The purpose of this project was to identify varieties of quinoa, buckwheat, and spelt that are best suited for organic farming systems in Washington State. Data from the initial variety trials were used to start, or in the case of spelt, to enhance, organic breeding trials for each crop. These crops were selected based on farmer interest and a general lack of knowledge or research focused on these alternative and specialty crops within organic systems.

Starting with an initial pool of 44 accessions, the program has now grown to over 800 cultivars and advanced breeding lines, with quinoa varieties identified that thrive in both Eastern and Western Washington. Key traits of interest for quinoa include resistance to downy mildew, day-length sensitivity, a shorter time to maturity, seed yield, protein content, nitrogen use efficiency, and adaptability to irrigation and intercropping. The multi-location quinoa variety trials have helped establish a strong organic quinoa breeding and agronomy program, involving multiple students who integrate genetic, agroecological, and social dimensions into their research.

Additionally, the initial buckwheat trials, which included 32 varieties from around the world, led to the creation of evolutionary breeding populations through intercrossing among all the varieties, established on two organic farms in Washington State. These populations have adapted to the natural selection pressures of their environments, resulting in significant changes in genetic composition, and they are currently growing and continuing to evolve. They will serve as a valuable source for future buckwheat varieties. Furthermore, we identified nutritional and end-use quality parameters for 10 buckwheat cultivars.

The spelt project continued with an additional two years of variety trials, which included European cultivars and advanced breeding lines from our organic spelt crosses originating from hybridizations in 2004 and 2005. We have identified elite spelt breeding lines that are now in the final stages of selection before consideration for variety release.