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Abstract

Biodiversity Online J

Underutilized Andean Crop Kañawa (Chenopodium Pallidicaule Aellen)

  • Open or CloseJuan Pablo Rodriguez1* and Marten Sørensen2

    1International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, UAE

    2Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    *Corresponding author:Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

Submission: March 08, 2021; Published: April 28, 2021

Abstract

Small farmers worldwide are the custodians of agro-biodiversity belonging to both the plant and animal kingdoms. Grains and vegetables are the essentials needed to sustain our food systems. Goosefoots, i.e., Chenopodium species like kañawa (Ch. pallidicaule) and Quinoa (Ch. quinoa), are prominent examples of domestication by small farmers during ancient times that still exist. Chenopodium grains possess high nutritional profiles and are further characterized by being resilient climate crops. Kañawa tolerates salinity, drought and frost and its diversity allows farmers to cultivate the crop even above 4000m a.s.l. It is a staple food source as an ingredient in a balanced and low glycaemic index diet.

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