Introduction:
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) belonging to Amaranthaceae family is an annual herbaceous crop with tiny edible seeds that are rich in protein and fibre. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2013 to be the ‘International Year of Quinoa’. The only vegetarian food that can supply every necessary amino acid required for human life in an optimal amount comparable to that of milk. According to the United Nations Organization for Agriculture and Food, it is quinoa grain, which makes it a great option for vegans. It can adapt to numerous kinds of climates, including sand-dry deserts and cold-dry and humid environments. Due to quinoa’s remarkable nutritional benefits and incredible flexibility in responding to various environmental circumstances, there has been a noticeable shift in popularity towards it in recent years. Leaves of quinoa are another inexpensive vegetable that could be included in our diet as they work similar to spinach.
Brief History:
Quinoa was initially domesticated in South America’s Andes region around 3000 BC. It has been discovered that quinoa was a staple food for pre-Columbian people, along with maize and potatoes. It is currently grown in several countries including the US, Canada, Italy, Sweden and India; however, Bolivia and Peru remain the two main growing regions.
With India’s diverse range of geographies from north to south, as well as its expanding population, poor dietary patterns, and higher incidences of disease, it makes more sense to switch from rice and wheat to nutritious grains like quinoa. This ‘Golden Superfood’ could reduce the hidden hunger that is prevalent in India while also helping to provide a healthy, nutritious diet.
Nutritional and Therapeutic effects:
In vitro and in vivo models, as well as in certain clinical investigations, the quinoa extracts exhibited antioxidant, antidiabetic, immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, and antibacterial properties due to the presence of phytochemicals, which include polyphenols, saponins, peptides, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers. It contains a substantial amount of macronutrients, micronutrients, thiamine, folic acid, vitamins, and bioactive ingredients. Quinoa seeds stand out from other grains in our diet because they include a higher percentage of protein, fiber, carbohydrate, as well as amino acids like lysine, cysteine, and methionine. 100 grams of quinoa seeds contain 80% of the daily requirement of riboflavin that children need and 40% of what adults need. The below given table compares Amino acid contents of quinoa wrt to others.
| Amino Acid | Amino acid content (g/100g protein) | ||||
| Quinoa | Wheat | Soy | Skim milk | FAO | |
| Isoleucine | 4 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.6 | 4 |
| Leucine | 6.8 | 6.6 | 7 | 9.8 | 7 |
| Lysine | 5.1 | 2.5 | 6.3 | 8.2 | 5.5 |
| Phenylalanine | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.8 | – |
| Tyrosine | 3.8 | 3 | 3.6 | 5 | – |
| Cystine | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.9 | – |
| Methionine | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2.6 | – |
| Threonine | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4 |
| Tryptophan | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1 |
| Valine | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 5 |
Quinoa farming:
Quinoa is a short-day plant (i.e. plants requiring less than 12 hours of sunlight) with tiny, petal-free sessile flowers. It is self pollinating in nature. The seeds can withstand water stress and remain viable, restoring essential functions when rehydrated and germinating at temperatures close to freezing. The plant can withstand drought conditions and has ability to grow in high salt conditions. The crop completes its life-cycle in 4 months.
Soil & Climatic requirements:
It grows well in sandy-loam to loamy-sand soils. Although it can be grown in alkaline soils of pH 9.0 and acidic soils of pH 5.0; soils with neutral pH is preferred by quinoa. Water-logging conditions is detrimental to plant in its initial growth stages.
Quinoa thrives good at short day lengths and cool temperatures. Ideal temperature is around 180 to 200 C. However it can withstand temperature extremes ranging from -80 to 360C. It grows well during rabi season.
Seed rate of 500-700gms with a spacing of 45cm*30cm and Seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens @10g/kg is recommended.
Fertilization:
15-20 tonnes per hec of FYM/Compost is incorporated at the time of land preparation. A fertilizer dose of N:P:K @100:50:50 kg per ha is recommended for good yield. Over dosage of nitrogen may result in lodging and reduction of yields.
Pests and Diseases:
Quinoa has good resistance to several pests and diseases. However viruses, fungal diseases like downy mildew, black stem, anthracnose have been observed. A wide variety of pests cause damage but has less economic importance.
Monitoring for the presence of larvae, rotating crops, utilizing light traps to draw in adult moths, setting up pheromone traps, applying eco-friendly and bioinsecticides are some of the methods to prevent pest attacks. For the organic production of quinoa, PROINPA successfully created an integrated pest management plan for quinoa cultivation in Bolivia.
Harvesting:
Quinoa is matured in 120-130 days. Harvesting usually begins when the seeds can barely be dented with a fingernail and plants have dried, turned a pale yellow or red color and leaves have dropped. The color, size and yield of the grains depend on the variety. An average yield of 5-15 q/ha is expected under Indian climatic conditions.
How to consume Quinoa?
Quinoa meets all the nutritional needs and is a nutritious substitute for rice. One to two cups of quinoa per day is a healthy amount to incorporate in our diet. Naturally, the seeds are bitter in taste due to saponins present in seed coat and this makes them unpalatable. Most of the commercially available quinoa are processed to remove the coatings. It is also included as quinoa sprouts and microgreens.
There are lots of interesting dishes that involve quinoa. Salads, wrap, dosa, pancake, tikki, smoothie, tacos, khichdi are some of the few dishes that can be prepared from quinoa.
Though their higher cost currently limits their commercial applicability, quinoa seeds might be viewed as a potential material for sustainability and environmental protection. The crop has a plethora of untapped potential that is still in the infant stage.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8840215/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7074363/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/10/2087
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/6/840
- https://www.britannica.com/plant/quinoa
- https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1228
- https://www.phytojournal.com/archives?year=2019&vol=8&issue=3&ArticleId=8455&si=false
- https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IndFarm/article/view/116645