Quinoa: In Perspective of Global Challenges

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper deals with an interesting topic. However, I think that it needs a major revision as suggested by my comments reported in the attached file

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments:

Point 1
Please improve the abstract to better represent the papaer contents. The abstract is the showcase of the paper

Response 1
The global population is on the path of an increasing trajectory with a simultaneous decline in arable land resources through salinization and desertification that have resulted mainly from climate changes and other anthropogenic activities. Rising temperatures will cause changes in the entire ecosystem, resulting in significant alterations in global climate paradigms and a threat to food security. This review focuses on how the highly resilient Chenopodium quinoa can sustainably mitigate some of the detrimental impacts such as starvation and ecosystems services resulting from climate change scenarios. In comparison, the traditional staple food crops, quinoa, has remarkable tolerance to abiotic stresses with appreciable yield and is highly nutritious, with a unique balance and higher amounts of nutrients, and can therefore be an important crop for food security and nutritional adequacy. This crop has the potential to ameliorate global challenges with respect to increase in global population, effects of climate change, desalinization, phytoremediation, satisfying nutrient deficiency and alleviating poverty.

Point 2
Before this section I suggest to introduce a section called "Botanical and Agronomic aspect" in which you can report the main important aspect of C. quinoa cultivation (plants height, sowing density, etc...) and the seed yield in different pedo-climatic conditions
Response 2
Botanical and agronomic features
Quinoa displays extensive genetic diversity resulting from its adaptations to extreme environmental conditions associated with its ecotypes in the Andes [4, 8, 9, 13, 31]. Quinoa plants can reach between 0.3 to 3 m in height, having a wide range of colours (white, yellow, and pink, to darker red, purple, and black) and with thick, erect, woody stalk and taproot system. In early
stages of development, its polymorphic leaves are normally green and with maturity transcend to yellow, red or purple. Seed diameter can range from 0.28 – 2.1 cm, having two flat surfaces and rounded sides with colours ranging from black, red, pink, orange, yellow, or white [69-72]. Their survival in wide-ranging conditions gives countenance to be more growth conducive in different agroecological zones and yet exhibit appreciable yield [45, 52]. Surprisingly, Gomez- Pando et al.[45] highlighted increase plant height, leaf dry mass and yield in response to salinity in some varieties while assessing 15 accessions under water with electrical conductivity (EC) of 3.4 dSm-1 and saline water with EC of 30 dSm-1. Additionally, Maliro et al. [73] experimented with 11 varieties under irrigation and rainfed conditions in Malawi and found strong positive correlation between yield and plant height, maturity time and biomass with irrigated system while significant differences in yield, plant biomass and seed size among the genotypes under rainfed system. Moreover, under irrigated condition seed yield was greater at Bunda (237-3019 kg/ha) than Bembeke (62-692 kg/ha). In support, Präger et al. [74] studied four varieties in two growing and observed significant differences in seed weight between growing seasons and the varieties. Hence, different environmental conditions can contribute to differential results and hence, more trials and field evaluations must be employed repetitively to ascertain the most appropriate variety for the specific conditions.

Point 3
This sentence in not very clear for reader, % of which?
Response 3
Sentence was corrected with the insertion of ‘with respect of amino acids’

Point 4
This sentence is not clear for reader
Response 4
Although there was a recent exponential increase in publications on quinoa in various thematic areas, greater emphasis should be placed on how this crop can beneficially contribute to the development of other crops by enhancing their nutrient composition and yield.

Point 5
Please check the reference list format. It is different than which suggested by journal. For example the Journals' name should be abbrevieted and in italic form
Response 5
The reference list was adjusted to reflect your accepted format - abbreviated journal, URL etc.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This review titled "Quinoa: In Perspective of Global Challenges" describes the importance of Quinoa in relation to climate change, with emphasis on drought stress and salinization. The cultivation of quinoa is clear, it is very important to mitigate hunger and cope with climate change. The manuscript is well structured, unfortunately does not bring something new. There are many reviews and papers on the cultivation of quinoa and its importance. The manuscript provides very few relevant data (there are no graphics, no tables, no figures ...). The question is, what does this article bring back compared to what has already been published?. Before publication, a more in-depth review of literature should be made and highlight the most important and current issues.

Specific comments: 

Keywords: use more useful keywords, for example "nutrients", maybe "nutritional composition"?

line 56: check grammar 

line 185: always describe the abbreviation when it is used for first time (ABA)

line 191: check grammar "in high" 

line 237: change "constitutes" for "can supply"

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments;

Point 1:
This review titled "Quinoa: In Perspective of Global Challenges" describes the importance of Quinoa in relation to climate change, with emphasis on drought stress and salinization. The cultivation of quinoa is clear, it is very important to mitigate hunger and cope with climate change. The manuscript is well structured, unfortunately does not bring something new. There are many reviews and papers on the cultivation of quinoa and its importance. The manuscript provides very few relevant data (there are no graphics, no tables, no figures ...). The question is, what does this article bring back compared to what has already been published?. Before publication, a more in-depth review of literature should be made and highlight the most important and current issues

Response 1
Three graphics and one table were adopted and modified and then inserted to reflect the content of the paper. The graphics include population growth and quinoa and germplasm distribution globally and nutrient composition of six different varieties of quinoa growing in different climatic and emphatic factors which add impetus of the resilience of this species. The objective of the paper is to highlight new perspective and provide pertinent information with reference to the manifestation of global problems and solutions with respect population growth and climate change. While there are other review papers, this one focuses more on the importance in relation to climate change and how quinoa can be used to mitigate the effect thereof.

Point 2
Keywords: use more useful keywords, for example "nutrients", maybe "nutritional composition"?

Response 2
Keywords: nutritional composition was considered and inserted

Point 3
line 56: check grammar

Response 3
Quinoa has originated from and remained an important food crop in the Andean regions, which encompass Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile, an area aptly posited by Vavilov as one of the great centres for the origin of cultivated species.

Point 4
line 185: always describe the abbreviation when it is used for first time (ABA):

Response 4
ABA (Abscisic acid) was inserted

Point 5
line 191: check grammar "in high"

Response 5
Corrected as ‘ proline content was also high in the plant tissues’

Point 6
Line 237: change "constitutes" for "can supply"

Response 6
‘constitutes’ was changed to ‘can supply’

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper has been improved. I suggest only minor changes as reported in the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

please see attached

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

The review tittled "Quinoa: In Perspective of Global Challenges" was slightly improved. I understand that you want to focus more on the importance of quinoa in relation to climate change and how quinoa can be used to mitigate the effect but some "state-of-the-art" information is still needed. 

Specific comments: 

Table 1 and figure 2 fit better under "nutritional importance", please improve table1, the quality is very bad

Fig. 3 should be improved, the quality is bad

"Botanical and agronomic features" fits better after the "introduction" section. In addition, this section should be improved, it contains only superficial information.

Author Response

Please see attached

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf