Initiation of a breeding program for quinoa production in Ontario

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Concerns with purity, quality and access to quinoa from South America have boosted interest in locally grown quinoa as a seed and functional food ingredient. In addition, the burgeoning demand for quinoa seeds and functional food products has increased rapidly over the past five years, with Canadian sales increasing by 58% and Ontario currently importing over $33M worth of quinoa for use as a cereal alternative and functional food ingredient. The demand in North America is far exceeding the supply available from the crop's native origins of Bolivia and Peru. Katan Kitchens has been the driver behind researching quinoa production in Ontario over the past four years in order to expand the opportunity and revenue potential for producers across Ontario. With sound knowledge on the best agronomic practices for commercial quinoa production, the company is now seeking to initiate a breeding program for their quinoa varieties in order to increase and stabilize crop yields. The breeding program will identify plant characteristics that are most favourable for commercial production of quinoa in Ontario by decreasing the susceptibility to lodging, pests and diseases, and increasing environmental adaptation. This project allows an opportunity to initiate development of a new crop for Ontario that will help to diversify agriculture and provide a high demand, high return crop alternative for producers. Developing a breeding program to select for the most beneficial plant characteristics for commercial production will aid in creating an even more attractive financial model for producers seeking to grow quinoa commercially in Ontario, as it presents less variability in crop production and increases crop yields, resulting in increased revenues for farmers.