EVALUATION OF QUINOA GERMPLASM IN ENVIRONMENTS OF THE CENTRAL HIGH-VALLEY LANDS OF MEXICO

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop that grows under conditions of environmental stress, has high nutritional value, and agronomic potential. It is grown and marketed on a small scale in Mexico. However, there are no varieties or technology for its production. The objective of this research was to determine the performance of quinoa germplasm in the Central high-valley lands of Mexico. Sixteen genotypes of different origins and characteristics were evaluated in three environments in the localities of Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala; and Santa Lucía de Prías, Texcoco, State of Mexico. Statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found for genotypes. Late genotypes Suyana, Suma, Pata de Venado, Blanca Ayacucho, and Huauzontle showed higher grain yield (4004.9, 3888.3, 3091.1, 2999.7, and 2967.2 kg ha-1, respectively). Among the intermediate genotypes, Tokio rosa and Pasankalla reventona were the better with 2858.4 and 2118.4 kg ha-1, respectively. Whereas among the early genotypes, Tarpuna had the highest grain yield (3005.8 kg ha-1). Regarding seed diameter, only Huauzontle and Quinoa negra had a seed size equal to or smaller than 1.8 mm; the rest of the genotypes can be marketed as grains because of their seed size. Of the environments evaluated, the least favourable was Nanacamilpa 2019, while Santa Lucía de Prías 2019 was the most favourable environment. Overall, the performance of the evaluated genotypes was as expected, as they mostly come from the Inter-Andean Valleys region, which are very similar in altitude and temperature to the Central high-valley lands of Mexico.