New cultivar of amaranth ‘Frant’ created at VIR

Cultivated amaranth has nutritional value due to the balanced content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements and minerals in seeds and leaves, and also is characterized by intensive growth, high productivity of seeds and biomass. In Russia, amaranths have not attracted much interest as cultivated plants for a long time. Academician N.I. Vavilov pointed out the need to use them in agriculture as a new forage crop back in 1932. VIR conducted breeding work to create a new midseason cultivar ‘Frant’. The source material for breeding was collected by the author of the cultivar D.V. Sokolova during an expedition to India in 2018. The cultivar is recommended as a source of raw material for obtaining a natural food colorant, for using shoots as food and making tea from leaves, and also as an ornamental plant. In accordance with the requirements of the International Code of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants, the nomenclatural standard of Amaranthus cruenthus L. ‘Frant’ was prepared and registered in 2024.