effect of enriched seed (with zn and mn) on quality trait of two safflower (carthamus tinctorius l.) varieties under drought stress

to determine the effect of zn and mn enriched seed on quality of two winter safflower varieties under drought stress, an experiment was conducted at the agricultural faculty research field, tarbiat modarres university, during 2004-2005 cropping season. the design was a split factorial randomized complete block one of 3 replications. main plots were composed of 3 different levels of drought stresses (s1: no cutting of irrigation water, s2: cutting irrigation at vegetative stage, s3: cutting irrigation at reproductive stages). subplots were composed of different zn and mn concentration levels in seeds and varieties. the three different zn and mn concentrations in seed were: f1: low zn and mn, f2: high zn, f3: high mn while the 2 varieties were v1: varamine 295 and v2: lrv5151. parent field (pervious cultivation) had been sprayed with adequate zinc and manganese sulfate. seeds harvested from the previous field were tested for zn and mn to make sure of their high contents of these elements as compared with the control. measured traits were leaf proline and total soluble carbohydrates, seed oil content and fatty acid composition of seed oil. drought stress significantly affected proline and total soluble carbohydrates were accumulation in the leaves so that the most proline and soluble carbohydrates accumulated in leaf under drought stress. seed oil content was not affected by any of the treatments (as an example drought stress). the highest palmetoleic acid content (16: 1) was produced under drought stress and the at reproductive stage. the highest saturated fatty acids e.g. palmetic and stearic acids and the least unsaturated fatty acids like lenolenic were produced under drought stress conditions