ADAPTATION OF QUINOA (CHENOPODIUM-QUINOA) TO NORTHERN EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE - STUDIES ON DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN

Developmental patterns were studied in five groups of quinoa lines fro m different maturity classes in three years, and measured on five occa sions between bud formation and seed set. Knowledge of how the develop mental stage develops through the growing season is of importance in t he breeding and selection of quinoa lines. Ranking of lines for earlin ess was consistent over growing seasons, and therefore it was conclude d that selection for earliness could be performed at an early stage, i .e. the beginning of July. A growing period greater than 150 days woul d normally be regarded as too long and risky in Northern Europe, but i n the three years under investigation it was possible to harvest lines of the green type with a longer growing period. The total growing per iod for the lines tested ranged from 109 to 182 days. The vegetative p hase and the total growth period were significantly longer for green t ypes than seed types in all years. Duration of the seed set period dif fered between seed and green types, and between years. In the spring a nd early summer of the drought year, 1992, both vegetative and seed se t periods were shorter than for the other years. It must be concluded that seed types originating from Chile were adapted for growth under N orth European conditions. Although seed harvest of green types can occ ur in Denmark, they should preferably be grown at a more southerly lat itude.