Quinoa productivity and quality under irrigated conditions through crop establishment methods in Pakistan

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is gaining global recognition for its nutritional benefits and adaptability to various environments. However, there is limited data on how different planting methods affect the productivity and quality of quinoa genotypes with varying panicle shapes, especially under irrigated conditions. We hypothesized that different crop establishment techniques influence the performance of quinoa genotypes in terms of phenology, weeds, growth, and yield aiming to enhance both yield and grain quality. To test this, a 2-year field experiment (2021–2022 and 2022–2023) was conducted at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The experiment used split-plot design with three replications incorporating three sowing methods in main plots: ridge sowing (RS), line sowing (LS), and broadcasting (BC) and three quinoa genotypes with different panicle architectures: UAF-Q7 (intermediate), Line-105 (glomerulate), and Line-22 (amarantiform) in subplots. Results indicated that LS method improved morphological and yield attributes like stem thickness, terminal panicle length and weight, grain yield, 1000-grain weight, and biological yield compared to RS and BC. Among genotypes, Line-105 showed superior performance in morphology, biomass, and yield, while UAF-Q7 had higher grain protein content. Panicle number per plant showed positive correlation with terminal panicle weight, grain yield, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. LS also resulted in highest crop growth rate and grain quality. The study suggests that LS is a better planting technique and Line-105 is a suitable genotype for achieving high grain yield under irrigated conditions.