Determination of Some Agronomic Characteristics and Fatty Acid Compositions of Anatolian Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Genotypes

This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic, yield, and quality traits of 16 Anatolian safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) genotypes and five local safflower cultivars under the winter ecological conditions of Menemen, İzmir, which is characterized by the climatic features of the coastal Mediterranean region. The field experiment was carried out in the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 growing seasons under field conditions, with 4 replications, using a Randomized Complete Block Design. The results revealed that seed yield ranged from 982 to 2379 kg ha ^-1 , the maturation period spanned 214 to 229 days, oil content ranged from 28.32% to 34.47%, and oil yield ranged from 322,8 to 793,6 kg ha ^-1 . Fatty acid composition included linoleic acid (38.99–76.94%), oleic acid (12.71–51.17%), palmitic acid (5.87–7.93%), and stearic acid (1.91–3.31%). In addition to these findings, it was determined that all safflower genotypes evaluated in the experiment exhibited lodging resistance. Among the genotypes, TR 42670 exhibited high seed and oil yields, TR 50118 demonstrated superior oil content, and TR 49117 was distinguished by its elevated linoleic acid content, indicating they are promising genotypes for varietal development. Among the cultivars, 'Linas' was notable for its high seed yield and linoleic acid content; 'Olas' excelled in seed yield, oil yield, and oleic acid content, 'Balci' showed superior oil content, and 'Asol' was characterized by its high oleic acid content. These cultivars are particularly recommended for the coastal Mediterranean climate during the winter season under natural rainfall conditions and high yield and high oil quality can be obtained.