Abstract:

The area of Qaidam Basin is long and narrow from east to west, and the agricultural and animal husbandry areas are mainly in the middle and east due to the prominent difference in precipitation. The differences in meteorological conditions and quinoa growth under different sowing dates were tested and analyzed, in order to lay a foundation for the promotion and planting of quinoa in the arid areas of the central and western Qaidam Basin. Based on the data of 10 interval sowing experiments carried out in Wulan, eastern Qaidam Basin, the effects of sowing date on the growth period and meteorological conditions, agronomic characters and yield in each period were analyzed. The results showed that the entire growth period of the experimental area was 135-157 days, and the required ≥0℃ accumulated temperature was 1913.6-2188.3℃; The ≥0℃ accumulated temperature from grouting to maturity was 774.2℃ and above. There was a significant negative correlation between the branching stage, ear emergence stage, maturity stage, and full growth stage with the sowing date and ≥0℃ accumulated temperature during the period. Plant height of t₁, 1000 grain weight, and yield were the highest, while t₂ had the highest number of effective branches and stem diameter. The overall performance of the experiment was a negative correlation between agronomic traits and yield and sowing date, and a highly significant positive correlation between accumulated temperature throughout the entire growth period and stem diameter and yield. Large area irrigation in arid and semi-arid areas reduced the impact of precipitation on the growth of quinoa, but it was positively correlated with flowering stage, significantly negatively correlated with filling stage, maturity stage, full growth stage, and effective branch number, and significantly positively correlated with yield. The duration of light exposure was significantly positively correlated with effective branching, plant height, and yield, but better light exposure was beneficial for shortening the crop growth period. The late sowing time (t₉ and t₁₀) led to immaturity. The experimental results provide a theoretical reference for the large- scale promotion of quinoa planting and post disaster replanting.

Key words: quinoa, sowing date, growth stage, character, yield, characteristics analysis, Eastern Qaidam basin