Interactive effect of land configuration and irrigation on quinoa yield and water use efficiency in North-West India

This study examined interactions between land configuration and irrigation scheduling in quinoa across three Rabi seasons (2017-18 to 2019-20) at the Agriculture University, Kota, India. Using a split-plot design with four replications, nine treatment combinations were tested: three land configurations [flat bed, ridge-furrow, and broad bed-furrow (BBF)] and three irrigation schedules (single at 20-25 Days After Sowing (DAS), two levels at 20-25 and 55-60 DAS, three levels at 20-25, 55-60, and 90-95 DAS). Results showed significant variations in soil moisture extraction, with broad bed and furrow (BBF) and reduced irrigation demonstrating superior water retention in deeper layers. BBF with three irrigations maximized growth parameters (142.27 g/plant dry matter, 35.38 branches/plant, and 1.57 cm stem girth) and grain yield (3188 kg ha-1). BBF with two irrigations produced optimal root development (97.16 cm length, 0.15 root-to-shoot (R:S ratio). Nutritional quality peaked under BBF with three irrigations (19.86% protein, 7.08% fat). Water use efficiency (WUE) (3.52 kg m-3) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) (1.55 kg m-3) were highest in BBF with single irrigation. Economic analysis revealed BBF with three irrigations as most profitable ($1856.10 ha-1 year-1 net return, 3.99 benefit-cost (B:C ratio). Findings demonstrate that optimized configurations and scheduling enhance quinoa production sustainability in semi-arid regions.