Determination of the Water Footprint of Quinoa Under Nevşehir Conditions

Quinoa is an annual crop known for its resistance to various stress factors such as drought, frost, salinity and high radiation. However, its high protein content and antioxidant properties make quinoa an important human food. Nevşehir does not have a very high potential considering its climate and water resources. The region receives an average annual rainfall of 300-400 mm. This makes it impossible to grow the majority of crops with rainfall alone. Irrigation is necessary in most cases. However, insufficient water resources and low water quality limit irrigation. The main crops grown in Nevsehir (wheat, potatoes, dry beans, dried beans, and pumpkin) are crops that need irrigation. The agricultural production potential of the region can be increased with an efficient irrigation and plant diversity planning. In this sense, quinoa is a plant with high potential for Nevşehir. Quinoa cultivation can be beneficial in irrigated or marginal agricultural areas of Nevşehir. The amount of land suitable for agriculture but not used in Nevşehir is 234 455 decares. In this study, it was investigated how much water footprint the cultivation of quinoa in Nevşehir conditions would cause. For this purpose, the amount of land that is suitable for agriculture and cannot be used in Nevşehir was considered as quinoa cultivation area. In the study, the green and blue water footprint of quinoa was calculated. The amount of water required to produce 1 ton of quinoa in Nevşehir was found to be 1575 m3 ton-1. As a result, the total water footprint of quinoa was determined as 110 900 m3. The fact that quinoa has a low water requirement and water footprint in Nevşehir compared to other crops suggests that its cultivation in the region would be beneficial. Currently, there are no studies on the cultivation of quinoa in Nevsehir and it is not produced by producers. This study has shown that the production of quinoa in Nevsehir would be very productive for marginal and arid fields in the region. Quinoa cultivation is recommended for producers in the region.