Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Quinoa is a pseudocereal (grain like) native to South America, where it formed an important component in thex000D
diet of Incan civilization. In the last two decades, Quinoa has gained considerable interest worldwide due to itsx000D
ability to productively grow under less favorable conditions and grain nutritional composition is superior tox000D
most of the cereal grains. Quinoa is consumed in a manner similar to rice but Quinoa protein concentration isx000D
higher and similar to wheat. Quinoa proteins are rich in lysine, an essential amino acid deficient in all cerealx000D
grains. Quinoa protein has been compared to casein or milk proteins. Quinoa grain also shows a wide diversityx000D
in starch composition and structure that influences its digestibility and the availability of glucose to humanx000D
body and glycemic index. Northern Quinoa Production Corporation (NQPC, NorQuin) is a specialty grain andx000D
food processing company headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, that is focused to develop new Quinoax000D
cultivars with grain composition beneficial for human health. The proposed research aims to optimize highx000D
throughput grain analyses methods to determine Quinoa grain composition. The optimized methods will bex000D
used to identify Quinoa genotypes with desired grain composition to be used in a Quinoa breeding program tox000D
accelerate the development of new varieties with added health benefits. Successful completion of this projectx000D
will provide a new grain to be included in the diet for Canadian and international consumers. Diet diversity isx000D
a key to achieve nutritional security as Quinoa is rich in several micronutrients that will be added to the humanx000D
diet. Grains with less digestible starch will be very useful to prevent and manage obesity and associated chronicx000D
diseases. For agricultural producers, new Quinoa varieties will add to crop diversification as Quinoa can bex000D
cultivated in less favorable conditions. NQPC is a vertically integrated company working from field to forkx000D
capable to utilize the results of this research for the benefit of Canadian producers and consumers. Successfulx000D
completion of this research project will contribute to global nutritional security, develop a climate resilient cropx000D
for the new agricultural paradigm reshaping agriculture for health and nutrition.