The effect of foliar application of kaolin clay and irrigation cut on the quantitative characteristics of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

A part of the sun's infrared light does not affect the plant photosynthesis reaction and mainly increases the plant temperature and transpiration and water consumption. Kaolin clay spraying was used as a reflector of sunlight and transpiration reducer in safflower plant. This experiment was carried out in a statistical randomized complete blocks design as split plots in three replications in the research field of Agricultural and Natural Resources Faculty of Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj Branch, in cropping year 2016-17. In the present experiment, irrigation cut off with four levels of irrigation including control (full irrigation at all stages of growth), irrigation cut off from stemming to the end of the growth season, irrigation cut off from flowering stage to the end of the growth season, irrigation cut off from the grain filling stage to the end of the growing season in the main plots and foliar application of kaolin clay including: foliar application by distilled water (control), foliar application with kaolin clay 2.5 and 5 percent, were compared in sub plots. The results showed that the effect of tension on leaf number, head weights, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, oil yield and protein yield was significant at 1 percent level. The maximum seed yield was achieved in full irrigation or control treatment with the amount of 1084.32 kilogram per hectare and the treatment of irrigation cut off in stemming, flowering and seed filling stages showed reduction by the amounts of 44.39, 31.42 and 3.2 percent in arrangement, in comparison with control. In this experiment, the effect of kaolin clay on leaf weight, head weight, one- thousand seed weight, harvest index, protein percent and yield at 1 percent level and on the traits of seed yield and oil percent at 5 percent level, was significant. Foliar application of kaolin 2.5 and 5 percent due to increased grain yield was recommended to the amounts of 23.73 and 5.49 percent, respectively, compared to control.