Characterizing genotype, environment and their interaction on the grain composition and nutritional attributes of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

藜麦是一种原产于南美洲的伪谷物（谷物），在印加文明的饮食中形成了重要组成部分。在过去的二十年里，藜麦在世界范围内获得了相当大的兴趣，因为它能够在不利的条件下高产生长，并且藜麦谷物的营养成分上级大多数谷物。藜麦通常以类似于大米的方式食用，但藜麦具有类似于小麦的更高的谷物蛋白质浓度。藜麦蛋白质富含必需氨基酸，如所有谷物中都缺乏的赖氨酸。 藜麦蛋白质已与酪蛋白或牛奶蛋白进行比较。藜麦谷物还显示出淀粉组成和结构的广泛多样性，这影响其消化率，并随后影响人体葡萄糖的可用性和血糖指数。北方藜麦生产公司（NQPC，NorQuin）是一家专业谷物和食品加工公司，总部设在萨斯喀彻温省萨斯卡通，专注于开发新的藜麦品种，其谷物成分有利于人类健康，并提供食品和营养安全。拟议的研究将研究基因型x环境相互作用与藜麦谷物成分的关系，为加拿大西部开发新的藜麦品种。另一个目标是表征给谷物带来苦味的藜麦皂苷，以便在新品种中减少该成分。 通过测序进行的基因分型将用于开发DNA标记，以加速新Qunioa品种的开发，并增加健康益处。该项目的成功完成将为加拿大和国际消费者的饮食提供一种新的谷物。 饮食多样性是实现营养安全的关键，因为藜麦富含多种微量营养素，将被添加到人类饮食中。淀粉不易消化的谷物对预防和控制肥胖和相关慢性疾病非常有用。对于农业生产者来说，新的藜麦品种将增加作物的多样化，因为藜麦可以在不太有利的条件下种植。 NQPC是一家垂直整合的公司，从田间到餐桌，能够利用这项研究的结果为加拿大生产者和消费者造福。 该研究项目的成功完成将有助于全球营养安全，开发适应气候变化的作物，为健康和营养重塑农业。

Quinoa is a pseudocereal (grain like) native to South America, where it formed an important component in the diet of Incan civilization. In the last two decades, Quinoa has gained considerable interest worldwide due to its ability to productively grow under less favorable conditions and the nutritional composition of Quinoa grain that is superior to most of the cereal grains. Quinoa is generally consumed in a manner similar to rice but Quinoa has higher grain protein concentration that is similar to wheat. Quinoa proteins are rich in essential amino acids such as lysine that is deficient in all cereal grains. Quinoa protein has been compared to casein or milk proteins. Quinoa grain also shows a wide diversity in starch composition and structure that influences its digestibility and subsequently the availability of glucose to human body and glycemic index. Northern Quinoa Production Corporation (NQPC, NorQuin) is a specialty grain and food processing company headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, that is focused to develop new Quinoa cultivars with grain composition that is beneficial for human health and provide food and nutrition security. The proposed research will study genotype x environment interaction in relation to quinoa grain composition to develop new Quinoa varieties for western Canada. Another objective is to characterize Qunioa saponins that give bitter taste to the grain, so that the component can be reduced in the new varieties. Genotyping by sequencing will be used to develop DNA markers to accelerate new Qunioa cultivar development with added health benefits. Successful completion of this project will provide a new grain to be included in the diet for Canadian and international consumers. Diet diversity is a key to achieve nutritional security as Quinoa is rich in several micronutrients that will be added to the human diet. Grains with less digestible starch will be very useful to prevent and manage obesity and associated chronic diseases. For agricultural producers, new Quinoa varieties will add to crop diversification as Quinoa can be cultivated in less favorable conditions. NQPC is a vertically integrated company working from field to fork capable to utilize the results of this research for the benefit of Canadian producers and consumers. Successful completion of this research project will contribute to global nutritional security, develop a climate resilient crop for the new agricultural paradigm reshaping agriculture for health and nutrition.