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A A A A A: Maranth Maranth Maranth Maranth Maranth

Amaranth is a fast-growing crop that grows well in a wide range of soils and climates, preferring temperatures between 25-30°C. It is an important subsistence crop in Africa and Asia. Amaranth comes in many varieties, both domesticated and as weeds. Farmers often grow mixed populations of local varieties. Amaranth is harvested by hand once the foliage yellows, indicating seed maturity. Harvested seed stalks are dried in the shade before processing and cleaning the seeds.

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42 views

A A A A A: Maranth Maranth Maranth Maranth Maranth

Amaranth is a fast-growing crop that grows well in a wide range of soils and climates, preferring temperatures between 25-30°C. It is an important subsistence crop in Africa and Asia. Amaranth comes in many varieties, both domesticated and as weeds. Farmers often grow mixed populations of local varieties. Amaranth is harvested by hand once the foliage yellows, indicating seed maturity. Harvested seed stalks are dried in the shade before processing and cleaning the seeds.

Uploaded by

anothersomeguy
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A maranth

Production Harvesting
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is an impor- A lightening or yellowing of foliage color
tant food crop in Africa and Asia, especially is an indication that seeds are beginning to
for subsistence farmers. It is a fast-growing mature (Fig. 6). Types with an apical inflo-
crop that easily grows on a wide range of rescence are usually harvested once. Types
soils and climates. The plant prefers tem- with several side shoots are harvested sev-
peratures between 25 and 30 °C. eral times as the seeds mature. The harvested
seed stalks are placed on a clean tarpaulin
There are many Amaranthus spp. grow- or into very fine mesh nylon bags and al-
ing as weeds (for example, A. spinosus) lowed to dry in the shade.
around crop fields. For these reasons, local
varieties are usually mixed populations.

Seed crops are often produced using


transplants. Seedlings with desirable leaf
and stem characteristics are transplanted
about three weeks from sowing and spaced
45 cm apart in rows spaced 60–80 cm apart.
Plants with a small apical inflorescence may
be pinched four weeks after sowing to en-
courage production of secondary shoots.

Isolation
Amaranth is mainly wind pollinated. A mini-
mum isolation distance of 1000 m between
varieties is recommended. Keep plantings
free from related weeds to prevent cross-
pollination.

Selection
Plants may be rogued as young plants, re-
moving types with undesirable or off-type
color, size or leaf shape. Plants should be
rogued again just before flowering, again Fig. 6. Maturing seed stalks of amaranth
removing off-types. Once flowering begins,
plants with off-type flowers should be
quickly removed. Processing
Seeds are easily threshed by hand. The
threshed seed is cleaned by winnowing.

4 | Saving Your Own Vegetable Seeds

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