Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management and Salicylic Acid Application on Relative Water Content, Plant Height and Grain Yield of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

Aims: A field study was conducted to quantify the effect of moisture deficit stress at different critical stages of quinoa and different mitigation approaches were adopted in order to alleviate moisture deficit stress. Study Design: The experiment was designed in split plot design comprising of six main plots (water management) and four sub plots (stress mitigation approaches). The treatments in main plots viz., no irrigation at branching (M1), at ear formation (M2), flowering (M3), grain filling (M4) stages, irrigating at all four stages (M5) and irrigating as and when required (M6), and sub plot treatments viz., soil test-based fertilizer recommendation (STBFR) (S1), STBFR + Salicylic acid spray at 100 ppm (S2), STBFR + rice straw mulching (S3) and integrated nutrient management (S4) were tested. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar during Rabi 2021-22. Methodology: Moisture deficit stress was imposed by withholding irrigation water and not irrigating in the defined period. The treatments in the subplots were imposed as per the schedule. Results: Optimal results, including significantly taller plants, elevated relative water content, and increased grain yield, were achieved when irrigation was applied on an as-needed basis (M6). Conversely, the lowest grain yield was observed when moisture deficit stress was imposed during the branching stage of quinoa. This outcome was primarily linked to a more substantial reduction in both relative water content and plant height. Among the various stress mitigation approaches, integrated nutrient management (S4) emerged as the most effective management practice, followed closely by STBFR + Salicylic acid spray at 100 ppm (S2). Conclusion: The result indicated that branching stage is the most critical stage for irrigation in quinoa and integrated nutrient management could be the best approach under moisture deficit stress in quinoa among the other treatments.