Fungicidal Management of Foliar Diseases of Safflower

Abstract

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) constitutes a significant oilseed crop esteemed for its              resilience in arid environments and its production of high-quality oil, which is abundant in unsaturated fatty acids. A field experiment was carried out in a Randomised Block Design (RBD) at Agricultural Research Station, Annigeri during the rabi seasons of 2021 and 2022, utilizing the crop variety Annigeri-1 in a plot size of 2.25m × 4m, with 8 treatments replicated 3 times involving fungicides in an integrated approach, and observations including per cent disease index at 30, 60, and 90 days post-sowing, along with seed yield per plot were documented. Among the eight different fungicides evaluated for their effectiveness against safflower's foliar diseases, the T1+ foliar spray with difenoconazole at a concentration of 0.5 ml was found to be the most effective treatment, showing significantly reduced disease intensity for Alternaria leaf spot and Cercospora leaf spot (18.6% and 12.08%, respectively), as well as the highest seed yield (13.1 q/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (1.68) when compared to other treatments, including the untreated control (benefit-cost ratio: 1.19).