Study on the social, environmental and economic impacts of quinoa ...

The results display a high incidence between 70.4% and 100% and a severity between
72.5% and 100%. The strains produce grains of medium and large size. The material was
highly homogeneous, and 5 outstanding strains were selected.
In the same year, gene types resistant to drought selected in the Andean area were
evaluated, in addition to the degree of resistance to frost, agronomic performance and yield in
the localities of Choquenaira, Jalsuri, Letanías and Belén, on the Northern and Central
Altiplanos. The material evaluated consisted of two groups, the first of varieties and
accessions able to escape frosts, and the other group made up of accessions selected due to
their resistance to frosts in Puno, in which materials of Bolivian origin were included. The
system of precipitation was more or less regular for the Altiplano, so that there was no
opportunity to precisely evaluate resistance to drought. The majority of the material evaluated
performed as precocious and very precocious, completing their maturity cycle between 130
and 150 days. The decrease in temperature occurred when the plants were in the flowering
and grain ripeness stages. The majority of the material was affected, between 40% and 60%
of the plants, very few of the accessions having tolerated a frost of –6ºC.
In the year 1999-2000, the extent of the genotype interaction was estimated on the basis of
the environment and the geographical stability of the yield of 15 varieties in three locations of
the Northern Altiplano. It was determined that the varieties Jilata, Robura and Chucapaca,
displayed similar yields, in the case of Jilata and Chuacapaca comparatively higher than the
average for the varieties studied, while Robura was slightly lower. The said characteristics
define these varieties as being of high productive capacity in a stable and predictable form in
a wide range of environmental conditions, irrespective of the system of production. Therefore,
the varieties Jilata, Robura and Chucapaca can be recommended for the conditions studied,
although the absence of the yearly effect did not allow the seasonal stability of the varieties to
be estimated.
In the year 2001-2002, the tests on yield continued, including the 5 advanced lines with
partial resistance to mildew, and one control line, in three locations of the Northern Altiplano
of La Paz (Jalsuri and Letanías in the province of Ingavi, and Belén in the Province of
Omasuyos). The farmers participated in the evaluation, laying emphasis on the general
performance of these strains, the vigour, height and population of the plants, the quality of the
grain and their ability to be processed by the consumer for The incidence of disease in
different genotypes recorded values of up to 100%. The genotype with the lowest percentage
of severity was the Púrpura strain, with 10.1% severity, followed by the Sayaña variety, with
12.9% severity. The contrary occurred with the 320 strain, which recorded higher values of
attack by the disease, reaching 40.1%.
3. Agronomy
Work was carried out in this area to generate technologies that made it possible principally to
improve the production of the crop, and for these to be adapted to the different socioeconomic
conditions of the farmers of the Southern Altiplano and the Central and Northern
Altiplanos. The main technologies investigated included the following:
3.1 Land preparation
Land preparation is a technical and mechanical process designed to condition the land to
provide it with a good seed-bed. The quality of preparation of the soil land determines to a
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