QUINOA - Grain with Great Potential for SW Colorado
Why does quinoa (KEEN-wa) have so much potential for our area
Story by Jane Bennett
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[SW Colorado] Quinoa evolved in the Andes Mountains of South America, in conditions very much like those of Ouray and San Miguel Counties. It grows best in mountain valleys and on plateaus at elevations between 7,000 and 10,000 ft.
In South America, marginal agricultural soils are frequently used to grow quinoa. These soils have poor or excessive drainage, low natural fertility, or very acidic (pH of 4.8) to alkaline (8.5) conditions.
Quinoa requires cool temperatures (30-90°F) for good growth, and is usually tolerant of light frost, which means it will enjoy a productive growing season in our climate and altitude. The plant flowers earlier in areas with shorter daylengths, maturing in 90 to 125 days. Narrow canyons with short sunlight, like so many of ours here in southwest Colorado, could have the advantage! Quinoa is also somewhat drought tolerant, requiring 10 to 15 inches of water a year (precipitation and irrigation combined). Again, perfect for this area.
Quinoa is also ornamental. Seed is produced in large, colorful, high-yielding clusters resembling sorghum or amaranth. The plants grow from 1 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet tall, and come in a range of colors that vary from white, yellow, and pink, to darker red, purple, and black.
Besides being ornamental, quinoa is also highly nutritious with more protein, and better quality protein, than those of more common cereal grains.It has a texture like that of grits when boiled, and can be used to make flour, soup, breakfast cereal, and alcohol. The leaves can be eaten as a leafy vegetable, like spinach. Quinoa grain has a lower sodium content than wheat, barley, or corn and is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc, without gluten.
So far, quinoa hasn't been a target for genetic modification. Like some other plants, quinoa has evolved a chemical defense against insects and animals: bitter saponins (vegetable soap) cover the seed. Deer and birds don't like it. Humans can remove it by soaking and rinsing.
Because it is a high-yield crop, quinoa has advantages for both large and small scale agriculture, as well as backyard gardens. It has been grown commercially in Colorado's San Luis Valley since 1987. |
Quinoa is a perfect crop plant for our dry, cool climate and grows well in limited sunlight. It's ornamental and nutritious, and so far has not been subject to extensive genetic modification like the more common crop plants. |
Photography
Image provided by the author (who is growing this crop successfully). |