Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a high-protein staple seed crop in the High Andes of South America, where it was originally domesticated. The high-protein seed also contains elevated levels of essential amino acids when compared with the true cereals. For this reason, as well as the plant's exceptional ability to tolerate drought, cold, salinity, and altitudinal stresses, the FAO designated quinoa as one of a select group of food-security crops for the 21st Century. Consequently, interest in quinoa for introduction into other highland regions of the Developing World is increasing. Our collaborative international group began introduction of this new crop in Morocco in 2000 under the auspices of the Benson Agriculture and Food Institute (BAFI) of Brigham Young University (BYU) as part of a targeted rural development strategy at the community of Agoudim in the Middle Atlas Mountains. The main goals of the overarching project are to: (1) balance the diet of the local population; (2) increase local food production; (3) improve the income of subsistence farm families; and (4) decrease vulnerability of farm families through crop diversification. In this study, our immediate objectives were (1) to identify the most adapted genotypes among a set of 14 geographically diverse varietal introductions from the FAO International Quinoa Nursery at the Middle Atlas village of Agoudim; and (2) to maintain genetic variation through the process of mass selection for uniform early maturity from heterogeneous, mixed quinoa populations. Yield trials at the ITA/Khenifra for 2001-2003 ranged from 0 to 4644 kg/ha, with ten of the 14 lines yielding no seed due to extreme heat-induced (47°C) pollen mortality at anthesis. Varieties escaped pollen mortality by flowering before onset of summer heat. Continued selection for early maturity and heat stress tolerance are essential criteria for breeding quinoa in this environment.