Rate of adoption-quinoa cultivation in Hermiston, Oregon Essay

Rate of adoption-quinoa cultivation in Hermiston, Oregon - Essay Example The crop has emerged as one of the most nutritious grains. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) declare 2013 as a year to mark the crop. nations has even designated quinoa as â€Å"Super crop.† This research focuses on the introduction of Quinoa and prediction its rate of adoption in Hermiston, Oregon area There is very little knowledge among residents of the area regarding the benefits they can reap from growing the crop. Quinoa is a relatively new crop in the United States because it has been primarily grown in South America. Quinoa is a grain crop and staple food. It has attracted interest of the world due to easy growth factors and highly nutritious element. It offers best protein composition including lysine, histidine, cystine and methionine. Cereal starch has bigger size granules as compared to quinoa starch granule. It is more viscous. The plant is best suitable for industrial use. The plant is comprised of saponins, which is a bitter compound and these can easily be removed by abrasion and washing before using it. A study showed that plant could grow well in less fertile soil (Galway, 1992). Chenopodium Quinoa has one crucial component of interest, that is, the lysine content, which is not a common nutrient in other plant species. The growth of this annual herb produces panicle, which contains some small seeds called achenes (Jacobsen, 1997). The seeds produced are round, small and flat with pigmentation ranging from red to white. The color of the seeds varies from one ecosystem to another because of the climatic disparities in the regions where it is grown. It has an extensive root system predominantly subjugated by taproots that support the branchy stem. The plant grows to heights of between sixty to one hundred and twenty five centimeters. The food crop is found in areas with harsh environmental conditions, such as high mountain plains, relatively moderate fertile valley areas, coastal forests, and alkaline areas (Burton & Bo, 2005). In this case the desired location is Umatilla County, which is one of the agriculturally rich areas in the State. The predominant enviro nment in the Hermiston area changes rapidly; hence the need to grow resistant crops that are not dependent on stable environmental conditions (Van de Fliert & Ann, 2002). Moreover since the IPCC (1990) was published, extensive efforts have been brought in to help our agriculture adapt to the climate change because the latter has deep biophysical impacts on crop yield, soil and water resources (Antle, 2009) and for this reason quinoa is the perfect crop to be cultivated not only for its varied uses and exceptional nutritive value but also because it is a highly adaptable crop (.(Del Castillo et al., 2007) Farmers in the location are used to growing organic plants, which is an advantage as very little is known on the Quinoa crop. The plant does not require a large area for first attempts growth. This has influenced my decision to introduce Quinoa in Hermiston area and measure its rate of adoption within the framework of the famous theory of Diffusion introduced by eminent sociologist E, Rogers. The theory aims to the processes through which an innovation is spread through and adopted by a particular community. The theory of Innovation states that the rate of adoption is guided by several variables. These variables include perceived attributes of innovation, means of communication or communication channels, type of innovation-decision, nature of social system and extent of promotional efforts. The rate of adoption directly depends on each of these variables (Rogers, 2003). Rate of adoption is also dependent on another factor known as compatibility. According to Rogers (2003), compatibility is the measure of the degree up to which a particular innovation is consistent with the values, past experiences and potential.