NWREC - Mt. Vernon
Early Quinoa Trials in the Skagit Valley
Quinoa experimentation within the Sustainable Seed Systems Lab (SSSL) lead by Dr. Kevin Murphy began in 2011 and has continued since then with trials across Washington State and internationally in Ecuador and Rwanda. Prior to 2018, most of the SSSL quinoa breeding nurseries and variety trials were located in Whitman County, WA with additional trials in western Washington, primarily hosted by farmer cooperators on the Olympic Peninsula. After several years of inconsistent quinoa seed set in Whitman County, the decision was made to move the primary breeding nurseries and variety trials to the NWREC where it was hypothesized that quinoa seed set would be more reliable.
Quinoa experimentation within the Sustainable Seed Systems Lab (SSSL) lead by Dr. Kevin Murphy began in 2011 and has continued since then with trials across Washington State and internationally in Ecuador and Rwanda. Prior to 2018, most of the SSSL quinoa breeding nurseries and variety trials were located in Whitman County, WA with additional trials in western Washington, primarily hosted by farmer cooperators on the Olympic Peninsula. After several years of inconsistent quinoa seed set in Whitman County, the decision was made to move the primary breeding nurseries and variety trials to the NWREC where it was hypothesized that quinoa seed set would be more reliable.
2018 Season
In 2018 the inaugural NWREC quinoa variety trials produced a mean seed yield of 2800 lbs/acre with several entries exceeding 3500 lbs/acre across both conventional and organic variety trials. Prior to these trials, the highest yield ever recorded by a SSSL quinoa variety trial in Whitman County was 1038 lbs/acre for a single entry. As a comparison, quinoa yields in North America are often less than 1000 lbs/acre and a yield of 2000 lbs/acre is considered a quality yield. Traditional quinoa production in South America also generally yields less than 1000 lbs/acre with the exception of high-input quinoa production systems in coastal Peru that report yearly yields of 3500-5300 lbs/acre of double-cropped quinoa.
In 2018 the inaugural NWREC quinoa variety trials produced a mean seed yield of 2800 lbs/acre with several entries exceeding 3500 lbs/acre across both conventional and organic variety trials. Prior to these trials, the highest yield ever recorded by a SSSL quinoa variety trial in Whitman County was 1038 lbs/acre for a single entry. As a comparison, quinoa yields in North America are often less than 1000 lbs/acre and a yield of 2000 lbs/acre is considered a quality yield. Traditional quinoa production in South America also generally yields less than 1000 lbs/acre with the exception of high-input quinoa production systems in coastal Peru that report yearly yields of 3500-5300 lbs/acre of double-cropped quinoa.
2019 Season
These 2018 results demonstrated the exceptional potential that the Skagit Valley may offer for quinoa production. However, these results must be contrasted with our results for 2019. In 2019, all of the quinoa variety trials and breeding nurseries were uniformly lost to pre-harvest sprouting when heavy rains arrived in mid-September. The potential for late season rain in the Skagit Valley tempers the potential of this region for quinoa production, especially considering that many existing quinoa varieties and germplasm currently take in excess of 120 days from planting to harvest. To reduce the risk of pre-harvest sprouting in Skagit Valley quinoa or anywhere within the maritime climates of the Pacific Northwest, there is a substantial need to develop new quinoa varieties that offer earlier maturation and pre-harvest sprouting resistance.
These 2018 results demonstrated the exceptional potential that the Skagit Valley may offer for quinoa production. However, these results must be contrasted with our results for 2019. In 2019, all of the quinoa variety trials and breeding nurseries were uniformly lost to pre-harvest sprouting when heavy rains arrived in mid-September. The potential for late season rain in the Skagit Valley tempers the potential of this region for quinoa production, especially considering that many existing quinoa varieties and germplasm currently take in excess of 120 days from planting to harvest. To reduce the risk of pre-harvest sprouting in Skagit Valley quinoa or anywhere within the maritime climates of the Pacific Northwest, there is a substantial need to develop new quinoa varieties that offer earlier maturation and pre-harvest sprouting resistance.
2021 Season - Variety Trial
With these and other goals in mind, the SSSL currently has three different quinoa trials at the NWREC. These include a replicated variety trial composed primarily of SSSL experimental lines developed through a participatory breeding project conducted by SSSL graduate student Julianne Kellogg and potential quinoa growers on the Olympic Peninsula. In addition to being harvested for yield and agronomic data, seed from this trial will be phenotyped for nutritional quality at a nutritional phenotyping lab recently installed by the SSSL at the WSU Pullman campus. At this facility, an Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer is available to measure seed mineral content and an NIR spectrometer that has been calibrated to measure the amino acid composition of quinoa protein is also available. A primary driver of quinoa consumption is the nutritional quality of quinoa seed, in particular the high lysine content and balanced amino acid profile of its protein content. It is essential that as new varieties and agronomic recommendations are developed, that the unique nutritional qualities of quinoa are maintained.
With these and other goals in mind, the SSSL currently has three different quinoa trials at the NWREC. These include a replicated variety trial composed primarily of SSSL experimental lines developed through a participatory breeding project conducted by SSSL graduate student Julianne Kellogg and potential quinoa growers on the Olympic Peninsula. In addition to being harvested for yield and agronomic data, seed from this trial will be phenotyped for nutritional quality at a nutritional phenotyping lab recently installed by the SSSL at the WSU Pullman campus. At this facility, an Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer is available to measure seed mineral content and an NIR spectrometer that has been calibrated to measure the amino acid composition of quinoa protein is also available. A primary driver of quinoa consumption is the nutritional quality of quinoa seed, in particular the high lysine content and balanced amino acid profile of its protein content. It is essential that as new varieties and agronomic recommendations are developed, that the unique nutritional qualities of quinoa are maintained.
Planting Date and Management Trial
A second trial is being conducted by Rachel Breslauer, a PhD student within the SSSL, to measure how yield, protein content, and protein quality in quinoa vary based on the interactions of planting date, variety choice, and fertility management. The reported nutritional quality of quinoa is based on a small body of literature, and little is known about how genotypes, environments, and management interact to affect quinoa nutritional quality. However, emerging research is showing that nutritionally significant changes are observed in quinoa protein quality across these variables. The planting date treatments for this trial span mid-April to mid-May, three varieties with different maturities are being used, and Urea was surface applied to achieve three different pre-plant N treatments (84 kg N ha-1, 106 kg N ha-1, 129 kg N ha -1). Additionally, air temperature, soil moisture, and inorganic N content are being measured across the growing season as additional environmental variables. This trial was first conducted in 2020 and is being repeated for 2021.
A second trial is being conducted by Rachel Breslauer, a PhD student within the SSSL, to measure how yield, protein content, and protein quality in quinoa vary based on the interactions of planting date, variety choice, and fertility management. The reported nutritional quality of quinoa is based on a small body of literature, and little is known about how genotypes, environments, and management interact to affect quinoa nutritional quality. However, emerging research is showing that nutritionally significant changes are observed in quinoa protein quality across these variables. The planting date treatments for this trial span mid-April to mid-May, three varieties with different maturities are being used, and Urea was surface applied to achieve three different pre-plant N treatments (84 kg N ha-1, 106 kg N ha-1, 129 kg N ha -1). Additionally, air temperature, soil moisture, and inorganic N content are being measured across the growing season as additional environmental variables. This trial was first conducted in 2020 and is being repeated for 2021.
Nursery
The third quinoa trial is a headrow nursery composed of three different types of materials; individual plant selections derived from SSSL experimental lines in 2020, new F4 breeding populations, and a small C. quinoa x C. berlandieri interspecific population. The primary selection goal of this headrow nursery is to identify new genotypes that provide earlier maturity while maintaining or enhancing agronomic quality or providing new phenotypes. The F4 populations and the interspecific population are derived from germplasm that has never been used within our program and are a part of an effort to increase the diversity within our breeding program. Germplasm diversity for quinoa breeding in the United States, or indeed anywhere outside of South America is very limited. It is estimated that there are over 5,000 unique accessions in South American germplasm collections, however the USDA National Plant Germplasm System C. quinoa collection is currently limited to 165 active accessions. |
|