Interested Members of the University Community are invited to attend the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Master of Science of Plant Agriculture James McCabe of the Department of Plant Agriculture 

Date: Monday, December 14, 2020 
Time: 9:00 AM 

Via ZOOM Conferencing 

https://zoom.us/j/96216346936?pwd=VWVDYm9QVHVtbUlReWV4V09ZRm4xdz09 

Meeting ID: 962 1634 6936 

Passcode: 338649 

Please contact mccabej@uoguelph.ca if you wish to be added to the list to attend the examination portion of the exam. 

Thesis Title: Yield Component Determination of Quinoa (Chenopedium quinoa Willd.) 

Advisory Committee
Dr. Hugh Earl
Dr. David Hooker
Dr. Bernard Grodzinski

Examination Committee
Dr. Peter Pauls
Dr. Helen Booker
Dr. Hugh Earl
Dr. David Hooker
 

ABSTRACT 

Quinoa is a South American pseudo cereal grain that is being developed as a potential alternative grain crop for Ontario. Despite some early success, yields remain inconsistent. Abiotic stresses are known to reduce yields in grain crops when they reduce crop growth rates (CGR) during critical periods for yield component determination. This research looked at the relationship between CGR at different developmental stages and final yield and yield components for Ontario quinoa. In both controlled environment and field experiments, it was found that seed number was the most variable yield component, and it was associated with CGR earlier in development than hypothesized, at around the bud stage.  Seed size was determined by CGR during grain fill, as expected, but variation in seed size was less important in determining yield than was seed number.  These results highlight the importance of early season CGR for high grain yields in this crop.