Developmental stability of quinoa under European conditions

Abstract

Five quinoa lines, from different maturity groups, were investigated for their adaptability to European conditions. Results from experiments conducted over three growing seasons indicate that seed types originating from Chile are adapted for growth under northern European conditions. Ranking of the lines for earliness was probably determined by the beginning of July and was consistent over years, indicating that selection for this character could take place at an early stage in plant development. Discussion of the plant breeding implications of these and other results suggested that a model genotype for seed production for northern European agriculture would be early, uniformly maturing, non-branching and short, with a high seed yield and a low saponin content.