Responses of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) to salinity and temperature regimes

Verena Isabelle Adolf

Abstract

Water scarcity, soil salinity and high temperatures are the major causes of yield losses worldwide. The halophytic crop quinoa that originates in the South American Andes, provides very nutritious seeds and can tolerate high levels of soil salinity. It is therefore considered an option to sustain crop production in other salt affected areas worldwide. The large genetic variability within the species may allow the selection of varieties for cultivation under various climatic conditions. In the study, intra-species differences of quinoa’s tolerance to salinity in terms of biomass production and a number of physiological traits were assessed. The Mediterranean region increasingly suffers from soil salinization, and could therefore benefit from quinoa cultivation. However, highly salt tolerant quinoa cultivars originate in the cool Andean highland. Hence, for a successful production of quinoa on salt affected soils in the Mediterranean region, it is necessary to evaluate whether these cultivars are also able to thrive under warmer temperatures. Temperatures of the Bolivian highland and Morocco were simulated in climate chambers to evaluate the performance of a very salt tolerant Bolivian quinoa cultivar under saline conditions at warm temperatures.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
Number of pages179
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Cite this