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So Tell Me Again, How Do You Pronounce "Quinoa"?

posted by on Thursday February 09 2017, @01:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the keen-wah dept.

From the we-don't-need-your-stinkin-GMO department, the Beeb reports that "Scientists have successfully decoded the genome of quinoa, one of the world's most nutritious but underutilised crops." The team was led by Mark Tester in Saudi Arabia.

The South American grain is a hugely popular "super-food" because it is well balanced and gluten-free. However, prices for quinoa have rocketed in recent years as demand exceeded supply. Researchers believe the genetic code will rapidly lead to more productive varieties that will push down costs.

They go on to say that the genome will be used to direct conventional plant breeding methods. Several traits of the 7000 year old South American grain would improve its utility such as reducing the level of saponins which make it bitter. Also, varieties could be bred for other climates. The plant is naturally able to grow in salty soils and another goal is to breed tolerance to irrigation with brackish water (partially desalinated sea water).

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  • (Score: 2) by captain normal on Thursday February 09 2017, @07:08PM

    by captain normal (2205) on Thursday February 09 2017, @07:08PM (#465173)

    "And that's in spite of it being a relatively vulnerable crop that requires very specific climatic conditions to grow.."
    Be interested in where you found that information. Everything I've read on Quinoa and Amaranth indicates otherwise. Amaranth grows all over the Americas and does quite well in poor soils. Quinoa is a form of Amaranth that was cultivated in the high Andes beginning over 3000 years ago.
    " However, in general it is 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. Mid-summer frosts during flowering, often occurring in the Andes, lead to sterilization of the pollen. Rainfall conditions are highly variable between the different cultivars, ranging from 300 to 1,000 mm (12 to 39 in) during growing season. Growth is optimal with well-distributed rainfall during early growth and development and dry conditions during seed maturation and harvesting."
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa [wikipedia.org]

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by ikanreed on Thursday February 09 2017, @07:42PM

    by ikanreed (3164) Subscriber Badge on Thursday February 09 2017, @07:42PM (#465205) Journal

    article including the following expert analysis [washingtonpost.com]

    "I wouldn't even go so far as to say that's a non-staple that went big-time," Bellemare says.

    For that reason, quinoa prices are likely to remain volatile for a long while yet. Brigham Young's Rick Jellen says the lack of research funding for quinoa — relative to the other large crop programs — means that even if they come up with a more versatile strain, it won't have the resilience to survive an infestation.

    "Once that production moves down to a more benign environment, you're going to get three or four years of very good production," he predicts. "And then you're going to hit a wall, you're going to have a pest come in, and it's going to wreak havoc on the crop. I think we're going to see big fluctuations in quinoa prices until someone with money has the vision and is willing to take the risk to invest to really start a long-term breeding program for the crop."

    Also it totally wrecks the soil it's grown in [wiley.com]