Many cultures that are successfully cultivated in some regions remain unknown to the general public. This includes safflower. “What is this?” Many readers will ask. It turns out that safflower is a beautiful and at the same time useful plant. It is grown in the Caucasus, in the Kharkov and Kursk regions, in Turkestan and the Crimea. And Afghanistan and Ethiopia are considered the birthplace of safflower. What is this plant famous for? Safflower - what is it? Let's talk about this in this article.
What is safflower
This is a herbaceous annual plant, which belongs to the family of aster or Asteraceae. Safflower has a few more names: wild saffron, American or dyeing thistle and safflower dyeing. The plant is very popular all over the world due to its unique characteristics.
Firstly, these are useful properties. Safflower contains isocartamine, cartamidine, luteolin glycoside, cartamine and chalcone glycosides. Secondly, this plant is used as an
oilseed. It is grown in arid areas where sunflower and other similar plants do not take root so well.
Safflower tea
Medicinal plants and their use have long been studied by both traditional and folk medicine. Use tinctures, tea, decoctions to prevent and cure many diseases. Safflower is no exception. What is it and in what form it is taken, we will consider further. Tea from this plant is very healthy.
Firstly, it is a very strong diuretic. Tea cleanses the kidneys well. It is widely used in Chinese medicine. Healers recommend drinking this drink to those who suffer from heart failure. It is also useful for people who feel numbness of limbs and who have anemia. Tea should be taken within 4-6 months.
Plant flowers
Brewed safflower flowers eliminate inflammation, have a good effect on brain function, increasing and improving blood flow, and reduce the risk of stroke. Such a drink is even used to prevent the appearance of malignant tumors and psoriasis. Very well safflower flowers help with amenorrhea and metritis in women.
They also relieve rheumatic pains. Very good intake of tea affects the
composition of the blood. It reduces its viscosity and at the same time lowers blood pressure. Tea has a general strengthening effect on the body, reduces fatigue, tones and invigorates. For therapeutic purposes, use the regional flowers of the basket. They are collected at the time of full disclosure. Flowers contain a large amount of nutrients.
A bit of history
Many medicinal plants and their use have been studied by people several thousand years ago. The properties of safflower were known 3000 years ago. From flowers made fragrant balsams and aromatic oils, which were used in baths and Greek halls. In China, the first mention of safflower is found in documents of 1061. In this country, the plant was used to treat pneumonia, gastritis, leucorrhoea and amenorrhea. In Egypt, a solution of safflower painted mummy dressings. What a multifaceted application, isn't it? Growing safflower and collecting it is a laborious process. Therefore, it is used mainly for the preparation of medicines and in cooking.
Appearance
To learn safflower in nature (what it is, we discussed), you need to have an idea of its appearance. The annual height reaches one, and sometimes a half meters. The stem of the plant is branched and has a whitish gloss. Safflower leaves are quite dense.
They have an oblong shape and slightly serrated edges. Their color is green. The upper leaves are smaller, contributing to good photosynthesis. They, like the thistle, have sharp spikes. Safflower blooms from June to September. Inflorescences reach 3.5 centimeters in diameter. Safflower petals are yellow or orange-red.
Safflower oil
A very valuable product that gives safflower is oil. It is obtained from peeled seeds. By its qualities, it is not inferior to sunflower. Good varieties of margarine are made from it. In the East, oil is used as a substitute for saffron. The second grade, which is made from whole seeds, is used for technical purposes. It is used in the manufacture of white paints to prevent yellowing in the future. But that is not all. Such oil is used in soap making, in the manufacture of drying oil and linoleum. A dye that contains flowers is used in carpet making.
Safflower seeds
Plant seeds contain up to 37 percent semi-drying oil and about 12 percent protein. Safflower is also a good nutritious food that contains a lot of protein. Birds love the seeds of this plant. Each centner of safflower is 45-50 feed units. The cake goes to feed the animals. One kilogram of silage contains 13.3 tons of protein. Safflower honey is high in nutrients.
It is rich in zinc, calcium, iron, chromium, silver and many useful trace elements. It is used as a remedy. Safflower seeds are used to make cosmetic oil. It improves the condition of the skin and eliminates many skin diseases.
Biological features
This plant can not be called whimsical. Its seeds germinate at 2-3 degrees of heat. Sprouts can withstand short-term frosts from 4 to 6 degrees. Therefore, this culture can be planted both in spring and autumn. It should be noted that plants planted in the fall give higher yields. Safflower is particularly demanding of heat during the flowering and ripening of seeds. Rainy weather is not advisable during this period.
Otherwise, the flowers will be poorly pollinated. Light drought would be preferable. Shoots appear already on the 8-10th day after sowing. The growing season lasts on average 100-110 days. 70 days after the emergence of seedlings, flowering begins, which lasts about a month. Baskets do not open evenly. First, the central, and then the lateral processes begin to bloom. Leaves that are adjacent to the inflorescence are tightly compressed and do not allow ripened seeds to fall out.
Watering
Thanks to the powerful root system, which reaches its maximum size by the dry period, the plant is less demanding on watering. Roots penetrate the soil to a depth of two meters. Dense, fleshy leaves retain moisture well. The plant spends it very economically and tolerates dry periods well. Safflower requires less water, unlike other crops. Abundant watering to the plant is necessary during the period of seed swelling. During bud development, a lot of soil moisture is required for high yields.
The soil
Safflower is not demanding on soil quality. This can be called his dignity. It can grow in poor soil and even in saline. But safflower shows the highest productivity on chernozem and chestnut soils. Before landing, the site should be deeply plowed. Loamy and loamy soils are great for planting. High groundwater levels are also a preferred factor for growing safflower. But even in arid areas and adverse conditions, this plant shows a high yield, unlike other Pancake week crops.
Crop rotation
It is better to plant safflower after clean fumes. However, the plant demonstrated high productivity after spring and winter crops. You can also plant safflower after corn.
After harvesting, it is good to plant
crops on the site
, for example, wheat. To do this, you need to correctly calculate the rotation period. But, as mentioned above, safflower is an unpretentious plant that does not require special agricultural techniques.
Sowing dates
Correct sowing dates are very important for any crop. Future harvests depend on this. In areas with arid climates, sowing and seedlings are necessary as early as possible. The root system of the plant will have time to gain strength before the onset of drought and provide the plant with moisture from the depths of the soil. Sowing can be very early, at the same time as planting spring crops. Safflower is able to withstand frost and germinate even at low temperatures. Late sowing can lead to the death of seeds, which will not have enough moisture in the upper layers of the soil.
Crop Care
The plant requires minimal maintenance. The first is breaking the soil crust. Secondly, thinning seedlings after their appearance. Like any plants, safflower does not like the proximity to weeds. Therefore, regular weeding is required. Clogging with sow thistle pink reduces yield by 70 percent. Moisture is not required for the plant so much, so the soil is moistened as necessary.
Diseases and Pests
Safflower, whose photo is in this article, is little susceptible to diseases and pests. This distinguishes it from other Pancake week crops. Among the main diseases, rust, fusarium, broomrape and septoria can be distinguished. Rust is very dangerous for safflower. This is a fungal disease that manifests itself in the form of round brown pustules on the leaves. It can affect all crops and reduce yield. In order to combat this disease, chemical treatment is carried out. Proper agricultural practices and the selection of varieties resistant to diseases are considered effective. Among the main pests, one can distinguish safflower fly and weevil, moth and aphid. The most dangerous safflower fly. Adults lay eggs inside the bud, which subsequently damage them. Weevil beetles affect leaves, stems and inflorescences. Their larvae feed on achenes and ovaries during their maturation. Aphids and moths are less common. To destroy pests, chemical treatment is carried out.