Triticale - what is it? Classification and useful properties

The species and varieties of cereals in the world are derived just a huge amount. Selection work with these valuable crops is ongoing. Of all the recently obtained varieties, triticale deserves special attention. What this is and what this agricultural plant is used for, we will consider in detail our article.

A bit of theory

To produce a hybrid of wheat and rye, combining the advantages of both these cultures, biologists have been trying since the 19th century. However, unfortunately, it was not possible to do this for a long time. This is explained very simply. The fact is that there is no genetic relationship between the chromosomes of wheat and rye.

The first hybrid of these two types of cereals was obtained by ordinary crossing long ago - as early as 1875. However, the culture was infertile. In the second generation, the resulting hybrid was simply split into parent species. Of course, it was not advisable to grow it.

The success of scientists

With the development of genetics and selection, biologists succeeded in finding out that a fertile hybrid of rye and wheat can be brought out only by doubling the chromosomes in the first generation. At the time of receiving this scientific information, this kind of grain, oddly enough, already existed. It was deduced by the German scientist V. Rimpau in 1888. The doubling of chromosomes in the hybrid obtained by him occurred spontaneously.

This first line of a new culture with unique qualities was subsequently grown in farms over a hundred years. In principle, it is this that is the answer to the question about what is triticale - what is it? This unusual name for a new type of cereals was chosen not accidentally. It happened from the first part of the Latin denomination of wheat (Triti) and the second part - rye (cale).

Classification

Currently, selection work with triticale (a photo of this culture can be seen on the page) is conducted in two main directions. Biological scientists are improving:

• Fodder varieties;
• Cereals.

The first variety of triticale is cultivated before the time of earing, and then it is cut into green forage and for ensiling. A distinctive feature of such varieties is tallness.

Harvesting of grain types of triticale is carried out in the stage of milky-wax maturity. The resulting harvest is sent to the enterprises engaged in the production of mixed fodder for farm animals.

Scope of application

Of course, livestock production 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 cereal, which, of course, can also be used for the production of flour. Therefore, another sphere of the economy, in which triticale is widely used, is the food industry.

Very often flour of this crop is used, for example, as an additive for baking wheat bread. Its use makes it possible to increase the percentage of protein in the finished product. Also, triticale flour, which has specific properties, is often used in the confectionery industry. Due to the fact that its gluten is of excellent quality, it produces very good muffins, cakes and cakes.

In addition to the excellent taste of the finished products and the high content of easily digestible protein, the triticale flour has one more important advantage. Bread, gingerbread, cakes, etc., baked with its use, for a long time do not stale.

The grain of this crop is also widely used in the brewing industry. The malt prepared from it has a high enzymatic activity. Tritikal wort in this case differs slightly darker color than barley, and beer from it turns out to be less strong.

Peculiarities of growing

Despite the huge number of useful properties, the industrial recognition of "wheat" triticale was only recently. For the first time, this type of grain was 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 very slow. The reasons experts see first of all in some difficulties of cultivation of this culture. In particular, this applies to fodder varieties of triticale.

On silage this variety is mowed in the stage of earing - that is, when it is still quite low. At milky-wax maturity, the culture already has a very high stem, and as a result, it also lays. And therefore, it is very difficult for farmers to collect triticale seeds. Employees of agricultural enterprises have to contrive and receive planting material, using special, technologically quite sophisticated methods.

Cereal varieties of this culture have also received no special recognition so far. In this case, the matter lies primarily in conservatism and some illiteracy of part of Russian farmers. Farmers simply do not feel like growing triticale. What they are, of course, they know. However, in their environment there is still an opinion that in the second generation the triticale is split into parental forms. The fact is that in the fields of this culture, rye and wheat are very often found in pure form.

However, it can not, by definition, split or even be dusted with parental grain triticale. Rye and wheat in its fields grow solely because of mixing of planting material during harvesting. To prevent this from happening, you just need to 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 parental form "took" excellent characteristics of the grain, and from the second - winter hardiness and unpretentiousness in the care. In terms of yield, this crop, thanks to the multicolor (as in wheat) and bushy (as in rye), surpasses both parental forms.

Among other things, the advantages of triticale include:

• Well developed root system;
• Ability to self-pollination.

Has this culture and another interesting feature. It can be grown in areas with a fairly high degree of radioactive contamination. This is explained simply. The fact is that triticale practically does not take radionuclides from the soil.

Beneficial features

To cultivate this culture forage and for the food industry is expedient primarily because of the high protein content. According to this indicator, triticale grain exceeds 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 quality protein, tritical flour contains such useful trace elements as potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, etc. It also contains vitamins of the group PP, B, E. 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, fritters, cakes and sponge cakes made from tritical flour are much more magnificent than those from ordinary wheat flour. 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 taste of crumb. But the crust of the bread from the tritical flour turns a little rough and cracked. Therefore, most often this product is used all the same for baking sweets.

Use in agriculture

Feeding grain triticale most often pigs and poultry. Established the fact that replacing them with 40% of normal feed increases the weight gain, for example, pigs by 18-30%. Since the triticale begins to score quite late, it is possible to cover the "window" between the stalks of winter rye and perennial grasses.

The advantages of this type of food, among other things, are that it is eaten by agricultural animals much better than rye and wheat. This is due primarily to the high content of triticale in the grain and green mass of substances such as carotenoids and sugars.

Sometimes, the triticale, which has been cut in the stage of earing, is also used for feeding cattle. This allows you to increase milk yield by 15-17%. It is believed that the special value for livestock is represented by feed collected from those fields on which this crop was grown simultaneously with a vetch or rape. This method of cultivation allows you to get the best balanced in terms of protein, vitamins and trace elements of the feed.

Triticale: varieties grown in Russia and Ukraine

During the whole period of cultivation of this new culture, several of its highly productive varieties were bred. Among the best are:

• ADM-8 and 11.
• Kiev grain feed.
• Kiev premature.
• Valentine 90.
• Tornado.
• Zenith of Odessa.

Also very popular is the triticale winter medium-ripened tall Papasuevskoye variety, characterized by high resistance to lodging and shattering. To find the seeds of popular varieties of triticale today is easiest through the Internet. They cost about 16-18 rubles. Per kilogram.