Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

J. H. Lee, W. Aufhammer and E. Kübler:

Produced and utilizable grain yields of pseudocereals

Summary

Produced, harvested and utilizable grain yields of the pseudocereals buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. x A. hybridus L.) as affected by production techniques. Harvesting and separation processes and combined losses of grain yields of the pseudocereals buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth as compared to the cereal oats were investigated. A two years factorial field experiment including the four species represented by two cultivars each, two planting densities and two nitrogen fertilisation levels was conducted. Lasses were calculated as differences between the categories "produced grain yield" (samples harvest by hand), "harvested grain yield" (plots harvested by combine), "marketable grain yield" (separation of grains) and "utilizable grain yield" (shelling of grains). The necessary treatments and processing of grains varied greatly at the four species. Comparatively processing was most complicated at buckwheat. Total losses of grain yield amounted to 40 – 50 % at this species, at quinoa and amaranth total losses moved between 35 and 40 %. Similar losses were measured at the spelted oats cultivar, remarkably smaller remained the losses at the naked oats cultivar. Besides of oats the differences between the two cultivars within species and the effects of production techniques were small in relation to the differences between species and the effects of years. Key words: Pseudocereals, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth.