Molecular identification and evaluation of yield and grain quality of buckwheat varieties in Vietnam
摘要
Buckwheat is widely recognized as a pseudocereal with considerable nutritional and agronomic importance. In Vietnam’s northern provinces, this crop is cultivated extensively for human consumption, livestock feed, and landscape enhancement, with a focus on tourism development. The current study aimed to molecularly identify buckwheat accessions from the northern mountainous regions of Vietnam and assess the seed quality of selected high-yielding varieties. A total of 32 buckwheat accessions were collected from local communes with diverse cultures and indigenous knowledge in agricultural practice across the region. Molecular authentication was conducted using the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and the plastid matK sequences. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic inference revealed the robust affinities of the collected samples with reference F. esculentum, which were supported by high bootstrap values of 0.999 and 1.000 for the nrITS and matK sequences, respectively. Among these, five accessions—designated TGM28, TGM29, TGM30, TGM31, and TGM32—showed particularly high grain yields, with recorded outputs of 11.67, 9.33, 9.20, 8.40, and 8.67 quintals per hectare, respectively. Subsequent grain quality analysis of these five high-yielding accessions indicated that they are excellent nutritional sources, primarily composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber, and are notably gluten-free.