COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENT ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON QUINOA PERFORMANCE IN MARGINAL SOILS

Abstract

Quinoa is gaining attention as a climate-resilient crop suitable for cultivation in marginal soils. This study was piloted at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during the Rabi season 2024–25 to estimate the effect of various organic fertilizer combinations on the growth and yield of quinoa under nutrient-deficient conditions. The research was organized in a RCB design with six treatments: Control, Compost (10 t ha⁻¹), Vermicompost (5 t ha⁻¹), Biochar (5 t ha⁻¹), Compost + Vermicompost (5 + 2.5 t ha⁻¹), and Compost + Biochar (5 + 2.5 t ha⁻¹), replicated four times. Results indicated that organic amendments significantly enhanced all measured parameters compared to the control. The maximum plant height (115 cm), leaves plant^-1 (28), SPAD value (49), and weight of 1000-seeds (3.6 g) were recorded in the Compost + Vermicompost treatment. Similarly, this treatment resulted in the highest grain yield (2,250 kg ha⁻¹) and biomass yield (7.4 t ha⁻¹), trailed by Compost + Biochar (2,200 kg ha⁻¹ grain and 7.1 t ha⁻¹ biomass). In contrast, the control treatment yielded only 1,450 kg ha⁻¹ grain and 4.8 t ha⁻¹ biomass. The enhancement in crop performance can be ascribed to enhanced nutrient availability, microbial activity, and soil physical properties under organic amendment applications. These findings suggest that integrating compost with vermicompost or biochar is a boosting strategy for improving quinoa productivity and soil health in marginal lands, supporting sustainable agriculture.