- A four-day international symposium on buckwheat is being organised by North Eastern Hills University, Shillong ( Meghalaya) from 3rd to 6th September 2019.
- The theme of the symposium is “diversifying food systems for health and nutritional security”.
- As per the chief guest, Governor of Meghalaya Tathagata Roy, the flour of buckwheat can be used either as food or as medicine. As a medicine, buckwheat is used to improve blood flow by strengthening veins and small blood vessels; to treat varicose veins and poor circulation in the legs, and to prevent hardening of the arteries.
About Buckwheat
- Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is used widely as a cover crop to smother weeds and improve the soil.
- The crop seems to improve soil tilth and is reported to make phosphorous more available as a soil nutrient, possible through root-associated mycorrhizae.
- Buckwheat belongs to a group of foods commonly called pseudocereals. Pseudocereals are seeds that are consumed as cereal grains but don’t grow on grasses. Other common pseudocereals include quinoa and amaranth.
- Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is thus gluten-free
- Buckwheat suppresses weeds and attracts beneficial insects and pollinators with its abundant blossoms.
- It extracts soil phosphorus from soil better than most grain-type cover crops. Buckwheat thrives in cool, moist conditions but it is not frosted tolerant.
- Buckwheat is a relatively low input crop that has relatively high yields even in marginal soil. Since it adds nutrients to the soil, it makes a good cover crop or rotational crop.
