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Dr. PDKV Akola Issues Safflower (करडई) Cultivation Package for Drought-Prone Vertisol Soils
Published: 2026-10-01 • 08:00 AM ISTAgriculture News
Agronomists advocate deep-taprooted safflower as a resilient, zero-irrigation Rabi alternative commanding premium oilseed market rates.
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV, Akola) has published a specialized package of practices for Safflower (करडई) cultivation tailored for rainfed farmers in drought-prone talukas.
Why Safflower Excels in Dry Vertisols 1. Drought-Hardy Taproot: Safflower develops a deep taproot that extracts soil moisture from depths of up to 2.0 meters, thriving in fields where chickpea or wheat wither from moisture stress. 2. Recommended Varieties: - PKV Pink: High oil content (32%), spineless variety making manual harvesting comfortable. - Bhima & Sharada: Traditional spiny varieties resistant to Alternaria leaf blight and aphid attacks. 3. Sowing Window: Complete sowing between 25 September and 15 October with 45 × 20 cm spacing using 5 kg seed per acre.
Source & Publication Verification - Official Source: Directorate of Research, Dr. PDKV Akola - Reference Portal: pdkv.ac.in - Publication Schedule: 01 October 2026, 08:00 AM IST
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