• Evaluation of genetic resources

• To develop region-specific high yielding varieties/hybrids with resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses

• To develop economically viable production and protection technologies to augment the production

• To evaluate the varieties/hybrids and technologies of national and regional importance through multi-location testing

• To provide the base for exchange of scientific information, inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary linkages between the national institutes and state agricultural universities

• Transfer of technologies

• To develop high yielding varieties with high seed oil content (35-38%) and inbuilt tolerance /resistance to major insect pests (aphids) and diseases (Alterneria leaf blight, wilt and root rot) for irrigated and rainfed areas in traditional safflower belt

• Evolve early maturing and non spiny varieties with desirable agronomic features (insect pest and disease resistance, high seed oil content, etc.) suited to different non-traditional areas and situations

• Exploit hybrid vigour using the available male sterility systems, perfection of seed production technologies and exploration of CMS systems

• Develop appropriate agronomic practice for maximizing the productivity potential of safflower in sole, relay/sequential and intercropping systems in rainfed as well as irrigated areas on system approach

• Identify productive and profitable inter and sequential cropping systems for all potential areas of safflower cultivation.
• Accelerate the tempo of on-farm researches for bridging the gap between reliable and actual yield and axploit the untapped yield reservoirs

• Undertake basic and breeder seed production of commercial varieties and refinement of seed production agronomy

• Augment, coserve, evaluate and document genetic resources

• Develop integrated pest and disease management

• Production of breeder seed of improved varieties and parents of hybrids

• Production of nucleus and breeder seed of improved varieties

• Work on unexploited oilseed crops

Plant Pathology

• Groundnut Seed should be treated before sowing with Thirum + Bavistin 2:1 or Thirum/Captan 2.5 to 3 g/kg. of seed to avoid seed & soil borne diseases.
• Rust on groundnut can be controlled by spraying the crop with any one of the fungicides viz., Plantavax or Vitavax 10 g or Dithare M–45, 25 g or Kalaxin 7 ml. per 10 litres of water.
• Cercospora leaf spot (Tikka) disease of groundnut can be controlled by spraying wettable sulphur 0.3% or Dithane M–45 0.25% or Bavistin 0.1% or by dusting 300 mesh Sulphur dust 20 kg/ha during morning or evening hours.
• For controlling Bud Necrosis disease in groundnut, spraying of Carbendazim 0.1% (1gm in 1lit of water) or Dithane-M 45, 0.2% (2.5gm in 1 lit of water)+Dimethoate 0.03% (1ml in 1lit of water) is recommended.

Entomology

• Aphids, Jassids & Thrips of groundnut can be controlled by spraying Carbaryl 0.2%, Phosphamidon 0.02%, Endosulphan 0.05%, Quinalphos 0.05%, Malathion 0.1%, Phosalone 0.05% or Dimethoate 0.03 %.
• For the control of leaf miner, spraying of Cypermethrin 0.01%, Permethrin 0.01%, Decamethrin 0.0025% or Phosphamidon 0.02% are found effective.
• In case of heavy incidence of Leaf folder if control measure is not possible spraying of any one of the pyrethroid e.g. Cypermethrin 25EC (4ml) or Fenvalerate 20EC 5ml or Deltamethrin 2.8 EC (10ml) in 10 litre of water is recommended.

• Sunflower has proved a suitable crop in contingent conditions.
• Sunflower should be sown in 1st week of July, first fortnight of October and last week of January to 1st week of February during kharif, rabi and summer seasons respectively for obtaining higher yields.
• Intercropping of groundnut and sunflower in 6:2 and sunflower and red gram in 3:3 row proportion is found remunerative.
• Growing sunflower after sunflower should be avoided as it increases pest and disease complex and depletes the soil resulting in low yields.
• Spacing at 45 x 22.5 cm with one lakh plant population per hectare for variety Morden and 45 x 30 cm with seventy five thousand plant population for hybrid variety should be followed in Sunflower for higher yields.
• A dose of 40:40:0 kg NPK/ha for Morden and 60:60:0 kg NPK/ha for remaining varieties/hybrids of sunflower should be applied for optimum yields. Potash @ 40 kg/ha should be applied in deficit soils. Nitrogen should be applied in two equal splits at sowing and 35 days after sowing.
• Application of 60 kg phosphorus/ha through Single Super Phosphate at sowing time increases seed and oil yield in sunflower.
• Minimum four irrigations, each at seedling, bud, flowering & grain filling stages during rabi, are required for getting higher yields in sunflower.
• Seed soaking treatments in one litre water, 10mg IAA and 10mg NAA for 6 hrs and then drying under shed gives higher yield of sunflower
• Application of 30 kg N and 30 kg P205/ha at sowing and three foliar sprays at 30, 40 and 50 days after sowing with Diammonium Phosphate + Urea (15 g Urea + 5 g DAP in one litre of water) increases the sunflower yield and reduces the cost on account of top dressing of fertilizers.
• For getting higher seed yield in sunflower, application of 5 t FYM (organic matter)/ha and inorganic fertilizer (40:60:40)NPK kg/ha along with 25kg sulphur/ha and sowing of seed after seed soaking treatment for over night is recommended.
• Spraying of 0.2% Borax (2gm Borax +1lit water) at flowering initiation stage only on capitulum and recommended dose of 5t FYM/ha and 60:90:60 NPK kg/ha gave higher yield of sunflower hybrid PKVSH-27 in seed production programme.
• Sunflower stalk cutting with application of cellulatic microorganism culture alongwith dung slurry treatment application to the soil, 10 days before sowing of gram during rabi, has not observed any adverse effect on crop and increases Organic Carbon in the soil.
• For seed production of hybrid sunflower PKVSH-27 male female lines should be sown at the same day and application of 80 kg nitrogen, 120 kg Phosphorus and 60 kg Potash is recommended for getting higher yield.
• In sunflower hybrid seed production female and male lines should be sown in 3:1 row proportion with supplemented hand pollination increases 52% seed yield.
• Seed setting of sunflower increased by 30% if at flowering hand pollination practice is followed in morning hours.
• Sunflower crop requires 9-10 irrigations during summer at an interval of 10-12 days in Feb., 8-10 days in March, 6-8 days in April & 4-6 days in May depending upon soil type.
• Application of fertilizer and thinning are most important amongst improved package of practices in Sunflower.

• Foliar diseases of sunflower caused by Alternaria, Curvularia and Bacterial leaf spot should be controlled by spraying Dithane M-45 0.25% three times at an interval of 15 days, starting first spray from the appearance of any leaf spot disease.
• Fungicidal seed dressing of Brassicol, Captan, Thirum or Bavistin @ 2 to 3 g/kg of sunflower seed was found to improve germination, plant stand and yields by protecting crop from seed and soil borne diseases.
• For controlling sunflower necrosis disease it is recommended that seed treatment with imidacloprid 5g/kg of seed before sowing and two spraying with imidacloprid 0.05% (5.0 ml in 10 litre of water) at 30 DAS and 45 DAS in crop growth period.

Entomology

• It is decided that Economic threshold Level for Leaf hopper on Sunflower is 3 nymphs/leaf.
• For the management of leaf hopper spraying of Dimethoate 0.03% (10ml) or Methyl Demeton 0.03% (12 ml) or Monocrotophos 0.05% (14ml) or Formathion 0.03% (12ml) or Fenthion 0.05% (10ml)in 10 lit of water or Dusting of Malathion 5% or Methyl parathion 2% or Carbaryl 5% or Endosulphan 4% or phosalone 4% dust @ 20kg/ha is recommended.
• Use of nitrogenous fertilizers should be as per the recommended dose to reduce incidence of leaf hopper.
• For management of Helicoverpa, Spodoptera spraying of Endosulphan, 35 EC (14ml) or Phosalone 35 EC (14ml) in 10 litres of water or dusting of Carbaryl 10% dust @ 20kg/ha is recommended.
• For management of Hairy Caterpillar spraying of Endosulphan 35 EC (20ml) in 10 lit of water is recommended (It is easy to control in 1st instar by plucking and destroying the affected Leaf along with larvae).

• Optimum sowing time for safflower under rainfed is last week of September to first week of October for higher yields and minimising attack of aphids. Under irrigated condition, sowing can be extended upto last week of October.
• A spacing at 45 x 20 cm to 30 cm with plant population ranging from seventy five thousand to one lakh gives higher yields in safflower.
• For higher yield of irrigated safflower 40 kg N+40kg P2O5/ha is recommended. 50% N and 100% P2O5 at the time of sowing and remaining 50% N after 30 days of the sowing have to be given.
• Three to five irrigations should be given to safflower in medium to lighter type of soils for higher yields.
• Safflower should be irrigated twice i.e. at 35 and 55 days after sowing in medium to heavy soils for higher yields. If only one irrigation is available, it should be given at 55 days after sowing.
• Intercropping of safflower with gram or linseed in 6:3 or 3:3 row proportion (30cm) and two rows of safflower paired (30/60 cm) plus one row of gram or linseed is profitable.
• In favourable conditions, application of fertilizer @ 25:25:0 NPK kg/ha is recommended.
• To save 25% P2O5 (18.75kg/ P2O5/ha) it is recommended to treat seed with PSB @ 200 g/10kg seed
• For getting higher seed yield and monetory return seed of safflower should be treated with Azotobactor and Azospirilum 20 g/kg seed along with 12.5 kg N/ha are recommended.
• In Vidarbha region (Akola) of Maharashtra, application of cycocel @ 500 ppm either at flower initiation or at 50% flowering could increase the seed yield of safflower by 15 % under moisture stress conditions.
• In Vidarbha region (Akola) of Maharashtra , apply 30 kgS/ha through single super phosphate to increase seed yield and returns of safflower under rainfed conditions.
  

• For controlling Alternaria Leaf Spot, seed treatment with Thirum or Captan 3g/kg seed is rcommended and in field condition spraying with Dithane M-45, 25g in 10 litre of water is recommended.
  
• For controlling root rot and wilt, seed treatment with thirum or captan @ 3g/kg seed alongwith seed treatment of biological fungicide Tricoderma 4g/kg seed is recommended.

Entomology

• Early sowing (i.e. during 25th September to 10th October) of safflower is recommended to escape from aphid infestation.
  
• It is recommended to adopt plant protection measures against safflower aphid when economic threshold level of aphid colonies on 30% plants is reached.
  
• For management of safflower aphids spraying of Fenthion 50 EC (10ml) or Endosulphan 35 EC (14ml) or Quinalphos 25 EC (20ml) or Thiometon 25 EC (12ml), or Dimethoate 30 EC (10ml), or Acephate 75% WSP 4gm or Malathion 50 EC (20ml) or Carbaryl 50% WSP 20g in 10 lit of water or dusting of Quinalphos 1.5 % dust or Methyl Parathion 2% dust or Phosalone 4 % dust @ 20kg/ha is recommended.
  

• Sunflower front line demonstration results
• Safflower front line demonstration results
  

• Booklet: Telbia Pike Sudharit Lagwad Tantra. (80 pages)