There are just a huge number of types and varieties of cereals in the world. Breeding work with these valuable crops is ongoing. Of all the recently obtained varieties, triticale deserves special attention. What is it and what is this agricultural plant used for, in all details we will consider in our article.
Bit of theory
Biologists have been trying to develop a hybrid of wheat and rye that combines the advantages of both of these crops since the 19th century. However, unfortunately, it was not possible to do this for a long time. The explanation is very simple. The fact is that between the chromosomes of wheat and rye there is completely no genetic relationship.
The first hybrid of these two types of cereals was obtained by conventional crossbreeding quite a long time ago - as far back as 1875. However, the hatched culture turned out to be fruitless. In the second generation, the resulting hybrid was simply split into parental species. Of course, it was not practical to grow it.
Luck scientists
With the development of genetics and selection, biologists were able to find out that a fertile hybrid of rye and wheat can be derived only by doubling the chromosomes in the first generation. By the time this scientific information was received, such a variety of cereals, oddly enough, already existed. It was developed by the German scientist W. Rimpau in 1888. Doubling of chromosomes in the hybrid obtained by him occurred spontaneously.
This first line of a new culture with unique qualities was subsequently grown on farms for more than a hundred years. In principle, it is precisely this that is the answer to the question of triticale - what is it? This unusual name for a new type of cereal was not chosen by chance. It came from the first part of the Latin name for wheat (Triti) and the second part - rye (cale).
Classification
Currently, breeding work with triticale (a photo of this culture can be seen on the page) is carried out in two main directions. Biologists are improving:
The first variety of triticale is grown before the time of heading, and then mowed to green feed and for silage. A distinctive feature of such varieties is tall.
Harvesting of grain species of triticale is carried out at the stage of milk-wax maturity. The resulting crop is sent at most to enterprises engaged in the production of animal feed for farm animals.
Scope of application
Of course, animal husbandry is not the only sphere of the national economy in which triticale is used. What is it, we have found out. This is a fundamentally new type of grain, which, of course, can also be used for the production of flour. Therefore, another area of the economy in which triticale is widely used is the food industry.
Very often, the flour of this culture is used, for example, as an additive in baking wheat bread. Its use allows to increase the percentage of protein in the finished product. Also, triticale flour, characterized by specific properties, is often used in the confectionery industry. Due to the fact that its gluten is of excellent quality, very good cupcakes, pastries and cakes are made from it.
In addition to the excellent taste of the finished products and the high content of easily digestible protein, triticale flour has another important advantage. Bread, gingerbread, pastries, etc., baked with its use, do not stale for a very long time.
The grain of this culture is also widely used in the brewing industry. The malt prepared from it has a high enzymatic activity. In this case, the triticale wort is slightly darker than barley, and beer from it is less strong.
Growing Features
Despite the huge number of useful properties, the “wheat” of triticale gained industrial recognition only very recently. For the first time, the fields with this variety of cereals were sown only in 1970 in Canada, the USA and Hungary. In the USSR, triticale began to grow in 1976 (in Ukraine).
Unfortunately, the process of introducing this crop into agricultural production is still extremely slow. The reasons experts see primarily in some of the difficulties of growing this crop. This is especially true for feed varieties of triticale.
For silage, this variety is mowed at the heading stage - that is, when it is still quite low. With milky wax maturity, the culture already has a very high stem, and therefore lays down. Therefore, it is very difficult for farmers to collect triticale seeds. Agricultural workers have to contrive and get planting material using special, technologically quite sophisticated methods.
Grain varieties of this culture have also not received much recognition. In this case, the matter lies primarily in conservatism and some illiteracy of some Russian farmers. Agricultural workers simply do not feel like growing triticale. What is it, of course, they know. However, in their midst there is still an opinion that in the second generation triticale splits into parental forms. The fact is that in the fields of this culture very often there are rye and wheat in its pure form.
However, it cannot, by definition, be split or even dusted with the parental triticale grains. Rye and wheat in its fields grow solely due to the mixing of planting material during harvesting. In order to prevent this from happening, you just need to thoroughly clean the combine before sowing.
Benefits of Triticale
The value of this new variety of cereals lies primarily in the fact that it combines the best qualities of crops such as wheat and rye. Triticale from the first parent form “took” excellent grain characteristics, and from the second - winter hardiness and unpretentiousness in leaving. Due to its multi-flowering (like wheat) and bushiness (like rye) this crop is superior in yield to both parent forms.
Among other things, the advantages of triticale include:
- well developed root system;
- self-pollination ability.
This culture has one more interesting feature. It can be grown in areas with a fairly high degree of radioactive contamination. The explanation is simple. The fact is that triticale practically does not take radionuclides from the soil.
Beneficial features
It is advisable to grow this culture on feed and for the food industry primarily because of the high protein content. According to this indicator, triticale grain surpasses wheat by 9.5%, and barley and corn by 40%. In addition, the protein of this culture also has a very good amino acid composition.
In addition to high-quality protein, triticale flour contains useful minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, etc. It also contains vitamins of the PP, B, E. vitamins. The dietary properties of this flour make it a very suitable product for the elderly, athletes, and for all those who are used to watching their figure.
For baking, this useful product can be used not only in industry, but also at home. Many housewives notice the fact that pies, pancakes, cakes and biscuits from triticale flour are much more magnificent than from ordinary wheat. Of course, you can bake from this semi-finished product and homemade buns or bread. A distinctive feature of such products is a pleasant sweetish crumb flavor. But the crust of bread from triticale flour turns out to be a little rough and cracked. Therefore, most often this product is used nevertheless for baking sweets.
Agricultural use
Most often pigs and poultry are fed with triticale grain. It has been established that replacing it with 40% of conventional feed increases the gain, for example, piglets by 18-30%. Since the triticale begins to spike quite late, it can be blocked by a “window” between the cuttings of winter rye and perennial grasses.
Among the advantages of this variety of food, among other things, is the fact that it is eaten by farm animals much better than rye and wheat. This is primarily due to the high content of substances such as carotenoids and sugars in the grain and green mass of triticale.
Sometimes triticale mowed at the heading stage is also used for cattle feed. This allows you to increase milk yield by 15-17%. It is believed that feed collected from fields where this crop was grown at the same time as vetch or rapeseed are of particular value for animal husbandry. This method of cultivation allows you to get the best balanced in terms of protein, vitamins and trace elements feed.
Triticale: varieties grown in Russia and Ukraine
Over the entire cultivation of this new crop, several of its highly productive varieties were bred. The best include:
- ADM-8 and 11.
- Kiev grain feed.
- Kiev premature.
- Valentine 90.
- Tornado.
- Zenit Odessa.
Also very popular is the triticale winter mid-season tall tall variety Papasuevskoe, which is highly resistant to lodging and shedding. Finding the seeds of popular varieties of triticale is easiest today via the Internet. They cost about 16-18 p. per kilogram.