MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF MUTATION REGIONS IN HERBICIDE-RESISTANT QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) MUTANT LINES

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a viable alternative crop due to its adaptability to unfavorable climate and soil conditions, and its seeds are nutritionally rich. However, the lack of selective herbicides for weed control in quinoa fields poses a significant challenge for cultivation. Consequently, developing herbicide-resistant quinoa lines is essential. In this study, the Titicaca variety of quinoa was used. Sodium azide at a concentration of 1.5 mM was employed for mutagenesis. Herbicide-resistant plants were identified by applying herbicides from the imazamox to the M3 generation. The resistant lines were designated as ET-6, ET-7, OT-11, and T-103. Among the four mutant lines obtained through seed mutagenesis, the OT-11 line exhibited a cytosine to adenine (C→A) substitution in the ALS gene, while the ET-6 line showed a thymine to guanine (T→G) substitution. These mutations in the OT-11 and ET-6 genotypes were classified as transversion-type mutations. A transition-type mutation was observed in the T-103 mutant line, involving a thymine to cytosine (T→C) substitution at nucleotide 1114. The findings suggest that effective weed control in quinoa cultivation can be achieved by developing varieties resistant to IMI group herbicides. Continued research on herbicide resistance should focus on the ET-6, OT-11, and T-103 lines in subsequent generations