Assessment of seed quality of 45 quinoa accessions produced in Burkina Faso Abstract

Abstract

Seed quality is a key factor in ensuring the successful establishment of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a recently introduced crop in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to evaluate the physical, physiological, and sanitary characteristics of 45 accessions conserved at INERA/Farako-Bâ. The parameters analyzed included seed color, diameter, thousand-seed weight, moisture content, germination at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h, as well as the presence of pathogenic fungi. IST          A protocol were used for all tests, and multivariate analysis was performed to group accessions according to overall performance. Results revealed a high level of variability. Approximately 65.4% of the accessions had white seeds, and 73.1% had diameters between 1.8 and 2.2 mm. Thousand-seed weight ranged from 1.26 g to 3.31 g. At 96 h, the average germination rate was 88.1%, with extremes ranging from 51.3% to 98.7%. However, 21.2% of the seed lots exceeded the critical moisture threshold of 13%, and 38.5% were contaminated with pathogenic fungi, particularly Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger. These findings highlight the need for rigorous control of storage conditions and phytosanitary monitoring of quinoa seeds. They also provide a valuable foundation for guiding varietal selection efforts and developing a sustainable local seed sector for quinoa in Burkina Faso.