Integrated nutrient management and seed priming are viable options to enhance seed yield and quality in quinoa (Chinopodium quinoa Willd.)

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition 2024-05, Vol.47 (9), p.1475-1493
• Main Authors: Singh, Jogendra, Gupta, N. K., Yadav, M. R., Kumar, Dinesh, Gupta, Sunita, Sammauria, R., Gupta, Deepak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Chlorophyll; Crop yield; Dry matter; Flowering; Fungi; nutrient management; Nutrients; Parameters; Priming; Proteins; Quinoa; seed priming; seed yield; seedling vigor index; Seedlings; Trichoderma
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904167.2024.2315967

A field experiment was conducted at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Jaipur during two consecutive rabi seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20 to study the effect of integrated nutrient management and seed priming on seed yield and quality in quinoa. Experiment was laid out in a split plot design with twelve treatment combinations comprising four nutrient management practices i.e. no fertilizer (NM 0 ), N 45 P 23 K 30 +2% FeSO 4 (NM 1 ), N 45 P 23 K 30 +2% DAP (NM 2 ); and NC 125 +VC 1250 +PSB 10 +KSB 10 +AZ 10 (NM 3 ) as main-plot treatments and three pre-sowing seed priming technologies i.e. no seed priming (SP 0 ), 1.5% Trichoderma harziannum (SP 1 ) and, 20% Pseudomonas fluorescence (SP 2 ) as sub-plot treatments. Results showed that application of NM 2 and SP 1 exhibited significantly higher plant height (19.5 and 7.2%), number of branches (40.5 and 11.6%), seed weight (12.9 and 4.6%), total dry matter (TDM) (30.5 and 3.9%), chlorophyll content (47.4 and 3.8%) and crude protein content (27.6 and 1.8%) over control. Cumulative effect of these parameters was exhibited in terms of highest yield potential (24.64 and 23.14q ha −1 ) (28.5 and 9.4% higher) and excellent seed/seedling quality and energy parameters along with highest net return (₹61974 and 55501 ha −1 ) and B:C ratio (2.55 and 2.22) over control. A positive significant correlation for seed yield was also observed with plant height (0.983), seed weight (0.990), TDM (0.955), chlorophyll content (0.950), protein content (0.946) and seed/seedling quality parameters. Overall, application of N 45 P 23 K 30 +2% DAP spray at pre-flowering stage along with pre-sowing seed priming with 1.5% Trichoderma harziannum is recommended as suitable strategy to improve yield and quality in quinoa under semi-arid conditions.