The alternative crop plant that I have chosen to write about is Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a flowering plant that comes from the amaranth family. The crop is an annual plant that is usually about one to two meters high. The stem is branched or unbranched and could be green, red, or purple. The panicles arise from the top of the plant along the stem. Also, the seeds are about two millimeters in diameter and of various colors. This crop would be a grain but it does not come from the grass like wheat, oats or barley (Raffael, 2012). This crop is well adapted to extreme environmental conditions and is also an important food source for human consumption. The seeds of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) are nutritionally …show more content…
It is a very important crop in the Andean region of South America, however, the crop is grown in many environments. The other environments that this crop can grow in are North America, Europe and Asia (Bhargava & Srivastava, 2013). The most common place this crop is grown is in coastal regions in the Andes near the equator. The optimal growing conditions for quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) would be in cool climates. These cool climates would have temperatures between -4 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius. In the United States, the crop is usually cultivated in high elevations such as San Luis Valley of Colorado. Crops of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) in the northern Andean highlands the crop are small plants of different colors to be found by the shores of Lake Titicaca. These crops are less resistant to cold and drought and can sometimes grow in saline soils. (Bazile, Fuentes, & Mujica, 2013). In the southern highlands of Salares the crop is cultivated from the middle of lava blocks or on the slopes. Additionally, in this area, the crops are cultivated every two years, so that the necessary soil water can accumulate. In the inter Andean valleys the crop can be grown in warmer climates and more fertile soils. Crops of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) in this area would be tall, branched and have large leaves and large