Varietal Selection and Agronomic Practices for Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd) in Vietnam

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) originates from the Andean region of South America and is known as “the golden food” due to its nutritive traits such as protein, zinc, fiber, and folate, as well as antioxidants. The crop is of interest in several countries under climate change because it adapts to various abiotic stresses such as salinity, water deficits and low temperatures. Vietnam is one of the five countries that are most severely affected by global climate change. Therefore, the successful introduction of quinoa would make a great contribution to agriculture for better livelihoods and economies for the farmers. This study aims to identify quinoa genotypes that can effectively adapt to different ecological regions of Vietnam. To achieve this, it employed several stability parameters as well as additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analyses to determine the best genotype for each environment/location among 40 genotypes across three environments. The results revealed significant variations in growth and yield among tested genotypes. Analysis of the variance of AMMI indicated that genotype (G), environment (E), and G × E interaction had a significant influence on quinoa growth and seed yield. Based on the AMMI model for seed yield, “Atlas”, “Cahuil” and “2-Want” were found the most stable across tested environments. To develop appropriate cultivation methods, the effect of the sowing planting densities (80,000, 100,000, 133,000, and 200,000 plants ha−1), and nitrogen dose (80, 100, 120, and 150 kg ha−1) were also investigated for the “Atlas” variety in Son La, Dak Lak, and Soc Trang provinces. The results suggested that in Son La, the sowing date for the spring cropping season starts in early February, while the winter cropping season, begins in early September and lasts until the 20th of September. The suggested plant density for both seasons is 100,000 plants per hectare. In Dak Lak, the optimum sowing date for quinoa starts in February (1st- 20th February), with a density of 100,000 plants per hectare. For the winter cropping season, the sowing date is from the 1st to the 20th of October, with a density of 80,000 plants per hectare. In Soc Trang, the suitable sowing date for quinoa is between the 15th and 20th of January, with a density of 133,000 plants per hectare. For the winter cropping season, the sowing period is from the 1st to the 5th of October, with the same density of 133,000 plants per hectare. Regarding the appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer for growth and yield of quinoa in the three ecological zones, it is recommended to use 120 kg of nitrogen per hectare. Our results constitute the first crop management recommendation for quinoa in Vietnam.