The Situation for Quinoa and Its Production in Southern Bolivia: From Economic Success to Environmental Disaster

In Bolivia, one of the world’s most important centres of plant domestication, there is growing awareness of the value of native Andean crops, both for domestic consumption and for market sale – notably the virtually boom‐like consumer demand for quinoa around the world. The southern altiplano of Bolivia, south of Oruro, relies almost purely on the production of quinoa and breeding of llamas, which have also been selected as the two commodities of priority to the government to increase the income of the country. Presently, however, quinoa is facing increasing problems in production, owing to its increasing export market and price. The flat areas around the salt desert of the southern altiplano, previously characterized by natural vegetation fed by the llamas, are being increasingly sown with quinoa, hence transformed into deserts, because intensive cultivation methods make the soil loose its fertility. Possible solutions to these problems will require extensive efforts in the south, in addition to various strategies, which also include other parts of the Bolivian altiplano and a strengthened focus on other Andean crops.     

The Sustainability of Quinoa Production in Southern Bolivia: from Misrepresentations to Questionable Solutions. Comments on Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390–399)

Reviewing the situation of quinoa production in southern Bolivia, Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390) argues that the booming export market has a negative effect on the environment and on the home consumption of quinoa, thereby leading to an environmental disaster in the region. In view of the scarcity of scientific knowledge on the rapid social and environmental dynamics in the region, we consider that Jacobsen’s review misrepresents the situation of quinoa production in southern Bolivia. Specifically, we argue that (i) the data presented by Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390) do not support any drop in quinoa crop yield supposed to reflect soil degradation and (ii) his demonstration regarding home consumption of quinoa is ill‐founded from both a nutritional and a cultural point of view. We suggest that the diffusion of the arguments exposed by Jacobsen (2011, J. Agron. Crop Sci. 197: 390), because of their flaws, might have strong negative impacts on those concerned with sustainable food production and fair‐trade with developing countries. We conclude that, rather than reinforced agro‐technical controls on local farmers, the rising competition in the international quinoa market requires a shift towards an ethical economy and ethical research cooperation with quinoa producers.     

藜麦叶片黄酮类物质的提取及基因型差异

为了优化藜麦Chenopodium quinoa叶片黄酮的乙醇提取工艺和分析基因型间的差异,为藜麦黄酮的开发和高黄酮的品种筛选提供理论依据,采用3因子3水平正交试验设计,探讨了乙醇体积分数、料液比和浸提时间等因素对藜麦叶片黄酮提取率的影响;并采用最佳提取条件,对10个不同基因型品种藜麦的叶片黄酮得率进行了比较分析。结果表明:藜麦叶片黄酮最佳提取条件为体积分数70%乙醇,1∶40料液比,80℃水浴下回流浸提0.5 h。在优化条件下,1次提取工艺得率达85%以上。各因素对叶片黄酮提取率的影响程度依次为:浸提时间>乙醇体积分数>料液比。比较结果发现:藜麦叶片黄酮得率存在明显基因型差异,其中品种PI814932的叶片黄酮类物质得率最高,达0.933%。所测藜麦品种的叶片黄酮平均得率为0.619%,变异系数为34.44%。研究表明:乙醇回流法适于提取藜麦总黄酮类化合物。     

“粮食之母”、“超级食物”——藜麦“落户”青海

藜麦(Chenopodium quinoa)为藜科(Chenopodiaceae)藜属(Chenopodium)的1年生草本植物,原产于南美洲的安第斯山脉,以其极高的营养价值和多种开发利用价值近年来引起人们的普遍关注。2014年,在青海西宁、乌兰、德令哈和格尔木市进行了适应性种植,长势良好,丰收在望。     

Effects of Salinity and Soil–Drying on Radiation Use Efficiency,Water Productivity and Yield of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Drought and salinity reduce crop productivity especially in arid and semi‐arid regions, and finding a crop which produces yield under these adverse conditions is therefore very important. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is such a crop. Hence, a study was conducted in field lysimeters to investigate the effect of salinity and soil–drying on radiation use efficiency, yield and water productivity of quinoa. Quinoa was exposed to five salinity levels (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 dS m^?1) of irrigation water from flower initiation onwards. During the seed‐filling phase the five salinity levels were divided between two levels of irrigation, either full irrigation (FI; 95 % of field capacity) or non‐irrigated progressive drought (PD). The intercepted photosynthetically active radiation was hardly affected by salinity (8 % decrease at 40 dS m^?1) and did not differ significantly between FI and PD. Radiation use efficiency of dry matter was similar between salinity levels and between FI and PD. In line with this, no negative effect of severe salinity and soil–drying on total dry matter could be detected. Salinity levels between 20 and 40 dS m^?1 significantly reduced the seed yield by ca. 33 % compared with 0 dS m^?1 treatment owing to a 15–30 % reduction in seed number per m², whereas the seed yield of PD was 8 % less than FI. Consequently, nitrogen harvested in seed was decreased by salinity although the total N‐uptake was increased. Both salinity and drought increased the water productivity of dry matter. Increasing salinity from 20 to 40 dS m^?1 did not further decrease the seed number per m² and seed yield, which shows that quinoa (cv. Titicaca) acclimated to saline conditions when exposed to salinity levels between 20 and 40 dS m^?1.     

Electrophoretic Characterization of Quinoa Seed Proteins

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an important domesticated food crop of the Andean highlands with potential as an alternative crop elsewhere. Among its most attractive characteristics are the quantity and favorable amino acid balance of the seed proteins. The objective of this study was to characterize quinoa seed proteins by electrophoretic mobility, solubility fractionation, and genetic variability from a wide genetic base. Electrophoretic profiles of denatured albumin, globulin, prolamin, and glutelin solubility fractions demonstrated that quinoa seed polypeptides could be classified as either albumin or globulin with most predominant polypeptides in the globulin fraction. Insignificant amounts of protein were present in the prolamin fraction and all polypeptides in the glutelin fraction had identical electrophoretic mobilities to albumins and globulins. Three globulin polypeptides of 34.3, 35.6, and 36.2 kilodaltons in size were highly variable within and among the accessions examined and appear to be coded by at least two loci. Two-dimensional peptide mapping revealed that these three polypeptides were homologous. These highly variable markers could be used for identification and classification of germplasm and elucidation of systematics and genetic variability within the quinoa germplasm pool. All other major polypeptides were electrophoretically invariant among the accessions examined.     

昆诺阿藜(Chenopodium quinoa Willd)萌发期耐盐性测定

本试验对早熟昆诺阿藜和晚熟昆诺阿藜萌发期的耐盐性进行了测定。经多种测验,结果表明这2个品种的昆诺阿藜在萌发期均具有较强的耐盐性。通过与沙打旺和草原1号苜蓿的对比试验,表明其耐盐性强弱依次为晚熟昆诺阿藜>早熟昆诺阿藜>沙打旺>草原1号苜蓿。     

Genotype × Environment Interaction in the Andean Grain Crop Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) in Temperate Environments

Ten varieties of quinoa with origins ranging from latitude 39° S to 12° S and from sea level to an altitude of 3,800 m were grown on two soil types in two years in Cambridgeshire, England, in order to assess the extent and nature of genotype × environment (G × E) interactions and identify genotypes suited for cultivation at temperate latitudes. There was evidence that varieties differed in their susceptibility to water logging during germination. Plant height was strongly influenced by competition with weeds, and varieties differed in their susceptibility to this. The number of days to anthesis and to maturity were strongly dependent on the variety, but these periods were generally longer following an earlier sowing. The grain yield was also strongly dependent on the variety, but weed competition, a micronutrient deficiency and bird damage affected the varieties differently. Varieties originating at high latitudes gave the highest yields, about 5,000 kg/ha. Earliness and yield were strongly associated at the level of variety means, but the pattern of G × E interaction differed among the variables measured.     

Effects of quinoa hull meal on piglet performance and intestinal epithelial physiology

Saponin-containing feed additives have shown positive effects on pig performance. Quinoa hull has high saponin content and may be of interest as a feed additive. This study aimed to evaluate quinoa hull meal (QHM) as a feed additive in a pig diet. The effects of QHM were assessed for three dosages of South American (SA) origin (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) and one dosage of Danish (DK) quinoa (300 mg/kg). In addition, the effect of dietary SA-QHM and SA-QHM-extract on jejunal epithelial physiology was studied ex vivo in Ussing chambers. The experiment included 400 piglets weaned at 28 ± 2 days of age and the experimental period was 4 weeks. Piglets were weighed initially and finally and feed intake registered. The ex vivo studies were performed with epithelium from 40 pigs receiving control or SA-QHM. Epithelium from each pig was placed into eight Ussing chambers, where four concentrations of SA-QHM-extract were added. Epithelial permeability, Na(+)-dependent glucose transport and serotonin (5-HT) and theophylline-induced secretion were measured. The results showed that QHM had no influence on piglet's growth (p = 0.41) or feed intake (p = 0.17). In spite of a large difference in saponin content between SA-QHM and DK-QHM (28.7% and 2.0% w/w respectively) the source did not affect pig performance. The ex vivo studies revealed no effect (p > 0.05) of adding QHM-extract into the medium. The permeability and glucose induced absorption were highest (p = 0.003 and p = 0.04 respectively) in epithelium from pigs that consumed 100 or 300 mg/kg SA-QHM. The secretory response to 5-HT was not affected (p = 0.59) by dietary treatments, but the theophylline-induced secretion decreased (p = 0.02) with increasing dietary SA-QHM. The changes in epithelial physiology measured ex vivo did not affect animal performance in vivo in this study.