GRAIN AMARANTH
Other Common Names Include: Grain Amaranth
Latin Name: Amaranthus ssp (A. caudatus, A. cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriachus)
Plant Family: Amaranthacea
Close Relatives: Pigweed
Uses and Markets: Culinary: Grain amaranth is used in products such as cereal, crackers, bread and other baked goods. Grain amaranth is also commonly used as a forage crop in tropical countries. Amaranth grain is gaining popularity in North America, but grain amaranth markets remain small and fragile.
Production Life Cycle in Ontario
Annual
Hardiness Zone
N/A
Special Notes
Availability of seed for commercial scale plantings may be limited. Early season weed control is critical for obtaining good seed yields.
Propagation method
Seed
Greenhouse Seeding/Propagation Dates
N/A
Field Seeding Date:
Mid May to mid June.
Field Transplanting Dates
N/A
In-row spacing
10 cm (grain yield is not affected by seeding rate due to amaranth’s ability to compensate for in-row planting density).
Between row spacing
55 cm
Optimal Soil temperature at planting
18-24 °C
Fertility
No current Ontario fertility recommendations exist. Research and recommendations from outside Ontario do not necessarily apply to Ontario growing conditions. Research from the U.S. indicates maximum amaranth yields can be obtained with 90 kg N/ha, but different varieties respond. Excessive nitrogen fertilization can lead to increased plant height and lodging, both of which negatively affect harvestability. Click here for phosphorus and potassium application guidelines and for more information on specialty crop fertility.
Soil type
Well-drained soils. Loose soils high in organic matter. Avoid heavy clay soils.
Soil pH
6.5-7.5
Special requirements for growth habit
None
Optimal Temperature Range
Temperate climate 25°C.
Temperature sensitivity
Frost sensitive
Irrigation requirements
Grain amaranth is drought-tolerant, but irrigation immediately after planting may be beneficial.
Days to harvest
100-120 days
Specialized equipment:
Amaranth grain is very small. Appropriately sized screens will be required on the combine used for harvesting.
Harvest
Harvest Scheduling
Single Harvest
Hand harvest or machine harvest
Mechanical harvest
Quality parameters/grades
No established grades. Quality is determined by the market.
Additional Harvest Notes
Proper planting density will ensure grain heads do not become too large. Large seed heads do not dry properly making them difficult to combine. A killing frost aids with crop drying, but grain amaranth should be harvested within 10 days after the frost kill. Row headers perform better than reel headers.
Post harvest
Special handling/curing
Clean seeds before drying seed to 8% moisture for storage.
Storage Conditions
Relative humidity (RH): Low
Temperature: Low
Air Exchange: N/A
Duration: Not known
Specific pests observed on this crop in Ontario (observations based on limited experience with this crop)
Insects and Invertebrates: Tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), flea beetles, aphids
Diseases: Leaf and stem blights (Phomopsis amaranthicola, Alternaria spp.), root rots
Other:
Other Potential Pests: The following pests have not been observed on this crop in Ontario. However, they are either significant concerns for closely related plants in Ontario, or are reported on this crop in other production areas. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential pests. Not all of these pests will necessarily survive Ontario’s climate, but could potentially survive in a protected environment (e.g. greenhouse, storage facility).
Insects and Invertebrates: Amaranth weevil (Conotrachelus seniculus), slugs, leafminers, spider mites, leaf-feeding beetles and caterpillars, leafhoppers, grasshoppers
Diseases: Damping off (Pythium, Rhizoctonia), white rust (Albugo candida)
Other:
*Indicates pests commonly mentioned as causing significant damage or economic loss to this crop in other regions.
Comments
To date the following pests have been the most significant in Ontario: leaf and stem bligh (Phomopsis amaranthicola), tarnished plant bug. Grain amaranth can tolerate considerable leaf feeding before yields are affected, however tarnished plant bug may be more of a problem because it feeds on flowers and seeds. The impact of fungal diseases of leaves and stems on grain yields is not known for Ontario. Varieties can differ significantly in susceptibility to pests. This crop is susceptible to many of the same pests as pigweed. Weed pressure is a major concern in production of this crop, particularly for young, establishing plants because amaranth is small-seeded and slow to germinate. Since few to no herbicides are registered on this crop in Ontario, frequent cultivation, hand-hoeing or mulches (where applicable) will be required, especially during crop establishment.
Amaranth grown for grain production is not in a crop group. For more information on Crop Groups, refer to the Pest section. Pesticides registered for use on leafy amaranth may not be used on grain amaranth. There are few to no pest control products registered for use on this crop in Ontario. Always refer to product labels, and follow all directions specified on the label, before applying any pest control product. For more information, consult an OMAFRA specialist.
Elford, E.M.A., Todd, J., Draves, J., and N. Betts. 2011. Sand Plains Super Foods 4 Health. Sand Plains Community Development Fund, unpublished.
- Myers, R.L. 1996. Amaranth: New Crop Opportunity. P207-220. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), Progress in New Crops. ASHA Press, Alexandria, VA
- Putnam, D.H., E.S. Oplinger, J.D. Doll and E.M. Schulte. 1989. Amaranth. In: Alternative Field Crops Manual. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service. Madison, WI.
- Stallknecht, G.F. and J.R. Schulz-Schaeffer. 1993. Amaranth Rediscovered. P 211-218. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), New Crops. Wiley, New York.
