Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), is a minor crop in Australia mainly grown for its oil properties. Safflower can be grown in spring to replace failed winter crops and increases the options for the pre-sowing control of problem winter weeds.

There are two types of safflower, which produce two different types of oil, one high in monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid) and the other high in polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid). Due to lack of suitable cultivars safflower has been a minor crop in Australia but recent research has focused on a new end use for safflower in industrial applications such as biodegradable plastics.

Topics

• Planning/paddock preparation and planting
• Plant growth and physiology
• Nutrition and fertiliser
• Weed and insect control
• Nematode management
• Diseases
• Plant growth regulators and canopy management
• Crop desiccation and spray out
• Harvest and storage
• Environmental issues
• Marketing