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Amaranth
Production Guide
Adaptation to North Dakota: A warm-season, annual, broadleaf plant well suited to areas having adequate moisture at planting, dry conditions at maturation, and harvest, and a killing frost at maturity to aid in drying the plant.
Planting Date & Conditions: End of May to mid-June, when soil has warmed to 65 degrees F. and threat of frost has past.
Seeding Pattern: generally solid-seeded.
Seeding Rate: 1-2 lbs/acre
Seeding Depth: 0.5 to 0.75 inch
Fertility Requirements: Similar to sunflower
Weed Control: Pre-plant or between-row cultivation (30-inch row spacing). A clean field is an important start for good weed control. No herbicides are registered.
Soil Conditions: Fertile, well-drained soils are important. Avoid soils that crust easily.
Potential Insects: Tarnished plant bug, amaranth weevil, sunflower spotted stem weevil, and grasshoppers.
Potential Diseases: No significant diseases. Somewhat susceptible to sclerotinia white mold if present.
Harvest: Usually straight combined. Most critical stage of production. A killing frost must occur before harvest followed by a week of good drying weather.
Seed Types: Protein content 16%, high in lysine.
Markets: Currently, very limited. Uses include human foods (cereals, flours), livestock feed and forage, starch granules.
Average Yield: 800-1200 lbs/acre (central North Dakota).
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