Quinoa in Sudan
Prof. Maarouf I. Mohammed
Former national consultant of quina project (Sudan, 2013-2015)
Introduction
Although Sudan (among few countries) has been considered as the World’s food basket, yet one third of its population were food deprived with 20% of them classified as chronically undernourished specially pre-school children. Introduction of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) to Sudan may alleviate hidden hunger counting on ts outstanding nutritional value. The grain has the essential amino acids lacking in the Sudanese stable diet (sorghum, wheat and millet ) in addition to higher and balanced levels of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Moreover, the ability of quinoa to produce under harsh conditions will contribute to poverty fighting in risk-prone rural areas.
Quinoa is a herbaceous annual plant native to the Andean region. Although it is a dicotyledonous crop plant, the seed is consumed as cereal grains hence, quinoa is classified as pseudocereal.
Figure 1. The quinoa grains
The crop has five major sub-center of diversity from which the common five ecotypes have evolved, namely: Altiplano (Peru and Bolivia), Inter-Andean valleys (Bolivia,Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), Salare (Bolivia, Chile and Argentina), Yunga (Peru, Bolivia and Argentina) and Coastal (Chile).
Fig. 2. The author in front of Altiplano quinoa field (Peru 2014)
Quinoa in Sudan
The real start of quinoa research in the Sudan began in 2014/15 under the framework of the regional FAO project: TCP/RAB/3403 when the received materials were grown in different location in Sudan with the objective of assessing the potential of introducing, producing and adopting of quinoa in the country. The hot weather and the short cool season represent the major challenge for quinoa production in the Sudan. Thanks to quinoa’s great ecological plasticity and hardiness that permitted some progress in identifying materials tolerant to heat stress. Following are the major research efforts exerted to introduce quinoa crop in the Sudan (2014-2021).
The multi-location study
Nineteen quinoa genotypes were tested in five locations namely: Meroe, Dongola, Shambat, Soba and Burgaig (lat. ranging 15˚ to 19˚ N ; Long. ranging 30˚ to 32˚ E . Elevation : 228 –378 masl). Soils: ranged from loamy clayey non-saline non-sodicsoils to soils hazarded by salinity/sodicitycomplex . pH range 7.5 -7.9. Temperature of the growing season ranged 14.1°C -44.5°C; rain fall: Non. Crop failure occurred in 2 locations (Soba and Bagaer). Differences among quinoa genotypes in grain yield were significant (P. value = 0.002). The overall average across the other 3 locations was 1.78 t/ha. The genotypes Q26 and Q101 and Titicaca were the best yielders. The lowest yielding genotypes were Giza 2, Q103 and Giza 1 averaging 0.48, 0.85 and 0.96 t/h. Days to harvest ranged from 94 (shown by Titicaca ) to more than 150 days. plant height ranged from 65 to 169 days. No significant infestation by insect pests or diseases has been observed in all sites. However, damage inflected by birds has been encountered in Shambat site. We concluded that high yield potentials of quinoa could be achieved in Sudan by manipulating the sowing date to match the short winter season.
Figure 3. Field day in Meroe
Testing under early and terminal heat stresses
During 2015/16 cropping season 10 quinoa genotypes comprising 6 selections made in the previous season were tested under two sowing dates representing early and terminal heat stresses. The early heat stress affects the vegetative stage while terminal one impacts the reproductive stage of Quinoa. Selection was mainly based on earliness in maturity, good seed setting, and large panicle size relative to plant stature. Under terminal heat stress the best yield was shown by the selections S.Titicaca-1 (1.69 t/ha), S.Q21-1 (1.09 t/ha) and the parent variety Titicaca (1.08 t/ha) while most of the other genotypes yielded lower than 0.5 t/ha. Under early heat stress, the highest seed yield was shown by the selections: S.Q21-1 (4.01 t/ha), S.Titicaca-1 (3.48 t/ha) and the parent variety Q21 (3.22 t/ha). The late maturing Rosada Huancayo was the lowest yielding (0.78 t/ha).
Figure 4. Quinoa nursery
Selection progress (2017/018-2021/022)
Breeding work continued to purify and / or further improve the promising genotypes. The grain yield of Giza-1was improved by selecting for compound panicle and good seed setting. Panicle threshing percentage and harvest index (%) were employed. Four quinoa genotypes were tested in a macro trial conducted in Alwaha project in 2017/2018. Although the crop was severely attacked by birds, an average yield of 1.3 t/ha was obtained. The best genotype (S. Titicaca-1) yielded 1.7 t /ha. The four genotypes were subjected to further improvement in grain yield during 2018-021 and now awaiting the national testing for release in Sudan for the first time.
Figure 5. Establisment of macro quinoa trial at Waha Project (2017/18)
Figure 6. Quinoa trial in Alwaha Project (2017/18)
