Thesis
Evolutionary participatory quinoa breeding for organic agroecosystems in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2017
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101783
Abstract
Consumer demand for ancient grains has grown in recent years, and so has farmer interest in growing crops such as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). Quinoa has a short history of production, research, and breeding in the United States (US). This leaves US organic farmers with few adapted commercially available quinoa varieties. To develop heterogeneous populations and uniform varieties of quinoa adapted to organic agroecosystems in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States (US), the first study included regional organic farmers in the breeding process. Separate trials were designed to test if 1) yield is increased with participatory selection on heterogeneous quinoa populations and 2) the yield and agronomic performance of breeding lines selected by farmers and researchers surpass the performance of a commonly grown variety. In 2015, using an evolutionary participatory breeding (EPB) method, participatory selection occurred on six bi-parental quinoa populations. In 2015 and 2016, the populations were evaluated in a split-plot randomized complete block design (RCBD). In 2016, participatory single plant selections were planted as breeding lines on three certified organic farms in western Washington State. A farmer-driven selection index was developed to determine the five best performing breeding lines for each location. Nine unique breeding lines outperforming the commonly grown variety 'Cherry Vanilla' were selected. In 2016, the EPB method resulted in yields higher than the evolutionary breeding (EB) method and two populations overyielded the parental variety 'Black'. The goal of the second study was to construct a pre-breeding trial that assessed colonization rates of quinoa roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This study used a diverse set of ten quinoa genotypes, six AMF species, and two AMF commercial inoculant products. The results indicate little to no quinoa root colonization by AMF when grown under greenhouse conditions. There was no effect by AMF inoculant on leaf greenness. AMF inoculant had a significant effect on plant height at harvest and a marginally significant effect on shoot dry weight. Finally, the third paper is a Washington State University (WSU) Extension Fact Sheet written as a guide to growing quinoa in home gardens in the PNW.
Metrics
84 File views/ downloads
44 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Evolutionary participatory quinoa breeding for organic agroecosystems in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
- Creators
- Julianne Alexis Kellogg
- Contributors
- Kevin Murphy (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Crop and Soil Sciences, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525291801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis