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An experiment was performed using 121 genotypes to study genetic
diversity in yield and its components, oil and protein_content and some
phonological and qualitative traits among Iranian landrace populations of
safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). The study was carried out in 1996 at the
Research Station of Agricultural College of Tehran University in Karaj using a
simple lattice design. This experiment contained 12 foreign cultivars to be
compared with Iranian gennplasm. Fourteen quantitative and six qualitative
traits were recorded for all genotypes. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in all quantitative traits among treatments. Treatn1ent means for
yield per plant were compared using Duncan's test. Descriptive statistics such
as standard deviation and coefficient of variation were found for all traits.
Iranian population had maximum values for all traits except for seed oil
content. Tomejic had maximum oil content in seed (37.40/0). A genotype from
Dashtestan exhibited the minimum plant height (40.4 cm) and another one
from Mehriz was of the minimum days to physiological maturity (98.2). A
genotype from Tabriz was of the maximum yield per plant (29.6 g) The
maximum coefficient of variation (CV) was obtained for number of seeds per
plant, and minimum CV was for seed protein content (22.20/0 and 3.950/0
respectively). All 121 genotypes were grouped into nine clusters according to
cluster analysis using Ward's rnethod and Euclidian distances, and then cluster
profiles were extracted. Ranging of some foreign cultivars with clusters related
to Iranian landraces showes that they are of the same origin and the clear fact that these foreign cultivars must have originated from Iran.