EFFECT OF VARIOUS INTER AND INTRA SPACES ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa willd.)

Abstract

In order to determine the best planting procedures where three inter spacing (row spacing) and three intra spacing (plant spacing) and their combination. The inter spacing were 20, 30 and 40 cm distances between rows, and the intra spacing between plants were 10, 15 and 20 cm distances between plants and their combinations. Field experiments were conducted at Ismailia Agriculture Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Ismailia, Egypt during two winter successive seasons of 2012/2013, 2013/2014. Results indicated that highest grain yield of quinoa was produced when using the narrowest inter species of rows (20 cm) and the narrowest intra spaces of plants (20 cm) with significant interaction effect in each of the two seasons. This result could be accepted due to the well even distribution of plants which reduced the compotation for all of prevailing enormous essential requirements of plants as germination seed line emergence, growth and development which reflected on production and quality. A significant reduction of grain yield was obtained by increasing intra spacing between plants i.e.10, 15, 20 cm. This reduction was notical only at the lowest inter spacing of rows at 20 cm. However at wider inter spaces of plant i.e.30 and 40 cm, increases of intra spaces between plants i.e.10, 15, 20 cm cause sub stand increase in grain yield in the first and second seasons with significant differences in the first seasons. It could be concluded the best treatment for growing quinoa produced from the inter and intra spacing were the lowest. This may be attributed to the appropriate distribution of plants, which decrease completion among plants and allows it to maximum were of the circumstance surrounding it in the caption soil