Genetic Variability, Trait Associations, and Principal Component Analysis for Agronomic and Antinutritional Traits in a Diverse Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Genotypes

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has emerged as a climate-resilient and nutritionally superior
pseudocereal with immense potential to contribute towards global food and nutritional security. However, the
efficient utilization of quinoa germplasm in breeding programmes requires a comprehensive understanding
of the extent of genetic variability and the interrelationships among agronomic and grain quality traits.
Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate 150 quinoa genotypes for six economically important
traits, namely days to 50% flowering, plant height, inflorescence length, yield per plant, seed weight (10 mL),
and saponin content. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, genetic parameters, correlation analysis, and
principal component analysis were employed to characterize the germplasm and identify traits useful for
selection. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were observed among genotypes for all studied traits, indicating
the presence of substantial genetic variability. High broad-sense heritability coupled with moderate to high
genetic advance was recorded for yield per plant, seed weight, inflorescence length, and saponin content,
suggesting the predominance of additive gene action and the effectiveness of direct phenotypic selection.
Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive association between yield per plant and seed weight, indicating
that improvement in seed weight is likely to enhance grain yield. Principal component analysis showed that
the first two principal components explained 54.60% of the total phenotypic variation, demonstrating that a
limited number of components effectively captured the genetic diversity present among the evaluated
genotypes. The combined results confirmed the existence of considerable phenotypic diversity within the
studied germplasm and identified economically important traits for selection. The evaluated quinoa
accessions therefore constitute valuable genetic resources for the development of high-yielding, superior-
quality cultivars and provide a strong foundation for future quinoa improvement programmes.