and fatty acid composition of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.).
Materials and methods
A field experiment was conducted during the winter growing season of 2024–2025 at two locations, Raseediyah and Wana. The treatments included three planting dates (20 November, 5 December, and 20 December) and three concentrations of nano-boron foliar spray (0, 2.5, and 5 g L⁻¹). The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at each site. Data were collected for thousand seed weight, seed yield, seed oil percentage, oil yield, and the fatty acid composition of the oil. They were oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Standard agronomic practices were applied throughout the growing season. Then statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate the main effects and interactions between treatments.
Results
The results showed that planting date had a significant effect on safflower productivity and oil quality. Early planting on 20 November produced the highest values for thousand seed weight, seed yield, seed oil percentage, oil yield, and the proportion of oleic and linoleic acids at both locations. In contrast, later planting dates (5 and 20 December) resulted in higher contents of palmitic and stearic acids in the oil at Raseediyah and Wana. Foliar application of nano-boron significantly improved all measured traits compared with the control treatment. The highest nano-boron concentration (5 g L⁻¹) gave the greatest values for yield components, oil content, oil yield, and all studied fatty acids. A significant interaction was observed between the early planting date (20 November) and the application of 5 g L⁻¹ nano-boron, which produced the highest seed yield at both experimental sites.
Conclusions
The study concluded that early planting combined with foliar feeding of nano-boron is an effective practice for improving safflower yield and fatty acid quality. Planting on 20 November with a nano-boron concentration of 5 g L⁻¹ is recommended under similar environmental conditions.

Keywords

References

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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 18, Issue 2
February 2026
Pages 297-312

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