IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v225y2019ics037837741931217x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quinoa: A super or pseudo-super crop? Evidences from evapotranspiration, root growth, crop coefficients, and water productivity in a hot and semi-arid area under three planting densities

Author

Listed:
  • Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid
  • Solgi, Shahin
  • Sepaskhah, Ali Reza

Abstract

Quinoa is well known for its great ability to tolerate water stress. However, very little information is available about its potential growth under full irrigation particularly in hot and semi-arid regions. In this experiment, a newly-released quinoa (cv. Q5) bred for hot and dry regions was grown under three planting densities (PDs) of 150,000, 185,000, and 270,000 in the drainable lysimeters, south of Iran. The highest and lowest grain yields were observed in the middle and low PDs of 3.65 Mg ha−1 and 2.86 Mg ha−1, respectively. Quinoa showed very high crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and transpiration (T) rates. ETc and T varied in the range of 1448–1687 mm, and 777–1228 mm among the PDs, respectively. These high values resulted in high single crop coefficients (Kc) that overall varied between around 1 and 2.4 during the growing season. The basal crop coefficient (Kcb) of the dual Kc (Kc = Kcb + Ke) reached about 1.9 and 1.2 in the high and low PDs, respectively, indicating high transpiration capacity. The main reasons of high Kc and Kcb were high soil evaporation rate due to very frequent irrigations of 3–4 days and soil wetting, and the prevailing regional sensible heat advection that increased transpiration. It was concluded that quinoa has a specific physiological systems that transpire continually for allowing better leaf cooling at high temperature, which results in high water use. Moreover, a vigorous root system that extended down to 1.2 m with high root length densities in the deep layers (RLD > 1 cm cm-3) helped quinoa to supply the water use. This extensive root system down to 1.2 m could help to increase irrigation interval and reducing soil evaporation. However, the effect of PD on the root length and root mass was mainly observed in the top 40 cm, below which its effect diminished and root length and root mass were nearly identical among the PDs. Overall, it is concluded that quinoa Q5 is a super crop that not only can tolerate water stress, but also can potentially grow well and produce acceptable grain yield in the hot and semi-arid areas. Adapting appropriate PD and irrigation management such as drip irrigation (surface and subsurface), mulching, increasing irrigation interval attributed to the deep rooting system, and water-saving irrigation managements would substantially reduce soil evaporation and increase water productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid & Solgi, Shahin & Sepaskhah, Ali Reza, 2019. "Quinoa: A super or pseudo-super crop? Evidences from evapotranspiration, root growth, crop coefficients, and water productivity in a hot and semi-arid area under three planting densities," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:225:y:2019:i:c:s037837741931217x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105784
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037837741931217X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105784?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid & Plauborg, Finn & Andersen, Mathias N. & Sepaskhah, Ali Reza & Jensen, Christian R. & Hansen, Søren, 2011. "Effects of irrigation strategies and soils on field grown potatoes: Root distribution," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(8), pages 1280-1290, May.
    2. Razzaghi, Fatemeh & Plauborg, Finn & Jacobsen, Sven-Erik & Jensen, Christian Richardt & Andersen, Mathias Neumann, 2012. "Effect of nitrogen and water availability of three soil types on yield, radiation use efficiency and evapotranspiration in field-grown quinoa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 20-29.
    3. Geerts, Sam & Raes, Dirk & Garcia, Magali & Condori, Octavio & Mamani, Judith & Miranda, Roberto & Cusicanqui, Jorge & Taboada, Cristal & Yucra, Edwin & Vacher, Jean, 2008. "Could deficit irrigation be a sustainable practice for quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in the Southern Bolivian Altiplano?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(8), pages 909-917, August.
    4. Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid & Sepaskhah, Ali Reza & Zarei, Mojgan, 2018. "Specific root length, soil water status, and grain yields of irrigated and rainfed winter barley in the raised bed and flat planting systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 304-315.
    5. Molden, D. & Murray-Rust, H. & Sakthivadivel, R. & Makin, I., 2003. "A water-productivity framework for understanding and action," IWMI Books, Reports H032632, International Water Management Institute.
    6. Bowen, W. T., 2003. "Water productivity and potato cultivation," IWMI Books, Reports H032645, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Seyed Ahmadi & Elnaz Mosallaeepour & Ali Kamgar-Haghighi & Ali Sepaskhah, 2015. "Modeling Maize Yield and Soil Water Content with AquaCrop Under Full and Deficit Irrigation Managements," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(8), pages 2837-2853, June.
    8. Garcia, Magali & Raes, Dirk & Jacobsen, Sven-Erik, 2003. "Evapotranspiration analysis and irrigation requirements of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) in the Bolivian highlands," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 119-134, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Geerts, S. & Raes, D. & Garcia, M., 2010. "Using AquaCrop to derive deficit irrigation schedules," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 213-216, December.
    2. Talebnejad, R. & Sepaskhah, A.R., 2015. "Effect of deficit irrigation and different saline groundwater depths on yield and water productivity of quinoa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 225-238.
    3. Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid & Agharezaee, Mohammad & Kamgar-Haghighi, Ali Akbar & Sepaskhah, Ali Reza, 2014. "Effects of dynamic and static deficit and partial root zone drying irrigation strategies on yield, tuber sizes distribution, and water productivity of two field grown potato cultivars," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 126-136.
    4. Ahmadi, Seyed Hamid & Andersen, Mathias N. & Plauborg, Finn & Poulsen, Rolf T. & Jensen, Christian R. & Sepaskhah, Ali Reza & Hansen, Søren, 2010. "Effects of irrigation strategies and soils on field grown potatoes: Yield and water productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(11), pages 1923-1930, November.
    5. Hossain, Istiaque & Alam, Md. Mahmudul & Siwar, Chamhuri & Bin Mokhtar, Mazlin, 2019. "Measurement of Water Productivity in Seasonal Floodplain Beel Area," SocArXiv q3ayc, Center for Open Science.
    6. Geerts, Sam & Raes, Dirk, 2009. "Deficit irrigation as an on-farm strategy to maximize crop water productivity in dry areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(9), pages 1275-1284, September.
    7. Geerts, S. & Raes, D. & Garcia, M. & Taboada, C. & Miranda, R. & Cusicanqui, J. & Mhizha, T. & Vacher, J., 2009. "Modeling the potential for closing quinoa yield gaps under varying water availability in the Bolivian Altiplano," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(11), pages 1652-1658, November.
    8. Talebnejad, R. & Sepaskhah, A.R., 2015. "Effect of different saline groundwater depths and irrigation water salinities on yield and water use of quinoa in lysimeter," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 177-188.
    9. Razzaghi, Fatemeh & Plauborg, Finn & Jacobsen, Sven-Erik & Jensen, Christian Richardt & Andersen, Mathias Neumann, 2012. "Effect of nitrogen and water availability of three soil types on yield, radiation use efficiency and evapotranspiration in field-grown quinoa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 20-29.
    10. Qian Li & Yan Chen & Shikun Sun & Muyuan Zhu & Jing Xue & Zihan Gao & Jinfeng Zhao & Yihe Tang, 2022. "Research on Crop Irrigation Schedules Under Deficit Irrigation—A Meta-analysis," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(12), pages 4799-4817, September.
    11. Koffi Djaman & Suat Irmak & Komlan Koudahe & Samuel Allen, 2021. "Irrigation Management in Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) Production: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, February.
    12. Mohammad Alauddin & Upali A. Amarasinghe & Bharat R. Sharma, 2014. "Four decades of rice water productivity in Bangladesh: A spatio-temporal analysis of district level panel data," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 51-64.
    13. Kumar, M. Dinesh & Singh, O.P. & Samad, Madar & Purohit, Chaitali & Didyala, Malkit Singh, 2009. "Water productivity of irrigated agriculture in India: potential areas for improvement," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    14. Li, Xiaolin & Tong, Ling & Niu, Jun & Kang, Shaozhong & Du, Taisheng & Li, Sien & Ding, Risheng, 2017. "Spatio-temporal distribution of irrigation water productivity and its driving factors for cereal crops in Hexi Corridor, Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 55-63.
    15. Tendai Polite Chibarabada & Albert Thembinkosi Modi & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2017. "Nutrient Content and Nutritional Water Productivity of Selected Grain Legumes in Response to Production Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, October.
    16. Ghahroodi, E. Mokari & Noory, H. & Liaghat, A.M., 2015. "Performance evaluation study and hydrologic and productive analysis of irrigation systems at the Qazvin irrigation network (Iran)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 189-195.
    17. Kumar, M. Dinesh & Amarasinghe, Upali A., 2009. "Strategic Analyses of the National River Linking Project (NRLP) of India, Series 4. Water productivity improvements in Indian agriculture: potentials, constraints and prospects," IWMI Books, Reports H042633, International Water Management Institute.
    18. Lejars, C. & Fusillier, JL & Bouarfa, S. & Brunel, L. & Rucheton, G., 2011. "Evaluation des impacts de restrictions d’eau pour l’usage agricole Une démarche à l’échelle des filières de production," 2011 Conference: Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture, December 6-7, 2011, Rabat, Morocco 188551, Moroccan Association of Agricultural Economics (AMAEco).
    19. Ma, Shou-tian & Wang, Tong-chao & Ma, Shou-Chen, 2022. "Effects of drip irrigation on root activity pattern, root-sourced signal characteristics and yield stability of winter wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    20. Tsakmakis, I.D. & Gikas, G.D. & Sylaios, G.K., 2021. "Integration of Sentinel-derived NDVI to reduce uncertainties in the operational field monitoring of maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:225:y:2019:i:c:s037837741931217x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.