Читать книгу Quinoa - Atul Bhargava - Страница 46

The main breeding goals in Europe were adaptation to local climatic conditions, improvement of the agronomic performance as a seed crop with respect to early maturity, uniformity, seed yield and seed weight, as well as qualitative research on starch, protein and saponin content in the seeds (Risi and Galwey, 1989b; Jacobsen and Stølen, 1993; Limburg and Mastebroek, 1997; Mastebroek and Limburg, 1997; Mastebroek et al., 2002). Research in Sweden and Denmark concentrated on breeding for fodder quality (Carlsson, 1980; Haaber, 1991).

Quinoa was introduced to England in the 1970s and to Denmark shortly after. In 1993, a project titled ‘Quinoa: a multipurpose crop for EC’s agricultural diversification’ was initiated in the European Union (Jacobsen, 2003). The project envisaged setting up laboratories in Scotland and France, and field trials in England, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. Quinoa has been cultivated in Denmark on a small-scale and experimental basis since the late 1980s. Trials in Denmark have demonstrated seed yields of 2–3 t/ha with 12–16% protein and 6–8% oil contents. Seed yields, however, have varied considerably between years and locations, because the establishment of the crop, weed control, harvest and post-harvest techniques have not yet been optimized. Quinoa’s experiment in Polish conditions seems to be satisfactory (Gęsiński and Kwiatkowska, 1999a, 1999b; Gęsiński, 2000, 2001). Field trials of 24 quinoa cultivars were conducted in north-west Poland in 1998 (Gęsiński, 2001). Some cultivars showed good potential for cultivation under the climatic and soil conditions in Poland despite being sown 2 months after the supposed optimal date. Field examinations of American and European cultivars in 1999–2001 at Chrzastowo (Poland) have revealed that the European cultivar had a short compact inflorescence with a short flowering period, reaching 120 cm as compared to the American cultivar that showed a slower growth, loose long inflorescence and long period of flowering (Gęsiński, 2006). The study concluded that adequate growth, the course of flowering and a stable yield of the European cultivar make the group ideal for cultivation under Polish conditions.

In Italy and Greece, Danish quinoa has given the best yield. In Greece the suitability of grain quinoa for agriculture has been experimentally tested since 1995 (Karyotis et al., 1996, Iliadis et al., 1997). Field experiments were carried out to test the adaptation of quinoa to Greek soils in loamy, well-drained soils classified as ‘Inceptisol’ and in heavy textured soils, classified as ‘Vertrisol’. The results showed that a wide range of soils seem to be suitable for cultivation of quinoa. Heavy soils could be used for cultivation of the crop, even at pH values as high as 7.5. Quinoa has also been evaluated in Sweden as a source for leaf protein concentrate (Carlsson, 1980; Carlsson et al., 1984). The suitability of quinoa for southern Italy was evaluated in Vitulazio, Italy in a 2-year field trial (2006–2007) under rain-fed conditions (Pulvento et al., 2010). Two quinoa genotypes, KVLQ520Y and Regalona Baer, were compared for yield and two sowing dates. The results showed that April was the best sowing time for quinoa in the typical Mediterranean region. Of the two genotypes, Regalona Baer recorded better growth and productivity, apparently being more tolerant to abiotic stress (high temperatures associated with water stress). Chemical analyses reveal the potential of quinoa seed as a valuable ingredient in the preparation of cereal foods, having improved nutritional characteristics.