Abstract

This study was carried out in Cherfech Tunisia, at the experimental station of the National Research Institute of Rural Engineering, Water and Forests (INRGREF) during the growing season 2015. The main objectives are quantifying and valuing the Water consumption (WC) and Water Use Efficiency of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), under saline water irrigation at different concentrations (T₀ = 1.2 dS m^-1, T₁ = 9.2 dS m^-1 and T₂ = 18 dS m^-1). The TDM decreased from 6.7 to 13.4% due to the increase in the salt concentration of the irrigation water from 9.2 to 18 dS m^-1. A reduction of 9.8 to 12.6% was marked for treatments T₁ and T₂. Also, the WUE _PR-anthesis has registered a decrease of 8 and 12.5% respectively for T₁ (WUE_PR = 10.3 kg m^-3) and T₂ (WUE_PR = 9.8 kg m^-3) compared with the control T₀ (WUE_PR =11.2 kg m^-3). However, irrigation water salinity showed no effect on the WUE post-anthesis T₀ and T₁ (WUE_PS = 3 kg m^-3). Nevertheless, a decrease about 15% was recorded in the T₂ (WUE_PS = 2.5 kg m^-3). At harvest, the highest, WUE_TDM (5.43 kg m^-3) was recorded under T₀. However, the lowest WUE_TDM (5 kg m^-3) was marked under T₂; a decline of 7.9% was marked. Besides, the uppermost WUE_GY (2.09 kg m^-3) was recorded under T₀. However, the smallest amount of WUE_GY (1.1 kg m^-3) was recorded under T₂. A lessen of 47.4% was manifested on WUE_GY due to the height reduction on yield in the T₂.

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