Effect of sodium selenate, titanium dioxide and organic growth regulator on some physiological traits, yield and percentage oil of safflower under drought stress

In order to study the effect of Sodium Selenate, Titanium dioxide and Growth regulator (Hamon Green®) on some physiological traits, yield and oil content of Goldasht cultivar of safflower under drought stress, a split plot experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Agricultural Research Center of Zabol University (Chah-e-Nime). The main factor included irrigation cut off levels based on the phenological stages of growth in three levels: I1 = control (complete irrigation), I2= irrigation up to stage R2 (flowering) and I3= irrigation up to stage R1 (branching) and sub-factor including control(not spraying), Sodium selenate (2 mM), Titanium dioxide (0.03%), Growth regulator (0.1 L). Drought stress reduced biological yield, seed yield, 1000 seed weight, relative water content and chlorophyll content (SPAD), but seed and biological yield did not differ significantly between two levels of I1 and I2. The highest amounts of catalase(I2+not spraying),and proline, ascorbate and guaiacol peroxidase was obtained from the interaction of stress(I3) and not spraying. The highest amount of soluble carbohydrates was observed in irrigation + Hamon Green® spraying. The treatments applied did not have a significant effect on seed oil percentage. In general, treatment in order to observe water consumption in the production of safflower in Goldsch cultivar seems appropriate.