The phrase "separate the grain from the chaff" has a real justification. In the fields, in addition to wheat, a large number of other crops grow. One of them is the chaff. So, it is called a small genus of the family Cereal (Bluegrass).
It includes 11 species, among which one of the most common, is intoxicating. However, it is also considered the most dangerous, since in large quantities it can greatly harm human health if you confuse its grains with wheat or other cereals.
Description
The intoxicating spit, a photo of which is given in the article, is a perennial plant. Spikelets are located at the top of the stem. They are flattened, sometimes they are quite high. Leaves a bright green hue, but can become slightly bluish. The stalk looks simple, does not separate.
Spikelets have a multiflowered type. The apical usually includes 2 identical flakes of a leathery grassy type. They are convex. There are from 5 to 9 veins.
In the side ears only 1 such thing is located. At the same time, there are also floral scales - on each pair. The bottom is a little longer. She is smooth. Floral scales have a yellowish tint. The spikelets are 8-15 cm long.
The seeds of the chaff of the intoxicant are oval. They look like grains. They look like oats or wheat, but smaller in size. There are hairs at one end. Grains have a film. Their size is 5–7 mm. The length of the axes is from 3 mm to 1.5 cm.
Distribution and application
The intoxicating chaff often clogs the seed material of barley, wheat, millet, oats. The plant is sun-loving and drought tolerant. It can grow both in a single copy and in small-sized turfs.
Such a culture is ubiquitous. The only exception is the Arctic and the western part of Siberia. Culture is found in fields, in meadows, near ponds, roads.
Usually the plant is used very rarely. For example, it is suitable for registration of a lawn. In some regions of the Caucasus, alcohol is made from it. This culture is also used in folk medicine to suppress pain in some malignant diseases of the skin.
Landing
Planting of chaff is carried out by seeds in the ground. It should be loamy and loose. First, you need to carefully treat the site, removing all perennial weeds.
It is supposed to dig and level the soil, remove all stones, large roots. Then it remains to wait until the earth settles a little. Before sowing, the chaff is required to be slightly condensed.
To get the perfect lawn, you need to level the surface. If there are inclined surfaces, it is recommended that they be reinforced with a mesh so that there are no small landslides.
Processing the site is required in advance. In autumn, before plowing the soil, it is necessary to fertilize the content of phosphorus and potassium. In early spring, it is recommended to add another nitrogenous composition. Such feeding will be enough for a long period.
It is necessary to sow the seeds of the intoxicating chaff, the photo of which is given above, in early spring. They can germinate at a temperature of only 2–4 ° C. If it is possible to water the site, then you can sow the culture at any time in spring and summer until August.
Seeds are supposed to be deepened into the ground by 20-30 mm. It is enough just to scatter them on the surface evenly and treat this place with a rake. Depending on the weather, the first sprouts will appear in 1-1.5 weeks.
Care Rules
Almost all of the chaff care comes down to watering the crop sparingly and constantly. Lawns with such grass are drought tolerant, but this will adversely affect their appearance.
Excess moisture in the soil should also not be allowed, as this will lead to rotting of the root system. It is recommended to use settled water at room temperature.
Fertilize the soil not only before planting, but also during its active growth. It is recommended to use any complex composition containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Some experts have a different opinion. They believe that it is only necessary to fertilize a crop in the spring in order to accelerate and facilitate its exit after wintering. And the rest of the time top dressing, in their opinion, is not required.
Do not be afraid to often cut the grass and mow the lawn. The plant is not afraid of such damage and will quickly recover, even after strong mechanical stress.
The culture is resistant to various pests. During the growth period, she rarely gets sick. But the chaff can be affected by rust in excessively wet and hot climates. In mid-summer, the plant can lose all its leaves, but by August the green mass will increase again.
The intoxicating chaff is a perennial culture that is not hardy. Low temperatures negatively affect the plant. If there will be little snow in winter (or it is generally absent), then the chaff will not tolerate it well. In severe frosts, it is likely to lose a significant part of the plantings - up to 30%.
Young shoots are very susceptible to weather. This is especially true of late frosts in the spring. In the spring you will need to carefully study the lawn. If there are gaps, then they need to be filled with seeds so that they germinate later.
If there is no snow at all, then the plant is able to withstand a drop in temperature to -18 ° C. But the vitality of the culture may increase. Only if there is a thick layer of snow.
Danger choked intoxicant
Although the plant is allowed to be used for lawns, it must be borne in mind that its grains are dangerous to humans and animals. They should not be allowed to mix with the grains of other cereals.
Even about 30 seeds can cause mild poisoning. Drowsiness, lethargy appears, sensitivity worsens, body temperature decreases, and motor disturbances appear. It is with this that the name of the variety of chaff is connected - intoxicating.
At larger dosages, pain appears, the pulse weakens, eyesight worsens, and constipation appears. Pregnant women are more likely to have a miscarriage. In chronic poisoning with a large number of grains, a fatal outcome is possible.
All this is connected with such an alkaloid as topiculin. It is believed that it is formed in the seeds due to exposure to a fungus that parasitizes under the seed coat.
Weed Control Methods
In the fields the chaff is intoxicating is a weed. To combat it, thorough cleaning of the entire seed is required.
It is easy to separate the chaff from barley and oats. But it is very similar to small varieties of spring wheat. Their grain size is almost the same. In this case, it is difficult to separate the useful product from the weed. Then you have to completely replace the seed.
By the way, you can use special herbicides. For example, the Bayer company produces the Panthera post-emergent systemic type of preparation. The universal type MySter herbicide is also suitable. Both remedies effectively deal with cereal weeds when they have already sprouted.