GENETIC PARAMETERS AND SELECTION CRITERIA IN QUINOA

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop with a high nutritional and agronomic potential, it can be sown under conditions of environmental stress. Nowadays quinoa is cultivated on a small scale in Mexico, however, production technology and improved varieties are available yet. In order to establish the foundations for selection and genetic improvement in Mexico, 16 genotypes of different origins were evaluated and characteristics, in six environments that represent the environmental variability of the Central High Valleys of Mexico. Proportion of the different sources of variation was determined: genetic, environmental and genotype interaction x environment, heritability, response to selection and phenotypic correlations between morphological characters, yield and its components were determined. Of 15 variables evaluated in thousand grain weight effects and grain filling period, the genetic effects were the most important; while, for plant height at flowering, harvest rate, stem diameter the environmental effects were the most relevant. In interaction genotype x environment did not exceed 20% in the 15 variables.  The highest additive variance, heritability and selection criteria were high for grains per square meter, yield, weight of thousand grains, grain filling period and panicle emergence; and the greatest association of variables with grain yield was had with stem diameter, plant height at maturity, grains per square meter and yield per day, grain filling period and panicle emergence, so they can be used as indirect selection criteria for performance.