Quinoa and Insect Pests

Quinoa is a species of the goosefoot genus (Chenopodium quinoa), Amaranthaceae family. It is closely related to weeds such as common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) and pigweed (Amaranthus spp.).At the early stages of growth, quinoa resembles common lambsquarters, but the two species can be distinguished based on stem coloration. The color of the base of the quinoa stem is pink to red, whereas common lambsquarters stems usually remain green to gray. Quinoa grows 1.5-6.5 feet tall and reaches maturity in 90-150 days, depending on the variety and environmental factors.Disease and pest problems may arise after a crop like quinoa is introduced to a new production area. Viruses found on spinach or beets have been observed in quinoa fields. However, no proper research has been conducted to determine if any of those cause significant damage. A wide variety of insect pests can damage quinoa during seed germination up through harvest and seed storage but Entomologists do not consider insect problems to be a yield-limiting factor for quinoa production at this time.