Growth response of two quinoa cultivars to partial root irrigation under climatic conditions of South Khorasan province

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Genetics and Production Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

2 Faculty member, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, University of Birjand, Iran

3 Plant and Environmental Stress Research Group, University of Birjand

4 Senior Scientist at the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

Introduction
Optimizing irrigation in arid regions is a crucial strategy for sustainable crop production. Quinoa, due to its high tolerance to drought, represents a promising alternative crop. Understanding its physiological and yield responses to deficit irrigation can enhance water-use efficiency in semi-arid systems.
 
Materials and methods
A field experiment was conducted during 2021 in Birjand and Sarbisheh, South Khorasan Province, Iran. The study was arranged as a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor consisted of nine irrigation regimes, including 100%, 75%, and 50% of crop water requirement under both conventional and partial root-zone drying (PRD) methods—fixed and alternating after one or two irrigation cycles. The sub-plot factor included two quinoa cultivars, Titicaca and Giza-1. Measured traits included plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry weights of total aerial biomass, and relative water content (RWC). Data were analyzed using SAS software.
 
Results and discussion
Analysis of variance revealed significant effects of irrigation regime, cultivar, and their interactions on most measured traits. Grain yield, plant height, relative leaf water content and leaf area decreased progressively under higher drought intensity, but moderate deficit irrigation (75% ETc) under alternating PRD after one or two irrigation cycles, maintained growth comparable to full irrigation. The Giza-1 cultivar exhibited greater adaptability and vigor than Titicaca across both locations, particularly under moderate water limitation. Fresh and dry weights of aerial organs followed similar trends. Plants exposed to alternating PRD retained higher biomass accumulation and grain yield than those under conventional irrigation at equivalent deficit levels. Grain yield under partial root-zone drying (PRD) is often better maintained compared with uniform deficit irrigation, as alternating wet and dry root zones enhance ABA signaling and support more stable grain filling under water‐limited conditions (Kang and Zhang, 2004). This improvement may be attributed to balanced root signaling, enhanced stomatal regulation, and improved osmotic adjustment mechanisms (Naderi et al., 2016; Chandra et al., 2018). Higher leaf relative water content (RWC) in alternating PRD treatments (75% ETc) suggests improved plant hydration and efficient water redistribution within the rhizosphere, confirming that partial root drying can induce systemic tolerance responses without excessive water loss (Wakrim et al., 2015). The observed maintenance of leaf area and turgor under alternating PRD supports the hypothesis that controlled soil drying stimulates abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis in drying roots, which limits transpiration while sustaining photosynthesis. As a result, fresh and dry biomass, showed minimal reduction compared with the 100% irrigation control. Conversely, conventional irrigation at 50% ETc caused a marked decline in all growth parameters, highlighting the physiological limitations when both root zones experience continuous stress. Changes in RWC and leaf area were strongly associated with fresh biomass, suggesting that maintaining tissue hydration is key to sustaining growth under moderate water deficit. These findings align with those of Razzaghi et al. (2020) and Mirsafi et al. (2024), who reported similar adaptive responses in quinoa under deficit irrigation. Giza-1 superior growth performance, especially in Birjand’s lighter-textured soils, reflects genotype-specific root plasticity and efficient osmotic adjustment mechanisms enhancing drought resilience.
 
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that deficit irrigation, particularly alternating partial root-zone drying at 75% of crop water requirement, effectively conserved water without significant yield reduction in quinoa. The Giza-1 cultivar showed stronger physiological stability, higher biomass, and leaf hydration than Titicaca under moderate drought. The enhanced performance under alternating PRD suggests that controlled soil drying triggers adaptive root-to-shoot signaling, promoting efficient water use and sustained photosynthetic capacity. Therefore, implementing alternating PRD combined with suitable cultivars such as Giza-1can serve as a practical strategy for sustainable quinoa production in arid regions like South Khorasan, where water resources are limited.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences
Volume 19, Issue 1
February 2026
Pages 79-99

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 September 2024
  • Revise Date: 16 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 26 December 2025

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