Abstract
Quinoa is a self-pollinating species with very small flowers, which hinders efficiency in crossbreeding. Therefore, developing an efficient crossbreeding method should be considered an important step for breeding programs. In this regard, the objective of this study was to obtain hybrids, estimate the rate of natural hybridization, and estimate genetic parameters and agronomic characteristics of the F2 generation. Crossbreeding assays were set up in three environments with four parents, using two methodologies, pot planting and field planting. Morphological markers were used to identify the hybrids, which were self-pollinated to obtain the F2 generation. The results indicated that cross-pollination ranged from 3.81% to 19.88% depending on the planting methodology. The presence of pigmentation was dominant compared to its absence. The most prominent hybrid was obtained from the cross P88 x BX4, showing grain yield of 3000 kg ha-1. Broad-sense heritability was identified with values exceeding 81.27% for all variables.
Keywords:
Chenopodium quinoa; genetic parameters; quinoa genetic improvement