1 / 21

Development of Safflower as a New Winter Crop for the Texas High Plains

Development of Safflower as a New Winter Crop for the Texas High Plains. Dick Auld Calvin Trostle Plant & Soil Sciences Extension Agronomist Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock Texas AgriLife Extension Service 806.742.5704, dick.auld@ttu.edu 806.746.6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu.

jeslyn
Download Presentation

Development of Safflower as a New Winter Crop for the Texas High Plains

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Development of Safflower as a New Winter Crop for the Texas High Plains Dick Auld Calvin Trostle Plant & Soil Sciences Extension Agronomist Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock Texas AgriLife Extension Service 806.742.5704, dick.auld@ttu.edu 806.746.6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu

  2. SafflowerCarthamus tinctorius L. Origin: Middle East Oil Content: 20-45% Premium Oil: Linoleic and Oleic Acid Disadvantages: Foliar and Head Rot diseases. Advantages: Very drought tolerant due to extensive root system (3 to 10 feet). “The best location to grow safflower may be where it doesn’t rain after flowering.”

  3. SafflowerCarthamus tinctorius L. Like many oilseed crops, can you justify making fuel out of this oil which has valuable food and industrial uses? “If you can grow wheat, you can grow safflower.”

  4. SafflowerCarthamus tinctorius L. Planting experience so far suggests that safflower establishes relatively easily Testing at Pecos among spring types indicates ready establishment under salty conditions

  5. Best time to plant? Seed germination can handle cold temps down to 40 F Initial High Plains seeding is best probably in March, maybe even late Feb. Later plantings may suffer from heat and/or Botrytis head rot What about July plantings with maturity in the cool fall? Most current commercial varieties are spring Spring Safflower

  6. Winter Saffloweron the Texas High Plains • Compliment existing winter wheat production with higher potential return. • Higher yield potential and fewer disease problems than spring safflower • Introduce a new oilseed crop into the region

  7. Research Calendar • 2006-2007: Evaluated 30 accessions of safflower that had exhibited Winter Hardiness. • 2007-2008: Evaluated 8 accessions with good Winter Hardiness for Seed Yield & Irrigation Efficiency Across the State of Texas. • 2008-2009: Expanded Research Plots and Initial Commercial Production Plots (12 acres).

  8. 2007-2008 Trials • Planted 8 Lines on September 15, 2007. • Planted on subsurface drip with tape 8-10 inches below root zone on 40 inch centers. • The five irrigation regimes were 2.6, 3.2, 3.7, 4.2, and 5.5 inches of Irrigation,. • Site had 11.8 inches of Precipitation during growing season.

  9. Environmental Conditions • First freeze occurred October 23, and first hard freeze November 22. • Low for winter occurred in early February (5o F) resulting in no further stand loss. • Seven of eight accessions demonstrated a minimum of 80% stand survival through the winter of 2007-2008.

  10. September 21, 2007

  11. January 11, 2008

  12. May 19, 2008

  13. May 19, 2008

  14. 6/19/08, notice maturity range

  15. June 19, 2008

  16. Results • Seed oil content was 24-28% (Spring Safflower 38-44%) • Excellent irrigated seed yields (1,800 to 2,400 lbs/A) • Two maturity groups (Mid-June & early July) • No insect pests • No disease problems

  17. Conclusion • Highest Seed Yields from the 3.7 inch Irrigation Rate (Total of 15.5 inches of Water). • Winter Safflower Appears to have Higher Water Use Efficiency but Equivalent Winter Survival, Maturity and Seed Yield Potential as Winter Wheat in this Region. • Crosses are being made to Increase Oil Content & Develop High Oleic Acid Lines.

  18. Winter Typesvs. Spring • Total oil yield per acre for winter hardy and spring types may be similar • Due to less likelihood of disease, efficient use of water, lower weed competition, however, we think that winter safflower could be more advantageous economically Taller winter hardy Safflower in center vs. non-hardy spring type in front (almost all dead), Hale Co., TX

  19. Production Issues (1) • Markets • Dreamland Industries, Abilene • California Oils (markets into Texas?) • Crushing facilities • Availability of seed • N fertilizer will be needed, 80-100 lbs. N/A for irrigated • When to plant, especially for spring types • Most safflower is drilled, rows reduce advantage

  20. Production Issues (2) • Yield potential in Texas needs to be established • Herbicides for safflower—what weed problems can you handle with: • EPTC (Eptam) • Trifluralin/ethalfluralin (Treflan/Sonalan) • s-metolachlor (Dual) • Sethoxydim (Poast Plus) • Clethodim (Select Max) • Direct harvest with combine

  21. Funding provided by • This event also made possible, in part, by generous support from the City of Plainview Convention & Visitors Bureau.

More Related