Taiwan oil millet touted as a potential superfoodEASY CROP: A farmer said the plant, which looks similar to wheat, yields three harvests per year and despite its resilience, needs to be protected from birds and weedsBy Chen Hsien-yi and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese oil millet, an endemic plant species, could be a superfood, providing high nutritional value to humans and livestock, Academia Sinica researcher Hsing Yue-ie (邢禹依) said yesterday. It is easier to grow than most major high-yield crops — such as rice, wheat, corn, cassava or sorghum — the production of which is reliant on heavy irrigation, herbicides and fertilization, but Taiwanese oil millet does not require that much effort, she said. Taiwanese oil millet basks in the sunligh in Taitung County yesterday. Chiu Kuei-chun (邱貴春), a farmer who has grown Taiwanese oil millet for five years, said that the plant looks similar to wheat. Hsing said that her research team is conducting extensive research on the plant in the hope that its special qualities could allow more applications.

Source: Taipei Times April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC