Productivity of Safflower in the Caspian Coastal Arid Zone at Different Planting Density

Oilseeds are commonly used in human nutrition, feeding farm animals, industry, construction, medicine, and perfumery. They are a valuable source of high-nutrient protein, which is contained in the oil cake and meal obtained by processing the seeds into the oil. Sunflower and mustard are traditionally cultivated in the Lower Volga Region. Safflower, camelina, and oilseed flax have not become widespread there, which can be associated with the insufficient studies of them, the lack of proven technologies for farming, and the specific biochemical composition of the oil of their seeds. The objective of the research was to study the effects of the different planting densities on the duration of the developmental interphase periods, the morphological traits, and the crop yields under the soil and climate conditions in the arid zone of the Lower Volga Region. It has been determined that the average safflower yield under such conditions can reach 1.63 t per hectare with the Astrakhanskii-747 variety at the planting density of 300000 plants per hectare