INCREASED NIGHT TEMPERATURE AND SALT STRESS EFFECT IN QUINOA

The main goal of this proposal is to examine the impact of combinations of high salinity and high night temperature in quinoa. The project will identify phenotypes and genes affecting quinoa productivity and ionomic composition under a combination of high night temperature and high salinity. Quinoa is an ideal plant to study abiotic stress because of its variation in salt tolerance and diverse temperature growth range. The specific aims to reach these goals are:1. Assess the effect of combinations of high night temperature and salinity stress on quinoa yield, plant growth, and seed/leaf ionomic composition.2. Evaluate the effect of high night temperature and salinity stress on quinoa epidermal salt bladders and pollen morphology.3. Identify common and stress-specific genes responding to combined salt and heat stress to provide insights into the functional basis of stress tolerance in quinoa.