Germination responses of black quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) accessions under saline conditions

Diaz-Saucedo Y.; Calderon-Damian N.; Julca-Celiz N.; Baldera-Chapoñan V.-H.; Munoz-Salas M.N.; Chavez S.G.; Lozano-Isla F. · Frontiers in Agronomy (2026) · DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2026.1860002

Resumen

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is recognized for its tolerance to abiotic stress; however, germination is one of the most sensitive stages to salinity. This study evaluated the germination response of 21 black-seeded quinoa accessions from the germplasm bank of the Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (Peru) to identify genotypes with enhanced tolerance during germination. A randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement with 21 accessions × 5 NaCl concentrations: 0, 125, 250, 375, and 500 mM and four replicates was implemented. Germination was monitored daily for 8 days, and estimates of the germination indices including germination percentage (GRP), mean germination time (MGT), germination speed (GSP), and synchrony (GSY) were obtained. Seed biometric traits were also evaluated. Increasing salinity significantly reduced germination performance across accessions. Germination percentage declined from values above 90% under control conditions to as low as 21–33% at 500 mM in sensitive accessions, while tolerant genotypes such as UNTRM-367–1093 maintained high germination percentages (92.5%) even under maximum salinity conditions. Mean germination time increased from ca. 1.3 days at 0 mM to 5.5 days at 500 mM, whereas germination speed decreased from values up to 100 to 18 under high salinity. Germination synchrony also declined from 1.0 to 0.1. Multivariate analysis and hierarchical clustering at 375 mM distinguished tolerant, intermediate, and sensitive groups. Accessions UNTRM-367-1093, UNTRM-367-1118, and UNTRM-367–1014 exhibited superior and stable performance under salinity stress. These results demonstrate variability within black quinoa germplasm and support its use in breeding programs targeting salt-affected environments. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas