The purpose of this review was to characterize the wheat crop phenology under drought conditions, at different stages of crop growth. Effects of drought on wheat plants are variable, and depend on the phenological stage of the plant as well as the duration, intensity and frequency of the drought. The crop evapotranspiration increases over the course of the phenological cycle, reaching a maximum in the growth stage (from the beginning of heading until the end of flowering), which is the most sensitive stage of the crop to drought. At ripening, the evapotranspiration decreases to save and allocate the energy to grain yield. The drought affects the plant density in the initial phase, tiller number per plant in the tillering phase, and plant height in the stretching phase, most severely. At the flowering stage, the processes related to fertilization and fixation of grain are most severely affected, i.e., the number of viable seeds per area decreases. In the grain formation stage, the ability of the source (leaf) to use and translocate the assimilates to the grain is most severely affected, thus affecting the grain weight.

a b s t r a c tSafflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has gained importance as an oilseed crop due to its hardiness and oil, which can be used in the production of biofuels. Studying proper crop management methods is highly important for the development of safflower in Brazil, since applying fertilizers correctly and using the appropriate time are efficient ways to achieve higher yield. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate safflower yield components, seed yield and oil content in two growing seasons. Two experiments under dryland conditions were conducted in 2014 in Cascavel, PR, Brazil. A randomised complete block design with three replications was used. Five rates of NPK fertilizer were used (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 kg ha −1 of N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O formula 4-14-8) in two growing seasons (autumn and winter). Even in a Rhodic Acrudox with high concentrations of P and K, the application of NPK fertilizer in the furrow improved seed yield and oil yield in the autumnal growing season. Safflower seed yield averaged 2068 and 3820 kg ha −1 in autumn and winter, respectively. The application of NPK fertilizer to safflower in the autumnal growing season significantly increased oil content (23.9%). The linear plateau model predicted increased yield with NPK rates <652 kg and <610 NPK ha −1 , resulting in seed yield and oil yield of approximately 4374 kg ha −1 and 1048 kg ha −1 , respectively. Safflower seems promising as an alternative oilseed crop for Southern Brazil when seeded in autumn with basic fertilization.

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Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a commercial seed crop grown for its good yield of high-quality oil. It is tolerant to water stress but may be sensitive to soil compaction. The aim of this study was to assess safflower growth under different degrees of soil compaction at depths of 0.15 m to 0.20 m. The experiment was carried out in PVC pots constructed from three rings. Five levels of penetration resistance (0.20, 0.33, 0.50, 0.93, and 1.77 MPa) were applied in the intermediate ring, and two safflower genotypes, IMA-4904 and IMA-2106, were examined. There was no difference between safflower genotypes with respect to their resistance to soil compaction, which reduced root length density in the compacted layer and changed the root distribution in the soil