Detailed Explanation of High-Yield and High-Quality Cultivation Techniques for Safflower

Safflower, also known as carthamus, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. It is mainly produced in Henan, ** and other provinces and the Northeast region, and can be grown in most parts of the country. The flowers are used medicinally, having effects such as promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, removing blood stasis, and reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is also a widely used natural pigment and dye today. After harvesting the safflower for medicinal use, the seeds produced contain an oil content of over 30%, and the processed safflower seed oil is an important industrial raw material. Based on an analysis of the cultivation situation in major safflower-producing areas in recent years, most herb farmers still use traditional, ancient cultivation methods for production, without understanding safflower's requirements for soil, climate, and planting time, resulting in blind planting, low per-mu yield, poor quality, and insignificant economic benefits, seriously affecting the development of the safflower industry. This has led to a reduction in the current supply of safflower, with the price rising from 23 yuan/kg in 2002 to over 40 yuan/kg now, more than doubling. As the annual optimal planting season for safflower approaches again, the author, based on practical production experience in recent years, offers the following suggestions on high-quality and high-yield technical measures for safflower, for the reference of herb farmers.

I. Carefully select plots and prevent pests and diseases.

Since safflower has strong adaptability, is drought-tolerant and salt-alkali tolerant, and can basically grow in any soil, traditional cultivation practices have led people to neglect plot selection, resulting in weak vegetative growth, poor resistance to pests and diseases, and serious impacts on yield and benefits. To achieve high yield and high quality in safflower, the following points should first be noted: 1. Soil selection: Neutral loam or light clay soil with a pH between 6.5—8.5 should be selected for planting. If the soil is too sandy, its water and fertilizer retention capacity is poor, the nutrients needed cannot meet growth requirements, the plants grow weakly, and late-stage diseases are severe; the resulting flower heads are small, the safflower seeds are shrunken and thin, and the plants are prone to lodging in the late growth stage, resulting in low yield and poor quality. If the soil is too heavy or is heavily saline-alkaline (pH greater than 8.5), aeration and water permeability are poor, the structure is dense, and soil compaction easily forms; nitrogen metabolism and protein synthesis cannot proceed normally, harmful substances decomposed in the soil cannot be discharged in time, root growth is significantly inhibited, and in severe cases, safflower plants may die. 2. Terrain selection: Terrain refers to the elevation and slope of the plot location, including mountainous land, hilly land, and flat land. The terrain for planting safflower should be high and dry, with no water accumulation. For mountainous land, low mountains with sunny slopes or semi-sunny slopes with ample sunlight should be selected; for hilly plots, the slope should not be too steep, generally not exceeding 20 degrees; for flat land, there should be unobstructed drainage facilities, with high-ridge planting, and drainage ditches dug around the perimeter or in the middle of the plot to ensure no water accumulation after heavy rain. This reduces and prevents the damage caused by anthracnose to safflower in recent years. 3. No continuous cropping: The best preceding crop for a safflower plot is a legume or grass crop, with a crop rotation system of more than three years, so that certain pests and diseases lack host conditions. This can economically and effectively suppress or reduce the damage of certain pests and diseases to safflower plants, lower production costs and labor investment, and lay a good foundation for high quality and high yield.

II. Sow at the right time to meet the natural condition requirements of each stage.

Since safflower has different requirements for temperature, light, moisture, and other environmental conditions throughout its growth period, the most suitable sowing time should be selected based on the patterns of climate change throughout the year in the growing region and the biological characteristics of safflower. 1. In terms of temperature, safflower seeds can germinate above 5 degrees; the most suitable temperature for the vegetative growth stage is 15—20 degrees, and for the reproductive growth stage, 20—28 degrees is best. 2. In terms of sunlight, during the vegetative growth period, short daylight favors plant development; while entering the flowering and seed-setting period, longer daylight conditions can promote flower head enlargement and full seed formation, thereby achieving a high yield. 3. In terms of moisture, since safflower has a well-developed root system, except for the seedling stage and flower bud formation stage which require a certain amount of moisture, there are no strict water requirements in other periods. Especially in the late growth stage, it prefers drought and fears waterlogging. If air humidity is too high and soil moisture content is excessive during this period, it will lead to the occurrence of various diseases. Therefore, based on the above three main biological characteristics of safflower, the most suitable time for autumn sowing in North China and the Huang-Huai region is around the Autumn Equinox to Frost's Descent; south of the Yangtze River and in **, the Northeast, and Northwest regions, spring sowing is more suitable, and sowing should be carried out when the 5 cm soil temperature stabilizes at around 5 degrees, earlier rather than later. The determination of the specific optimal sowing time should be based on the changes in climate conditions throughout the year in each region, combined with the biological characteristics of safflower, and reasonably and scientifically arranged to achieve high quality and high yield and ensure economic benefits.

III. Select varieties to lay the foundation for high quality and high yield.

Select the "Short Thorn" first-generation safflower variety for planting. Morphological characteristics of this variety: plant height 120 cm, the whole plant smooth and hairless, stem upright, lower part woody, upper part much branched, leaves alternate on a single plant, sessile, base clasping the stem, leaf blade ovate-lanceolate, apex pointed. Flowering period May—June, fruiting period June—July, 1000-seed weight 35 grams. Growth habits: whole growth period 110 days. It prefers a warm and slightly dry climate, is relatively drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and has strong adaptability. It fears waterlogging, avoids high temperatures, and is a long-day variety with many years of field cultivation experience. If there is longer daylight in the late growth stage, it can promote flowering and fruiting and achieve high yield. It has no strict soil requirements, preferring high and dry, well-drained sandy loam with medium fertility, and is not suitable for continuous cropping. Propagation method: seed propagation, preferably direct seeding; for large-scale planting, mechanical sowing and mechanical harvesting can be used, and a seeder for sowing wheat or rice can be used for sowing; when harvesting safflower seeds, a combine harvester can be used for one-time harvesting. Seed rate is about 3 kg per mu. Cycle: for sowing in autumn September—October, safflower is harvested in mid-to-late May of the following year, and seeds mature in June. For spring sowing, flowers are harvested in June and seeds in July. Yield: fresh flowers 150 kg per mu (667 sq m), drying rate 25%. Dry product 40 kg, which can increase yield by 30% compared to other varieties. Additionally, 120 kg of safflower seeds can be harvested.