Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is recognized as an important crop to improve global food security. It has gained international recognition because of the nutritional value of its seeds and its broad agronomic resilience. Although several studies have attempted to characterize the genetic diversity of quinoa, none have focused on evaluating germplasm from Ecuador; the latter considered a relevant subcenter of diversity for the species. In this study, 84 accessions representing the species’ cultivated range in the Ecuadorian Andes were characterized using 15 species-specific SSR markers. The extent of allelic richness (196 alleles) and genetic heterozygosity (HE = 0.71) detected for these accessions demonstrate that Ecuadorian quinoa is highly diverse. Phenetic analyzes structured Ecuadorian germplasm into 3 subgroups; each containing genotypes from all surveyed provinces. Average expected heterozygosity was high for all 3 subgroups (0.53 ≤ HE ≤ 0.72), and Nei-pairwise comparisons showed significant genetic divergence among them (0.31 ≤ NeiDST ≤ 0.84). The lack of a clear geographic pattern in the genetic structure of Ecuadorian quinoa led us to believe that the 3 reported subgroups constitute independent genetic lineages representing ancestral landrace populations which have been disseminated throughout Ecuador via informal seed networks. Nevertheless, a Wilcoxon test showed that at least one subgroup had been subject to intensive inbreeding and selection; and possibly corresponds to the local commercial variety INIAP-Tunkahuan. Our results show that ancestral quinoa diversity in Ecuador has prevailed despite the introduction of commercial varieties, and should be preserved for future use in breeding programs.
Highlights
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an annual species of the Amarantheceae endemic to South America
Our molecular results agree with phenotypic studies showing the extensive breadth of variation of Ecuadorian quinoa for morphological, agronomic and bromatological characters (Gandarillas et al 1989; Tapia et al 2015)
We suspect that the coincidence of 9 alleles between Ecuadorian and Dutch germplasm can be explained by the fact that the evaluated varieties include, albeit to a limited extent, Ecuadorian diversity in their genetic constitution (Van Loo, Personal Communication, 2018)
Summary
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an annual species of the Amarantheceae endemic to South America. In recent years it has gained international attention as a highly nutritious food source. The crop produces glutenfree seeds with a high protein content, an excellent balance of essential amino-acids, and an optimal composition of fibers, lipids, vitamins and minerals (Koziol 1992; Vega-Galvez et al 2010; Ruiz et al 2014). Quinoa is recognized as a promising crop for global food security. The species can thrive in a wide range of agroecosystems, including nutrient-deficient, arid and saline environments (Jacobsen et al 2003). Its agronomic resilience offers unexplored avenues for the production of nutritious food in marginal lands unsuitable for conventional agriculture (Jacobsen et al 2003; Ruiz et al 2014)
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