Safflower Leader

Carthamus tinctorius "Leader" – an annual plant up to one meter in height and about thirty centimeters wide, characterized by dense leaves with serrated margins and distinctive sharp thorns resembling an artichoke or thistle. The inflorescences are bright yellow-orange, reach a diameter of 3.5 cm, and appear from June to September. The fruit is an achene, sown directly into open ground in April–May; transplanting seedlings disrupts growth.

The "Leader" variety is highly productive – up to 2.7 tons/ha of yield and oil content of about 34 %. It was bred by fivefold selection from the G-622 hybrid population and exceeded the standard in competitive variety trials by 9–14 % in seed yield. Plants exhibit good adaptability to insufficient and unstable moisture, resistance to lodging and seed shattering. High drought tolerance is evidenced by the presence of thorns.

Carthamus "Leader" is cultivated as an oilseed crop and raw material for obtaining safe food and technical dyes. The plant grows easily in various soil conditions, prefers loose loamy or clay loam soil with good drainage, but does not require special fertility requirements. Thanks to its drought tolerance and low soil demand, it is attractive to farmers in changing climate conditions.