Lincoln University

Awards Issued Prior to January 20, 2025, Were Funded Under Previous Administrations and May Not Reflect the Priorities and Policies of the Current Administration. in Recent Years the Whole Quinoa Plant Has Been Studied in a Few Asian and European Countries for Potential Use as a Forage Crop Due to the High Nutritional Value of the Entire Plant. So Far, No Study Has Been Conducted in the U.s. to Determine Quinoa Forage Yield Nutritional Contents and Feed Values. Our Preliminary Results Indicated That the Nutritional and Feed Values of the Entire Quinoa Plant (at the Complete Blooming Stage) Are Very High and Comparable With Alfalfa Forage Values. We Hypothesize That Quinoa Whole Plant Can Be Used as a an Alternative Feed for Small Ruminants (sheep and Goats). We Will Test Our Hypothesis by Following the OBJECTIVES:(1) Assess Nutritional Compounds in the Entire Quinoa Plant (2) Characterize Nutrient Utilization Ruminal Fermentation Including Microbial Communities and Feed Values (3) Evaluate the Economics of Production Processing Andmarketing and (4) Educate and Train Students in Crop Production. in Addition, We Will Disseminate This Information to Farmers Small Animal Producers and the Scientific Community Through Demonstration Plots Field Days and Workshops. Our Proposal Is Innovative Because the Characterization of Quinoa PLANTS' Nutritional Rumen Degradation and Feed Values Will Help Us Introduce a Alternative and Viable Forage Crop for Small Ruminants to Bring Economic Benefits to the Farmers and Producers.