The effects of seasonal climate change on the safflower genotypes productivity under Central Anatolian conditions

This study aimed to investigate the effect of seasonal climate change on safflower genotypes productivity in Central Anatolian conditions during 2021 and 2022. The research focused on seed yield, oil content, and oil yield, considering variations in growing degree days (GDD) at different growth stages. In both years, seed yield was significantly affected by lack of rainfall. In 2021, safflower genotypes had an average seed yield of 1540 kg ha⁻¹, while in 2022, it increased to 2390 kg ha⁻¹ due to higher rainfall during critical growth stages. Different genotypes showed different performances in seed yield each year, highlighting the importance of selecting drought-tolerant genotypes for breeding programmes. Oil content also showed significant variations between genotypes and years. Drought stress during flowering and seed filling periods generally led to a decrease in safflower oil content. However, in 2021, despite drought during the seedling stage, there was an increase in average oil content, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms related to reduced seed yield and dry matter content. In addition, the study looked at GDD values at different growth stages and found considerable variation among genotypes in GDD accumulation. Genotypes with higher GDD accumulation tended to have higher seed and oil yields, indicating better stress tolerance. Conversely, early maturing genotypes with lower GDD levels were better suited for regions with lower average temperatures. The results highlight the importance of considering both rainfall and temperature factors when selecting safflower genotypes for specific regions. In conclusion, the study highlights the impact of seasonal climate change on safflower productivity and the need to develop new safflower varieties capable of adapting to the predicted hotter and drier conditions due to climate change.