How do grains grow

Around the globe, grains, also called cereal s, are the most important staple food. Humans get an average of 48 percent of their calorie s, or food energy, from grains. Grains are also used to feed livestock and to manufacture some cooking oil s, fuel s, cosmetics , and alcohol s. Almost half of the grains grown around the world are harvested for people to eat directly.

People turn wheat flour into bread, steam rice, and make corn tortilla s. Grains are a food staple in almost every culture on Earth. A food staple is food that is eaten frequently, often at every meal. Staple foods can be eaten fresh or stored for use all year. Rice, corn, and wheat are the most common staple foods on Earth. Grains are so important because they are a good source of important nutrient s called carbohydrate s.

Carbohydrates are a type of sugar that provides energy for organisms to function. Grains have carbohydrates as well as other important nutrients, such as vitamin s. While grains fill many nutritional needs, they often lack some important protein s. In many cultures, grains are part of a staple diet when combined with protein-rich legume s, such as beans.

Together, grains and legumes make a healthy diet: corn and beans, rice and tofu , wheat bread and peanut butter. Most domestic animal s, from cattle to dogs, are fed food rich in grains and grain products.

Biodiesel is a fuel used for vehicles. One type of biodiesel is ethanol , which can be made from corn. Grains are annual plants. This means they have only one growing season per year, yield ing one crop. Every growing season, grasses grow, reach maturity, produce seed s, and then die. Grains are harvested from dead, or dry, grasses. Some grains are winter grain s, such as rye.

They are able to withstand cold, wet climate s. Others are summer grain s, such as corn. Corn usually grows best in warm weather. Grains can grow in almost any climate. Rice is the most important grain in many tropical areas, where it is hot and humid year-round. Rice is especially common in Asia. In Southeast Asia, rice is grown and harvested in flooded fields called paddies.

Rice paddies can be flat or terrace d. Terraced rice paddies look like steps on a green hill. This type of grain agriculture has been used for centuries. Unlike rice, sorghum does not grow well in a wet climate. Sorghum favors an arid climate.

In temperate areas—those with warm summers and cold winters—wheat is the most common grain. Corn, which is native to the Americas, is now grown in many temperate areas throughout the world.

Oats, another grain that grows in temperate areas, are also used as a livestock feed. Harvesting Grain People first began eating grains about 75, years ago in western Asia. Einkorn and emmer grew wild near the bank s of river s. People harvested the grasses that grew naturally near their communities. People began cultivating, or growing, grain more recently. Buckwheat, millet, and certain wheat varieties need hot weather to mature and are planted in spring.

All grains need a sunny location. Till up the area to be planted to a depth of at least 6 inches. Most grains have low fertility requirements, but if the soil is extremely poor, spread a couple inches of compost over the surface and till it in before planting.

Follow the instructions on the package for the appropriate seeding rate — this will usually be given in pounds per 1, square feet.

After spreading the seed, lightly rake the area with a hard metal rake to mix it into the surface layer of soil. Spread a thin layer of straw over the soil to deter birds from feasting on the seed and to conserve soil moisture. Soak the area with a sprinkler to encourage germination and continue to keep the area moist but not soggy until the seedlings have emerged. When planting in the fall, cool weather may preclude the need for additional irrigation.

Spring plantings will need about an inch of water per week. If in doubt, water whenever the top inch of soil is dry. Some warm-season grains mature in as little as 30 days after germination, while grains that are overwintered may need up to nine months before they are ready to harvest. Here are the basic steps to bring your crop from the field to the pantry. One extra step is required before some grains can be milled, which is to remove the hull.

Rice, buckwheat, and oats are examples of grains with a hard outer hull. One method, which is a bit tedious for large quantities, is to run the grain lightly through a blender to crack the hulls and separate them from the grain. You can then sift the hulls out with your fingers or find the right size metal mesh that allows the grain to fall through, but removes the hulls. Fortunately, most grain mills are capable of removing the hulls and some even come with a special attachment for the purpose.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. I found this article very helpful. This is great. I live in SW ohio and have raised beds as well as spaces for ground plantings. I was thinking about using winter rye as a covering until next spring but would like to harvest and use the grain if possible. This may sound dumb but is winter rye useable as a grain to make bread? I have a back to eden garden… will the wood chips be a hinderance?

Can you please suggest a grain mill that can remove the hull from Millets like Foxtail or Browntop variety? Now, tell us how to keep the deer especially and squirrels off this. Wheat grows in a variety of climates and soils, but thrives best in temperate zones. It's an annual grass, which means it produces a harvest once a year.

The tall plant typically boasts hollow stems, long leaves and heads of compacted flowers. Sometimes there are as few as 20 flowers, but some species sprout up to Believe it or not, the wheat plant's mission in life has nothing to do with Big Mac buns and Twinkies. The plant needs to grow to its full height and develop flowers, where reproduction will take place to ensure the plant's genetic future in the form of seeds.

This yearlong lifecycle takes place in four stages. First, the plant goes through tillering , in which the subsurface crown produces leafs and lateral branches called tillers.

Then, during the stem extension stage, the plant shoots up to its full height through a series of stem segments, joined to each other by nodes. Then, at the top, the stem terminates in a head or spike during the heading stage. At this point, each head fertilizes its own flowers due to the movement of pollen from the male stamen to the female stigma. Once this happens, grain develops in the ripening stage, and the plant begins to wither and die.

Each grain or kernel of wheat consists of a wheat plant embryo called a germ as in germinate , protected by a thick outer coating called the bran and fueled by the protein-rich endosperm. These resources protect and nurture the wheat germ, allowing it to grow out of the soil into a new wheat plant. Given its importance as a global food crop, this kind of variety is really good news.