Regulation of nutrient accumulation and distribution in quinoa at different growth stages

This study was carried out to explore the dynamic regulation of nutrient accumulation and distribution in quinoa across all growth stages, and thereby promote the efficient development and utilization of this nutritional resource. To do this, the content and transport of crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), phosphorus (P), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in the stems, grains, leaves, roots, sheath, and whole plant were studied in the quinoa cultivar “Longli No.1”. Changes in nutrient contents and transport were compared between the seedling, flowering, filling, and mature stages of the plant's life cycle to provide a reference for the study of its nutritive value across growth stages. The results showed that dry matter accumulation dynamics in a single plant followed a slow-fast-slow pattern among the different growth stages. Differences between the output and the transfer rate of dry matter (DM) in various organs were significant (P<0.05). The maximum sheath and grain dry matter contents occurred at the filling and mature stages. The movement, output, and transport rates of dry matter were the highest in leaves, while movement and transport rates were the lowest in the roots. The contents of DM, NDF, ADF, and P showed a linear decline over the growth period. Differences in the transfer rate of nutrient matter among different organs during the growth period were in the order of leaves > sheath > stems > roots. The differences in nutrient transport among different organs in different growing periods were large, and generally were in the following order among stages: mature > flowering > filling > seedling. The order of relative feed value among plant stages were: seedling > filling > flowering > mature.