A NEW crop is on the block at the WA No-Tillage Farmers Association (WANTFA) trial site this year. Quinoa is being trialled at Cunderdin to see if the trendy health food has scope for the region.
The trial, funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), is looking into the agronomy and break crop potential of the nutrient dense, gluten-free pseudo-cereal.
With another site at Mingenew, Department of Agriculture and Food research officer and project manager Richard Snowball said if spring rainfall was sufficient, he was confident quinoa would show great potential as an alternative crop for the Wheatbelt. The aim will be to test its adaptation across different environments including Northern Territory, NSW, South Australia and WA.
