ABSTRACT
The many species of the family Amaranthaceae form an extremely diverse group of plants with worldwide distribution. Several species with a history of thousands of years of cultivation have been used as vegetable or as grain producing plants. Grain amaranth reached a peak of popularity as a staple crop during the Mayan and Aztec periods in Central America. The grain has high nutritional value, containing 12-15% protein with a high lysine level. The young leaves of types selected for vegetable use are similar to spinach and other crops normally used as cooked greens. These types are widely grown in Asia. Current crop improvement research in the U. S. is focused on worldwide germplasm collection, genetic studies and varietal selection for both home garden and commercial use. The relative ease of intercrossing among many of the domesticated species and between domesticated and wild species is providing an extremely broad genetic base for early crop improvement work. The yield potential for both grain and vegetable types appears similar to that of currently used vegetable and cercal crops.
