Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios?
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change and crop production is severely hampered by climate extremes. Not only does it cost growers over US$170Bln in lost production, but it also has major implications for global food security. In this study, we argue that, under current climate scenar...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1636565/full |
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| author | Hongju Sun Hongju Sun Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Mohsin Tanveer Usman Ijaz Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Sergey Shabala Sergey Shabala |
| author_facet | Hongju Sun Hongju Sun Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Mohsin Tanveer Usman Ijaz Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Sergey Shabala Sergey Shabala |
| author_sort | Hongju Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change and crop production is severely hampered by climate extremes. Not only does it cost growers over US$170Bln in lost production, but it also has major implications for global food security. In this study, we argue that, under current climate scenarios, agriculture in the 21st century will become saline, severely limiting (or even making impossible) the use of traditional cereal crops for human caloric intake. As regaining the lost abiotic stress tolerance can only be achieved using modern gene editing technologies and given uncertainties on when and to what extent the public will embrace such new technologies, de novo domestication of already tolerant wild species or semi-domesticated “orphan” species is arguably the most efficient way to proceed. One of them is quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), which is the focus of this review. Accordingly, we comprehensively evaluated the nutritional qualities of quinoa and discussed the benefits of using quinoa as a viable alternative to traditional cereals from both agronomical and nutritional points of view. We also highlight the existing gaps in the knowledge and the next steps required to ensure public acceptance of quinoa in a daily diet, alongside (or instead of) traditional cereals such as wheat or rice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aeb8e481c44346278d694f74dd5e873a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-aeb8e481c44346278d694f74dd5e873a2025-08-21T05:27:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-08-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16365651636565Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios?Hongju Sun0Hongju Sun1Waqas ud Din Khan2Waqas ud Din Khan3Waqas ud Din Khan4Mohsin Tanveer5Usman Ijaz6Zhanyuan Lu7Zhanyuan Lu8Zhanyuan Lu9Sergey Shabala10Sergey Shabala11School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, ChinaKey Laboratory of Forage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, ChinaXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, AustraliaDepartment of Agriculture, Government College University, Lahore, PakistanXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaTasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, AustraliaSchool of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, ChinaInner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, ChinaInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Degradation Farmland Ecological Remediation and Pollution Control, Hohhot, ChinaSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, AustraliaInternational Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, ChinaAgriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change and crop production is severely hampered by climate extremes. Not only does it cost growers over US$170Bln in lost production, but it also has major implications for global food security. In this study, we argue that, under current climate scenarios, agriculture in the 21st century will become saline, severely limiting (or even making impossible) the use of traditional cereal crops for human caloric intake. As regaining the lost abiotic stress tolerance can only be achieved using modern gene editing technologies and given uncertainties on when and to what extent the public will embrace such new technologies, de novo domestication of already tolerant wild species or semi-domesticated “orphan” species is arguably the most efficient way to proceed. One of them is quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), which is the focus of this review. Accordingly, we comprehensively evaluated the nutritional qualities of quinoa and discussed the benefits of using quinoa as a viable alternative to traditional cereals from both agronomical and nutritional points of view. We also highlight the existing gaps in the knowledge and the next steps required to ensure public acceptance of quinoa in a daily diet, alongside (or instead of) traditional cereals such as wheat or rice.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1636565/fullsalinitydroughtfood securityclimate changeabiotic stressadaptation |
| spellingShingle | Hongju Sun Hongju Sun Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Waqas ud Din Khan Mohsin Tanveer Usman Ijaz Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Zhanyuan Lu Sergey Shabala Sergey Shabala Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? Frontiers in Plant Science salinity drought food security climate change abiotic stress adaptation |
| title | Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? |
| title_full | Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? |
| title_fullStr | Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? |
| title_short | Can quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios? |
| title_sort | can quinoa chenopodium quinoa replace traditional cereals under current climate scenarios |
| topic | salinity drought food security climate change abiotic stress adaptation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1636565/full |
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