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Thesis
EVALUATION OF THE ADAPTABILITY AND ADOPTION OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) AS A NEW CROP IN DIFFERENT AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF RWANDA AND THE ANALYSIS OF G x E EFFECT ON NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF VARIOUS QUINOA VARIETIES
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2025
Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a nutritionally valuable crop with various applications in food production and consumption. Its drought tolerance makes it an essential
supplementary crop to maize, which is the predominant crop in Rwanda. To explore quinoa's
potential and gather information on the agronomic performance of different quinoa genotypes
within Rwandan production systems, thirty quinoa accessions were planted in the mother trial,
and eight quinoa accessions were planted in the baby trial in Rwanda.
In Chapter Two, we analyzed samples to assess key agronomic traits—grain yield,
emergence, days to flowering, maturity, and plant height—over a three-year study from 2021 to
2023 using a mother-baby experimental design. The aim of the study was to (i) identify quinoa
genotypes with high agronomic performance across various environments and (ii) collaborate
with quinoa farmers to identify priority traits for variety selection and development. This
collaboration between quinoa researchers and growers led to the official release of three new
quinoa varieties: Shisha, Gikungu, and Cougar. We recommend further research to continue
assessing regional adaptability and to evaluate a range of quinoa performances across various
environments nationwide.
In Chapter Three, samples were analyzed for protein content, content of the nine essential
amino acids, and mineral concentration, including calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe),
manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). The study aimed to establish a baseline for the nutritional
quality of quinoa grown in Rwanda and to test the hypothesis that these samples contain
sufficient essential amino acids and minerals to meet the daily requirements set by the World
Health Organization. The results indicated that the mean values of essential amino acids met the
daily requirements for both infants and adults, except for lysine in infants and leucine in all age
groups. These findings underscore the significant nutritional potential of quinoa and highlight the
urgent need for higher-quality data on its mineral composition. Furthermore, all tested varieties
from both trials meet the recommended average daily iron intake. Several significant correlations
were found between various minerals and other nutritional components. These insights enable us
to leverage quinoa to enhance health and nutrition in Rwanda and beyond.
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Details
- Title
- EVALUATION OF THE ADAPTABILITY AND ADOPTION OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) AS A NEW CROP IN DIFFERENT AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF RWANDA AND THE ANALYSIS OF G x E EFFECT ON NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF VARIOUS QUINOA VARIETIES
- Creators
- Olivier NDAYIRAMIJE
- Contributors
- Kevin M Murphy (Advisor)Micaela R Colley (Committee Member)Catherine A Perillo (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 190
- Identifiers
- 99901357597401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis