Mr.

Manoj Upadhyaya Quinoa, a new

profitable crop.
Posted August 19, 2015 5:05 pm by editorialteam
Experiments with quinoa, a new profitable crop. Grows commercially and
extends consultancy
Mr. Manoj Upadhyaya, a software engineer working as a Manager in a big IT
services company in India also is a farmer growing quinoa. Belonging to an
agriculture background family he always had keen interest in farming. In
addition he wanted to help farmers to take up new crops for farming, he
shares, Vidarbha region around my place Paratwada, Amravati District,
Maharashtra, is known for farmers committing suicides. This made me to
think about what the educated people can contribute in terms of coming up
with ideas for profitable farming, innovative farming, new areas in farming,
something out of the box.
Even when working in IT industry for 16 years for companies like Infosys,
WIPRO and GE, I am always interested in finding multiple sources of
generating money and employment so that myself and society can be
mutually benefitted, he adds. I bought 4 acre of farmland in my village
and started doing cotton farming but did not find it cost effective.
Next he thought to indulge into research and analysis before doing farming
on field. He worked on horticulture, floriculture and medicinal crops but
found profits to be slender in all. Then one fine day I was watching a
cookery show where the chef was using quinoa as a key ingredient and
commented that quinoa is one of the costliest ingredients in the world. This
caught my attention, says Mr. Upadhyaya on his first introduction to
quinoa.
To know more about quinoa farming, I decided to surrender myself to
Google search engine. After going through the available information on
Google I decided to start experiments on quinoa farming but the challenge
was to find authentic supplier of quinoa seeds in India, he informs. Hard
work of four months to procure seeds finally ended, One person from a
small village in Andhra Pradesh called me following my requests for quinoa
seeds on internet, he shares.
Seeds were procured but before commencing commercial farming Mr.
Upadhyaya did series of experiments using different methodology. I did in
winter season, summer season and rainy season. I penned down by
experience of experiments and recorded all the inputs during one year, he
adds. Based on experiments he could identify that quinoa is a winter crop
and needs to be sown on heavily irrigated farmland. It can be grown using
seeds as well as saplings however, Sapling method is not recommended as
labor cost is more, he says.
It takes 90 days for quinoa to grow + 10 days for post cutting operations.
Only one crop per year is possible but, I am trying to go for 2 cycles this
year, he informs. When asked it will be a risk, Mr. Upadhyaya responds, I
know response of quinoa crop in winter so I have a plan to use winter in
overlap with monsoon and summer to achieve 2 cycles.
Quinoa seeds in international market are sold for few dollars per gram, As
per my knowledge internationally 2 grams seeds cost 3 dollars, he shares.
In India it is available for Rs. 1800 -2000/kg. 2 kg seeds are required for 1
acres quinoa farming. All put up together production cost per acre for
quinoa is Rs. 16000, highlights Mr. Upadhyaya. He is doing cultivation using
organic farming practices.
Quinoa is self resistant crop and less prone to insect attack. At the moment
it is free from pest but may be Indian insect will start stacking the crop soon
then gomutra and neem leaves extract can be used as preventive
measures, he informs. I have used rota weeder to prepare a farm bed. I
have used traditional equipments to prepare the soil and done profound
irrigation. It was then followed by sowing the seeds after few days and later
the farming steps were followed. One needs to remember quinoa needs
loose soil and it is essential not to sow seeds deep inside the soil. He uses
farm yard manure to improve the soil fertility. Irrigation is done using
sprinklers as drip is expensive. Sprinklers need to be stopped after few
weeks to be followed by traditional irrigation methods, he adds.
Quinoa plants exhibits color change when the plant gains maturity,
Towards the end leafs become yellow and seed head shows highly vibrant
colors, he explains.
Stating the precautions he says, Although it is a sturdy crop but it tends to
capture some root area issues leading to early maturity. Consequently plant
could break from the middle.
Yield of quinoa per acre, he says, I got 450 kg/acre but it should be in the
range of 600-700 kg/acre. It is my learning phase so yield is less
nevertheless I am sure learning will help me to increase yield. I will be
working on irrigation schedule, sowing method, plant density in terms of
plant to plant distance and row distance.
Mr. Manoj Upadhyaya is confident his region is ideal for growing quinoa and
farmers can sell it for Rs. 100-150/kg . However being a new crop no
company or group dealing in agricultural commodities is ready to provide
buyback assurance. He maintains, India has very high potential for quinoa
but as this is a new crop farmers needs buyers. Farmers can earn more than
Rs. 50-70 thousand per acre in 100 days. He shares his knowledge on quinoa
cultivation by extending consultancy services to the farmers.
Contact details-
Manoj I Upadhyaya
C1-103 Kunal Icon, Jagatap Dairy, Near Hotel Saudagar, Pimple Saudagar,
Pune 411027
Phone: 9850597704
Email: manojl.upadhyaya@gmail.com

Quinoa Seeds
Quinoa is also a good source of protein (high protein content of 14-18%), iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, and
fiber. It looks a bit like couscous and is as versatile as rice, but quinoa has a richer, nuttier flavor than either of them.

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Nutritional Profile

Quinoa is food of high protein quality and is typically regarded as an adequate source of all essential amino acids,
including lysine and isoleucine. It provides a variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, including ferulic, coumaric,
hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid. Antioxidant flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol are also especially
plentiful in quinoa. Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides in quinoa include arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans. Many
members of the vitamin E tocopherol family are provided by quinoa, including important amounts of gamma-
tocopherol. Quinoa is a very good source of manganese. It is also a good source of phosphorus, copper, magnesium,
dietary fiber, folate, and zinc.

Individual Concerns

Quinoa is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of purines. Because
quinoa does not belong to the plant family containing wheat, oats, barley, and rye, it is also a gluten-free food. Some
studies also show a higher-than-expected digestibility for quinoa, making it a food less likely to produce adverse
reactions. However, like all members of the Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae plant family (including spinach, chard,
and beets), quinoa does contain oxalates, and sometimes in substantial amounts. The oxalate content of quinoa
ranges widely, but even the lower end of the oxalate range puts quinoa on the caution or avoidance list for an
oxalate-restricted diet.

Growing regions
Quinoa is native to the Andes region of South America. It is grown in a range of altitudes, climates and soil types. In
2013, 70 countries produced quinoa.
The largest producer of quinoa in Australia is located in northern Tasmania. Preliminary cropping trials have been
successful in the wheat-belt and in Kununurra under irrigation in Western Australia.
Quinoa production is yet to be tried in other areas of Australia.

Soil type

Quinoa thrives in loamy soils with high organic content and good drainage. Soils with a neutral pH are preferred,
however plants can tolerate alkaline (pH 8.5) and acidic soils (pH 4.8). The relationship between soil types and crop
yield continues to be researched.

Climate
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Quinoa can be grown in both winter seasons and summer seasons at various latitudes and altitudes under the broad
constraints of temperature and moisture levels at these locations. Quinoa is a water efficient plant which can grow in
regions with limited soil moisture and rainfall of 100mm, however irrigation can improve yields. The crop does not
tolerate poor drainage and waterlogging.

Varieties
There are thousands of varieties of cultivated and wild quinoa. Three main cultivated varieties used for commercial
production are white, dark red and purple or black. Quinoa , , ,

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Land Preparation, Sowing in Quinoa Farming

Land should be given couple of ploughings to make weed free and bring the soil to fine tilth stage. Quinoa crop can
be sown from the mid of the May when soil temperature reaches 5 to 7 C. Seeds can be directly sown in the main
field or transplanted. The most appropriate plant density in quinoa farming ranges from 150 to 500 plants per
sq.meter area. The row spacing depends on many factors. However, the most common row spacing is 50 cm or25
cm or 12.5 cm and recommended depth of sowing is 1 to 3 cm. Generally, seed rate in quinoa farming is about 15 to
20 kg per hectare area. Usually seed germination occurs within 24 hours after planting when adequate moisture is
present in the soil, and seedlings emerge in 3 to 5 days.

Irrigation in Quinoa Farming:- Generally, rain fed crops do not require any irrigation if there is a well distributed
rain-fall throughout the year.

Manures and Fertilizers in Quinoa Farming:- Supplement the field with 20 to 30 tonnes of well rotten farm yard
manure to improve the soil with organic matter during land preparation. Quinoa crop responds well to nitrogen
fertilizer. This crop requires chemical fertilizers of N:P:K in the ratio of 120 kg:50 kg: 50 kg per 1 hectare land.

Harvesting in Quinoa Farming:- generally quinoa crop will be ready for harvesting in 3 months to 4 months after
sowing depending on the variety. Quinoa crop is harvested when they reach physiological maturity and are laid in the
field for 35 to 45 days, after which they are threshed on ground and beaten with sticks or crushed by bullocks. The
quinoa crop can be harvested using either combine with a standard header or header.

Planting and crop management

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Fertilisers similar to those used in canola crops would be applicable (nitrogen and phosphorus; potassium and
micronutrients depending on soil type and fertility levels).
Quinoa production is less dependent on fertiliser than other crops, however application of fertiliser is recommended
after sowing and midway through the plants growth.

How many tons does a hectare of quinoa yield?

From the past we know that the pseudocereal can achieve a yield of 2-3 tons per hectare in the Netherlands.
However, this was with the old varieties. How the three new varieties will perform in the Dutch climate is not known.
We look forward to the harvest of 2014 with high expectations.

Health Benefits of Quinoa

The following are the health benefits of Quinoa.

Quinoa is incredibly nutritious and healthy.
Quinoa is gluten free and good for people with gluten intolerance.
Quinoa is a good source of protein.
Quinoa is fully loaded with antioxidants.
Quinoa has a low glycemic index (GI) and excellent for diabetic people.
Quinoa has very high fiber content when compared to other grains.
Quinoa is a good source of minerals like magnesium.
Quinoa is good for metabolic health.
Quinoa helps in weight management.
Cooking

Basic recipe: Bring volumes of quinoa and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all water is
absorbed. quinoa take 12-15 minutes. For a more porridge-like consistency, use a greater proportion of water.
Experiment to find the texture you prefer.

Quinoa contain about 16 percent protein, E and B vitamins, calcium, iron and phosphorous. Its easy to digest and
have wonderful flavour. Their simple distinctive taste gives them great versatility for cooking purposes. They can be
substituted for other grains in many recipes, though they are much more filling. Because they are not true cereal
grains, they can be eaten by people who suffer from cereal grain allergies.

Quinoa Seeds for Cultivation Contact at or Quinoa : + 91-7415538151