DSH-129
A safflower hybrid from ICAR-IIOR Hyderabad giving a clear yield advantage over the open-pollinated varieties under good management; fresh seed must be bought each year.
Quick facts
- Type
- Safflower hybrid
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 125–135 days
- Seed rate
- Sole crop 10–12 kg/ha of hybrid seed in 45 cm rows
- Expected yield
- Around 14–20 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management — a clear advantage over open-pollinated varieties
- Suitable soil
- Deep black soils under good management
- Release
- A safflower hybrid released by ICAR-IIOR Hyderabad
About this variety
DSH-129 is a safflower hybrid from the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad. Hybrid vigour gives it a clear seed-yield advantage over the open-pollinated varieties when the crop is grown with good management and, ideally, one or two protective irrigations. It carries some Fusarium-wilt tolerance. As a hybrid, seed cannot be saved — fresh certified hybrid seed must be bought each season.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeLate September to end of October, drilled deep into moisture; sow early because of the longer duration
- Seed rateSole crop 10–12 kg/ha of hybrid seed in 45 cm rows
- Spacing45 cm rows; thin to about 20 cm within the row
- Sowing methodDrill behind the plough into moist black soil, 4–6 cm deep
- IrrigationOne or two protective irrigations (rosette-to-branching and flowering) express the hybrid yield potential best; still gives an advantage rainfed
- FertilizerAbout 40:40:0 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha, half the nitrogen basal and half at the rosette stage under irrigation; keep the rainfed dose lower
- HarvestingHarvest at 125–135 days when straw-dry and the seed hard and white; a spiny hybrid, so cut in the cool early morning with protective clothing
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep black soils with a full moisture profile; responds strongly to good management
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
Climate
- Climate
- A rabi crop that rewards good management and protective irrigation; a hybrid punishes late sowing and poor aphid control more than an OP variety
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 125–135 days
Expected yield
Around 14–20 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management — a clear advantage over open-pollinated varieties
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Management notes
- Buy fresh certified hybrid seed every year — do not save seed
- Grow it where you can give good management and, ideally, one or two irrigations
- Sow early and deep; protect against aphid at the first bud colonies
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A clear seed-yield advantage over the open-pollinated varieties under good management
- Some Fusarium-wilt tolerance
Things to consider
- Hybrid seed must be bought fresh each year — a recurring cost the OP varieties do not have
- The yield advantage needs good management and ideally irrigation; on a low-input rainfed crop the gap narrows
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Telangana
Frequently asked questions
Is a safflower hybrid like DSH-129 worth the extra seed cost?
It is where the crop is grown with good management and, ideally, one or two protective irrigations — then the higher seed yield more than covers the recurring cost of buying fresh hybrid seed each year. On a purely low-input rainfed crop, the yield gap over a good open-pollinated variety narrows and a wilt-tolerant OP variety may be the safer choice.
Sourced from: ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Hyderabad, ICAR — AICRP on Safflower. editorial policy.