Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a staple food produced mainly by small-scale subsistence farmers in Peru’s highland. Dry seeds (cv. Pasankalla) were irradiated with doses of 150 Gy, 250 Gy and 350 Gy. In the M1 generation, the germination process was delayed with increasing radiation dose; seedling height, root length and leaf development were most reduced at 250 Gy and at 350 Gy, no plants survived. In M2, the maximum spectrum of chlorophyll mutations corresponded to 150 Gy and the maximum frequency to 250 Gy. The chlorine mutation was predominant, followed by xantha. Changes were registered for branch number, pedicel length, plant height, life-cycle duration, stem and foliage colour, and leaf morphology at the two doses, with improvements in plant type. More than one mutation per plant was found, especially at 250 Gy. In M3, the same spectrum of mutations was observed, along with a valuable change in grain colour.
Highlights
IntroductionQuinoa is cultivated in Peru by small farmers in plots below of 1 ha [1]
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is native crop of the Andes
Statistical differences were found by One-Way ANOVA and Tukey tests in root length and seedling height among the controls and all evaluated treatments (150, 250 and 350 Gamma ray dose (Gy)) (Table 1)
Summary
Quinoa is cultivated in Peru by small farmers in plots below of 1 ha [1]. Frost and saline soils makes it important in highland farming systems [2,3]. This annual crop belongs to the Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot) family. Quinoa has an exceptionally nutritious balance of protein, fat, oil and starch. Grains average 16% protein, higher than common cereals. Quinoa protein is high in the essential amino acids lysine, methionine and cystine, making it complementary to both other grains (deficient in lysine) and legumes (deficient in methionine and cystine) [4,5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
