Effect of micronutrients spray on growth, seed yield and yield-contributing characters of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Introduction

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L., 2n = 24), an important oilseed crop of the family Asteraceae is valued for its drought tolerance and its ability to produce reasonable yields under marginal environments and lowinput agricultural systems (Hussain et al., 2016) [1] . India is among the leading safflower-growing countries with cultivation concentrated in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. However as per recent estimates of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of India, for 2024-25 the crop occupied only about 0.64 lakh hectares with an average productivity of nearly 736 kg/ha and the area under the crop continues to decline in favour of more remunerative crops such as sunflower and chickpea. Micronutrient deficiencies particularly of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), boron (B) and manganese (Mn) are an important constraint to safflower productivity. These elements are involved in enzyme activation, chlorophyll synthesis, auxin biosynthesis, pollen viability and reproductive development (Marschner, 2012) [2] . Soil application of micronutrients does not always ensure adequate availability due to fixation and leaching losses. Micronutrients spray has therefore emerged as a rapid, economical and effective complementary approach for direct nutrient delivery to plant tissues (Fernandez et al., 2013) [3] . Micronutrients spray of zinc and boron has been reported to improve yield attributes and seed yield of safflower (Movahhedy-Dehnavy et al., 2009 and Soheili-Movahhed et al., 2019) [4] while combined micronutrient sprays have been shown to improve plant growth and seed yield in safflower and other oilseed crops (Babhulkar et al., 2000 ; Magodia et al., 2024 and Ahmadi et al., 2024) [5,6] . However information on the optimum combination of Fe, Zn, B and Mn for maximizing seed yield under the agro-climatic conditions of the Marathwada region is limited. The present investigation was therefore undertaken to evaluate the effect of individual and combined micronutrients spray of iron, zinc, boron and manganese on growth, seed yield and yield-contributing characters of safflower variety PBNS-154 under the agro-climatic conditions of Parbhani.

Materials and Methods

Experimental site

The field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Quality Seed Production (QSP) Unit, Khanapur-A, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani, Maharashtra during the Rabi season of 2025-26. Parbhani is situated at 19°26' N latitude and 76°47' E longitude at an elevation of 357 m above mean sea level (MSL). The region has a tropical climate with a mean annual rainfall of 888.5 mm, maximum temperature ranging from 28.6 to 42.4 °C, minimum temperature from 13.4 to 32.2 °C and mean relative humidity between 28.7 and 88.6 per cent. The experimental site consisted of uniform, well-ploughed and levelled black cotton soil (vertisol) of uniform fertility status.

Experimental design and treatments

The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. The safflower variety PBNS-154 was used as the seed material sown by dibbling. A recommended fertilizer dose of 60:30:00 kg NPK/ha was applied as basal dose. The nine treatments were: T 1 -Control; T 2 -Fe (FeSO 4 ) @ 4 mg/lit; T 3 -Zn (ZnSO 4 ) @ 3 mg/lit; T 4 -B (H 3 BO 3 ) @ 3 mg/lit; T 5 -Mn (MnSO 4 ) @ 2 mg/lit; T 6 -Fe + B (4 mg + 3 mg/lit); T 7 -Fe + Mn (4 mg + 2 mg/lit); T 8 -Fe + Zn (4 mg + 3 mg/lit) and T 9 -Zn + B (3 mg + 3 mg/lit each). Each net plot measured 1.8 x 3.0 m with rowto-row spacing of 45 cm and plant-to-plant spacing of 20 cm. Hand weeding was carried out twice (30 and 60 DAS) while capsule borer was managed with Cypermethrin and wilt disease with soil drenching of Bavistin.

Observations recorded

Five randomly selected plants from each treatment in each replication were used to record: (i) days to 50 per cent flowering, (ii) days to maturity, (iii) plant height (cm), (iv) number of primary branches per plant (60 DAS), (v) number of capitulum per plant, (vi) number of seeds per capitulum, (vii) 1000-seed (test) weight (g), (viii) seed yield per plant (g), (ix) biological yield per plant (g) and (x) harvest index (%). Harvest index computed by using formula (economic yield / total biological yield) x 100 given by C. M. Donald et al. (1976) [7] .

Statistical analysis

The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) as per the standard procedure suggested by Panse et al. (1985) [8] based on the linear model -

Where, Y ij = Observation of the i th treatment in the j th replication µ = General mean g i = Effect of i th treatment r j = Effect of j th replication σ ij = Uncontrolled random error associated with i th treatment in j th replication.

Standard error of mean (S.E.(m) ±), critical difference (C.D. at 5% level) and coefficient of variation (C.V.%) were computed for each character and treatment differences were tested for significance against the error mean square.

Results and Discussion

Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the treatments for all ten growth and yield-contributing characters studied. The results for all the parameters are presented collectively in Table 1 and are discussed separately for each character below.

Days to 50 per cent flowering

Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among treatments for days to 50 per cent flowering (Table 1). Treatment T 9 (Zn + B) recorded the earliest flowering (74.07 days) followed by T 2 (Fe) (75.00 days) whereas the control (T 1 ) recorded the latest flowering (80.00 days). The general mean was 77.13 days. The earlier flowering under micronutrient spray may be attributed to the favourable role of Zn, B and Fe in physiological and metabolic activities regulating floral initiation and the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. These findings are in agreement with Reza et al. (2023) [9] in mungbean and Galavi et al. (2012) [10] in safflower.

Days to maturity

Significant differences were observed among treatments for days to maturity (Table 1). T 9 (Zn + B) attained the earliest maturity (120 days) followed by T 2 (Fe) (121 days) while the control (T 1 ) required the longest duration (132 days). The general mean was 125.89 days.

The earlier maturity under combined zinc and boron spray may be attributed to enhanced enzymatic activity, photosynthetic efficiency and assimilate translocation that hastened reproductive development.

These results are in consistent with Galavi et al. (2012) [10] and Movahhedy-Dehnavy et al. (2009) [4] .

Plant height

Plant height differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the maximum plant height (93.33 cm) followed by T 8 (Fe + Zn) (87.00 cm) whereas the control recorded the minimum height (78.07 cm). The general mean was 83.70 cm. The increase under T 9 may be attributed to the complementary roles of Zn, B, Fe and Mn in cell division, cell elongation and enzymatic activity that promoted vigorous vegetative growth. Similar responses for hastened plant height due to micronutrients spray were reported by Ravi et al. (2008) [11] and Shanwad et al. (2015) [12] .

Number of primary branches per plant

The number of primary branches per plant differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the highest number of branches (8.47) followed by T 8 (8.20) whereas the control recorded the lowest (6.93). The general mean was 7.65. The increased branching under T 9 may be attributed to the complementary roles of zinc and boron in cell division and meristematic activity supported by iron and manganese through chlorophyll synthesis. These results are in consistent with those reported by Adkine et al. (2011) [13] and Magodia et al. (2024) [6] .

Number of capitulum per plant

Significant differences among treatments were observed for the number of capitulum per plant (Table 1). T 9 recorded the maximum number of capitula (24.14) followed by T 8 (22.05) whereas the control recorded the minimum (17.85). The general mean was 20.38. The higher capitulum number under T 9 may be attributed to the favourable influence of zinc and boron on pollen viability, fertilization and assimilate translocation towards developing reproductive structures. These results are in close agreement with Adkine et al.

(2011) [13] and Singh et al. (2012) [14] .

Number of seeds per capitulum

The number of seeds per capitulum differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the highest value (22.00) followed by T 8 (21.87) whereas the control recorded the lowest (17.00). The general mean was 19.59. The higher seed set under T 9 may be attributed to improved pollen viability, fertilization efficiency and assimilate translocation towards developing reproductive organs. Similar findings were reported by Kandi et al. (2012) [15] and Al-Doori (2023) [16] .

1000-seed weight / test weight

Significant treatment differences were observed for 1000-seed weight (Table 1). The highest 1000-seed weight (64.13 g) was recorded in T 9 followed by T 8 (63.20 g) while the control recorded the lowest (59.00 g). The general mean was 61.35 g. Higher test weight under T 9 reflects enhanced photosynthetic activity and efficient translocation of assimilates towards developing seeds. Similar responses of micronutrients spray to test weight were observed by Movahhedy-Dehnavy et al. (2009) [4] and Ahmadi et al. (2024) [17] .

Seed yield per plant

Seed yield per plant differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the maximum seed yield per plant (15.67 g) followed by T 8 (15.33 g) whereas the control recorded the minimum (11.20 g). The general mean was 13.56 g. T 9 produced approximately 40 per cent higher seed yield per plant than the control, reflecting the complementary roles of zinc in enzyme activation and carbohydrate/protein synthesis, iron in chlorophyll formation and photosynthesis while boron in pollen germination and fertilization. These results are in close agreement with those reported by Babhulkar et al. (2000) [5] and Liu et al. (2025) [18] .

Biological yield per plant

Biological yield per plant differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the highest biological yield (50.53 g) followed by T 8 (50.12 g) whereas the control recorded the lowest (44.21 g). The general mean was 47.95 g. The improvement under T 9 may be attributed to enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, enzymatic activity and balanced nutrient utilization promoting better root and shoot development. Similar responses of micronutrients spray were observed by Babhulkar et al. (2000) [5] and Ahmadi et al. (2024) [17] .

Harvest index

Harvest index differed significantly among treatments (Table 1). T 9 recorded the highest harvest index (31.01%) followed by T 8 (30.60%) whereas the control recorded the lowest (25.33%). The general mean was 28.19%. The improvement under T 9 may be attributed to better partitioning of dry matter towards seed production, boron facilitating assimilate translocation and pollen function and iron supporting chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthetic efficiency. These results are in close agreement with Zareie et al. (2011) [19] and Maghsud et al. (2014) [20] .

Conclusion

The results of the present investigation indicate that the combined micronutrients spray of zinc sulphate (ZnSO 4 @ 3 mg/lit) and boric acid (H 3 BO 3 @ 3 mg/lit) applied as T 9 was the most effective treatment for improving growth, yield-contributing characters and seed yield of safflower. The combined application of zinc and boron may have enhanced source-sink relationships, assimilate partitioning and reproductive development thereby contributing to the highest seed yield per plant, biological yield and harvest index compared with the individual micronutrient treatments, their other combinations and the untreated control. Treatment T 8 (Fe+Zn) emerged as a promising alternative, particularly for yield-oriented production programmes. Therefore, combined spraying of zinc sulphate and boric acid (T 9 ) at appropriate crop growth stages may be recommended as a component of safflower crop management, particularly for seed production programmes under the agro-climatic conditions of Marathwada.

References

1. Hussain MI, Lyra DA, Farooq M, Nikoloudakis N, Khalid N. Salt and drought stresses in safflower: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 2016;36(1):4.
2. Fernandez V, Brown PH. From plant surface to plant metabolism: The fate of foliar-applied nutrients. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2013;4:289.
3. Movahhedy-Dehnavy M, Modarres-Sanavy SAM, MokhtassiBidgoli A. Foliar application of zinc and manganese improves seed yield and quality of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) grown under water deficit stress. Industrial Crops and Products. 2009;30:82-92.
4. Babhulkar PS, Kar D, Badole WP, Balpande SS. Effect of sulphur and zinc on yield, quality and nutrient uptake by safflower in Vertisol. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science. 2000;48(3):541-543.
5. Magodia HA, Jagasia PV, Kale AP. Effect of different sources and levels of sulphur along with foliar spray of micronutrients on growth, yield and nutrient uptake by safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts. 2024;5(6):1241-1245.
6. Donald CM, Hamblin J. The biological yield and harvest index of cereals as agronomic and plant breeding criteria. Advances in Agronomy. 1976;28:361-405.
7. Food Science https://www.agriculturaljournals.com 26648458, 2026, 8(9), Downloaded from https://www.doi.org/10.33545/2664844X.2026.v8.i9o.1991 by International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science on [02/10/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://www.agriculturaljournals.com) for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
8. Reza MS, Adhikary S, Mondal MMA, Nadim MKA, Akter MB. Foliar application of different levels of zinc and boron on the growth and yield of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.). Turkish Journal of Agriculture-Food Science and Technology. 2023;11(8):1415-1421.
9. Galavi M, Mahmoud R, Abolfazl T. Effect of micronutrients foliar application on yield and seed oil content of safflower. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 2012;7(3):482-486.
10. Ravi S, Channal HT, Hebsur NS, Patil BN, Dharmatti P. Effect of sulphur, zinc and iron nutrition on growth, yield, nutrient uptake and quality of safflower. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2008;21(3):382-385.
11. Shanwad UK, Gebremedhin A, Anantha R. Efficacy of foliar nutrition on vegetative and reproductive growth of sunflower. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research. 2015;15(9):51-52.
12. Adkine PM, Mankar DD, Khandait VM, Bhandare VL, Nawlakhe SM. Effect of boron, molybdenum and potassium nitrate on growth, yield and economics of soybean. Journal of Soils and Crops. 2011;21(1):116-123.
13. Singh S, Chopra N, Reddy KS, Leelvati. Influence of sulphur and boron on yield attributes and yield of soybean. Crop Research. 2012;44(3):318-321.
14. Kandi MA, Khodadadi SA, Heydari F. Evaluation of Boron foliar application and irrigation withholding on qualitative traits of safflower. International Journal of Farming and Allied Sciences. 2012;1(1):16-19.
15. Al-Doori SAMA. Effect of different levels of foliar application with manganese and iron on the growth, yield and quality of three genotypes of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) under sandy soil conditions. International Journal of Agricultural and Statistical Sciences. 2023;19(2):1359-1365.
16. Ahmadi R, Mahmoudi M, Shekari F, Afsahi K, Shekari K, Saba J, Mastinu A. Application methods of zinc sulphate increased safflower seed yield and quality under end-season drought stress. Horticulturae. 2024;10(9):963.
17. Liu J, Hu G, Zhang W, Wu J, Geng Q. Foliar application of zinc improves safflower yields more than glycine betaine. Agronomy. 2025;15(8):1770.
18. Zareie PG, Ghasem MN. Effect of nitrogen and iron fertilizers on seed yield and yield components of safflower genotypes. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 2011;6(16):3924-3929.
19. Maghsud SG, Mobasser HR, Fanaei HR. Effect of foliar application and time of foliar application microelements (Zn, Fe, Mn) on safflower. Journal of Novel Applied Sciences. 2014;3:396-399.
20. Soheili-Movahhed S, Khomari S, Sheikhzadeh P, Alizadeh B. Improvement in seed quantity and quality of spring safflower through foliar application of boron and zinc under end-season drought stress. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2019;42(5):1-12.
21. How to cite this article: Waikar P, Misal A, Rathod A, Devkule S, Wankhade M, Umate S, et al. Effect of micronutrients spray on growth, seed yield and yield-contributing characters of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science. 2026;8(9):1087-1090. doi: https:// www.doi.org/10.33545/2664844X.2026.v8.i9o.1991