The goal of sustainable intensification of agriculture in Malawi has led to the evaluation of innovative, regionally novel or under-utilized crop species. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has the potential to provide a drought tolerant, nutritious alternative to maize. We evaluated 11 diverse varieties of quinoa for their yield and agronomic performance at two locations, Bunda and Bembeke, in Malawi. The varieties originated from Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia in South America; the United States and Canada in North America; and, Denmark in Europe, and were chosen based on their variation in morphological and agronomic traits, and their potential for adaptation to the climate of Malawi. Plant height, panicle length, days to maturity, harvest index, and seed yield were recorded for each variety under irrigation at Bunda and Bembeke, and under rainfed conditions at Bunda. Plant height was significantly influenced by both genotype and environment. There were also significant differences between the two locations for panicle length whereas genotype and genotype × environment (G × E) interaction were not significantly different. Differences were found for genotype and G × E interaction for harvest index. Notably, differences for genotype, environment and G × E were found for grain yield. Seed yield was higher at Bunda (237–3019 kg/ha) than Bembeke (62–692 kg/ha) under irrigated conditions. The highest yielding genotype at Bunda was Titicaca (3019 kg/ha) whereas Multi-Hued was the highest (692 kg/ha) at Bembeke. Strong positive correlations between seed yield and (1) plant height (r = 0.74), (2) days to maturity (r = 0.76), and (3) biomass (r = 0.87) were found under irrigated conditions. The rainfed evaluations at Bunda revealed significant differences in seed yield, plant biomass, and seed size among the genotypes. The highest yielding genotype was Black Seeded (2050 kg/ha) followed by Multi-Hued (1603 kg/ha) and Bio-Bio (1446 kg/ha). Ecuadorian (257 kg/ha) was the lowest yielding genotype. In general the seed yields of the genotypes were lower under rainfed conditions than under irrigated conditions at Bunda. The results also highlight the need to continue evaluating a diverse number of cultivars to select for genotypes adapted to specific agro-ecological areas and across seasons in Malawi.
in Mala e to limited s valuate minit anning for f multiplicati he country. enotypes (tw rt, Van der performed n sand and more tubers d size of Min ngs provide seed multipl Propagation N um tuberosu industrial ro food needs in 8). Despite po in Malawi, th ent average author.
Potato farmers in Malawi and other developing countries lack healthy and quality seed potato. This is due to a limited multiplication programme to provide farmers with clean seed potato. A study to evaluate the effect of media and genotypes on growth and seed yield performance of micropropagated potato genotypes in greenhouse conditions would assist in planning for future selection of good high-yielding varieties and a rapid seed multiplication programme of pathogen-free planting materials to increase production of potato in the country. Three different types of media (vermiculite, sand and sawdust) and seven different genotypes (two local genotypes - Magalabada and Rosita; and five introduced genotypes - Up to date, Buffelspoort, Van der plank, Lady Rosetta and Bp 1 2007) were investigated. Pathogen-free potato plantlets were produced in the tissue culture laboratory and then transferred to the greenhouse for minituber production. The plantlets were planted with a 10 cm distance between rows and 10 cm between plantlets in trays filled with media. The study revealed significant (P≤0.05) variations between and among media and genotype tested on growth and yield characteristics. Genotype Rosita grown on vermiculite produced the greatest plant height (45.87 cm). Similarly plantlets grown on vermiculite performed better than those grown on the alternative media with higher minituber yield of 1740 g/m2 for all genotypes while the yields were 850 g/m2 and 292 g/m2 in sand and sawdust, respectively. Among the genotypes Up to date and Lady Rosetta produced more tubers (between 12 tubers per plant and 10 tubers per plant). Thus vermiculite increases the number and size of minitubers which is a very important step for rapid multiplication of potato seed. The findings of this study provide valuable information on potato minituber production using different media and potential genotypes which would assist in scaling up seed multiplication programmes for pathogen-free planting materials.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.