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Ridge-Furrow Planting and Water-Retaining Agents Improve Quinoa Yield via Enhanced Photosynthesis and Translocation
Hongjie Zhang1, Jinhu Yang1, Jianqing Feng1
1College of Agronomy, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010019, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Sustainable quinoa farming in dry areas is improved by combining ridge-furrow planting with superabsorbent polymer (SAP). This strategy enhances water use and boosts crop yield.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Plant Physiology
Background:
- Water scarcity and inefficient photoassimilate partitioning limit sustainable quinoa production in semi-arid regions.
- Optimizing source-sink dynamics is crucial for enhancing quinoa yields under environmental stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interactive effects of planting patterns and superabsorbent polymer (SAP) rates on quinoa source-sink dynamics.
- To identify optimal agronomic strategies for improving quinoa productivity and resource use efficiency in water-limited environments.
Main Methods:
- Field experiments were conducted using 'Longli 5' quinoa under different planting patterns and SAP application rates (0, 60, 90 kg·ha⁻¹).
- Evaluated key physiological parameters including leaf area index (LAI) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn).
- Assessed photoassimilate remobilization to grains, seed yield, and thousand-grain weight.
Main Results:
- Ridge-furrow planting with a moderate SAP rate (60 kg·ha⁻¹) significantly enhanced LAI (52.6-66.9%) and Pn (5.45-10.64%).
- This treatment effectively promoted photoassimilate remobilization to grains (13.39-14.44%), improving source-sink coordination.
- Seed yield and thousand-grain weight increased significantly (p < 0.05) compared to other treatments.
Conclusions:
- Balanced source-sink allocation, not just maximal source capacity, drives quinoa productivity.
- Integrating ridge-furrow planting with moderate SAP application (60 kg·ha⁻¹) is an effective strategy for sustainable, high-yield quinoa production in semi-arid regions.
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