Meet the man who's made a new type of quinoa in Western Australia - and why his discovery is about the make buying your superfood cheaper
- Dr Harmohinder Singh Dhammu created a new type of quinoa called Kruso White
- Quinoa was created for Australian growing conditions and has huge potential
- Grain has increased in popularity across the globe as it is seen as a 'superfood'
An Indian research scientist has played a major role in creating a new type of quinoa which could make the superfood much cheaper for Australian shoppers.
Dr Harmohinder Singh Dhammu was the principal investigator behind the project, which was based in Western Australia.
The project has seen the creation of Kruso White - a grain that suits Australian growing conditions.
Dr Harmohinder Singh Dhammu was the principal investigator behind the project, which was based in Western Australia
The project has seen the creation of Kruso White - a grain that suits Australian growing conditions
Dr Dhammu has spent the past five years working on the project in the hope of improving farm profitability.
Australia imports most of the ancient grain from South America as it is the largest supplier, at the cost of about $7 million per year.
Growing the product in Australia will reduce import costs, meaning the product should be a lot cheaper on supermarket shelves across the country.
'With the development of this new variety we will see its increased production to potentially meet both local and international demands,' Dr Dhammu told SBS.
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'With the availability of this first public non-contract quinoa variety in Australia, we hope to see more farmers growing quinoa and adapting it into their crop rotations.'
The new variety was created through an extensive breeding program, which began back in 2012, research station manager Mark Warmington told Grain Central.
Western Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development team has worked with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Northern Australia Crop Research Alliance (NACRA) to investigate more than 1,000 lines of quinoa as part of a global research project.
'The Kununurra Research Station has been part of a large international trial phenotyping lines to characterise the genetic diversity of the species,' he said.
Dr Dhammu has spent the past five years working on the project in the hope of improving farm profitability
Quinoa has increased in popularity across the globe as it is seen as a 'superfood'. It is gluten free, has a high protein content, superior amino balance and low glycaemic inde
Quinoa has increased in popularity over the past decade due to its high nutritional value.
It is seen as a 'superfood' as it contains essential amino acids for human growth, it is gluten-free, high in protein and has a low glycaemic index.
The new variety has wider adaptability and good seed quality. It can be grown in both rain-fed and irrigated conditions.
Kruso White will be commercially available in coming months under Plant Breeder's Rights.
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