Yield and dry matter simulation using the Saltmed model for five quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) accessions under deficit irrigation in south Morocco

The frequent drought in the Mediterranean region requires better water and crop management. Selection of suitable drought-tolerant crops and the application of water-saving strategies are essential. For this reason, a drought-tolerant crop, quinoa, was selected to test its suitability to be grown under Morocco's conditions. In 2012, five accessions of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) were studied in a field in Agadir, Morocco. Four irrigation levels were applied; the control treatment received 100% of the crop water requirement and three other treatments received 75, 50 and 25% of the crop water requirement. The SALTMED model was calibrated using yield and total dry matter data obtained from the control treatment for each accession. The accessions differed in plant height, growth stage duration, harvest date, harvest index, leaf area index and photosynthesis efficiency. The SALTMED model simulated the total dry matter and grain yield for the five quinoa accessions under the different deficit irrigation regimes with reasonable precision, as confirmed by the values of coefficient of determination, R2 of 0.96 and 0.92, respectively. The results indicate that deficit irrigation at 75% would only reduce the yield of accession L142 by 5%. Therefore, L142 was recommended to the growers in Morocco.