What are the latest propagation methods for quinoa?
The quinoa plant resembles lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), and its seed head resembles a sorghum head. It originated in the mid-altitude regions of the Americas, but it has a wide growing range and can also be grown at high altitudes. Quinoa is currently not grown on a large area in China, but quinoa contains a variety of unique nutrients and is a high-protein, low-sugar health food. At present, growing quinoa should bring good economic returns, and the propagation method commonly used for growing quinoa is seed sowing, just like wheat and other grain crops. The method and process of sowing quinoa is the main content described in detail in this article.
1. Site selection
Quinoa likes sunlight, so it should be planted in a sunny spot with somewhat higher terrain. Do not plant it in paddy fields. Make sure the soil is breathable and retains fertilizer, and the planting site should have good ventilation, but it should not be in an upwind position, as it is prone to lodging. The soil should be deep, making it convenient for the root system to grow and absorb nutrients. The previous crop is best a field where sweet potatoes or similar crops have been grown.
2. Land preparation
After the beginning of spring, the soil can be turned and a large amount of base fertilizer applied, with some manure and plant ash mixed and buried underground. By half a month before sowing, the land can be finely cultivated, with the soil all broken up fine. Do not plow the lower soil; cultivate the upper layer of soil until fine, keep it loose, then apply some additional compound fertilizer mixed with the soil, level the soil, spray a disinfectant, and sun the land for later use.
3. Seed treatment
The seeds can be sown directly without soaking or sprouting, but in order to make the seeds germinate uniformly, grow consistently, and sprout faster, they can be soaked in 45-degree warm water for 30 hours, then soaked in 25-degree warm water for 25 hours, removed and drained, wrapped in a clean cloth, and placed in an incubator at about 25 degrees to sprout. After about three days they will sprout, and once 90% have sprouted they can be sown. For direct sowing, to prevent underground pests from damaging and eating the seeds, the seeds must be treated with a chemical dressing to ensure smooth germination.
4. Sowing
Quinoa is generally sown in May; in warm regions it can be sown early in April, with about two jin of seed per mu. Sowing should be done in holes, digging a small hole every 10 cm along straight lines, sowing 2 to 3 quinoa seeds per hole, and covering with 2 cm of soil after sowing to prevent wild animals from digging up and eating the seeds. This also helps germination. The distance between each row is about 30 cm.
5. Seedling management
After the seedlings emerge, check them, and where no seedlings have emerged, replant once and reseed once; reseeding should be done on a cloudy day with no rain. After the seedlings emerge, water them promptly, once a day, to promote growth. One week after emergence, the amount of watering needs to be reduced to avoid disease. After that, the seedlings can be hardened off, with no watering and no fertilizing; one week of hardening off is enough.
The propagation method for quinoa is seed sowing. The whole sowing process is the specific content described above. There may also be some specific details that need to be discovered and summarized in actual production to improve the propagation method. I hope that after reading this, it will be of some help to everyone.