Most Common Cereals and Their Uses

Most Common Cereals and Their Uses

Cereals are the most important source of plant food to the human since since earliest time.The ancient civilizations were also dependent on several cereals. During their long period of cultivation their actual wild ancestors have been lost sight of, and countless new speciesand varieties have been evolved.In botanical literature cereals includes all the members of family Poaceae possessing the characterisiic fruit, Caryopsis. In this fruit the wall of the seed becomes fused with the ripening ovary wall to form the husk.The inseparable seed and ripening ovary wall is collectively known as “Grain”.Cereals are famous for nutritive values.These are the rich sources of carbohydrates,proteins,oils and vitamins. Cereals are widely used as principal food for almost all regions due to several reasons, viz., One or few of these cereals are available for each kind of climate; they also have a wide range of soil and moisture requirements; A little amount of labour is required for large yield of such grains;due to low water content the grains are easy to handle and store.

1.Rice

Scientific name: Oryza sativa

Family: Poaceae

Plant part used:The most economically important part of the plant is the endosperm of the grain i.e., Caryopsis.However other parts of the plant like straw,rice bran etc are also useful to mankind.

Uses:

1. In tropical countries rice replaces all other cereals as the staff of life and dominates the economic and

social existence. As a matter of fact rice is an indispensable food of over half the population of the world.It is starch rich food eaten after boiling.

2.It is also used as parced rice,beaten rice, and puffed rice.

3. It is also used for different fermented preparations like Idli and Dhosa.

4.Rice-starch has wide industrial potential in paper industry, textile industry and cosmetic industry,Food industry.

5. Rice flour and Rice starch are also utilized for making alcoholic beverages and also used in confectionary,ice creams,puddings and pastry.Some times paddy husk is also used as raw material for alcohol preparation.

6.Rice bran extract and rice bran oil are used in bath preaparations for treatment of atopic dermatitis and senile xeroderma.This bran oil is a low cholesterol oil and contain essential fatty acid and thus is also used for cooking.

7.Paddy husk is used` as a fuel and for making hard boards.It is also used as fodder for cattles.

8.Paddy straw is used as fodder and in rural area it is also used for  thatching, making hats, mats, ropes, basket and other domestic substances.

8.Rice straw often used in production of biofertilizer and as a base material for mushroom cultivation.

2. Wheat

Scientific name: Triticum aestivum

Family: Poaceae

Plant part used: The most economically important part of the plant is the endosperm of the grain i.e., Caryopsis.However Wheat straw is also useful to mankind.

Uses:

1.Wheat is staple food in most part of the world andis the chief cereal of temperate regions and the one most widely grown.The properties of gluten in the wheat grain makes it suitable for preparing different carbohydrate rich food like bread from wheat flour.

2. Flour from soft wheats is used for making cakes, crackers, biscuits, pastry, and similar articles like macaroni, spaghetti, and noodles etc.

3. Wheat is extensively used in the manufacture of beer and other alcoholic beverages and industrial alcohol.

4.Wheat is also used  in the preparation of industrial starch,malted wheat and core binder flour.

5.Low grade flours are utilized  in the preparation of plywood adhesive and paste for wall papering.

6. Biproducts of wheat milling,bran,germ etc constitute valuable feed for stock.

7.Wheat straw excels all other kinds because of its very great strength. It is used for seating chairs, stuffing mattresses, and the manufacture of such diverse articles as straw carpets, string, beehives, baskets, and wickerwork.

8.Wheat straw is a rich source of furfuryl alcohol.It is also used as fodder.

8.Rice straw also used in production of biofertilizer and as a base material for mushroom cultivation.

 

 

2.Maize

Scientific name: Zea mays

Family: Poaceae

Plant part used: The most economically important part of the plant is the endosperm of the grain i.e., Caryopsis.However the straw is also useful to mankind.

Uses:

1.Maize is extensively used as food forage,feed for livestock.The grain is nutritious with high percentage of easily digestible carbohydrates, fats and proteins.Almost 85% of the total productionis consumed in various forms of food.

2.The immature grains are largrly eaten after roasting

3.Several food products like Corn meal, corn hominy,grits and corn flakes are made from maize grain. Some times the grain is ground into flour and baked into Chapati.

4.Corn syrup and corn sugar find extensive use in the manufacture of confections,Jams and Jelies.Corn syrup is also used as diluents for pharmaceutical preparations.Except that Corn syrup is used in shoe polish,Glassine paper,rayon and in tobacco industry.

5.Corn sugar is utilized in the manufacture of chemicals,leather preparations,dyes and explosives.

6.Maize starch is extensively used as sizing material in textile and paper industries.In food industry it is used in the preparation of pies,puddings,salad dressings and confections.It is also finds use in cosmetics.

7.Corm oil,a semidrying oil, obtained from dried germs of maize is used as salad dressing and for cooking.This corn oil is also used in preparation of soap,Varnishes,Paints etc.