Unravelling quinoa domestication with wild ancestors

Abstract

This chapter approaches quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) domestication asking three questions: (1) What do we know about quinoa genetic structure, relations among related species and phylogenetics?, (2) What is known about Chenopodium hircinum, its putative wild ancestor?, (3) How can research on C. hircinum contribute to the understanding of the quinoa domestication process and breeding for adaptation to conditions where quinoa performs poorly but C. hircinum has adapted? A new scenario for quinoa domestication can be drawn from the relationship between quinoa and its wild relatives. Further research on C. hircinum could contribute to the understanding of the quinoa domestication process and to quinoa breeding and adaptation to new environmental challenges.