Simulation of Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.) Response To Soil Salinity Using the Saltmed Model

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop with high tolerance to salinity and drought and its response to varying soil moisture and salinity levels was studied in a field lysimeter experiment. Quinoa (cv. Titicaca) was irrigated with different concentrations of saline water (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 dSm-1) from flowering stage for 18 days (FI0, FI10, FI20, FI30 and FI40) and then irrigation continued with tap water. Measured yield, soil water content (SWC) and soil water electrical conductivity (ECw) under the various saline conditions were compared with simulated yield, SWC and ECw with the water management model SALTMED. The model calibration was carried out for the unstressed crop (FI0), while the other treatments (FI10, FI20, FI30 and FI40) were used for model validation. The results showed that the model has the ability to simulate seed yield and total dry matter (seed yield + straw yield) even for stressed plants under field condition. In addition, the model simulated reasonably well the SWC and the ECw of the root zone.