Physiological and Morphological Responses of two Quinoa Cultivars (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) to Drought Stress

The objective of this study was to investigate the drought-related adaptation strategies of two quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) cultivars grown under controlled conditions. After 34days of growth, water was withheld until plants were severely wilted, then they were re-watered and left to recover. 20days later the experiment was reproduced. We analyzed growth, biomass, stomatal density, leaf water status, chlorophyll and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content. Results showed that under water stress growth, biomass, stomatal density and leaf water status were significantly affected. On the other hand, results showed that water stress in the initial period can significantly increase the tolerance to drought during later phases. The data showed that quinoa drought tolerance may result from its capacity to maintain cell health status. Our findings provide new tracks into the mechanisms of drought tolerance in quinoa plants.