Table 1.

Minimum set of environmental variables to record for quinoa trials.

Soil, To Be Measured Before and After the Field Season
Watering regime
Water holding capacity
Composition in terms of % sand, silt, organic matter, etc.
Nutrient and mineral composition—total nitrogen, organic carbon, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, etc. Note: when measuring nitrates, the soil sample must be kept cold because nitrates are unstable
Soil physical properties affecting plant growth
pH
Apparent density
Electrical conductivity (EC), especially for salinity trials
Weather
Precipitation, and irrigation schedule
Temperature, at least daily Tmax and Tmin, but preferably recorded continuously throughout the day to enable calculation of degree-days to flowering and to maturity
Humidity—relative humidity/dewpoint temperature
Daily irradiance (mol m−2 d−1), recorded continuously throughout the day
Wind speed (average daily speed)
Day length (including twilight time)