Studies on the productivity and nutritional value of forage quinoa in the alpine region of Linxia, Gansu Province

To solve the issue of forgeable grass shortages in alpine areas, we analyzed the productivity and nutritional value of 15 quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) varieties (lines), calculated their relative feeding values, and evaluated the comprehensive indices of each variety (line). The highest hay yield was provided by ‘GSQ6’, amounting to 20.78 t·ha⁻¹; ‘Taiwan red quinoa’ provided the highest fresh grass yield, amounting to 112.46 t·ha⁻¹; ‘Mengli No. 1’ yielded the highest dry-to-fresh ratio of 0.39; and ‘Taiwan red quinoa’ exhibited the highest stem-to-leaf ratio of 2.75. ‘White quinoa 05’ possessed the highest crude protein content of 14.84%, ‘GSQ-7’ displayed the highest ether extract content, reaching 3.79%, and ‘Longli No. 4’ provided the highest relative feeding value. Comprehensive analyses of grass yield, nutritional quality, and forage quality indices revealed that the forage quinoa varieties (lines) suitable for popularizing its cultivation in the Linxia alpine area were ‘GSQ-6’, ‘Longli No. 4’, and ‘Taiwan red quinoa’. Among these, ‘GSQ-6’ is a high-quality forage quinoa variety with high yield, low fiber content, and excellent palatability. Our findings provide a reference basis for further enhancing the comprehensive development and utilization value of quinoa forage and promoting green and healthy development of grassland animal husbandry.