Optimizing quinoa growth cycle duration in northeast England by varying the sowing date

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is attracting interest as a key contributor to global food and nutritional security. This study evaluated the effects of and interactions between sowing date (mid-April vs. early May) and variety ('Atlas' and 'Jessie') on the performance of quinoa in northeast England over three seasons (2016)(2017)(2018). Grain yield was about 1 Mg ha −1 on average across all treatments, associated with poor crop establishment (56.6%) and a prolonged crop growth cycle (165 d). The highest grain yield of 1.70 Mg ha −1 was achieved from the late-maturing variety Atlas in 2017, which was also supported by the highest harvest index and yield components. Grain yield, protein content, and Zn concentration were all significantly higher for the late sowing, whereas total antioxidant concentration was significantly higher in response to the early sowing date. Grain Zn (43.8 mg kg −1 ), Fe (123.1 mg kg −1 ), and protein (13.4%) concentrations were higher on average than those reported for major cereals with particularly high protein (14.8%) and Zn (63.8 mg kg −1 ) concentrations achieved in 2017. Despite the relatively low yield, varietal differences in crop yield and development can be targeted for future crop improvements to suit the cool temperate climate of northeast England. INTRODUCTIONQuinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has been identified by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations as one of the crops destined to offer food security in the next century and the year 2013 was designated as the International Year of Quinoa because of its potential contribution to sustainable food production . Quinoa grain has a range of nutritional benefits, including its gluten-free status, low glycemic index, and good balance of essential amino acids, fiber, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are increasing the demand for quinoa products globally (Alvarez-Jubete et al., 2010; Angioloni & Abbreviations: HI, harvest index; TGW, thousand-grain weight.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

New strategies to address world food security and elimination of malnutrition: future role of coarse cereals in human health

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