A future sown thousands of years ago

The richness of quinoa does not reside only in the grains of its colorful panicles, but also in the knowledge accumulated by the Andean peoples, which has made it possible to preserve its various varieties, improve its yield and develop a gastronomy based on quinoa.

However, the grain was carefully protected by these peoples and today it is an invaluable legacy for humanity, due to its unique characteristics: quinoa is the only plant food that has all the essential amino acids, trace elements and vitamins for life, in addition to do not contain gluten.

It is capable of growing in the harshest conditions, withstanding temperatures from -8 ° C to 38 ° C, it can be sown from sea level to 4,000 meters high and it is resistant to drought and poor soils.
A contribution to world food security

Faced with the challenge of increasing the production of quality food to feed the planet's population in a context of climate change, quinoa appears as an alternative for those countries that suffer from food insecurity.

For this reason, the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2013 as the "International Year of Quinoa", in recognition of the ancestral practices of the Andean peoples, who have known how to preserve quinoa in its natural state as food for present and future generations, through ancestral practices of life in harmony with nature.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, from its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, will carry out the Secretariat for the International Year of Quinoa, accompanying the International Committee that will coordinate the celebrations. Bolivia heads the presidency of the Committee, while Ecuador, Peru and Chile hold the vice presidencies, with the rapporteurs in charge of Argentina and France.
From America to the world

Almost all current quinoa production is in the hands of small farmers and associations.

Quinoa is found natively in all the countries of the Andean region, from Colombia to northern Argentina and southern Chile. The main producing countries are Bolivia, Peru and the United States. The cultivation of quinoa has transcended continental borders: it is cultivated in France, England, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Italy. In the United States it occurs in Colorado and Nevada and in Canada on the prairies of Ontario. For example, in Kenya high seed yields were shown and in the Himalayas and the plains of northern India, the crop could be developed successfully.
From a staple to gourmet cuisine

Like the potato, quinoa was one of the main foods of the pre-Inca Andean peoples. Traditionally, the quinoa grains are roasted and flour is made with them, with which different types of bread are made.

They can also be cooked and added to soups, used as cereals, pasta and even fermented to obtain beer or chicha, a traditional drink from the Andes. When cooked, it takes on a nutty flavor.

Today quinoa also has a key role in gourmet cuisine, but its uses have also extended to the pharmaceutical and industrial area.


Pseudocereal

Climate requirements
The plant's growth is highly variable due to the number of different subspecies, varieties and landraces (domesticated plants or animals adapted to the environment in which they originated). However, it is generally undemanding and altitude-hardy; it is grown from coastal regions to over 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the Andes near the equator, with most of the cultivars being grown between 2,500 m (8,200 ft) and 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Depending on the variety, optimal growing conditions are in cool climates with temperatures that vary between −4 °C (25 °F) during the night to near 35 °C (95 °F) during the day. Some cultivars can withstand lower temperatures without damage. Light frosts normally do not affect the plants at any stage of development, except during flowering. Midsummer frosts during flowering, a frequent occurrence in the Andes, lead to sterilization of the pollen. Rainfall requirements are highly variable between the different cultivars, ranging from 300 to 1,000 mm (12 to 39 in) during the growing season. Growth is optimal with well-distributed rainfall during early growth and no rain during seed maturation and harvesting.

United States
Quinoa has been cultivated in the United States, primarily in the high elevation San Luis Valley of Colorado where it was introduced in 1983. In this high-altitude desert valley, maximum summer temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F) and night temperatures are about 7 °C (45 °F). Due to the short growing season, North American cultivation requires short-maturity varieties, typically of Bolivian origin.

Europe


Several countries within Europe, including France, England, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Spain, have successfully grown quinoa on a commercial scale. As of 2015, within the UK, crops have been grown to scale and mechanically harvested in September.

Sowing


Quinoa plants do best in sandy, well-drained soils with a low nutrient content, moderate salinity, and a soil pH of 6 to 8.5. The seedbed must be well prepared and drained to avoid waterlogging.

Soil and pests


Yields are maximised when 170 to 200 kg (370 to 440 lb) N per hectare are available. The addition of phosphorus does not improve yield. In eastern North America, it is susceptible to a leaf miner that may reduce crop success. (It also affects the common weed and close relative Chenopodium album, but C. album is much more resistant.)

Genetics


The genome of quinoa was sequenced in 2017 by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Through genetic engineering, the plant is being modified to have higher crop yield, improved tolerance to heat and biotic stress, and greater sweetness through saponin inhibition.

Harvesting

Harvested quinoa seeds
Traditionally, quinoa grain is harvested by hand, and only rarely by machine, because the extreme variability of the maturity period of most Quinoa cultivars complicates mechanization. Harvest needs to be precisely timed to avoid high seed losses from shattering, and different panicles on the same plant mature at different times. The crop yield in the Andean region (often around 3 t/ha up to 5 t/ha) is comparable to wheat yields. In the United States, varieties have been selected for uniformity of maturity and are mechanically harvested using conventional small grain combines.

Processing

Threshing quinoa in Peru
The plants are allowed to stand until the stalks and seeds have dried out and the grain has reached a moisture content below 10%.

Handling involves threshing the seedheads from the chaff and winnowing the seed to remove the husk. Before storage, the seeds need to be dried in order to avoid germination. Dry seeds can be stored raw until being washed or mechanically processed to remove the pericarp to eliminate the bitter layer containing saponins. The seeds must be dried again before being stored and sold in stores.


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