Drought is one of the major environmental stresses affecting the many crops performance by altering physiological and biochemical processes. Zinc application could mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress. To investigate the effects of foliar application of zinc on the morphophysiological and biochemical traits of safflower cultivars under drought stress, two field experiments were conducted as split plots based on randomized complete blocks design with three replicates during 2018−2019 and 2019−2020 growing seasons. Experimental factors included drought stress as the primary factor, safflower cultivars, and zinc foliar application as secondary factors. Drought stress included two levels (non-stress and drought stress); safflower cultivars were Isfahan, Linas, Padideh, Parnian, and Goldasht; foliar application of zinc was in three levels (0, 0.5, and 1 kg ha⁻¹ Zn). Results showed drought stress decreased plant height, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) chlorophyll index, relative water content (RWC), leaf area index (LAI), oil percentage, oil yield, palmitic acid, linoleic acid. Whereas, drought stress increased proline content, oleic acid, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Maximum plant height (145 cm) and oil percentage (29 %) were observed in Isfahan cultivar, maximum amounts of SPAD index (75.96 %), catalase enzyme (CAT) (0.69 μmol min^-1 mg protein^-1), proline (5 mM g^-1 FW), linoleic acid (76 %), and palmitic acid (7 %) were observed in Goldasht cultivar. Parnian cv. with the highest leaf area (2.98 cm²), RWC (78 %), 1000-seed weight (43 g), seed yield (3514 kg ha^-1), biological yield (13,542 kg ha^-1), peroxidase enzyme (POX) (2.84 μmol min^-1 mg protein^-1), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) (107 mg g^-1 DW), and oil yield (807 kg ha^-1) had the highest economic yield among the experimented cultivars. Foliar application of 1 kg ha^-1 Zn improved oil yield, RWC, SPAD index, proline content, carbohydrate content, LAI, and CAT and POX activities. Zinc application enhanced drought stress tolerance in different cultivars through improving effects on the antioxidant activity system, proline content, carbohydrate content, RWC, and SPAD index.

干旱是通过改变生理和生化过程影响许多作物性能的主要环境压力之一。锌的应用可以减轻干旱胁迫的不利影响。为了研究叶面喷施锌对干旱胁迫下红花品种形态生理和生化性状的影响，在 2018-2019 和 2019-2020 生长季节，基于随机完整区组设计进行了两个田间试验作为分裂区，三个重复。实验因素包括干旱胁迫作为主要因素，红花品种和锌叶面施用作为次要因素。干旱胁迫包括两个层次（非胁迫和干旱胁迫）；红花品种是伊斯法罕、利纳斯、帕迪德、帕尼安和戈尔达什特；锌的叶面喷施分为三个水平（0，^-1锌）。结果表明，干旱胁迫降低了株高、千粒重、种子产量、生物产量、土壤植物分析发展 (SPAD) 叶绿素指数、相对含水量 (RWC)、叶面积指数 (LAI)、油百分比、油产量、棕榈酸酸，亚油酸。而干旱胁迫会增加脯氨酸含量、油酸和抗氧化酶活性。在伊斯法罕栽培品种中观察到最大株高 (145 cm) 和油百分比 (29 %)、SPAD 指数最大量 (75.96 %)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT) (0.69 μmol min ^-1 mg 蛋白^-1 )、脯氨酸 (5在 Goldasht 栽培品种中观察到mM g ^-1 FW)、亚油酸 (76%) 和棕榈酸 (7%)。帕尼安简历。叶面积最大 (2.98 cm ²), RWC (78 %), 1000-种子重量 (43 g), 种子产量 (3514 kg ha ^-1 ), 生物产量 (13,542 kg ha ^-1 ), 过氧化物酶 (POX) (2.84 μmol min ^-1 mg 蛋白质^-1 )、水溶性碳水化合物 (WSC) (107 mg g ^-1 DW) 和油产量 (807 kg ha ^-1 ) 在试验品种中具有最高的经济产量。叶面喷施 1 kg ha ^-1 Zn 提高了油产量、RWC、SPAD 指数、脯氨酸含量、碳水化合物含量、LAI 以及 CAT 和 POX 活性。施锌通过改善抗氧化活性系统、脯氨酸含量、碳水化合物含量、RWC和SPAD指数，增强了不同品种的干旱胁迫耐受性。