Evaluation of foliage yield and leaf quality traits in Chenopodium spp. in multiyear trials

Abstract

Stability of foliage yield and its quality components has not been investigated in vegetable chenopods due to their underutilized status. The objectives of the present study were to assess genotype-environment interactions (GEI), determine stability of yield and quality components and to compare different parametric and non-parametric stability parameters. The present study reports for the first time the effect of genotype and environment on foliage yield and three leaf quality traits viz. carotenoid, ascorbic acid and protein content in different species of Chenopodium. Twenty accessions comprising four species were tested in a randomized block design with three replications across four environments. For all the four traits the largest sum of squares was accounted for by the genotypes, followed by GEI and environments. Highest foliage yield of 16.02 q/ha was obtained from C. album PRC 9804, while the lowest was from C. album CHEN 63/80 (4.01 q/ha). Many indigenous accessions of C. album (PRC 9801, IC 107299, 'Chandigarh', 'local' and 'NEFA') were unstable both for foliage yield and most of the quality traits. Most of the exotic accessions of C. giganteum were both stable and high yielding, thus, reflecting the potential of these accessions for future breeding programs/variety release.

Species relationships in Chenopodium quinoa and Chenopodium album on the basis of morphology and SDS-PAGE profiles of soluble seed proteins

“…Even though Bhargava et al [25] have reported intra-specific variations in certain phenotypic traits including plant height, days to flowering, days to maturity, leaf area, seed size, inflorescence length, dry weight per plant amongst accessions of C. quinoa, our results do not reveal any variations in any of the qualitative morphological characters amongst different accessions of C. quinoa studied in the present investigation. On the other hand, C. album showed morphological heterogeneity with green/ reddish leaves, black/ brown/ white seeds, smooth/ reticulate seed coat with smooth as well as patterned edges.…”

Molecular differentiation of Chenopodium album complex and some related species using ISSR profiles and ITS sequences

“…The diploid accessions of C. album revealed some differences among themselves (Figs. 2 and 3) which is also reflected in the morphological and phenological variation (Bhargava et al, 2007a), karyotypes (Bhargava et al, 2006), and RAPD and DAMD profiles (Rana et al, 2010). Similar differences have also been reported in broad and narrow leaved types of diploid C. album based on seed protein, isozyme and RAPD profiles (Gangopadhyay et al, 2002).…”

“…nuttalliae, C. pallidicaule, C. album, and C. giganteum which have been used as grain, leafy vegetables or forage crops (Partap et al, 1998). As leafy vegetables, C. album and C. giganteum provide a cheap source of vitamins and micronutrients (Bhargava et al, 2007a(Bhargava et al, , 2008. Both these species, however, show great morphological heterogeneity especially in case of C. album which forms a complex of diploid (2n = 18), tetraploid (2n = 36) and hexaploid (2n = 54) cytotypes (Bhargava et al, 2006;Kolano et al, 2006Kolano et al, , 2008Mehra and Malik, 1963;Mukherjee, 1986) and has been described as a convenient taxonomic receptacle (Wilson, 1980).…”

The taxonomic riddle of Chenopodium album L. complex (Amaranthaceae)

“…Chenopodium [18], is a cosmopolitan weed referred to commonly as lambsquarters or fat hen. Some forms are grown for their seed and as leafy vegetables in the Himalayas [7,19,21]. The semi-domesticated Himalayan forms whether ascribed to C. album or C.giganteum D. Don are invariably hexaploid (2n=6x=54) [6,8] and not tetraploid as wrongly identified earlier [13,20,22].…”

“…The 2x and 6x are found as winter weeds throughout North Indian Plains appearing in mid November and maturing in April, while the 4x cytotype is restricted to North western part where it appears in mid June and matures in August (personal observation). The existence of wide morphological variation [2,3,7] and different ploidy levels may be the result of frequent natural hybridization [10,12,23], high level of autogamy [20] which maintains distinct forms, and parallel evolution [11]. Unfortunately this confusion has persisted because very scarce studies existed till recently which explain interrelationships between various components of this complex or between the constituent genomes of the polyploid forms.…”