What are the precautions for growing quinoa? Read this article to find out
Quinoa is a traditional food crop of indigenous peoples, with a long history of cultivation and high nutritional value, and it was called the mother of grains by the ancient Incas. Quinoa comes in many colors, but the nutritional content is much the same, and white quinoa is considered the superior grain. So how is quinoa generally grown? What should be noted during the growing process? Today let us focus on learning the precautions for growing quinoa.
1. Sowing
Quinoa is generally sown on a plot with low soil moisture, higher terrain, good drainage and a soil pH of 5.5-8.5. Next, the sowing time is also worth our attention; generally the best planting time is the one-month period from early May to late May. When sowing, pay attention to the sowing depth; the depth is best around 2 cm, and it is best to use mechanical sowing, as this can control the average depth well and is good for seed emergence.
2. Water
Quinoa is generally sown in dry conditions, so the moisture in the planting site does not need to be very high; usually keeping it at around 20 to 30 percent is enough. Quinoa has extremely strong drought resistance, but it is afraid of waterlogging and flooding; however, in the early stage of seedling growth, we still need to water appropriately to promote seedling growth. Next, watering is also needed when the weather is continuously dry, but if there is continuous rainfall, then drainage is needed in time.
3. Nutrients
Quinoa has very vigorous vitality, so during growth its demand for nutrients is not very great, so when we can save costs, we should try not to raise costs. Generally, we apply appropriate topdressing at the key times of quinoa growth, in order to ensure normal flowering and fruiting of quinoa and to improve yield and quality. Do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, which causes the plants to grow excessively and fail to set seed.
4. Density
The growth of quinoa also has certain requirements for planting density. At the time of sowing, the row spacing is about 50 cm for drilling, but this is not the density for quinoa at the final planting stage; later it still needs to be adjusted. When the quinoa seedlings grow to about 18 cm, we need to begin final planting and adjust the distance between each plant; generally, keep two or three strong seedlings per plant, with a distance of about 30 cm between plants.
5. Temperature
Although quinoa has extremely strong resistance, this does not mean it can achieve high yields under any conditions, so we also need to pay attention to the temperature suitable for its cultivation. Generally, the temperature suitable for quinoa growth is about 10 degrees to 30 degrees, and the best temperature for quinoa growth is between 15 and 20 degrees. At the same time, we should also note that the temperature of the planting site cannot be lower than 5 degrees, nor higher than 32 degrees, otherwise it will affect the normal growth of quinoa.
The above is all the content that the editor wants to teach you today about the precautions for growing quinoa. In fact, during the growing process, the most important things are careful field management and grasping the techniques of quinoa cultivation. If you want to know the detailed cultivation techniques for quinoa, you can consult the editor or follow us.