Effects of drought stress on oil characteristics of Carthamus species

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is one of the oldest domesticated crops, mainly grown as oilseed in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. Cross-ability of Carthamus species has made wild safflower species as suitable source for transferring drought tolerant genes to cultivated species. This study was conducted to investigate seed yield per plant, oil content and fatty acid composition of some carthamus species and to identify the effects of drought stress on these measured traits. In this regard 27 genotypes from C. tinctorius, C. palaestinus, C. oxyacanthus, C. lanatus and C. glaucus were planted under normal and drought stressed conditions for two years. Results showed that some studied species differed in oil content, seed yield and fatty acid profiles. For all the species oil content was not affected by drought stress and did not change over different environments. Similar and stable response of various Carthamus species for fatty acid composition indicated that hybridization between these species for genetic improvement of drought tolerance may have no adverse effects on oil quality. Considerable diversity within species for all measured traits, similarity in fatty acid profiles and almost the same pattern of changes under drought stress showed that the wild species especially the cross-able ones, are good candidates to be used in interspecific crosses in case of breeding program of cultivated safflower.