A review of biological characteristics, applications, and culture of Chenopodium quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa), an annual dicotyledonous herb belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, is native to Andes in South America, which has been cultured for 5 000-7 000 years. Because quinoa is rich in protein, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and diet fiber, has low fat and sugar content, and is cholesterol free, it has high utilisation value and will become a crop with great potential in future. This paper summarizes research studies conducted on quinoa in China and overseas, discusses resource distribution, planting environment, biological, and physiological characteristics, and nutritional and anti-nutritional components of quinoa, and elaborates product development, breeding, and planting technology, and some of the associated problems. In conclusion, research on germplasm resources and nutritional-chemical contents of quinoa should be undertaken, breeding of varieties suitable for planting at low altitude areas should be performed, and its nutritional values should be elucidated completely, making it one of the national staple food crops in the future.