Echinochloa frumentacea

Echinochloafrumentacea-Neverheardofit!
Welcome to Inspirations Seeds March Newsletter. We were going to discuss our rare dry bean selections
this month, however we are currently harvesting rare grain crops at the research station, so we will focus
on the beans at a later date.
In this newsletter we have decided to discuss those very rare grain crops that we will be offering you this
year; they will produce bountiful seed in cooler, short growing seasons.
Our new 2013 catalogue is now on line for you at www.vegetableseeds.net.au.
It will be good to see you all again at AGFEST; site 112A, Eleventh Avenue, near the Eastern entrance on
the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May, visit www.agfest.com.au for more information.
My colleague, Bob, researches forage crops. Over the years he has made some interesting and exciting
discoveries. The following crops are not well known to most of us, being the domain of agronomists.
These crops are easy to grow in as small an area as 1m² plot in the vegetable garden as a crop for we
home gardeners or, at the other end of the scale, for farmers. Some are important because they have the
potential to become human food crops or forage crops of the future. They can tolerate drought and can
produce seed early in a short growing season, however to get optimal high yields irrigation is
recommended.
The Millets
These are ancient crops dating from 2000 BCE (before current era). There are foxtail millets, finger millets
and proso millets (Panicum). None of them are frost tolerant.
Indian barnyard millet ‘Echinochloa frumentacea’
This plant grows in tropical Asia, Africa and is naturalised in
America. The selection we offer grows in a short growing
season and produces plentiful seed.
The crop grows to about 1.6m tall. It has strong plump black
upright seed heads about 10cm long and 2cm round. This seed
is very high in protein, approx. 11%. It is important because it
is gluten free, the grain can be used as a Quinoa substitute
boiled in water and cooked until soft and creamy like a rice cereal, or ground into a flour. There are very
few references directed toward use as a food crop. It is mainly suggested for a fodder grass, or for duck,
chicken and caged bird seed.
Harvest by cutting the crop to the ground in late Summer when the
seeds are going golden brown, do this in dry weather quickly
otherwise much seed will be lost. Place the stems and heads in a
bag and protect from birds and rodents.
Indian barnyard millet also makes an excellent summer green
manure crop, because it can handle drought well. It swamps out weeds and when cut down, before
flowering, the root system and leaf matter left on the surface break down making autumn planting easier.
Panicum variety ‘Cerise’
This very early variety was developed at the Nebraska agricultural research station in 1974. The seed is
gluten free and highly desirable as an organic product when milled into flour. There is growing interest for
these purposes in agriculture.
Cook for 30 to 40 minutes in boiling water with vegetables such as
finely diced carrots and celery. It is ready to eat when creamy and
soft, not firm.
Our other variety is ‘Sari’ an early variety which sets heavy seed
before frosts.
Both our selections can be used for Summer green manures.
Fox tail Millet ‘Golden German’
This is the classic millet stick that you see in pet shops for caged bird seed. It
is not recommended for human consumption. This variety has large plump
golden heads full of seed. Great for chickens, ducks and guinea pigs too. An
excellent green manure crop for Summer, cut it down to ground level before
the seed heads form.
Foxtail millet ‘Mung da’
Uses are as for above.
Grain Amaranths
There are several types of Amaranthus; leaf and stem, grain and ornamental. Sometimes a variety can
have all three uses. Our selections have beautiful large leaves of purple, yellow and red, or green and
purple and stunning different coloured flowers making them excellent ornamental plants. They are all
annuals and are not frost tolerant. Our selections are grain amaranths, the leaves, although edible, are
not palatable being chewy and very bitter.
They were grown by the Aztecs 8,000 years ago as a staple food like rice. Today they are being
rediscovered. They are of great value as gluten free crops. They are very high in protein, about 17% and
can be used as a breakfast cereal by boiling a cupful of seeds in water for about thirty minutes, also
excellent in stews, soups or sauces. There is work on milling them as flour too.
Harvest seed from the base of the flower first and gradually up to the top of the head. This is the only
difficulty in growing the crop commercially by machine harvesting because the heads ripen at different
times. One plant can yield about 300g of seed.
A use that is overlooked is as a very pretty Summer green manure crop, being an annual they will be killed
by the first frost, easy to dig in and improve the soil for Autumn planting.
Our other early varieties are: ‘Sioux’, ‘Salt Springs’, ‘Mudai ‘and ‘Giant Orange’.
‘Sioux’
‘Salt Springs’
‘Mudai’
‘Giant Orange’
Quinoa ‘ Chenopodium quinoa’
Cultivated in the highlands of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia,
Ecuador and Peru, the Inca emperors broke the soil with a golden
spade to sow their first Quinoa crop of the season. In their language
it was referred to as chisiya mama or Mother grain (from the lost
crops of the Incas). It is strange that it has not become a World Wide
food source.
Quinoa is very high in protein. The crop matures about 90 days from sowing. It does not tolerate poorly
drained soils but will tolerate dry spells, although yields suffer when not irrigated regularly.
The main weed to be wary of in a Quinoa crop is called fat hen. It looks similar to the plant, it is related to
Quinoa and is a pest when mixed up in the crop.
Our selection has individual plants with bright purple, lilac, golden or white flowers. The seeds are
gathered in late summer early Autumn. When they ripen, cut the stems to the ground and hang them in a
dry shed, let seed fall into a tarpaulin or similar, one plant can yield about 100g of seed.
I first tasted Quinoa about a year ago in a salad dish; it was one of the most refreshing dishes I have
tasted. It looks a bit like caviar, small transparent round grains, but tastes like a cross between couscous
and rice. It is wonderful with other vegetables, fish or meat or on its own.
Prepare the Quinoa by cooking one cup in boiling water for about 30 minutes. The grains swell up and are
soft.
Gardening tips for March
In the southern hemisphere, we can start to think about sowing Black Spanish radish, short top red
radishes and Asian greens. Remember to protect from slug damage. Slugs destroy small seedlings… slugs
have large mouth parts.
In the Northern Hemisphere; Spring is on the way, Easter is the traditional time to start thinking about
sowing seed potatoes, just beware of late air frosts when the plants start to grow, these Spring frosts
severely damage soft new growth.
Enjoy your garden wherever you may be.