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Forthcoming field trials at the University of Idaho’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center could help provide the first herbicides to local farmers who raise quinoa, a niche crop that’s gaining a foothold in the state’s eastern region. <p><p>Quinoa, a pseudocereal native to South America, has earned a reputation as a superfood for its health benefits. Prices and demand for the crop have been on the rise. <p><p>Eastern Idaho has become the nation’s No. 1 production area for quinoa, which fits well into sugar beet and potato rotations. Without any herbicides labeled for use in quinoa, however, weeds can overrun fields, giving farmers second thoughts about planting it. <p><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s IR-4 Project, which helps specialty crop growers address pest management concerns, has approved about $24,000 for quinoa field trials in 2023. <p><p>“It’s a pest problem without a solution,” said Ronda Hirnyck, a UI