Photosynthetic capacity, phenology, yield and chemical composition of seeds of three cultivar of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

Quinoa is an Andean grain recognized for its high nutritional value and its ability to tolerate extreme environmental conditions. Most publications on this species have focused on agronomic or agroindustrial aspects, leaving uncertainties about the relationship between biological yield and compositional characteristics of the grain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the biological performance and agroindustrial properties of the seeds of three quinoa cultivars widely used in Colombia. A completely randomized design was used with the Pasankalla, Soraca and Titicaca cultivars. The first phase involved the evaluation of the physiological behavior of the plants under controlled conditions. In the second phase, seed production and some compositional characteristics were determined in the laboratory. In general, the three cultivars showed significant diversity and differences in morphological, physiological and biochemical traits. The Titicaca cultivar presented the earliest maturity, taking 115.6 days to reach harvest, while Soraca was the cultivar with the highest production, achieving 321 g of seeds per plant. Regarding the characteristics of the grain, the Soraca and Pasankalla cultivars had the highest protein content, with values of 14.33 and 13.76%, respectively.