What is seed rye and what does it look like?
Rye is one of the most common cereals cultivated in the Northern Hemisphere. The plant was once considered a weed, but now more and more areas are being devoted to its planting. In some areas, rye is even displacing wheat crops. The culture is used in the production of flour, alcohol, kvass and starch.
From the article you will learn what rye looks like, what inflorescences it has, leaves (simple or complex), whether it is a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant, what its leaf arrangement is, as well as about the peculiarities of growing rye in different climatic zones.
What is rye
Rye is a herbaceous plant; it can be annual, biennial or perennial, depending on the climate of the area and the species. Rye is mainly cultivated in temperate and even northern regions, since the cereal is more cold-resistant than wheat.
Biological taxonomy of the species
Rye belongs to the Poa family (cereals). This is a monocotyledonous plant from the genus Pomoraceae with cross-pollination.
Homeland of rye
The predecessors of modern culture were weedy field species of rye. They actively grew in Central Asia, Transcaucasia and Southern Europe. Rye grains were found in ancient Egyptian archaeological excavations.
At first, farmers tried to get rid of the weed, but then they noticed its resistance to unfavorable conditions compared to wheat and barley. The gradual cultivation of the cereal was crowned with success. Since the Early Middle Ages, the crop began to be cultivated on the plains and in mountainous areas in almost all parts of the continent.
Description of the plant
Rye has a number of advantages over wheat:
- hardy and unpretentious;
- has resistance to diseases and pests;
- resistant to lodging;
- has a more valuable vitamin and mineral composition.
Rye is an aggressive plant that can suppress the growth of any weed. Below is a photo of the plant.
Root system
The root system is fibrous and powerful, reaching a depth of up to 2 m, which contributes to successful cultivation on light sandstones. Thanks to its developed roots, the plant is able to extract nutrients even in unfavorable soil conditions.
Stem and leaves
The stem is straight and hollow, with 3 to 7 internodes inside.. Closer to the ground it is completely naked, slightly hairy under the ear. The standard height of cultivated rye is 80-100 cm, some wild species reach 2 m.
The foliage is up to 30 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide. The surface is covered with fine hair, which protects the grain from drought. Healthy young leaves are green and acquire a bluish tint due to a waxy coating. During the growing season they become gray-green, and at the end of ripening they become golden-yellow.
Ear
The rye inflorescence is an elongated spikelet with two or three inflorescences, which is supported on a strong axis up to 15 cm long. The shape of the rye grain can be oval or elongated, with a transverse groove running through the middle. Color varies from light brown to yellow.
Seeds germinate already at slightly positive temperatures. One tillering node goes underground, the other remains on the surface and becomes the main one. 4-8 shoots are formed, and under ideal conditions - 50-90.
Types of rye and its characteristics
In modern botany, rye is divided into several types:
- African;
- forest;
- mountain;
- Anatolian;
- Vavilova;
- Derzhavina;
- field weed;
- sowing
The latter is divided into spring and winter varieties.
Yarovaya
Spring rye is one of the sowing forms of cereal, which is sown in the spring. The harvest is harvested in late summer - early autumn.
These varieties use rarely, usually as a replacement for winter crops that have died or been damaged for some reason. The low demand for spring varieties is explained by their lower resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions and lower yields.
Climate and growing area
Spring rye is in demand in areas with harsh winters. In regions with risky farming, winter crops have almost been abandoned because they cannot withstand extreme frosts. The bulk of spring rye in Russia is grown in the fields of Yakutia, Buryatia, Chita region and Transbaikalia.
Soil preparation
Fields for sowing spring rye are plowed in September-October and loosened with flat cutters to a depth of 25-30 cm. The best predecessors are rapeseed, clover, corn and perennial grasses.
In May, the soil is harrowed to a depth of 5 cm to loosen the soil and destroy weed seedlings. The plot is filled with nitrogen fertilizers and phosphorus fertilizers when sowing.
Seed preparation and sowing
Based on laboratory research, the best batches of grain are selected for sowing. First, they are dried in drying chambers, then pickled to prevent fungal infections.
The timing of sowing spring crops depends on the climatic conditions of the area:
- in Siberia - May 15-20;
- in the Far East - May 1-20;
- in the forest and forest-steppe zone - in the second half of the month;
- in the steppe zone - in the last week.
The grains are sown mainly in rows with a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Planting depth is 5-8 cm.
Growing
Spring varieties intensively consume nutrients, but their root system is weaker than that of winter varieties. Timely fertilizing with nitrogen at the beginning of tillering will give impetus to intensive vegetation. Foliar feeding with microelements will boost immunity.
At the beginning of grain development, phosphorus and potassium are added. In the phase of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are harrowed.
During the period of heading, spring rye reduces the consumption of nutrition from the soil, and when ripe it completely stops. The crop is harvested when the grain and dry stem are fully ripe.
Winter
Winter rye produces a higher yield than spring rye. She is unpretentious and performs well where wheat will show low germination and vulnerability. The grain is rich in minerals and valuable acids, which makes rye flour products healthy and dietary.
Climate and growing area
Winter rye is grown from northern to southern latitudes. It is actively cultivated in regions with low temperatures, high humidity and a small number of daylight hours. Stavropol region is a leader in rye production.
Important! Thanks to its frost resistance, rye will germinate already at +1°C, and the seedlings will withstand frosts down to -30°C.
Soil preparation
Winter rye loves potatoes, oat-lupine mixtures, flax, corn and forbs as predecessors.
Before sowing, the field is harrowed to a depth of 7-8 cm immediately after harvesting the previous crop. If harvesting was late, then the ground is first plowed 30 cm deep. Under basic soil cultivation, a complex mineral mixture with a low nitrogen content is applied.
Wait 1 month between plowing and sowing to allow the soil to settle. If there are a lot of weeds growing on the field, then treat with herbicide.
Seed preparation and sowing
Before sowing, winter crop seeds are treated with chemicals to prevent and destroy pathogens.
Sow in a row or narrow row method, burying the grains to a depth of 5-7 cm. Approximate timing of sowing winter rye:
- Non-Black Earth region - from August 20 to September 5;
- Siberia and Central Black Earth Region - from early August to September 15;
- southern regions - from the end of September to October 10.
The exact date is determined depending on the weather and cereal varieties, but the main rule is that sowing is carried out a month and a half before the establishment of stable cold weather.
Growing
In autumn, the primary tasks in growing winter rye will be seedling hardening, maximum development of the root system and tillering. Periodically, young plants and the site are checked for compliance with these parameters and adjustments are promptly made.
In the spring, stagnant melt water is drained in the lowlands. After the top layer of soil has warmed up, it is harrowed to saturate it with oxygen, remove mold and prevent weed growth.
In summer, pest and disease control comes to the fore. At the tillering stage, they are treated with fungicides for preventive purposes. Insecticides are used against the fall armyworm.
Rye is harvested in the middle of the waxy ripeness phase of the grain. Raw materials ripen in dry weather in 2-7 days.
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Conclusion
Rye is valued for its ability to produce a stable harvest in areas of risky farming. Cereal is not only used as a valuable raw material in the baking industry, but is also successfully used as green manure. Areas of land after rye become looser and more permeable to water, and pests are partially driven out.
Russia is in second place in the world in rye cultivation after Germany.
Very good article. Written interestingly, without fluff and in simple language