• The projects supported by the Department of Agrarian Management of the Technological Faculty and the Food Science and Technology Research Center of Universidad de Santiago show important results, like a bio-pesticide based on residual quinoa grains or the potential edible use of this pseudo-cereal leaves.

The projects supported by the Department of Agrarian Management of the Technological Faculty and the Food Science and Technology Research Center of Universidad de Santiago (Cecta, in Spanish), show important progress in their goal of feeding the population in a healthy and equitable way.

The first project, “Biopesticidas en base a saponinas de quínoa” (Bio-pesticides based on quinoa saponins) (FIC 30343624-0) lasts three years and it is being developed in the O’Higgins Region, in Central Chile. It has the purpose of using the residual quinoa grains to generate a natural pesticide for grapevines.

The second project, “Valorización agroindustrial de subproductos de la quínoa” (Agro-industrial valuation of quinoa byproducts) (FIC 30429825-0), lasts three years and it is also being developed in the O’Higgins Region. The goal of this project is to promote the cultivation of quinoa, with new applications. Besides using the grains, they expect to promote the use of the leaves in salads.

The third project, “Habilitación de productores hortícolas de la región Metropolitana para la elaboración de productos IV gama” (Training vegetable producers of the Metropolitan Region in the elaboration of IV range products) (GORE BIP 30442786-0), lasts 18 months and it is the continuation of a project developed by the Cecta researchers in 2011 that tested different protocols to reduce the microbial load in vegetables like lettuces, cabbages and carrots.

Carlos Díaz Ramírez, Professor at the Department of Agrarian Management and Innovation Manager of the projects, explains that the purpose of this project is to train small farmers in the care and safety of all the production and supply chain of vegetables, until the products reach the consumer.

Some of the Cecta scientists involved in the projects are Professor Lina Yáñez Catalán, Dr Claudio Martínez and Dr José Luis Palacios Pino.