The pseudocereal buckwheat (Fagopyrum species) has a wide range of agronomic and health benefits that make it a promising crop for sustainable agricultural production. Buckwheat is gluten free and has been shown to provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. This study examined the effect of sowing date on growth, development, yield and nutritional quality of the varieties Bamby and Čebelica over 3 growing seasons (2016−18) in north-east England. The low grain yield of 0.77 t ha⁻¹ (average across varieties, sowing date and season) was associated with a prolonged growing season (150–190 days) in the cool temperate climate of north-east England. The highest grain yield of 1.42 t ha⁻¹ was achieved from the variety Bamby in 2017 although there was no significant effect of variety or sowing date on grain yield. The average quadrat grain yield of 1.63 t ha^-1 (based on quadrat sampling) was much higher than the average combine yield and likely reflects significant seed losses at harvest attributable to the very small seed and asynchronous crop ripening/maturity. The average protein 15.2 %, Fe of 104.5–138.7 mg kg⁻¹ and Zn (average of 31.3 mg kg⁻¹) concentrations are generally higher than those reported for the major cereals. Late sowing resulted in a large 7.5-fold decline in total antioxidants with the highest concentration (5165.5 μg g^-1) found in the variety Bamby sown in mid-April. Buckwheat has clear potential for production in the organic and low-input sectors in northern England if the significant seed losses at harvest can be avoided as there is increased market demand for gluten-free products helping promote human health.

假谷物荞麦（荞麦属种）具有广泛的农艺和健康益处，使其成为可持续农业生产的有前途的作物。荞麦不含麸质，并且已证明可提供基本营养以外的健康益处。这项研究检查了播种期对英格兰东北部三个生长季节（2016-18）的Bamby和Čebelica品种的生长，发育，产量和营养品质的影响。在英格兰东北部凉爽的温带气候下，较低的谷物产量（0.77 t ha ^-1）（不同品种，播种日期和季节的平均值）与较长的生长季节（150-190天）有关。最高谷物产量为1.42 t ha ^-1尽管品种或播种日期对谷物产量没有显着影响，但2017年Bamby品种获得的产量仍达到了最高水平。1.63 t ha ^-1的平均四方谷物产量（基于四方取样）远高于联合收割机的平均产量，这很可能反映了收获时由于种子非常少和作物不成熟/不成熟而造成的种子损失。蛋白质的平均浓度为15.2％，铁的浓度为104.5-138.7 mg kg ^-1，锌的平均浓度为31.3 mg kg ^-1，通常高于主要谷物的报告浓度。后期播种导致最高浓度（5165.5μgg ^-1）的总抗氧化剂大幅下降7.5倍）发现于4月中旬播种的Bamby品种中。如果可以避免因收获的无麸质产品有助于促进人类健康，市场上的需求增加，荞麦在英格兰北部的有机和低投入领域具有明显的生产潜力，但可以避免在收获时造成大量种子损失。