▁night ▁to ▁near ▁ ▁during ▁the ▁day . ▁Some ▁cultiv ars ▁can ▁with stand ▁lower ▁temper atures ▁without ▁damage . ▁Light ▁fro st s ▁normally ▁do ▁not ▁affect ▁the ▁plants ▁at ▁any ▁stage ▁of ▁development , ▁except ▁during ▁flow ering . ▁Mid sum mer ▁fro st s ▁during ▁flow ering , ▁a ▁frequent ▁occurrence ▁in ▁the ▁And es , ▁lead ▁to ▁ster il ization ▁of ▁the ▁pol len . ▁Rain fall ▁requirements ▁are ▁highly ▁variable ▁between ▁the ▁different ▁cultiv ars , ▁r anging ▁from ▁ ▁during ▁the ▁growing ▁season . ▁G row th ▁is ▁optimal ▁with ▁well - dist ributed ▁ra inf all ▁during ▁early ▁growth ▁and ▁no ▁rain ▁during ▁seed ▁m atur ation ▁and ▁har vest ing . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁ ▁Qu ino a ▁has ▁been ▁cultiv ated ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁high ▁elev ation ▁San ▁Luis ▁Valley ▁of ▁Colorado ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁In ▁this ▁high - alt itude ▁desert ▁valley , ▁maximum ▁summer ▁temper atures ▁rarely ▁exceed ▁ ▁and ▁night ▁temper atures ▁are ▁about ▁. ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 s , ▁experimental ▁production ▁was ▁attempted ▁in ▁the ▁Pal ouse ▁region ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Washington , ▁and ▁far mers ▁in ▁Western ▁Washington ▁began ▁producing ▁the ▁c rop . ▁The ▁Washington ▁State ▁University ▁Sk agit ▁River ▁Valley ▁research ▁facility ▁near ▁Mount ▁Vern on ▁grew ▁thousands ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁experimental ▁vari eties . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁research ▁agr onom ist , ▁the ▁Pu get ▁Sound ▁region ' s ▁climate