Amaranths and Chenopodium species are among the worst weeds in the world. They are annuals competing with many economic crops including cereals and vegetables in different parts of the world including Ethiopia and cause great yield losses. Lack of knowledge about these pseudo-cereal weeds has created an atmosphere of uncertainty among the farmers particularly in pastoral area like Afar. On the other hand, food insecurity is a reality for hundreds of millions of people around the world. As a consequence of globalization and industrialization of agriculture, global food security has become increasingly dependent on only a handful of fertilization and high energy demanding plant species. These two crops, rich in high quality protein content with various essential vitamins and minerals may be an ideal alternative. In Ethiopia, food insecurity is highly prevalent in moisture deficit highland and in the lowland pastoral areas. Even in years of adequate rainfall and good harvest, the people, particularly in lowland agro-pastoral areas, remain food insecure and in need of food assistance. The mentioned facts stimulate the retrieving of alternative crops into the production. Thus, the present paper is a more comprehensive appraisal of these weeds that attempts to provide information on eco-physiology and economic significance of Amaranths and Chenopdium into a new perspective with a special focus on beneficial and harmful impacts on livestock and human.

Author Name: Mohammed Gufran Khan, M. Abate, Endris S. Abebe Chaka

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Keywords: Amaranth, Crop diversification, Food insecurity, Nutritional value, Quinoa.

ISSN: 2707-5060

EISSN: 2707-5052

EOI/DOI:

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