Phenotyping the Combined Effect of Heat and Water Stress on Quinoa

Abstract

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal crop that originates from Latin America and has been shown to be resistant to various abiotic stresses including water, salinity, frost, and heat stress. Quinoa was subjected, in the beginning of twenty-first century, to a large number of researches in all parts of the world including GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region which was characterized by a harsh climatic condition, excessive heat, and water scarcity. This experiment was conducted in the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, UAE, in order to phenotype the responses of quinoa to heat and water stress. The experiment consisted of a germination test and pot trial. The germination test was performed for five quinoa lines under five temperatures (2, 10, 22, 30, 42 °C). Obtained results indicate that germination velocity increased with increased temperature up to 30 °C then decreased under heat stress (42 °C). Germination rate followed the same trend with nonsignificant difference between temperatures below 30; however, under 42 °C, germination rate has been reduced by 13% compared to 22 °C.