Performance and content of quinoa protein (Chenopodium quinoa Willd), in five phenological phases, under four levels of manure incorporation

Aylin Caballero Mamani; William Maceda; Roberto Miranda Casas; Hugo Bosque Sánchez

Abstract

Quinoa is produced in the Bolivian Southern and Central highland and is considered by the FAO as a crop that presents good quality of amino acids comparable to milk. The nitrogen content, the basis for the enzymes and the proteins, in the grain, varies according to the variety and level of fertilization (Schulte et al., 2005), but also, the nitrogen concentration is also distributed in the different It is in this sense that the present study focuses on determining the protein content of the different organs of quinoa in the "Jacha Grano" cultivar, in four phenological phases, under four levels of manure incorporation. The research was conducted in the Community of Villa Patarani, Bolivian Central highland. The soils are sandy loam texture, neutral pH, low organic matter content (0.4%) and nitrogen (0.05%). The levels of manure incorporation were 0, 15, 30 and 60 Mg ha^-1. The plots were distributed in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The evaluation consisted of sacral samples of plants of the different plots in four stages of the crop (four true leaves, branching, inflorescence (panojamiento) and formation of pasty grain). The samples were taken to the Chemistry Laboratory of the Faculty of Agronomy - UMSA, where they were separated from the different organs of the plant, and then subjected to a temperature of 65 ºC for 48 hours. Once dry the nitrogen content was determined, using the Kjeldahl method. The protein content was estimated by multiplying the nitrogen value by the constant of 6.25. The results show that there is a higher percentage of protein in the leaves in the true leaf phase, branching and panning, however in the phase of pasty grain formation the protein content is concentrated in the grains of the plant, demonstrating a translocation Nitrogen. Also, the level of manure, applied to the soil, influences the protein content of the leaves and grains of the plant.