People began to grow cereal plants even before our era in warm countries like India, Ethiopia, Macedonia, realizing that they could be used to produce flour for pasta and baked goods, and cereals for porridges. Later they decided to brew beer. From the plant itself you can get molasses, starch, alcohol, sugar, which is extracted from cane. The list goes on and on. It is not surprising that now almost every country is massively growing grain crops, trying to increase and improve their production.
There have been cases of popular dissatisfaction due to grain crop failure, but there is not a single uprising due to a lack of vegetables or meat. If there is enough grain, you can use it to cook a hearty and tasty porridge or bake bread. If there are various types of grain crops, the people will not be in danger of starvation, since even in their pure form, grains contain vital and nutritious substances.
Consider a list of common grain crops that are grown all over the world.
It is not for nothing that it is in first place, since it is the most popular cereal in the whole world. Wheat began to be grown ten thousand years ago in Central Asia. Wheat has many types, but the most popular are soft and durum varieties. The first varieties germinate well only in warm countries with a humid climate, for example, in Australia. And hard varieties are in countries with a dry climate, for example the USA, Western Asia, Russia. It can be said that durum wheat is more common than soft wheat.
Flour from soft wheat is very crumbly and does not absorb liquid well, so it is used only in baking confectionery, as it quickly becomes stale and the bread spoils the very next day. To understand what type of flour is made from, on packages soft flour is designated “group B”, and hard flour is designated “group A”.
Durum wheat is valuable because it can be used to make excellent white flour, from which you can bake premium bread, which has excellent taste and is easily digestible by the body. This is all due to the fact that the protein composition of wheat forms gluten, which binds the dough. In addition to flour, you can make bran from wheat, which contains valuable proteins, fats, and minerals that are so useful to the human body. It’s not for nothing that most people love bran breakfast cereals.
Rye began to be grown by accident; for a long time it was considered a weed, which was destroyed every time among the wheat sprouts. People have noticed that wheat often dies in cold countries, but cool summers do not matter to rye. After which they decided to try grinding its grains and got excellent flour, from which they baked delicious dark Rye bread. Now hardy and strong rye is grown en masse mainly in northern countries. It doesn't care about poor and acidic soil or bad weather conditions; it can even withstand temperatures as low as -22 degrees. Due to this, it always produces a rich harvest, which often saved people from hunger.
Rye, unlike wheat, contains little protein, but is very rich in minerals and vitamins that are essential for humans. It is an excellent dietary product, especially in the form of wallpaper flour containing particles of grain shells. Rye decoctions also help against many diseases. Rye preparations are used to treat cancer, liver, kidneys, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and many diseases. Rye grains can be different: oval, elongated. The length of the grain can be up to 9 millimeters. They are yellowish, brown, gray, greenish. From the day of planting it sprouts very quickly; already on the 50th day you can harvest.
Historical notes say that the world's first purpose-grown grain was barley. Its grains were even found in the burials of the pharaohs. Before the spread of wheat and rye throughout the world, barley was very popular; in ancient times they even learned to brew beer from it. Yes, barley beer is the oldest drink. And now barley is grown not only to feed animals and birds, but also to produce malt, from which the beer beloved by mankind is made. During the war years of famine, a drink was made from barley that tasted like coffee. In alternative medicine, soothing and cleansing preparations are made from barley. A decoction of barley can cure dry cough and cystitis.
Thanks to its rapid ripening, they learned to grow spring barley in northern countries, where wheat and rye do not have time to ripen in the short summer. And winter barley is popular in countries where droughts are common and air temperatures are high. Due to its undemanding nature, barley can be grown in any soil. The barley itself is very rough, so it is soaked in water for a long time before cooking. And in order to obtain useful pearl barley for porridge from barley, its grains are ground from the skin of the chaff. Barley is used to make flour from which healthy bread is baked. Those who want to lose weight eat barley porridge, as they remove excess cholesterol and toxins from the body.
It adapts even more easily to soil and weather conditions than rye. It grows without problems on any soil: clay, sand, peat. It is a self-pollinating crop with a high productivity rate. Thanks to these qualities, oats are successfully grown in northern countries such as Russia, Germany, Kazakhstan, and the USA, where they easily tolerate summer frosts. Oat grain contains a large number of vegetable fats, high-quality protein and nutrients such as iron and calcium. Of all the varieties of oats, white grain is considered the most valuable. Grains of other colors, such as red, black, grayish, are considered less healthy.
Almost 90 percent of oats are used as feed for birds and animals, only the remaining 10 percent is used as food for the population. But it is almost never consumed in its entirety; it is processed into cereals for porridges, or used to make healthy cereals. It is not advisable to bake bread from oatmeal flour, as it contains little gluten. But the world famous healthy and tasty oatmeal cookies are baked from it.
For southern countries, rice is the main grain, as is wheat for northern countries. It's hard to say when they started growing it. At ancient excavations, pottery with traces of rice was found. In addition to eating it, ancient people used rice as ritual offerings to the gods. Rice is 89 percent rich in starch, which is where people get most of their calories. Thanks to the large amount of amino acids, rice is easily absorbed by the body and is a dietary product.
Because rice loves warmth and moisture, it is grown on a large scale in Thailand, China, India and Vietnam due to their humid tropical environment. Now many countries, for example, Mexico, the USA, Brazil, have the opportunity to grow rice thanks to artificial soil moisture, but Asian countries hold the palm.
There are many varieties of rice in the world, but their processing is divided into three types: brown, polished, and steamed. Rice of the first type undergoes minimal processing, retaining all its beneficial features. Milled rice becomes smooth and white after several stages of polishing. This is the most popular view rice The latter type of rice is obtained by steaming while maintaining its beneficial properties. This rice has to be cooked longer, as it is harder than the types described above.
Buckwheat is one of the popular and favorite cereals in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, where it is still successfully grown. At the moment, European countries, appreciating its unpretentiousness and usefulness, have begun to grow buckwheat in their own countries, since it can germinate even on poor soil. Buckwheat is primarily popular in the form of cereals, from which they prepare delicious and healthy porridge. In addition, it can be eaten in the form of flour or flakes. You can prepare a huge number of dishes from peeled buckwheat: soups, casseroles, meatballs, bread, sausage, dumplings, pancakes.
Even buckwheat waste is beneficial; it is used to feed animals or stuff pillows with it. Buckwheat is rich in B vitamins, vegetable protein and amino acids. Accelerates metabolism, removes excess water from the body. Thanks to these qualities, buckwheat included in the list of many diets. The main thing is not to add sugar to buckwheat. You can make tea from buckwheat flowers.
Thanks to ancient excavations, it was found that corn spread around the world from Mexico. The difference between corn and other cereal crops is that in addition to cereals, starch and flour, vegetable oil is also extracted from it, although it is not very popular in the world. Corn flour is only good for four months as it becomes bitter later. Corn is grown on an industrial scale in the USA, where it is used not only for animal feed, but also as a raw material for the production of whiskey.
It is also used to make sugar syrup and starch for soups and desserts. Corn cobs can be simply boiled and consumed with just a sprinkle of salt on top. Corn flakes have conquered the whole world due to their simplicity and beneficial properties. Just fill them with milk to get a delicious breakfast. Thanks to regular consumption of corn, the aging of the body slows down. But corn is not a dietary dish due to its high calorie content.
Everyone knows what cereals are. After all, man began to grow these plants more than 10 thousand years ago. That’s why even now the names of cereals such as wheat, rye, barley, rice, corn and many others are on everyone’s lips. In terms of area under crops, they have long been a leader. From our article you will learn about the structural features and economic importance of these plants.
Class Monocots
The family Poaceae, or Poagrass, has many common characteristics with Liliaceae and Alliumceae. The fact is that they are all representatives of the Monocot class. By what characteristics can such plants be distinguished? Their embryo consists of one cotyledon. The main root of monocots dies early. But the side ones are forming. They form a fibrous root system.
The root and stem lack lateral educational tissue called cambium. Therefore, the growth of these organs in thickness is limited. Most monocots are herbaceous plants. Their leaves have parallel or reticulate veins.
Biological characteristics of the Cereals family
The “calling card” of these plants is the stem, which is called a straw. In most cereals, it is hollow in the internodes. Only in sugar cane and corn is it filled with loose connective tissue, which performs a storage function. Straw is characterized by intercalary growth.
How else can you answer the question, what are cereals? These are mostly perennial plants, although there are exceptions among them. Thus, millet and bent grass form seeds already in the first year after flowering. The root system of all cereals is fibrous. It grows in a powerful bunch straight from the stem.
The leaves also have a special structure. They are simple, sessile, elongated, with parallel veins. Their long tubular vagina encloses the stem.
Fruits and seeds
Cereal flowers are very small. Each of them has one pistil and three stamens. The perianth is simple. It is represented by two scales and films. In some species, such structures are barely noticeable and are therefore collected in inflorescences. In wheat, rye, wheatgrass and barley it is a complex ear. The flowers of rice, millet, corn and oats are formed into a panicle.
Among the cereals there are self- and wind-pollinated species. As a result of flowering, a dry multi-seeded fruit is formed - a caryopsis.
Economic aspect
Most types of cereals belong to grain crops. These are wheat, rye, oats, rice. Flour, pasta and bakery products are obtained from the grains and used as animal feed. Nutritious oil is obtained from corn seeds.
Bamboo that grows in tropical countries ah, they are used as a construction and finishing material.
Meadow grasses are used to feed domestic animals, both fresh and dried. The powerful root system determines the use of these plants to consolidate sand and prevent soil collapse.
Weed species of cereals
But wheatgrass, wild oats and bristle grass have earned a completely different reputation. These are nasty weeds that can be very difficult to get rid of. Such cereal plants form shoot modifications called rhizomes. They consist of highly elongated internodes. Such organs develop underground, and only the leaves are visible from the outside. Water with a solution of minerals accumulates in the rhizome. Therefore, weeds survive in conditions of drought and temperature changes.
Wheat
When it comes to cereal plants, it is simply impossible not to remember this species. Wheat, which occupies a leading position among grain crops in many countries, is annual. Therefore, its crops must be renewed annually.
Wheat is a herbaceous plant with erect stems bearing linear or flat leaves. The surface of the latter can be smooth or rough. Single ear of wheat. On its main axis there are two rows of sessile flowers, which are closely adjacent. The uppermost one is usually underdeveloped.
According to various sources, the birthplace of wheat is Armenia or Türkiye. This is one of the first domesticated cereals. Wild species of this plant have a significant disadvantage. Their grains fall out of the ear before they ripen. Therefore, its evolution followed the path of increasing resistance to shedding.
Wheat is now the leader not only in terms of area planted on the planet, but also in the number of varieties. They differ in the shape of the stem, the size and chemical composition of the grains. For example, spelled has brittle straw and grains, which are quite difficult to separate from the films.
Wheat grains contain a large amount of carbohydrates - up to 70%. These are starch, monosaccharides and dietary fiber.
Rye
It is a typical cereal of the northern hemisphere. Like wheat, rye can be spring or winter. Flour, starch, rye kvass, and raw materials for the production of alcohol are obtained from its grains. IN agriculture it is used as green manure. This is the name given to plants that suppress weeds, improve soil aeration, and enrich it with nitrogen. This is especially true for loams. With the help of rye roots, it loosens and increases porosity.
This plant is also a forage crop. Its stems are used as livestock feed. And thatch is known as one of the cheapest roofing materials.
Sugar cane
When we talk about what cereals are, we should definitely talk about this plant. It is cultivated in the tropics of Eurasia and South America. Despite this, the product that is obtained from it is known to everyone. This is sugar.
This type of cane is a perennial grass. Its rhizome grows quickly and takes hold in the soil. The shoot height reaches 6 meters. The stems are cylindrical in shape, and the leaves visually resemble corn leaves. The panicle inflorescence develops at the top of the shoot. Sugarcane propagates vegetatively using cuttings.
Rice
This cereal is the oldest cultivated by man. Initially it was grown only in the East. Here people have found use for all parts of this plant. Food and drinks were prepared from the seeds, and paper was made from dry shoots. Even rice husks are used as fertilizer or used as animal feed. Today rice is popular all over the world.
There are many varieties of rice based on the shape of the grains and processing methods. For example, brown rice is a product of husking, while white rice is obtained by grinding. The first one is more useful because it contains bran with a significant supply of dietary fiber. Steamed rice cooks the fastest. Its grains do not stick together and have a beautiful brown tint. This product is obtained by processing with hot steam.
Rice differs in the shape of the grains. The longest reaches 6 mm. This is the most popular variety for making pilaf. It is better to add medium grain rice to porridges and soups. Well, lovers of risotto and casseroles use round grains with a length of up to 5 mm.
The nutritional benefits of rice explained high content its cereal contains polysaccharides, proteins, B vitamins. The mineral composition is also impressive: sodium, potassium, iodine, iron, selenium.
Corn
This is another plant that competes for the title of the oldest of cereals. Corn is an annual herbaceous crop. It is represented by cultivated, forage and wild species.
Corn is a fairly tall plant. Often its shoots grow up to 3 meters. The stem does not have a cavity inside. Among the oblong lanceolate species, fruits - cobs - are clearly visible. On the outside they are covered with a series of leaf-shaped involucres. The fibrous root system of corn is powerful. It is capable of penetrating to a depth of more than a meter. But it cannot hold the massive above-ground part with heavy fruits. Therefore, corn often develops support roots. They hold the plant in the soil and additionally provide it with mineral solutions from it.
One ear can contain up to a thousand seeds. They have a round or cubic shape and are closely pressed together in vertical rows. Growing corn requires heat and moisture. The optimal temperature for this cereal is +20. These factors are limiting in its distribution areas.
So, in our article we looked at what cereals are. These are representatives of the Monocot class. These include herbaceous plants with a hollow stem called a culm. The root system is fibrous. Small flowers are collected in spikes or panicles.
Most cereals are valued as grain crops and are used in Food Industry. Flour, cereals, and bakery products are obtained from wheat, rice, rye, barley, and corn. Forage species are used to feed livestock. A valuable food structure is sugar cane. There are also harmful weeds among cereals that harm agricultural crops.
The numerous family of cereals is the most famous representative of the monocot class.
The varied ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes and vitamins in cereals meets the needs of the human body and is valuable for animals. Basic food products such as flour and cereals are made from grain for people, and compound feed for animals.
Cereals are characterized by a number of common characteristics that distinguish them from other monocots.
Variety of cereals
Cereal crops are represented by two large groups.
The first includes types of cereals of the same family (the so-called true breads):
- Wheat (including spelled - the ancestor of modern durum wheat varieties).
- Rye.
- Oats.
- Barley.
- Triticale (hybrid, intermediate form of rye and wheat).
The second group consists of grain crops (millet breads) of the cereal family:
- Corn.
- Millet.
- Sorghum.
The varieties of the millet genus include:
- Chumiza (capitate millet, buda, black rice) is cultivated in China, in the Far East.
- Paisa (wild millet, barnyard grass, Japanese millet) is cultivated in the Far East, Asia, Australia, and southern Africa.
- Mogar (Italian millet, Italian foxtail) is grown in the North Caucasus, Ukraine, Asia, Australia, Africa, and North America.
- Dagussa (finger millet, Eleusina coracana) grows in the arid regions of Africa, Asia, and India.
Cereal crops can be distinguished into a separate group:
- Quinoa (other names: quinoa, rice quinoa). An ancient cereal that replaced rice and bread for the Incas. Chenopodiaceae family.
- Amaranth. It was used instead of wheat by the Aztecs and is still popular among the mountain tribes of China, Nepal, Pakistan, and India. Amaranth family.
- Buckwheat. The lack of gluten makes it unsuitable for baking bread; it is used for flatbreads, pancakes and pancakes. Buckwheat family.
These crops are not part of the cereal family, but are similar in structure and nutritional value and have a grain-shaped fruit.
The structure of cereals and cereals
Cereal crops are characterized by common morphological characteristics.
The root system is fibrous. Under favorable conditions, it goes 1.5-2 meters into the ground. The bulk of the roots are located in the top layer of soil, 25-30 cm from the surface. Cereal roots are divided into 3 types:
- primary;
- secondary (subordinate clauses);
- supporting (aerial) - found only in corn and sorghum.
The stem is a thin straw, divided by thickened partitions (stem nodes) along its entire length. Inner part The stem of corn and sorghum is filled with parenchyma (pulp).
The leaf is linear in shape, the leaf blades are rolled.
The inflorescences have the form:
- Spike-shaped (with a jointed stem and spikelets): rye, wheat, triticale, barley.
- Paniculate (with a central axis and lateral branches with spikelets): oats, rice, millet, sorghum.
- Combination of panicle and cob: corn.
The flower consists of two types of scales:
lower (outer);
The flowers have different development: in the first group of grasses the lower ones are more developed, in the second group the upper ones are more developed.
Between the flowers there is an ovary (2 feathery stigmas and 3 stamens; rice has 6 stamens).
Grain structure
The fruits of cereals are grains with the following structure:
- 2 shells: fruit (outer) and seed (inner).
- Endosperm (mealy kernel), which contains protein and starch.
- An embryo containing sugars, nitrogenous substances, vitamins, fat, enzymes. Consists of 3 parts: bud, rudimentary root, scutellum - a conductor of nutrition for the embryo.
A distinctive feature of cereals of both groups is the structural features of the grain. In crops of the first group, a longitudinal groove runs along the abdominal part of the grain (wide in wheat, barley, oats; deep in rye), the top is crowned with a tuft (pubescence). The pappus is absent only in barley. The cereals of the second group have neither grooves nor pubescence.
The grain of each crop has a different shape. For cereals of the first group:
- ovoid (wheat);
- elongated, pointed towards the base (rye);
- elongated, very narrowed along the entire length (oats);
- elliptical, spindle-shaped (barley).
The surface of the grain is different:
- in wheat and barley - smooth;
- in rye - finely wrinkled;
- in oats it is pubescent.
In cereals of the second group (cereals), the grain form can be of two types:
- elongated oval (rice);
- round (corn, millet, sorghum): the corn kernel may have edges and a sharp point in the upper part; millet grain - pointed at the ends.
The color of grain is influenced by pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids), which form a color spectrum: from white, gray and greenish to red and black.
Spring and winter crops
There are 2 forms of cereals:
- Winter crops.
- Spring
Spring crops are sown in the spring, they go through their full development cycle during the summer, and are harvested in the fall (later than winter crops).
Winter crops are sown in the fall. Before the beginning of winter, they manage to germinate, go to winter in the tillering phase and in a dormant state, and in the early spring of next year, continuing their life cycle, actively develop stems and begin bearing fruit in mid-summer.
Winter varieties, using soil moisture reserves in the spring, produce not only an earlier, but also a more abundant harvest.
Compared to spring varieties, winter varieties have less drought resistance and require compliance with certain conditions when growing:
- high snow cover and mild winters;
- fertile soil.
Cereals come in both forms. Among them, winter rye has the greatest frost resistance.
Growing
Cereals are unpretentious, but still require some care. Under optimal conditions, grain yield and quality will be higher.
Cereals of the first group (true breads) have low heat requirements, but need moisture. These are long-day plants that develop quickly from germination to tillering.
There are 70 species found in nature, but only 11 have economic value. The most famous is oats, used for the production of cereals, oat coffee, oatmeal, flour for confectionery and pancakes.
In livestock farming, oats are used as a concentrated feed or an integral part of mixed feed.
Cereals give oats the lead in the production of dietary and baby food: oatmeal cookies, muesli, Hercules cereal. The nutritional value of oats is determined by the optimal content of proteins, starch, organic acids, fats and sugar, which are easily digestible, normalize metabolism, and protect the heart and circulatory system.
Corn
Among cultivated cereals, corn occupies a special place, since its structure is not similar either to representatives of real breads (the first group), or to its “brothers” from the second group, to which it directly belongs.
The stem is unusual: straight and powerful, capable of reaching 5 meters in height, equipped with aerial roots located on the lower above-ground nodes.
The leaf blade is wide, the leaves themselves are long, pubescent on top.
Corn is a monoecious plant, but dioecious, since it has 2 inflorescences: the cob consists of female flowers, the panicle at the top is made of male flowers.
Breeders have developed a huge number of varieties and hybrids, on which the shape and color of the grains, located on the cob in vertical rows, depend.
The homeland of corn is America (Central and South). The ancient Mayans considered it a sacred plant worthy of worship.
It appeared in Europe thanks to Columbus, who saw it for the first time on the island of Cuba.
The main composition of corn grain is starch (70%), protein (10%), fat (8%).
The uses of corn are varied: young cobs are boiled, the grains are frozen and canned, and ground into cereals and flour. Further processing turns the grains into breakfast cereals, popcorn and other treats.
In livestock farming, corn is considered a valuable feed crop.
Rice
The ancestor of modern rice was known in India over 15 thousand years ago. The main cultivation areas are the southern regions on flooded areas.
This high-calorie cereal is called the son of water and sun, the breadwinner of the East, the second bread of humanity, white gold. And this is quite justified, because it feeds more than half the world's population.
Rice grain consists of 75% starch, 8% protein; The rice shell is rich in vitamin B1.
Rice has a variety of uses: the grain is used to make cereals and flour, and rice straw is used to make high-quality writing paper, hats and mats.
Two dozen species and over a thousand varieties of rice are combined into 3 types according to their shape:
- Long grain - with long and thin grain. Has maximum transparency. The use of this type of rice is universal for oriental and universal cuisine: from salads to side dishes.
- Medium grain - with wide and short grains. Less transparent than long grain, with medium gluten content. The main purpose is paella, risotto, puddings.
- Round grain - with round grains. This type of rice is opaque and has a high starch content. Due to its increased stickiness, it is used for preparing porridges, puddings, casseroles, and sushi.
Known interesting feature Rice: Each variety has a different taste and color depending on its processing and cooking time.
Millet and sorghum
The origin of millet as an agricultural crop dates back to the 3rd millennium BC.
Archaeological excavations in Central Transnistria indicate that millet was cultivated by the ancient Scythians. It came to Europe from India, Mongolia and China. In Ancient China, millet stood on a par with other sacred plants: rice, wheat, barley, soybeans.
The cereal is heat-loving and drought-resistant. Millet grain is the smallest and hardest of all cereals, and its protein content is higher than that of wheat and barley.
The grain is used to make the cereal we know as millet, and the flour from which flatbreads and bread are baked. All parts of the cereal are used to feed livestock: grain, husks, straw, flour.
In cultivated agriculture, there is a grain that resembles millet. Sorghum has been used as a staple grain in the drylands of Africa for 5 millennia. Externally, this grain cereal is similar to millet; in terms of the chemical composition of the grain, it is similar to corn.
Cereals, flour, and starch are produced from sorghum grains, and wickerwork, paper, and brooms are made from straw. Green mass is used in silage.
Growing grain crops is the most important agricultural sector. These plants provide animal feed and industrial raw materials. Grain crops occupy one of the most important places in the food industry.
General classification
Grain crops are divided into legumes and grains. The latter mostly belong to the botanical cereal family. The main grain crops are:
- Millet.
- Sorghum.
- Corn.
- Barley.
- Millet.
- Rye.
- Wheat.
- Buckwheat and others.
The meaning of plants
The products of grain crops are used for the development of livestock and poultry farming. A large amount of nutrients contained in plants contributes to the active growth of livestock and increased milk yield. Such important products as pasta and bread products, flour, and cereals are also produced from grain. Plants act as raw materials for the production of starch, alcohol, molasses, and so on.
Chemical composition
Cereals are rich in carbohydrates and proteins. The latter are present in quantities from 10 to 16%. Carbohydrates in plants contain from 55 to 70%. Most grains contain from 1.5 to 4.5% fat. Corn and oats contain about 6%. The percentage of protein in grain crops is not constant. Its share depends on varietal and species characteristics, agrotechnical practices, climate, and weather. Thus, placing grain crops in areas with a continental climate, in areas where there is a lot of light and heat, allows you to obtain plants with more protein than in areas with mild conditions and rainy weather. In addition, an increase in the content of this compound is observed in soils rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Cereals are rich in B vitamins, PP. Sprouted cereals contain C, A and D.
Importance of Proteins
Of particular value are the compounds that form gluten. The baking properties of the resulting flour (volume of products, porosity, elasticity of the dough) will depend on its quality and quantity. Wheat grain can contain from 16 to 40% raw gluten. Cereal protein contains amino acids. Among them there are also irreplaceable ones - those that are not synthesized in the body of humans and animals. These include, for example, tryptophan, methionine, lysine and others. These amino acids must be supplied to the body through food. In this regard, their increased content in cereals has a beneficial effect on the condition of animals and humans.
Nutritional value
It is measured in feed units. For 1 unit The nutritional value of a kilogram of dry oats is generally accepted. Thus, 1 kg of wheat and rye has an indicator of 1.18, barley - 1.27, corn - 1.34. The nutritional value of a kilogram of straw can range from 0.2 (wheat, rye) to 0.3-0.35 (barley, oats) feed unit.
Current industry issues
Every year, programs are developed to increase the yield of grain crops. However, this is not the only task of the agro-industrial complex today. Along with an increase in raw material volumes Special attention is given to its quality. The emphasis, first of all, is on the production of grain crops, which are most in demand in the food and agricultural industries. These include strong and durum wheat, the most important fodder and cereal varieties. Many cereal grains, such as oats, barley, rye and wheat, have winter and spring forms. They differ from each other in the way they are grown. The development of winter crops is related to wintering conditions. Grain crops are sown in the fall, and harvested in next year. Spring forms can withstand exposure to low temperatures only for a short period. In this case, grain crops are planted in the spring and harvested in the same year.
Structure: root system
All grains have approximately the same structure. The root system consists of many adventitious branches, which are collected in a lobe (bundle). There are embryonic (primary) roots and secondary ones. The latter are formed from stem nodes located underground. Most of the roots develop in the arable (top) layer of the soil. Only a few branches penetrate deep into the soil: in corn, rice, oats and barley - 100-150 cm, in rye and wheat - 180-200 cm, in sorghum - 200-250 cm. During germination, the grain first forms primary roots. Secondary branches subsequently begin to develop from the underground nodes of the stem. With enough water, they begin to grow quite quickly. Primary roots do not die off. They play a major role in delivering moisture and nutrients to terrestrial parts. In sorghum and corn, aerial (supporting) roots are formed from above-ground nodes closest to the surface.
Stem
It is called straw. Cereal crops, as a rule, have a hollow stem with 5-6 nodes dividing it into internodes. The straw can reach a height of 50 to 200 cm - this depends on the biological characteristics of the variety and its growing conditions. Corn and sorghum have stems 3-4 or more meters high. However, greater height is not always considered an advantage of the variety. This is due to the fact that with a long stem, resistance to lodging decreases.
The number of internodes coincides with the number of leaves. The lowest one is touched first, then all the subsequent ones. The stem develops through all internodes. The upper one becomes longer than the lower one towards the end of development. Durum wheat and corn have a stalk filled with spongy tissue. The lower part is immersed in the soil along with the nodes. From them roots and secondary stems are formed. This part is called the tillering node. If it is damaged, the plant dies.
Leaves and inflorescences
Cereals can have linear (rice, oats, rye, wheat), medium (barley) or broad (millet, sorghum, corn) leaves. They are also differentiated depending on location. Leaves can be stem, basal (rosette) and embryonic. All of them consist of a vagina, which covers the stem, and a plate. In the area where the vagina passes into the plate, there is a tongue - a membranous formation. In triticale, barley, rye, and wheat, the inflorescence is a complex spike. Rice, sorghum, millet and oats have a panicle. On one corn plant, a panicle is formed, in which there are male flowers (sultanas), and an ear, where the female flowers are located. A rod stands out in the ear. Small spikelets alternately form on its ledges on both sides. The panicle contains branches of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd order. There are also spikelets at their ends. The flowers are small in size. As a rule, they are greenish. Flowers have two scales: internal and external (in spinous forms it turns into an awn). There is a pestle inside between them. It consists of an ovary, which contains three stamens and two feathery stigmas. Cereals have bisexual flowers. Their number in a spikelet varies.
Fetus
It is a single-seeded grain called grain. Sorghum, rice, barley, oats and millet have scaled fruits. The top of the wheat grain is covered with a seed coat. Underneath it is the endosperm - mealy tissue. It provides nutrition to the plant during the germination process. The endosperm contains about 22% protein and 80% carbohydrates of the total mass of the grain. Under the shell, in the lower left corner, there is an embryonic root and a bud.
Cereal seeds: sustainability
Dry fruits do not lose their viability even after being in liquid hydrogen. Thus, they can withstand cooling down to -250 degrees. At the same time, the germinating grain cannot tolerate temperatures of -3...-5 degrees. The fruits are highly resistant to drought. They retain their viability even in cases where they lose almost all moisture. During active growth, however, crops become very sensitive to dehydration. They can die even with minor moisture loss.
Phases of development
During the growing season, plants go through several stages. The following development phases are distinguished:
- Seed germination.
- Formation of seedlings.
- Tillering.
- Tube formation.
- Sweeping (earing).
- Bloom.
- Formation and filling of grains.
- Maturation.
Germination requires sufficient air, moisture and heat. This process begins after the grain swells. With sufficient heat supply, the enzyme system starts in it. As a result of its activity, starch, fats and proteins are transformed into water-soluble, simpler organic compounds. They are nutrients for the embryo. When they arrive, the primary roots begin to grow, and then the stem. When the first unfolded leaf appears above the ground, the seedling formation phase begins. They appear on 7-10 days.
Wheat
It acts as one of the main grain crops. According to botanical characteristics, soft and durum wheat are distinguished. Depending on the time of sowing, the crop is divided into winter and spring. Soft wheat is distinguished by its fruit having a mealy, semi-vitreous or glassy consistency. The grain has a round or oval shape, slightly expanded towards the germ, with a deep groove and a pronounced beard. The fruit may be yellow, red or white. Soft wheat is used in baking and confectionery production. Depending on the technological properties, raw materials are divided into three categories:
Durum wheat has significant differences from soft wheat. Its fruits are elongated, with a thickening on the embryonic back. The ribbed grain is translucent and glassy when cut. The beard of the fetus is poorly developed, the groove entering shallowly inside is open. The color of the grain can vary from light to dark amber. It contains more sugar, protein and mineral compounds than bread wheat fruits. Durum varieties are used in the production of semolina and pasta. They are also added to wheat, which has poor baking properties. In addition, it is used to produce semolina flour.
Rye
It is a winter-hardy plant. Rye grains are longer than wheat. The color of the fruit can be brown, purple, gray-green, yellow. Gray-green grains are larger than others. It contains more protein. Such grains have high baking properties. Rye contains less endosperm than wheat. This, in turn, causes a large number of membranes that contain the aleurone layer. On average, rye contains about 9-13% proteins. Their peculiarity is that they cannot form gluten. In this regard, rye is used primarily to produce flour. A small amount is used for the production of alcohol and malt.
Triticale
It is a hybrid of rye and wheat. Triticale is a cereal grain characterized by winter hardiness. Its grains are larger than rye and wheat. Gluten is washed from triticale flour. In this regard, its baking properties are close to those of wheat. Depending on the variety, the color of triticale bread can be dark, gray or white.
Millet
This cereal crop is drought resistant. Millet is a heat-loving plant. It is grown as a spring crop. The fruit of the plant is covered with floral films. They are quite easily separated from the kernels. Millet grain can be oval-elongated or spherical, and the endosperm can be mealy or glassy.
Barley
This spring crop has a short ripening period (the growing season lasts 70 days). Barley can be two-row or six-row. Culture grows everywhere. Cereals (barley and pearl barley) are produced from barley. A small amount is used for the production of malt and flour. Barley is considered the main brewing raw material. The cereal is also used as livestock feed.
Rice
This grain crop loves warmth and moisture. The shape of the fruit can be oblong (wide and narrow) or round. The endosperm is mealy, semi-vitreous and vitreous. The latter is considered the most valuable. This is due to the fact that during the collapse process ( technological process, during which the grain is separated from the shell), glassy rice is less susceptible to crushing and produces a larger volume of grain.
Oats
This is a rather demanding culture. Oats love moisture and warmth. The plant is grown everywhere as a spring crop. The maturation process takes place quite quickly. The grain is yellow or white. In addition to proteins and starch, oats contain a fairly large percentage of fat - about 4-6. The crop is used for fattening livestock and for producing cereals.
Cereal plants belong to the class of monocots. Among them there are herbaceous annuals and perennials, shrubs and trees. Cereals can be long-rhizome, stolon-forming or turfy.
The shoots of cereals are generative and vegetative, the stems are hollow, like straws, and the leaf blades are alternate, double-rowed, long and narrow, with parallel veins. Inflorescences are spike-shaped, paniculate, racemose or in the form of a spadix and consist of many elementary spikelet inflorescences. The flowers are small and pale, consisting of three stamens, one fruit, a short style and two feathery stigmas. The fruit is a grain - a seed fused with a shell.
Cereal cereal plants
Wheat.
Wheat (lat. Triticum)– a genus of herbaceous, mainly annual plants of the Poaceae family. Wheat is the leading grain crop in most countries. Flour, which is produced from wheat, is used to bake bread, make pasta and confectionery. It is included in the recipes of some types of beer and vodka. Major wheat producer in modern world– China, followed respectively by the USA, France, Australia, Canada, Russia, Argentina, Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Brazil.
Wheat has been in cultivation for about 10,000 years. Its origin can be traced back to Asia Minor, North Africa and Southern Europe - it was there that three cereals grew, which, in all likelihood, are the ancestors of modern wheat. Since then, plants introduced into cultivation have changed their appearance under the influence of new conditions. For example, einkorn and spelled increased the size of the grains and lost the fragility of the ear after ripening, and those ears that were discovered in the tombs of the pharaohs are not much different from modern species. The most ancient type of wheat is spelled - the grain of this species is difficult to grind into flour, since flowering and spikelet scales grow to it. In total, there are 20 species of wheat and 10 hybrids - 3 intergeneric and 7 intraspecific.
Wheat is a herbaceous plant with a height of 30 to 150 cm with erect, hollow and leveled stems, flat linear or broadly linear leaves 15-20 cm wide, rough to the touch, glabrous or hairy. The general inflorescence is a straight, ovoid or oblong spike up to 15 cm long. Single sessile spikelets up to 17 cm long with closely spaced flowers are located on the axis of the spikes in longitudinal regular rows.
Three types of wheat are important for the economy:
- – ordinary, or summer, or soft wheat – Triticum aestivum. It is a wheat grown throughout the world and used to make baked goods. The most famous awnless varieties are Sandomirka, Girka, Kuyavskaya, Kostromka, and among the awned varieties the most popular are Saxonka, Samarka, Krasnokoloska, Belokoloska and others;
- – durum wheat – Triticum durum, a gluten-rich spring wheat grown for making pasta. All varieties of durum wheat are awned and spring - Kubanka, Beloturka, Krasnoturka, Chernokoloska, Garnovka;
- – dwarf or dense wheat – Triticum compactum, used for crumbly baked goods.
Types of wheat such as spelt (embellic wheat), spelt, emmer, Polish, English (or fat) are also grown in cultivation.
Wheat is cultivated in almost all climatic zones, with the exception of the tropics. All cultivated varieties are divided into winter varieties, which are sown in the fall and harvested in the summer, and spring varieties, which are sown in the spring - from March to May. Spring wheat requires at least 100 frost-free days to mature. Winter wheat is grown not only for grain, but also as feed for livestock, which is released to graze on the field when the seedlings reach a height of 13-20 cm.
Rye.
Rye, or cultural rye (lat. Secale cereal) is a biennial or annual herbaceous plant. The species includes more than forty varieties. Rye is cultivated mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. About 40 varieties of crops are grown in the middle zone. Rye, like wheat, can be spring or winter. Modern rye varieties are thought to be descended from the perennial species Secale montanum, which still grows wild in southern Europe and central and southwestern Asia. In cultivation, rye became an annual plant. There is an assumption that rye began to be cultivated eastern peoples, and much later than wheat. The earliest remains of rye date back to the end of the Bronze Age and were found in Moravia. The most accurate indications about culture in Europe appeared in the first century AD - Pliny writes that at the foot of the Alps the Taurians cultivate rye and other cultivated plants, and the first mention of the cultivation of rye in Rus' can be read in the chronicles of Nestor, dating back to the 11th century.
Rye has a fibrous root system that goes 1-2 meters deep, so it can be sown even on sand. The stem of rye is hollow, straight, with 5-6 internodes, height from 70 to 200 cm, bare, pubescent only under the ears. The leaves are flat, broad-linear, bluish in color, like the stem. The length of the leaf plate is from 15 to 30 cm, width up to 2.5 cm. At the top of the stem an inflorescence is formed in the form of an elongated drooping complex spike with an axis that does not break into segments from 5 to 15 cm long and up to 12 mm wide. The spike consists of a tetrahedral shaft and flat two-flowered spikelets. Rye flowers have three stamens with elongated anthers, the ovary is superior, and they are pollinated by the wind. The rye grain has an oblong, somewhat laterally compressed shape with a deep groove in the middle. inside. The greenish, white, yellow, gray or dark brown grain reaches a length of 5 to 10 mm and a width of 1.5 to 3.5 mm.
Today, winter rye is predominantly sown, and this crop is more winter-hardy than any other cultivated cereals. Rye is not particularly sensitive to soil acidity, but it grows best in soil with a pH of 5.3-6.5. And it is not as demanding on other growing conditions as wheat - rye grows well not only in sand, but also on podzolic soils unsuitable for wheat. The best soil for rye is chernozems and gray forest soils of medium and light loam. Clayey, waterlogged or saline soils are unsuitable for growing rye. Winter rye is sown after flax, corn and leguminous crops, and in areas with a harsh or arid climate - in clean fallows. The most popular winter rye varieties include mid-season Voskhod 2, Vyatka 2, Chulpan, Saratovskaya 5, as well as short-stemmed, disease-resistant varieties Purga, Korotkostelbnaya 69, Bezenchukskaya 87, Dymka and others.
Rye is a grain crop from which flour is produced, kvass is made, and starch is produced. Rye is used to produce alcohol. Grown as green manure, rye successfully suppresses weeds, structures loamy soil, making it more moisture- and breathable and lighter. Fresh rye stalks can be used as fodder.
In the world, rye is cultivated most of all in Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Scandinavian countries, Russia, China, Belarus, Canada and the USA.
Corn.
Sweet corn, or maize (lat. Zea mays) is an annual herbaceous plant, the only cultivated representative of the corn genus. In addition to sweet corn, the genus includes four more wild species and three subspecies. There is an assumption that corn is the most ancient representative of cereals, introduced into culture 7-12 thousand years ago in Mexico, and at that time corn cobs reached only 3-4 cm in length. There is indisputable evidence that corn as a cultivated plant cultivated 8,700 years ago in the center of the Balsas Valley.
The role of corn cannot be overestimated: the emergence and flourishing of all Mesoamerican civilizations (Olmecs, Mayans, Aztecs) became possible thanks to cultivated corn, since it formed the basis of highly productive agriculture. Proof of the importance of this cereal for the American Indians is the fact that one of the central gods of the Aztecs was the corn god Centeotl (Xilonen). Before the Conquest, corn had spread to both the south and north of America, and Spanish sailors brought it to Europe, where it quickly gained popularity in the Mediterranean countries. Corn came to Russia through Ukraine and the Caucasus, but it did not gain recognition immediately, but only when mid-19th century, a decree was issued on the free distribution of corn seeds to the peasantry.
Corn has a developed fibrous root system, penetrating to a depth of 1-1.5 m, an erect stem reaching a height of 4 m, and a diameter of 7 cm, not hollow inside, like most cereals. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, up to 10 cm wide and up to 1 m long. On one plant there can be from 8 to 42. Flowers are unisexual: male - apical, in large panicles, female - in axillary cobs from 4 to 50 cm long and in diameter from 2 to 10 cm. Usually no more than 2 ears are formed on one plant. The crop is pollinated by the wind. Corn fruits are cubic or rounded kernels that form and ripen on the cob. They are pressed tightly against each other and, depending on the variety and variety, are yellow, reddish, purple, blue and even black in color. The growing season of corn is from 90 to 150 days. Corn is heat-loving and needs good lighting.
The cultivated type of corn is divided into nine botanical groups, which differ in the structure of the grain: dentate, semi-dentate, popping, sugar, mealy or starchy, starchy-sugar, waxy and filmy.
Corn is the second most sold grain crop in the world after wheat. The top seller is the United States, followed by countries such as China, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, France, Argentina, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine and Canada. Corn is grown as a valuable food and feed product, and is also used as a raw material for medicines. Since 1997, genetically modified corn has been grown commercially and is becoming increasingly popular around the world.
Rice.
Rice (lat. Oryza) is a cereal crop, an annual herbaceous plant of the Cereals family. It is very demanding on growing conditions, but despite this it is the main agricultural crop in many Asian countries, even ahead of wheat. Rice is sometimes called Saracen grain or Saracen wheat. Rice was introduced into culture about 9,000 years ago in East Asia, then it spread to South Asia, where it was completely domesticated. The ancestor of rice is, in all likelihood, the wild species Oryza nivara. In Africa, naked rice (Oryza glaberrima) is cultivated, which was domesticated on the banks of the Nile two or three thousand years ago, but recently it has been replaced as an agricultural crop by Asian species and is used mainly in rituals. Africans also grow such types of rice as dotted rice (Oryza punctata) and short-tongued rice (Oryza barthii).
The stems of rice reach a height of one and a half meters, its leaves are wide, rough around the edges, and dark green. At the top of the stem, a paniculate inflorescence is formed from spikelets, each of which contains four awned or awnless scales that cover the flower. A rice flower has 6 stamens and a pistil with two stigmas. The grains are covered with scales.
Rice (Oryza sativa) grown in the tropics and subtropics of America, Asia, Africa and Australia, as well as in warm temperate regions. To protect from direct sunlight, rice fields are flooded with water before the grains ripen, which also protects the crop from weeds. The fields are drained only before harvesting.
Rice grains are high in carbohydrates and contain very little protein. In China and Southeast Asian countries, this crop is the main national product. Starch and cereals are produced from rice, and oil is obtained from the germ. Rice flour is not suitable for making bread, but porridge is cooked from it and pies are baked. And with cereals they cook soups, prepare main courses and use them as a side dish. Rice dishes such as pilaf, risotto and paella have become widely popular, and in Japan rice cakes and sweets are baked from rice for the tea ceremony. In Asia, Africa and America, rice is also used to obtain alcohol and make alcoholic beverages. Rice straw is used to produce paper, cardboard and wickerwork. Rice bran and chaff are fed to livestock and poultry.
The main varieties of rice are:
- – long-grain rice, the length of the grains is 6 mm. This rice remains fluffy after cooking;
- – medium rice – the length of the grains is about 5 mm, and depending on the color and manufacturer, they may stick together after cooking;
- – short-grain rice – the length of the grains that stick together during cooking is 4-5 mm.
According to the type of mechanical processing after harvesting, rice is divided into:
- – unhusked or unhusked rice;
- – brown, or cargo – rice of a characteristic beige hue, with a nutty aroma;
- – white, or unpolished – the same brown rice, but without the top layer;
- – polished – white rice, peeled and polished, and in some countries also enriched with microelements and vitamins;
- – glazed – polished rice coated with a layer of talcum powder with glucose;
- – parboiled – unhusked rice, washed and soaked in hot water, then treated with low pressure steam, polished and bleached;
- – Camolino – polished rice coated with a thin layer of oil;
- - puffed - rice fried on hot sand or processed with heat, first at high and then at low pressure;
- – wild – a very expensive product, which is not rice, but grain of marsh grass. It is mixed with brown rice for sale.
Elite rice varieties include Indian Basmati, Thai Jasmine and Italian Arborio.
Oats.
Oats (lat. Avena sativa), or fodder oats, or common oats is an annual herbaceous plant widely used in agriculture. This is a crop that is unpretentious to growing conditions and can be successfully cultivated even in the northern regions. Oats are native to Mongolia and the northeastern provinces of China; they were introduced into culture in the second millennium BC. It is interesting that at first they fought against it because it contaminated spelled crops, but over time, when its excellent feeding properties became known, cold-resistant oats replaced spelled. In Europe, the first traces of oats were discovered in Bronze Age settlements in Denmark, Switzerland and France. Pliny the Elder wrote that the Germanic tribes grew oats and ate them, for which the ancient Greeks and Romans despised the barbarians, believing that oats were only suitable for livestock feed. Dioscorides used oats in medical practice. Since the 8th century AD. and for many centuries in Great Britain and Scotland oatcakes were a staple food, as this was the only crop capable of producing good crops in cold climates. And in the 17th century, German brewers learned to brew white beer from oats. For centuries, oats and oatmeal (oatmeal) fed the people of Rus'. And oats, along with other grain crops, were brought to America by the Scots, who sowed them on the islands near Massachusetts, from where they soon spread throughout all states, first as a fodder crop, but then they began to use it for making porridges, puddings and baked goods.
The height of oat stems with a diameter of 3-6 cm with several bare nodes reaches from 50 to 170 cm. The roots of the plant are fibrous, the leaves are alternate, linear, green or bluish, vaginal, with a rough surface, from 20 to 45 long and up to 3 cm wide Small flowers, collected in several spikelets and forming a one-sided or spreading panicle up to 25 cm long, bloom in June-August. The fruit of oats is a grain. The composition of oat grains includes starch, proteins, fats, fiber, B vitamins, alkaloids, choline, organic acids, manganese, zinc, cobalt and iron.
The main suppliers of oats in the world are Russia, Canada, Australia, Poland, the USA and Spain. Oats can be hulled or filmy. Hulless oats require moisture and are not very common, while film oats occupy large sown areas. Oats are not as picky about soil as other cereal plants. The best predecessors for oats are row crops - corn and potatoes, as well as flax, legumes and melons. The most popular grain is oats white, black grain is slightly less valuable, and red and gray grain are grown for fodder. The most cultivated oat varieties are Krechet, Talisman, Gunter, Dance, Lgovsky 1026, Astor and Narymsky 943.
Barley.
Sowing barley, or ordinary (lat. Hordeum vulgare) is an important crop domesticated in the Middle East about 17 thousand years ago. The ancient Palestinians, the ancient Jews, and all their neighbors sowed it in significant quantities. Barley flour was the subject of sacrifice, and bread made from barley, although coarser and heavier than wheat, was considered a healthier food. Barley came to Europe from Asia Minor 3-4 millennia BC, and in the Middle Ages it was grown in all countries of this part of the world. But for America this crop is relatively new, since barley was brought to New World in the XVI-XVIII centuries.
Barley is an annual herbaceous plant up to 90 cm high, with straight bare stems, flat, smooth leaves up to 30 cm long and up to 3 cm wide with ears at the base of the leaf blade. Barley forms a spike up to 10 cm long with an awn, and each four-hexagonal spikelet is single-flowered. Barley is a self-pollinating plant, but cross-pollination is also possible. The fruit of barley is a grain. The composition of grains includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, ash, fatty oil, vitamins D, E, A, K, C, B, sodium, iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, copper, calcium, bromine and enzymes.
Today, barley is grown not only as a fodder and industrial crop, but also as a food crop, for the production of pearl barley and barley groats and flour, as well as beer, which is the oldest drink of the Neolithic era. Barley is cultivated on an industrial scale in some countries Western Europe, in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, USA, Canada, China, India and the countries of Asia Minor, and in Tibet this cereal is the main food. Winter barley is not as ancient a crop as spring barley, but currently countries such as Romania and Bulgaria have completely switched to growing winter barley; a lot of winter barley is sown in Germany, France, Poland and Hungary. The most popular barley varieties are Sebastian, Duncan, Talbot, Vodograi, Helios, Stalker, Vakula, and among the new varieties, the products of Ukrainian selection Avgiy, Yucatan, Psel and Soncedar have proven themselves to be excellent.
Millet.
Millet (lat. Panicum) is a genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants of the Poaceae family. Representatives of the genus are distinguished by their unpretentiousness to growing conditions and tolerate heat and dry soil well. About 450 species of millet grow in the nature of Africa, America, Europe and Asia, but the most valuable species is the common millet (Panicum milliaceum), an annual plant native to Southeast Asia. The Mongols, residents of Manchuria and southeastern Kazakhstan cultivated this cereal from time immemorial, and millet came to Europe along with the army of Genghis Khan. Millet was also cultivated in India, back in the first millennium BC, and from there the culture was brought to Iran and the Caucasus. In the Bronze Age, thanks to Greek traders, millet appeared in Europe - in Hungary, Switzerland, southern Italy and Sicily. Millet was grown by the Celts, Scythians, Sarmatians and Gauls. In the 19th century, Ukrainian settlers brought millet to Western Canada and North America.
Hollow, slightly pubescent, cylindrical stems of millet, consisting of 8-10 internodes and forming a bush, reach a height of 50 to 150 cm. The root of the plant is fibrous, penetrating into the soil up to one and a half meters or more; the root system can grow up to a meter in width and more. The leaves of millet are alternate, glabrous or pubescent, linear-lanceolate, green or slightly reddish, reaching a length of 18 to 65 cm and a width of 1.5 to 4 cm. Two-flowered spikelets 3 to 6 cm long are collected in a paniculate inflorescence from 10 to 60 cm. The fruit of the plant is a round, oval or elongated grain with a diameter of 1-2 mm. The color of the fruit, depending on the variety, can be yellow, white, brown or red.
The composition of millet grains includes proteins, fat, starch, carotene, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, PP. Millet contains practically no gluten, so it is included in the diet for people suffering from celiac disease. The grain is used to produce millet, which is used to make soups and porridges, and also as feed for poultry.
Millet is grown on any soil, even saline soil. The plant does not tolerate only high acidity. The crop is grown in large volumes in countries such as Ukraine, Russia, India, and the countries of the Middle East. In the USA, millet is cultivated as a dietary product or for poultry feed. The most common millet varieties include Saratovskoe 853, Veselopodolyanskoe 367, Kazanskoe 506, Dolinskoe 86, Skorospeloe 66, Omskoe 9, Orenburgskoe 42, Kharkovskoe 25.
There are also decorative types and crop varieties that are widely grown in horticulture:
- – a type of hairy millet, the panicles of which are used to make dry bouquets;
- – type of switchgrass, varieties Blue Tower, Cloud Nine, Heavy Metal, Prairie Sky, Red Cloud, Strictum and others.
Ornamental cereal plants
Bamboo.
Common bamboo (lat. Bambusa vulgaris)– a herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Bamboo. In total, the genus includes about 130 species of evergreen plants growing in humid areas of the tropics and subtropics of Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australia. Common bamboo is the most recognizable of all species of this genus. The homeland of common bamboo is unknown, but it is grown in Madagascar, in the tropics of Africa and throughout East, South and Southeast Asia. This species is also common in Pakistan, Tanzania, Brazil, Puerto Rico and the USA. Since the beginning of the 18th century, bamboo has become a popular greenhouse plant in Europe.
Bamboo is a deciduous plant. It has bright yellow, stiff stems with thick walls and green stripes and dark green, pubescent, spear-shaped leaves growing at the top of the stem. The height of the plant reaches 10-20 m, and the thickness of the stem can be from 4 to 10 cm. The nodes on the stems are swollen, the length of the knees is from 20 to 45 cm. Bamboo rarely blooms, but once every few decades the entire bamboo population blooms simultaneously. The plant also does not produce seeds, and fruits are formed very rarely. Bamboo is propagated by vegetative methods - cuttings, layering, shoots, division of rhizomes. The composition of bamboo stems includes cellulose, fats, proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, lignin, ash and silica.
Bamboo stems are used as fuel, building material and raw materials for making furniture, fishing rods, tool handles, smoking pipes and flutes, and bamboo leaves are used to feed livestock. Bamboo is also grown as an ornamental plant, planted as a hedge. Young bamboo shoots are eaten boiled and preserved.
There are three varieties of common bamboo - green-trunked, golden-trunked or yellow-trunked and Bambusa vulgaris var. Wamin. The most interesting varieties of decorative bamboo are:
- – aureovariegata – bamboo with golden stems with thin green stripes;
- – striata – a compact variety with bright yellow constrictions between the knees and light green and dark green stripes;
- – vittata – a variety with stems with small stripes resembling a barcode;
- – maculata – a plant with green stems speckled with black, the stems of which turn completely black with age.
Cane.
Reed (lat. Phragmites)- a genus of perennial herbaceous plants, the most famous species of which is the common reed (Phragmites australis), growing in Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Americas around lakes, swamps, ponds and along river banks. This moisture-loving plant can be found on isolated islands and in desert places, and this is a sure sign that the groundwater is shallow in this place.
Reed is a perennial coastal plant that develops powerful, thick and branched underground rhizomes up to 2 m long. Bamboo stems are straight, flexible, hollow, smooth, bluish-green, up to 1 cm thick. In addition to stems, reed forms creeping shoots. The leaves of the reed are dense, hard, long and narrow, linear or lanceolate-linear, tapering towards the ends and rough at the edges. The leaf width is from 5 to 25 cm, the color is gray or dark green. The peculiarity of reed leaves is that they always turn their edges towards the wind. The reed stem is crowned with a spreading, thick drooping panicle of purple, yellowish or dark brown spikelets, each of which has 3-7 flowers - the lower one is male, and the upper ones are bisexual. Reed blooms from July to September. The fruit is an oblong grain.
Before flowering, young cane contains extractives, protein, fat, carotene, cellulose and vitamin C. The leaves of the plant contain vitamins, phytoncides and carotene. The rhizomes contain a lot of starch and fiber. Reed shoots are used to make paper, baskets, mats, and reeds are obtained from pressed reeds - an excellent building material. Musical instruments are made from the stems of the plant - clarinets, pipes and pipes for flutes. Reed is also used for silage.
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), or noble cane also a cereal plant, but belongs to the Millet subfamily. This plant, along with sugar beets, is used to produce sugar. Plants of this genus originate from the southwestern part of the Pacific region. In wild form, they are found in tropical areas of the Middle East, North Africa, China, India, Taiwan, New Guinea and Malaysia. Sugarcane is a very ancient crop and its name is found in Sanskrit documents. The Chinese refined sugar from cane already in the 8th century AD. e., in the 9th century the crop was grown along the shores of the Persian Gulf, in the 12th century the Arabs brought reed to Egypt, Malta and Sicily, in the 15th century it grew in the Canary Islands and Madeira, in 1492 it was transported to the Antilles, and in Saint-Domingue they began to grow it in large quantities, since by that time sugar had already become a necessary product. A little later, sugar cane reached the borders of Brazil, and then Mexico, Guiana and the islands of Martinique and Mauritius. Growing sugar in Europe was difficult due to climatic conditions, it was cheaper to bring it from tropical countries, and since sugar began to be produced from beets, the volume of imports of cane sugar has decreased significantly. Today, the main sugarcane plantations are in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cuba, Argentina and Brazil.
Sugar cane is a fast-growing perennial up to 6 m high. Its rhizome is short-jointed. Numerous dense, bare, knotty cylindrical stems with a diameter of up to 5 cm are colored yellow, green or purple. Reed leaves, 60 to 150 long and 4-5 cm wide, resemble corn leaves. The stem ends in a pyramidal paniculate inflorescence from 30 to 60 cm long, consisting of small, pubescent single-colored ears, collected in pairs.
To obtain sugar from cane, its stems are cut before flowering begins and, placed under metal shafts, the juice is squeezed out of them, to which freshly slaked lime is added, heated to 70 ºC, then filtered and evaporated until crystals appear. The share of sugar cane in world sugar production is 65%. The countries that produce the most cane sugar are Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, the Philippines, the USA, Australia, Argentina and Indonesia.
Miscanthus.
Miscanthus (lat. Miscanthus), or fan- a genus of herbaceous plants of the Poataceae family, the name of which is formed from two Greek words meaning “petiole, stem” and “flower”. Miscanthus is widespread in the subtropics and tropics of Africa, Asia and Australia. These are undemanding plants that will do well in any soil except heavy clay. Miscanthuses are not bothered by waterlogged soils; they survive in dry places, although they do not grow as much.
Miscanthus is a plant with a height of 80 to 200 cm, forming large loose turfs with creeping rhizomes. The stems of miscanthus are erect, the leaves are scale-like, leathery, with hard linear or lanceolate-linear leaf blades up to 2 cm wide. Picturesque fan-shaped panicles with long lateral branches and a very short awn reach a length of 10-30 cm.
Miscanthus is very popular in gardening. They decorate the banks of reservoirs and are planted in rockeries and mixborders. All types of miscanthus are distinguished by a long period of decorativeness; they are attractive even in autumn, when their leaves turn different shades of yellow, burgundy and brown colors. Paniculate inflorescences of miscanthus are included in dry bouquets and compositions. The plant is also used as bioenergy fuel.
The genus includes about forty species, but most often grown in culture:
- – giant miscanthus – a powerful plant used as a screen or accent in the background;
- – Chinese miscanthus, or Chinese reed, is a winter-hardy plant, the best varieties of which are Blondeau, Flamingo, Morning Light, Nirron, Strictus, Variegatus and Zebrinus;
- – miscanthus sugarflower – a plant with white or pinkish-silver panicles. Also popular is the Robustus variety of miscanthus, a larger plant than the main species.
Amaranth.
Amaranth (lat. Amaranthus), or amaranth, velvet, fox (cat's) tail, cockscombs, axamitnik - a genus of herbaceous annuals widespread in cultivation. The name of the genus is translated from Greek as “unfading.” The plant originates from South America, where most of the species of the genus still grow in nature. For eight thousand years, amaranth was one of the main food crops of the aborigines of the South and Central America along with corn and beans. From there, amaranth was transported to North America, as well as to India, Pakistan, Nepal and China. From the amaranth seeds brought to Europe by the Spaniards, they first began to grow ornamental plants, but since the 18th century, interest in amaranth arose as a cereal and fodder crop.
The stems of amaranth are simple, the leaves are entire, diamond-shaped, ovoid or lanceolate in shape, alternate, with a sharp apex, and at the base smoothly turning into a petiole. The flowers are arranged in bunches in the axils or formed on the tops of the stems in the form of spike-shaped panicles. The fruit of amaranth is a capsule with grains. All parts of the plant are colored either green or purple-red.
Young or dried amaranth leaves are used for preparing hot dishes or for salads. The grain of the plant is a valuable feed for poultry, and the greens are for cattle. Shchiritsa silage has a pleasant apple smell.
Four types of amaranth are grown as ornamental plants:
- – paniculate amaranth, or crimson amaranth, is a brownish-red plant, the best varieties of which are Roter Dam, Roter Paris, Zvergfakel, Hot Biscuits, Grune Fakel;
- – sad or dark amaranth. The best varieties are Green Tam, Pidzhmi Torch;
- – caudate amaranth, which has several decorative varieties. The most famous varieties are Grunschwanz and Rotschwanz;
- – tricolor amaranth is an ornamental foliage plant. The best varieties are Aurora, Early Splendor, Illumination.
Dried amaranth inflorescences can retain their shape and color for several months.
Amaranths prefer light, nutritious, calcareous soils. Waterlogged, acidic soil is not suitable for them.
Feather grass.
Feather grass (lat. Stipa)- a genus of monocotyledonous herbaceous perennials, the name of which is translated from Greek as “tow.” In nature, there are more than 300 species of feather grass, which are predominantly semi-steppe or steppe plants. Feather grass is not a valuable forage crop; on the contrary, it is considered a weed and a harmful plant: in the second half of summer, on grassy pastures, the plant's awns dig into the skin of animals and cause inflammatory processes in it.
The rhizome of the feather grass is short, and a large bunch of hard, wire-like leaves grows from it. Sometimes the leaves are collected in a tube. The spikelets forming the inflorescences contain one flower each. The fruit of feather grass is a grain.
The most famous types of feather grass are feathery, hairy (or hairy, or Tyrsa), beautiful, giant, Zalessky, pebble, Caucasian, hairy, Clemenza, Lessing, magnificent, Siberian and narrow-leaved.
Some varieties of beautiful feather grass, feathery and narrow-leaved, have been introduced into cultivation for growing in rock gardens and making dry bouquets. Such Central Asian species of feather grass as mastlifica, longiplutnosa, lipskyi and lingua attract the attention of gardeners and landscape designers. And the esparto feather grass, or Stipa tenacissima, serves as raw material for artificial silk and paper.
Canary.
Canary plant (lat. Phalaris)- a genus of herbaceous cereal plants, which includes about 20 species, distributed in all parts of the world except Antarctica. These herbs grow in both dry areas and swamps.
The seemingly harmless but dangerous herb received its scientific name in honor of the mythological hero Phalaris, whom the inhabitants elected king and entrusted to him with the temple of Zeus in Agrigentum. Phalaris, taking advantage of the trust of the townspeople, turned into a bloodthirsty despot who promoted cannibalism, devoured babies and roasted enemies in a bronze bull, as if in a brazier. The inhabitants rebelled against Phalaris, and he suffered the same fate as his enemies - he was roasted in a bull.
Only one species of the genus is grown in culture - perennial reed grass (Phalaris arundinacea), or silk grass. This plant reaches a height of one meter, it has narrow long striped leaves and inconspicuous small spike-shaped apical inflorescences. The rhizome of the dvukistochnik is creeping, located horizontally in the soil. At a distance of 1.5-2 m, fibrous roots develop on the rhizome, from which turf of silk grass grows. This species has several variegated varieties, differing in the intensity of the contrast of stripes of white-pink, light yellow or white on a green background.
Other types of canary grass have green and unattractive leaves. In addition, species that live in wet grasslands are invasive, and some of them contain the alkaloid gramine, which can attack the nervous system of grazing sheep.
Properties of cereal plants
The fruits of cereal crops are pseudomonocarps, that is, grains, the membranous pericarp of which adheres tightly to the seed, and sometimes sticks to the spermoderm. Cereal grains contain a lot of starch and protein, and the grains of some plants contain coumarins and essential oils.
Cereals are the oldest cultivated plants, from which essential products are produced - flour, cereals, sugar, livestock feed, as well as Construction Materials and fiber, and wild cereals are used as livestock feed.
Cereals - growing features
When growing cereals, it is necessary to observe crop rotation and correct sowing dates. Winter subspecies of cereals are sown at the end of summer or early autumn, trying to do so before the onset of persistent frosts. In order to begin to grow and develop, winter grains need low temperatures - from 0 to 10 ºC. Spring grains go through the first stages of development at temperatures from 10-12 to 20 ºC, which is why they are sown in the spring. Winter varieties of cereals are considered more productive because they make better use of nutrients, as well as winter and spring moisture reserves. Winter varieties are sown after early-harvested crops, for example, after legumes, as well as in clean fallows. It is better to sow spring crops after row crops, winter crops, leguminous crops and perennial grasses.
The main application of fertilizer is carried out in the fall, before autumn tillage: granular nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the rows during sowing. In spring, cereals also need nitrogen or nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizing.
Ornamental grasses, of which there are about 200 species, are grown on alpine hills, in rockeries, they frame flower beds, ponds, and plant large spaces. They are sown mainly in open sunny areas, although they also grow in partial shade. The main advantage of ornamental grasses is that they are able to decorate the site both in summer and winter. Perennials are propagated vegetatively - by dividing bushes, although the seed method is also quite applicable. Cereals are almost not affected by pests; only aphids and mites - sucking insects - can cause them trouble, which can be eliminated with the help of acaricidal preparations. Spring care of ornamental perennial grasses consists primarily of trimming dried stems, and you need to work with gloves, since the leaves of the grasses are hard and sharp. To prevent plants from scattering their seeds throughout the area, it is advisable to remove the shoots in advance.