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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

resistance gene, Chenopodium quinoa, grain

College

Life Sciences

Department

Plant and Wildlife Sciences

Abstract

Chenopodium quinoa is an important but under researched crop and is the main source of sustenance for subsistence farmers in the Andes Mountains. The resources needed to bring quinoa up to par with well-researched and well-utilized crops, such as maize and wheat are severely lacking in its area of domestication; the ability to study and map its genome would greatly enhance its yield and durability, contributing significantly to quality of life for the people of the Andes. One of the gaps in our knowledge of the quinoa genome is our understanding of its pathogen immunity, or resistance; this is the basis of my research. This knowledge will enhance quinoa breeders’ ability to select naturally for lines of quinoa with the most resistance to common pathogens and help eliminate the need for costly and harmful chemical and organic pesticides.

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