Mohsen Janmohammadi

Safflower is a drought tolerant plants and can be offered as an alternative oilseed crop in marginal areas. The oil extracted from safflower seeds has a favorable quality due to the high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids and is also considered as a biofuel. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of soil and foliar application of micronutrient nanoparticles (Mn, Zn, Fe) on the oil qualitative characteristics of safflower in Maragheh region under optimal and deficit irrigation conditions. The results showed that with a decrease in the amount of irrigation, the percentage of seed protein increased significantly. The highest percentage of protein was observed with the soil applied Zn. The highest percentage of oil was obtained under well irrigated condition with soil applied Zn. However, the highest percentage of linoleic fatty acid was obtained in favorable conditions of irrigation along with application of iron. The lack of soil moisture under deficit irrigation significantly reduced iodine and saponification value, and the reduction was more evident for foliar applications. In general, in order to achieve the desired quality of safflower oil, optimal irrigation conditions are recommended, especially during flowering and seed filling stages, with soil application of iron and zinc micronutrient elements.