AUTHOR=McGinty Emma M. , Craine Evan B. , Miller Nathan D. , Ocana-Gallegos Cristina , Spalding Edgar P. , Murphy Kevin M. , Hauvermale Amber L. 

TITLE=Evaluating relationships between seed morphological traits and seed dormancy in Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1161165

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1161165

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Quinoa is a high-value, nutritious crop that performs well in variable environments, marginal soils, and in diverse crop rotations. Quinoa's many attributes make it an ideal crop for supporting human health in global communities and economies. To date, quinoa research has largely focused on traits in adult plants important for enhancing plant phenotypic plasticity, abiotic stress, disease resistance, and yield. Fewer studies have evaluated quinoa seed dormancy and suggest that most modern quinoa varieties have weak or no seed dormancy, and a narrow window of seed viability post-harvest. In other crops, diminished seed dormancy is a major risk factor for preharvest sprouting (PHS; germination on the panicle prior to harvest) and may also pose a similar risk for quiona. For these reasons, this study aimed to: (1) develop a dormancy screening assay to characterize seed dormancy strength in a large collection of quinoa varieties,(2) investigate if morphological variables including seed coat color, seed coat thickness, seed shape including eccentricity which evaluates the roundness or flatness of a seed, and other agronomic traits like crude protein content and seed moisture, contribute to quinoa seed dormancy, and (3) to evaluate the use of a phenetic modeling approach to explore relationships between seed morphology and seed dormancy. The results of dormancy screening indicate seed dormancy ranges in quinoa varieties from none to strong dormancy. And while dormancy screening does not provide a direct solution to preventing PHS in quinoa, it does provide a new tool for identifying dormant varieties. Further, results from phenetic modeling approaches indicate that seed coat thickness and eccentricity are important morphological variables that impact quinoa seed dormancy strength.