The effect of vermicompost and humic acid application on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

In order to investigate the effect of vermicompost and humic acid on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with seven treatments (control, 100 g vermicompost, 200 g vermicompost, 0.5 g.lit humic acid, 1 g.lit humic acid, 0.5 g.lit humic acid + 100 g vermicompost, 1 g.lit  humic acid + 200 g vermicompost) and 3 replications in the greenhouse of Nahavand Higher Education Complex in 2020. In this study, flower number, plant height, stem diameter, leaf length and width, oil percentage, amount and also type of fatty acids were measured. The results of the experiment showed a significant effect of vermicompost and humic acid treatments on leaf width, number of flowers, oil percentage and oil components. The highest percentage of oil (34.40%) was obtained in the treatment of 100 g of vermicompost and the highest number of flowers (15) was gained in the treatment of 0.5 g humic acid. Also, the highest amount of linoleic acid (74.50%) was produced in the treatment of 100 g of vermicompost. The highest amount of palmitic acid (6.70%) and linolenic acid (5%) was found in the treatment of 1 g.lit humic acid + 200 g vermicompost. The results of the study showed a positive effect of vermicompost and humic acid on oil content and number of flowers. According to the results of this study and in order to reduce the use of the chemical fertilizers and achieving the sustainable agricultural goals, it is recommended to use vermicompost and humic acid fertilizers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers in large field studies and pay more attention to the positive properties of these organic fertilizers in improving the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of safflower plant.