Evaluation of agronomic traits, yield, and nutritional quality of seven quinoa varieties under arid environmental conditions in Saudi Arabia

Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a climate‐resilient, nutrient‐rich crop with potential to enhance agricultural diversification and food security in arid and semiarid regions. This study evaluated the agronomic performance, grain yield, and nutritional composition of seven quinoa varieties grown at Al Kharj Agricultural Experimental Station, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Agronomic traits, yield components, grain yield, proximate composition, bioactive compounds, and mineral contents were assessed. Significant varietal differences were observed in several agronomic and nutritional traits. Golden Afternoon exhibited favorable vegetative growth and the highest grain yield (4.3 t ha − 1 ), followed by Mint Vanilla (4.0 t ha − 1 ), whereas Oro de Valle recorded the lowest yield (1.5 t ha − 1 ). Regarding nutritional composition, Peppermint had the highest grain protein content (16.2%), whereas Red Head had the lowest (11.0%) and the highest saponin content (2.23%). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents also differed significantly, as did several individual mineral concentrations. The contrasting varietal rankings for yield and grain composition highlight the importance of considering both productivity and nutritional attributes in selection. Overall, Golden Afternoon emerged as a promising variety based on its agronomic performance and grain yield under the experimental conditions, whereas Peppermint was distinguished by its high protein concentration. These findings highlight the variation in agronomic performance and nutritional quality among quinoa varieties and support further evaluation of their potential contribution to crop diversification and food security in Saudi Arabia. However, multilocation and multi‐season studies are needed to confirm the consistency of their performance and assess their suitability for wider cultivation.