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This group of quinoas show characteristics specific to their environment, which includes an average annual rainfall of about 500–650 mm spread over 4–5 months and a high evapotranspiration index (Bazile et al., 2010; Núñez et al., 2010). The plants are adapted to salty and sandy soils. Small-scale farmers maintain this quinoa in marginal conditions along with other crops such as cereals. In the south of Chile, Mapuche women conserve a high diversity of landraces in home gardens, associated with cultural uses (Aleman et al., 2010; Thomet et al., 2010).

These quinoas have medium branched plants, with glomerular panicles, and are salt-tolerant with small leaves. All of them have small and hard grain, usually protected by a perigonium that strongly adheres to the grain. The plants are resistant to excessive moisture, some of them growing in areas with over 2000 mm of annual rainfall, such as the Precordillera. In the southern region of Chile, these quinoas are called Kinwa or Dawe (Sepúlveda et al., 2004). These types have various uses as food, for example, in preparing beverages, and the grain flour is sometimes cooked in water or with soup.

Examples of landraces include: Quinoa blanca in the central zone of Chile; Kinwa mapuche, Lito, Faro, Islunga in Temuco and Valdivia, Chile. Currently Altiplano and valley varieties have adapted perfectly to the Peruvian coast, using drip and sprinkler irrigation, obtaining yields of 7.5 t/ha.