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El Amaranto y la quinua pertenecen a la familia Amaranthaceae caracterizada por tener especies que crecen en condiciones adversas, además de presentar altos contenidos de proteínas, ácidos grasos insaturados y vitaminas, además propiedades funcionales, que podrían ser una excelente opción para hacerle frente a los grandes problemas que aquejan al mundo. Debido a estas características la quinua se ha convertido en un fenómeno a nivel mundial y ya se cultiva en más de 100 países. La investigación fue planteada con el fin de determinar si el amaranto tiene el potencial agronómico para incrementar la superficie cultivada como sucedió con la quinua. Se estableció un experimento con tres variedades de quinua y tres variedades de amaranto en tres ambientes de los Valles Altos de México, bajo un diseño de bloques completos al azar con arreglo de tratamientos en parcelas divididas. Se evaluaron variables agronómicas, así como el rendimiento. Los resultados encontrados mostraron que el amaranto superó a la quinua en longitud de inflorescencia, ancho de inflorescencia, diámetro de tallo, peso hectolítrico y rendimiento, mientras que la quinua presentó valores más altos para diámetro de semilla y peso de mil semillas. Los genotipos Tlahuicole y L-145 de amaranto fueron los que observaron mejor comportamiento, seguidos por la variedad Suyana de quinua. El amaranto presenta características para ser un fenómeno a nivel mundial, tal como ha sucedido con la quinua.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop with high nutritional and agronomic potential, adapted to environmental stress conditions. It is grown on a small scale in Mexico, and currently improved varieties are not available. In order to establish the basis to guide genetic improvement in Mexico, the objective was to determine the genetic variability, heritability and interrelationships of yield and its components in 16 quinoa genotypes, in a randomized complete block design, in six environments in the central high valleys of Mexico. The proportion of participation of the sources of variation genetic, environmental, and genotype × environment interaction was determined; as well as heritability, response to selection, and phenotypic correlations among morphological characters, yield and its components. Out of 15 variables evaluated, the genetic effects on thousand-grains weight and grain filling period were the most important; whereas for plant height at flowering, harvest index, and stem diameter, environmental effects were the most relevant. The genotype × environment interaction is not greater than 20 % for the 15 variables evaluated. The highest values for additive variance, heritability, and response to selection were for grains per square meter, yield, thousand-grains weight, grain filling period, and panicle emergence. The variables stem diameter, plant height at maturity, grains per square meter, yield per day, grain filling period, and panicle emergence were the most correlated with yield. Therefore, they can be used as indirect yield selection criteria in breeding programs to obtain materials with better agronomic characteristics. Based on the genetic parameters obtained and the association of the variables with yield, grains per square meter, yield per day and plant height at maturity are the most appropriate traits for indirect selection for yield.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop that grows under conditions of environmental stress, has high nutritional value, and agronomic potential. It is grown and marketed on a small scale in Mexico. However, there are no varieties or technology for its production. The objective of this research was to determine the performance of quinoa germplasm in the Central high-valley lands of Mexico. Sixteen genotypes of different origins and characteristics were evaluated in three environments in the localities of Nanacamilpa, Tlaxcala; and Santa Lucía de Prías, Texcoco, State of Mexico. Statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found for genotypes. Late genotypes Suyana, Suma, Pata de Venado, Blanca Ayacucho, and Huauzontle showed higher grain yield (4004.9, 3888.3, 3091.1, 2999.7, and 2967.2 kg ha-1, respectively). Among the intermediate genotypes, Tokio rosa and Pasankalla reventona were the better with 2858.4 and 2118.4 kg ha-1, respectively. Whereas among the early genotypes, Tarpuna had the highest grain yield (3005.8 kg ha-1). Regarding seed diameter, only Huauzontle and Quinoa negra had a seed size equal to or smaller than 1.8 mm; the rest of the genotypes can be marketed as grains because of their seed size. Of the environments evaluated, the least favourable was Nanacamilpa 2019, while Santa Lucía de Prías 2019 was the most favourable environment. Overall, the performance of the evaluated genotypes was as expected, as they mostly come from the Inter-Andean Valleys region, which are very similar in altitude and temperature to the Central high-valley lands of Mexico.