A considerable demand for domestically produced vegetable oil prevails, which can be met by expanding cultivation areas and increasing the productivity of oilseed crops in Uzbekistan. The country’s demand for vegetable oil is about 450,000–500,000, with only 40% covered locally and the rest imported from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. The drive for breeding work on safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) crops results from rapidly growing global demand for vegetable oil. Safflower is one of the most promising oil crops, with a high-yield potential and adaptability to extreme environmental conditions under the rainfed farming system. Flax is also a valuable oilseed and technical crop, and its seeds contain up to 50% of high-quality oil. The subsequent research comprised breeding efforts and morphophysiological assessments of safflower and flax under rainfed conditions in Uzbekistan. The key research includes genotype evaluation based on ecological and geographical origins and varietal forms by agro-biological traits, parental genotype selection for hybridization considering ecological and geographical distances, and adaptation to regional cultivation requirements. As a result of the research, the selection of new high-yielding, oil-rich, and stress-resistant genotypes of the safflower and flax was successful.

Keywords: Safflower (C. tinctorius L.), flax (L. usitatissimum L.), breeding efforts, rainfed conditions, biomass, seed yield, 1000-seed weight, seed oil content, water content

Key findings: Safflower cultivars Moydor, 2018/10, and Jizzakh-1 showed the highest yield and resilience under drought conditions. Specifically, Jizzakh-1 had a seed oil content of 30.4% and a 1000-seed weight of 42.3 g. Among flax genotypes, 2021/3 provided the maximum oil content at 39.3%, while the variety Lalmikor had a 1000-seed weight of 5.9 g and biomass accumulation of 168.60 g. These varieties reached high recommendations for breeding programs to improve crop production in rainfed areas.