Black Quinoa
The darkest-hulled grain-colour type, generally the least common of the three in Indian cultivation, sold at a similar or higher premium than red quinoa for its striking appearance.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Quinoa
- Type
- Grain-colour type (no bred/released variety)
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 120тАУ150 days
- Seed rate
- Same as the crop generally тАФ about 8тАУ10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Expected yield
- Variable by seed source; generally the least common of the three colour types in Indian cultivation
- Suitable soil
- Saline / marginal
- Release
- Not a bred or released variety тАФ a grain-colour trade class sourced from imported and privately traded seed lines
About this variety
Black quinoa carries a dark, near-black seed coat and a firmer, slightly earthier cooked texture than white or red quinoa, and is generally the least commonly grown of the three colour types in India. Like the other colours, it is not a named bred variety тАФ it is a grain-colour trade class sourced from imported or privately traded seed lines, moving through private exporters and contract-farming arrangements rather than an open seed market. Its scarcity in Indian cultivation, combined with buyer interest in its striking appearance, is why it commands a price similar to or above red quinoa. Agronomically it is grown the same way as the other colour types, so the choice between colours is primarily a market and buyer-demand decision, not a cultivation one.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNovemberтАУDecember, the crop's general rabi window
- Seed rateSame as the crop generally тАФ about 8тАУ10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Spacing30 cm rows, thinned to about 20 cm within the row
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
120тАУ150 days
Expected yield
Variable by seed source; generally the least common of the three colour types in Indian cultivation
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Commands a price similar to or above red quinoa, thanks to its scarcity in Indian cultivation and distinctive dark appearance.
- Same low-input, drought- and salinity-tolerant growing requirements as white and red quinoa.
Things to consider
- The smallest, most niche market of the three colour types in India тАФ confirm real buyer demand before committing meaningful land, since volumes moved are smaller than for white or red quinoa.
- With no ICAR release behind it, seed quality and germination depend entirely on the private supplier or contract-farming partner.
Suitable regions
Quinoa is still a new crop in India with no fixed growing belt for any grain-colour type тАФ this is the state it is most reported grown in for this colour, not an exhaustive or officially recommended list.
- Rajasthan
Sourced from: Quinoa Seeds in India: Cultivation in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand. editorial policy.