Characterization and Agronomic Evaluation of 25 Accessions of Chenopodium quinoa in the Peruvian Coastal Desert

Abstract

Quinoa is a healthy food that possesses high levels of protein that is enriched for dietary essential amino acids. The crop is highly diverse and well-adapted to changing climatic conditions. In spite of being vulnerable to pests and diseases, the development of new resistant varieties is possible. Taking advantage of this genetic variability is crucial for breeding programs, especially to adapt quinoa to the shifting needs of producers. In this study, 25 Peruvian accessions and two commercial varieties were characterized and agronomically evaluated in the Peruvian Pacific desert. Specific methodologies and descriptors of existing crops were used, analyzing a total of 24 quantitative and 23 qualitative variables with 15 repetitions per accession. The data were processed using descriptive statistics and a multivariate analysis. The results showed a high variability in morphological characteristics, with an area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of the presence of mildew between 529 and 1725, highlighting ACC06 with a lower severity of mildew. The percentage of saponins varied between 0.04 and 0.21 percent, with ACC06 being the one with the lowest percentage. Regarding the crop yield, it ranged between 0.35 and 8.80 t ha−1, highlighting the high-yielding accessions ACC55 and ACC14. These results were promising for the improvement of quinoa yield in the production conditions of the Peruvian Pacific desert.