# Quinoa as a naturally stress-resistant crop: current status and future promises

## TL;DR

Quinoa is a resilient crop that can grow in harsh conditions and has potential for future breeding using modern technologies.

## Contribution

The paper highlights recent genomic and breeding advancements for quinoa to enhance its climate resilience.

## Key findings

- Quinoa's resilience to salinity and drought is supported by physiological mechanisms.
- High-quality genomes and pangenome resources are enabling molecular trait analysis in quinoa.
- Modern breeding tools like CRISPR/Cas and genomic selection can accelerate quinoa cultivar development.

## Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a semi-domesticated halophyte originating in the Andean region, has emerged as a promising crop for exploiting marginal lands, valued for its exceptional nutritional profile and remarkable resilience to high salinity and drought. This review analyzes the current status and future potential of quinoa as a model halophytic crop. We begin by examining the physiological mechanisms that enable quinoa to thrive in marginal environments, which have been the subject of extensive study. Thanks to the advancement in high-throughput sequencing technology, genomic resources – including the recent development of high-quality reference genomes and a Chenopodium pangenome – are rapidly expanding. Sequence-based genetic mapping techniques hold the promise to dissect the molecular basis of complex traits in combination with the utility of functional genomics tools such as virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and stable genetic transformation. Ultimately, the application of modern breeding technologies, such as phenomics, genomic selection (GS), and CRISPR/Cas, will expedite the development of locally adapted, climate-resilient quinoa cultivars worldwide.