Quinoa A nutritive alternative crop to the saline land of Gujarat

Abstract

ICAR-CSSRI imported improved varieties of wheat from Mexico which in turn brought green revolution in the 1970s. Similarly, it is high time, we introduce alternate crops like quinoa which has the potential to grow and yield in degraded barren saline soils of India. Malnutrition of our children and pregnant women (45 % and 70 % respectively) can be addressed by such highly nutritive crops with quality protein. It is also a possible remedy to the huge fraction of diabetic patients in India (52 %) due to overdependence on rice and wheat. Quinoa can play a major role in future diversification of agriculture system in Gujarat. The predicted model for introduction of quinoa in to a new area is shown in Fig. 3. However, the adoption rate is very slow in India due to absence of potential market, value chain and inability of people to change their long standing food preferences. The genetic variability of quinoa is immense and further field studies are needed to find out varieties suitable to our soil and climatic conditions. So, let us be the whistle blowers, the change makers towards an altered food preference for enhanced nutritional security.