A microcalorimetric study of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. seed germination

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an ancestral crop from the Andes of S outh America. Due to its high nutritional value, several countries started to promote research to develop quinoa as a new crop. One of quinoa problems is the poor germinability of their seeds. In this investigation, isothermal microcalorimetry is used as a monitor of two cultivars (cv. Robura and cv. Sajama) of quinoa seed germination. Resul ts are compared with seed imbibition measurements. The optimum temperature of germination for seeds, cv. Robura was 25 degrees C. A higher rate of ger mination is observed for seeds cv. Sajama at 25 degrees C attributed to a h igher rate of water uptake during the first 15 min. The enthalpy due to hyd ration of quinoa seeds was determined to be -16.6 J g(-1) (seed) for both c ultivars corresponding to a moisture content of 0.27. The estimated enthalp ies, until the moment that the first root protrudes, are coincident for see ds of both cultivars. The same behaviour is observed with the estimated ent halpies of germination. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.