Quinoa is a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium) grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal as it is not a grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.
Overview
Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. Quinoa is generally undemanding and altitude-hardy, so it can be easily cultivated in the Andes up to about 4,000 meters. Even so, it grows best in well-drained soils and requires a relatively long growing season. In eastern North America, it is susceptible to a leaf miner that may reduce crop success; this leaf miner also affects the common weed Chenopodium album, but C. album is much more resistant.
Similar Chenopodium species, such as Pitseed Goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri) and Fat Hen (Chenopodium album) were grown and domesticated in North America as part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex before maize agriculture became popular. Fat Hen, which has a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, produces edible seeds and greens much like quinoa, but in lower quantities. Caution should be exercised in collecting this weed, however, because when growing in heavily fertilized agricultural fields it can accumulate dangerously high concentrations of nitrates.
Chenopods were also used in Europe as greens.
Wild distribution
Chenopodium quinoa (and a related species from Mexico, Chenopodium nuttalliae) is most familiar as a fully domesticated plant, but it was believed to have been domesticated in the Andes from wild populations of Chenopodium quinoa.[1] There are non-cultivated quinoa plants (Chenopodium quinoa var. melanospermum) which grow in the same area where it is cultivated, which probably are related to the wild progenitors, but which could instead be the descendents of cultivated plants.[2]
History and culture
Top Quinoa Producers - 2005(thousand metric ton) Peru 26.0 Bolivia 25.1 Ecuador 27.2 World Total 78.3 Source:UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO)Actual figures from FAO
The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. During the European conquest of South America quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies.
Quinoa is considered by many Jews to be kosher for Passover, if properly processed.
Nutritional value
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
Saponin content
In its natural state quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating. Some have speculated this bitter coating may have caused the Europeans who first encountered quinoa to reject it as a food source, since they adopted other indigenous food plants of the Americas like maize and potatoes. However, this bitterness has beneficial effects during cultivation, as the plant is unpopular with birds and thus requires minimal protection. There have been attempts to lower the saponin content of quinoa through selective breeding in order to produce sweeter, more palatable varieties. However, when new varieties were introduced by agronomists to native growers in the high plateau, the native growers rejected the new varieties, despite their 'magnificent' yields. Because the seeds no longer had a bitter coating, birds had consumed the entire crop after just one season.
Preparation
Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.
The first step in preparing quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking again, or rinsing it in ample running water either in a fine strainer or in cheesecloth. Boxed quinoa typically has been pre-rinsed for convenience.
A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa. To that end, one volume of quinoa should be combined with two volumes of water.
Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavour. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.
Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.
Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour, tapioca, and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch. Quinoa flour can be used as a filling for chocolate.
Lastly, quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content. In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: only 2-4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, e.g., 12 hours overnight with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods.
Cultivars
'Cahuil' A medium-size, light green seed with some variation[183]. Suitable for lower elevations, it produces well in Washington State in USA[183] and is therefore potentially suitable for the cooler, damper climate of Britain[K].
'Dave' The medium-size seed is yellow-brown in colour and ripens mid-season[183]. It has very colourful orange and pink seed heads[183]. A very short-season, high-yielding Chilean cultivar, adaptable to high or low elevations[183]. It grows up to 1.8 metres tall[183]. It has produced yields in excess of ½ kilo per square metre on our trial ground in Cornwall[183].
'Faro' A small, yellowish-white seed[183]. The plant grows 1.2 - 1.8 metres tall and has a light-green foliage[183]. A mid to long-season type, it performs well at lower elevations[183]. A good-yielding, adaptable cultivar - coming from southern Chile, it should be suitable for growing in cooler temperate climates and was the highest-yielding of 16 cultivars tested in northwestern USA[183].
'Isluga Yellow' Medium-size yellow seeds produced in attractive golden-yellow to pink seed heads[183]. An early maturing, high-yielding, somewhat taller variety, it has grown consistently well in a variety of Western mountain and coastal sites in the USA[183].
'Linares' A golden-yellow, medium-size seed, its coat is high in saponins and it has a distinctive flavour from commercial cultivars[183]. It ripens mid-season[183]. Plants grow to 1.8 metres tall, they yield well and have performed consistently well in both maritime and Rocky Mountain sites in western USA[183]. It originated in Chile at sea-level around a latitude of 36° south[183].
Multi-Hued' Produces flowering heads ranging in colour from red through orange and yellow topurple and mauve[183]. The plants grow to 1.8 metres tall and are very productive in northern latitudes[183].
'Temuco' Very palatable small white seeds, ripening in mid-season]183]. The plant has yellow-green seed heads (with some golden)[183]. The plant grows to 1.8 metres tall and bears abundant crops[183].Coming from a latitude of 38° south in Chile, it is one of the best choices for maritime sites in the Pacific Northwest of the USA[183], and should therefore also be suitable for growing in Britain[K]. It also grows well in the southern Rockies[183].
Links
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/quinoa.html
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19940015664_1994015664.pdf
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Koldioxidkompensation?
Koldioxidkompensation innebär att man binder samma mängd koldioxid i växter som man har frigjort i atmosfären genom andra aktiviteter, en sk. kolsänka. Idag finns ännu ingen erkänd standard för att beräkna en sådan kompensation, bara ungefärdiga mått.
Att köpa träd för att kompensera koldioxidutsläpp är inget avlatsbrev med absolution för alla utsläpps-synder och ingen lösning på alla problem. Det är bara ett av många sätt att minska atmosfärens koldioxidinnehåll – men en mycket bra komponent i en åtgärdsmix!
Ingen åtgärd påverkar så direkt människors liv på ett positivt sätt som trädplantering därför ska den definitivt ingå i ert åtgärdspaket - om ni tar den globala uppvärningen på allvar! I
Dina träd betyder något för dig imorgon och för dem redan idag.
Den första koldioxidneutrala staten
I omvärlden har Vatikanstaten under de senaste potifikaten kommit att förknippas med utpräglad värdekonservatism. Därför kom 2007 års deklaration om att göra Vatikanstaten till det första koldioxidneutrala landet i världen oväntat för den som förknippar traditionella kristna värderingar med ointresse för miljöfrågor.
Åtagandet skall, från Vatikanstatens sida, ske genom koldioxidkompensation. Vatikanstatens Klimatskog finns inom Bükk National Park i Ungern och är dimensionerad för att kompensera Vatikanstatens koldioxidutsläpp. Man ser det som en rent symbilsk handling i syfte att uppmuntra jordens dryga miljard katoliker att göra mer för att skydda vår planet. Dessutom kommer Paulus VI:s audienshall att få taket täckt med solpaneler. I sin adress inför det nya milenniet betonade den tidigare påven Johannes Paulus II nödvändigheten av miljöskydd: ”Hur kan vi förbli oberörda inför hotet om en ekologisk kris som kommer att göra vidsträckta områden av vår planet obeboerliga för mänskligheten?”
Sunday, February 17, 2008
We challenge you!
200 trees have been planted this week! I did a security planting around the boundary of a possible goal for assault. These trees act as an extra wall, far more attractive than the usual walls and fences. This technique has been used in several countries with similar security problems, with good result. One Acacia from Australia is called Wait-a-little-bush: If you get stuck there. you stay for a while!
Due to many factors is a cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture not possible. But since the administration provides many other ways to proceed I believe that we have during January and February planted more trees than the dept. of Forestry has done under this period.
In this noble competition for the well fare of Kurdistan: I hereby challenge the dept. of Forestry to with their own resources plant more than 10.000 trees this year and to have a survival rate over 80% at the end of 2009. We will certainly try to achieve this goal at Trees for Kurdistan.
Due to many factors is a cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture not possible. But since the administration provides many other ways to proceed I believe that we have during January and February planted more trees than the dept. of Forestry has done under this period.
In this noble competition for the well fare of Kurdistan: I hereby challenge the dept. of Forestry to with their own resources plant more than 10.000 trees this year and to have a survival rate over 80% at the end of 2009. We will certainly try to achieve this goal at Trees for Kurdistan.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Just simple physics
There is nothing mysterious about the ability of the Green Belt to clear the air. It´s just simple physics. Look at the animated gif to the left!
The brownish shape in the middle is a dust particle and the blue shapes are water vapour.
When dust particles blow in at a normally low altitude they become condensation nucleii:
Air borne vapour condensates as water on the surface of the dust particle. The particle attracts more and more vapour. The particle becomes heavy and sinks. Vapourized water from the trees in the Green Belt bind dust.
It´s that easy: just simple physics.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A win - win project
Of special interest for the Green Belt project are the hills south of Hewler, on the road to Kirkuk. They are marked green on the map – green for forests. These hills are today used for oil production and pasture. Both industries can successfully be combined with the tree plantation.
The oil industry is today concerned with their environmental reputation: They are the fact the motor of global warming! To be able to show that they are involved in massive tree planting projects is to somehow counterweight the negative effects, both environmentally and concerning status. The oil business can, a bit farfetched but still, claim to be a green commerce!
Due to the high percentage of protein in the leaves of the tree legumes – up to 35% - will the browsing cattle, and certainly their owners benefit from the tree plantation! It’s a solid fact, confirmed by numerous international studies that tree legumes contribute to a faster growth rate, higher progeny (more kid and lambs) and an improved animal health.
If there ever has been a win-win project, a project that everybody will benefit from, it is this! So what are we waiting for?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A Green Belt for new life
There has been a long going talk about creating a Green Belt south of Hewler. The question has been raised and dropped in periods. The interest of the oil companies, conservative environmentalists and other more pressing issues have this far hindered the project. I hereby suggest a model that enables the establishment of the Green Belt that will attract interest, money and expertise from abroad – among other positive effects.
Why a Green Belt?
· Every summer Hewler is covered by desert dust, carried by winds from the south, a yellowish filth cover streets, cars and laundry. It penetrates the houses and covers furniture.
· People with respiratory problems suffer during this period.
· At the same time is the growing city lacking recreational areas: simply, good healthy nature.
· To the picture must also be added that the city is creating its own problems. All the cars are producing green house gasses that are giving us a hotter climate. The desert is moving north.
Examples from abroad show that this can be addressed by planting massive green belts. A dense forest in the direction of the ruling winds can filter the air, diminish the winds, give good recreation, bind green house gasses and stop desertification and land degradation.
Today we have the techniques and trees for this climate. We only lack the decision, the organization and the means for this endeavor.
Non-profit NGO
I suggest that a large area of the Zurgazraw hills is managed by a non-profit, nongovernmental organization for 25 years. After this period the land is handled over to the government, now as a lush park covered with trees and filled with wild life.
How?
1. 2007/2008 Selection of suitable area
Together with representatives for the general directorate of forestry, oil wells, planning and other authorities in concern, should a suitable area be selected for Project Green Belt. It must have a depth of at least 10 kilometers to make any kind of impact on the climate. Concerning the width it shall be as large as possible. I guess that some 40 kilometers would be great. We might have to accept areas of national economic interest within the Green Belt.
2. 2008 Pilot project
I project of this dignity must be tested concerning species, organization and logistics. Let’s begin with a minor pilot project of 1 000 trees. This Pilot project will start immediately as the proposal of the Green Belt is accepted. During December 2007 to February 2008 is a selected area planted within the Green Belt of about 12 – 16 000 m2. A valley surrounded by ridges is to prefer since it can create a climatic pocket. The area shall be fenced by the ministry to stop browsing cattle. It can be simple fencing like double barbed wire.
The ministry should place a minor post for the Green Belt Pilot project in its budget for 2008:
· 1,6 km simple fencing (double barbed wire) (1 000 USD)
· 1 person clearing around the plants and maintaining the fencing.( 6000 USD)
· Watering twice a week during the dry season ( 1 000 m3 water)
· I guess that the total costs will be less than 20 000 USD or 20 USD/plant, year one. After the first dry season is no watering needed and the cost per tree is maybe 1 USD/tree/year, or less.
· The project evaluation shall be in December 2008. The evaluation shall consider the performance of the plants as well as the cooperation.
3. The Green Belt Project start
In the end of 2008 should both the ministry of Agriculture and the Green Belt Trust have acquired a good picture of:
· Suitable species for the area
· Methods of plantation, maintenance and watering
· Organization on both sides for a well working cooperation
It is now time to write the Green Belt proposal. Based on experiences gathered from the Pilot project should the goal be to:
· 2009 plant 1km2,
· 2010 plant 10 km2
Every year coming should the goal be to plant 10 km2. This area is possible to plant by traditional methods while larger areas call for other means. This will be discussed later in this sketch.
4. Organization
The Green Belt Trust should be organized in a manner that attracts donators. The chairman shall be a well known Kurd, with broad international contacts and ability to communicate in several languages. This person shall have a strong personal interest in environmental issues. As the representative of the Green Belt Trust he shall attract sponsors and act as spokesman for the project. Without the right person here the project will dwindle.
The organization shall invite expertise from renounced universities working with semiarid forestry as the University of Auburn and the University of Arizona. There is also solid expertise at the Danish Agricultural University (Skov og Landskab). It is of course beficial to join the UN Billion Tree program. The Green Belt trust is open to every person interested in the issue. The organization is not related to any certain party or religious group. All cherishing environmental thinking and democratic values are welcome.
All documentation from the organization shall be in English in order to make it transparent and trust worthy in the eyes of foreign interests and to allow non-Kurdish board members and international economical revision.
The board and the council are to be formed according to international democratic rules.
If the organization is not formed and working within one year after the foundation, the area is handled back to the government.
5. The Government and the Green Belt Trust have different roles
The Government enables
I suggest that in the Green Belt project shall the Ministry of Agriculture supportive role, thus enabling the Green Belt. The ministry of Agriculture should contribute with:
· Infrastructure like fencing, roads and electricity, buildings, transportation for persons involved and for material to the project.
· Manpower to nurse the growing trees, maintain the fence and Park Wards to guide the visitors and protect the wild life.
· Resources at the nurseries to grow bulk plants (that will be bought by the Green Belt)
The Green Belt Trust plants
By the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Green Belt Trust can focus entirely on the trees. This will attract donators from near and far. The contributors shall be able to buy a certain amount of trees for a fixed sum per tree. From 50 trees or more shall a plate commemorate the givers of a certain lot. In fund raising it is important to have simple tangible goals. We welcome of course donations from the Ministry buying 1000 trees of more per year! Every square kilometer is planted with 70 – 100 000 trees so contributions are needed.
6. Coming years
I expect radically decreased costs for the yearlings planted coming years. By smart planting of drought hardy species should the costs/tree/year never exceed 1, 50 USD. The Green Belt shall have as its goal to increase the plantings as much as practically possible. Limiting factors are available funds, plants and methods. The trust shall initiate tree planting campaigns and popularize environmental thinking in the country as whole.
7. Species used
The world offers several climatic regimes comparable to the Kurdish setting. In all of these trees grow, adapted to the climate. Many belong to the Fabeace family like Prosopis and Acacia but also Jacaranda and Paulownia will be useful.
In the Pilot Project we intend to plant:
Prosopis alba, Prosopis glandulosa torreyana, Prosopis flexuosa, Prosopis chilensis, Acacia aneura, Acacia nilotica, Acacia brachystachya, Geoffroea decorticans and Jacaranda mimosifolia.
These species have already proven to grow well in Kurdistan. Since many of them live in symbiosis with certain bacteria, special care has to be taken during the germination to ensure healthy growth. We are of course open to others suggested by the ministry of Agriculture.
So, we ask you Sir, to call for a pre study in which an area is selected as members of your staff that shall cooperate with us.
After that a proper proposal for the Pilot Project is written during the end of November.
Why a Green Belt?
· Every summer Hewler is covered by desert dust, carried by winds from the south, a yellowish filth cover streets, cars and laundry. It penetrates the houses and covers furniture.
· People with respiratory problems suffer during this period.
· At the same time is the growing city lacking recreational areas: simply, good healthy nature.
· To the picture must also be added that the city is creating its own problems. All the cars are producing green house gasses that are giving us a hotter climate. The desert is moving north.
Examples from abroad show that this can be addressed by planting massive green belts. A dense forest in the direction of the ruling winds can filter the air, diminish the winds, give good recreation, bind green house gasses and stop desertification and land degradation.
Today we have the techniques and trees for this climate. We only lack the decision, the organization and the means for this endeavor.
Non-profit NGO
I suggest that a large area of the Zurgazraw hills is managed by a non-profit, nongovernmental organization for 25 years. After this period the land is handled over to the government, now as a lush park covered with trees and filled with wild life.
How?
1. 2007/2008 Selection of suitable area
Together with representatives for the general directorate of forestry, oil wells, planning and other authorities in concern, should a suitable area be selected for Project Green Belt. It must have a depth of at least 10 kilometers to make any kind of impact on the climate. Concerning the width it shall be as large as possible. I guess that some 40 kilometers would be great. We might have to accept areas of national economic interest within the Green Belt.
2. 2008 Pilot project
I project of this dignity must be tested concerning species, organization and logistics. Let’s begin with a minor pilot project of 1 000 trees. This Pilot project will start immediately as the proposal of the Green Belt is accepted. During December 2007 to February 2008 is a selected area planted within the Green Belt of about 12 – 16 000 m2. A valley surrounded by ridges is to prefer since it can create a climatic pocket. The area shall be fenced by the ministry to stop browsing cattle. It can be simple fencing like double barbed wire.
The ministry should place a minor post for the Green Belt Pilot project in its budget for 2008:
· 1,6 km simple fencing (double barbed wire) (1 000 USD)
· 1 person clearing around the plants and maintaining the fencing.( 6000 USD)
· Watering twice a week during the dry season ( 1 000 m3 water)
· I guess that the total costs will be less than 20 000 USD or 20 USD/plant, year one. After the first dry season is no watering needed and the cost per tree is maybe 1 USD/tree/year, or less.
· The project evaluation shall be in December 2008. The evaluation shall consider the performance of the plants as well as the cooperation.
3. The Green Belt Project start
In the end of 2008 should both the ministry of Agriculture and the Green Belt Trust have acquired a good picture of:
· Suitable species for the area
· Methods of plantation, maintenance and watering
· Organization on both sides for a well working cooperation
It is now time to write the Green Belt proposal. Based on experiences gathered from the Pilot project should the goal be to:
· 2009 plant 1km2,
· 2010 plant 10 km2
Every year coming should the goal be to plant 10 km2. This area is possible to plant by traditional methods while larger areas call for other means. This will be discussed later in this sketch.
4. Organization
The Green Belt Trust should be organized in a manner that attracts donators. The chairman shall be a well known Kurd, with broad international contacts and ability to communicate in several languages. This person shall have a strong personal interest in environmental issues. As the representative of the Green Belt Trust he shall attract sponsors and act as spokesman for the project. Without the right person here the project will dwindle.
The organization shall invite expertise from renounced universities working with semiarid forestry as the University of Auburn and the University of Arizona. There is also solid expertise at the Danish Agricultural University (Skov og Landskab). It is of course beficial to join the UN Billion Tree program. The Green Belt trust is open to every person interested in the issue. The organization is not related to any certain party or religious group. All cherishing environmental thinking and democratic values are welcome.
All documentation from the organization shall be in English in order to make it transparent and trust worthy in the eyes of foreign interests and to allow non-Kurdish board members and international economical revision.
The board and the council are to be formed according to international democratic rules.
If the organization is not formed and working within one year after the foundation, the area is handled back to the government.
5. The Government and the Green Belt Trust have different roles
The Government enables
I suggest that in the Green Belt project shall the Ministry of Agriculture supportive role, thus enabling the Green Belt. The ministry of Agriculture should contribute with:
· Infrastructure like fencing, roads and electricity, buildings, transportation for persons involved and for material to the project.
· Manpower to nurse the growing trees, maintain the fence and Park Wards to guide the visitors and protect the wild life.
· Resources at the nurseries to grow bulk plants (that will be bought by the Green Belt)
The Green Belt Trust plants
By the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Green Belt Trust can focus entirely on the trees. This will attract donators from near and far. The contributors shall be able to buy a certain amount of trees for a fixed sum per tree. From 50 trees or more shall a plate commemorate the givers of a certain lot. In fund raising it is important to have simple tangible goals. We welcome of course donations from the Ministry buying 1000 trees of more per year! Every square kilometer is planted with 70 – 100 000 trees so contributions are needed.
6. Coming years
I expect radically decreased costs for the yearlings planted coming years. By smart planting of drought hardy species should the costs/tree/year never exceed 1, 50 USD. The Green Belt shall have as its goal to increase the plantings as much as practically possible. Limiting factors are available funds, plants and methods. The trust shall initiate tree planting campaigns and popularize environmental thinking in the country as whole.
7. Species used
The world offers several climatic regimes comparable to the Kurdish setting. In all of these trees grow, adapted to the climate. Many belong to the Fabeace family like Prosopis and Acacia but also Jacaranda and Paulownia will be useful.
In the Pilot Project we intend to plant:
Prosopis alba, Prosopis glandulosa torreyana, Prosopis flexuosa, Prosopis chilensis, Acacia aneura, Acacia nilotica, Acacia brachystachya, Geoffroea decorticans and Jacaranda mimosifolia.
These species have already proven to grow well in Kurdistan. Since many of them live in symbiosis with certain bacteria, special care has to be taken during the germination to ensure healthy growth. We are of course open to others suggested by the ministry of Agriculture.
So, we ask you Sir, to call for a pre study in which an area is selected as members of your staff that shall cooperate with us.
After that a proper proposal for the Pilot Project is written during the end of November.
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