Dryland safflower: Response to row configuration and population, northern NSW 2016

Abstract

Key findings • Row spacing had no effect on crop establishment, seed size or grain yield. • Increasing row spacing from 31.5 cm to 63 cm increased plant height, but had no effect on height of lowest flowers or on the start or flowering. • Leaf canopy area at early flowering was 22% greater when sown on wide rows, compared with narrow rows. • Crop establishment declined with increasing target plant population to 40 plants/m2. • Increasing population hastened the start of flowering. • The conventional safflower varieties Sironaria and S317 had similar structural characteristics including plant height, height of lowest flowers, stem diameter and leaf canopy area. • Sironaria was quickest to start flowering. • Overall yields were low. Sironaria outyielded S317: 0.44 t/ha compared with 0.2 t/ha. • The Sironaria and S317 yield response to plant population was inconsistent. • Seed size was 6% larger in Sironaria than S317. • Seed size decreased as plant population increased from 10 plants/m2 to 40 plants/m2.