Structure and characteristics of a wheat ear. Wheat ears What is the difference between wheat and rye

The spike is one of the varieties of inflorescences of angiosperms and consists of an elongated main axis with flowers located on it. The type of spike depends on the number of flowers. TO simple type an ear with the presence of single flowers is classified, and a complex one is represented by several flowers. The ear of wheat, one of the most important food crops, belongs to the second type.

Characteristics of cereal

Wheat (lat. triticum) is one of the most prominent representatives of the cereal family, belongs to the class of monocotyledons and is the first cereal cultivated by humans. Place of origin of culture for a long time was disputed, but as a result of careful research, the city of Diyarbakir, located in Asia Minor, was still recognized as it.

The stem of the plant has a hollow, straight structure with the presence of nodes. Its growth is carried out due to the increase in internodes, the number of which varies from 5 to 7. After the stem outgrows the sheath of the last leaf, the heading process begins. From each fibrous root, up to 12 such stems can grow, each reaching a height of one and a half meters. The wheat leaf is flat, with pronounced fibrousness and rough to the touch.

The leaf width varies from 1.5 to 2 cm and depends on the wheat variety and growing conditions. The presence of hairs on the leaf blades also depends on the variety. The spikes are up to 15 cm long and are composed of several flowers, which, in turn, consist of two spikelet scales, two films, a pistil, three stamens and a stigma. The fruit of wheat is the grain. Pollination of flowers occurs naturally with the help of wind.

Wheat is propagated using seeds that can germinate with four roots at once. After the first leaves appear, a secondary root system is formed, capable of penetrating into the soil to a depth of 1 meter. Side shoots are formed from nodal roots, and their number can reach up to 5 pieces.

Wheat is used to produce flour used to make bakery and pasta products. Ethyl alcohol is produced from the grains, and drugs that help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels are made from the bran. The culture is also a raw material for the production of animal feed, immunomodulatory drugs and rejuvenating extracts.

Spikelet structure

Each of the wheat varieties is distinguished by the peculiarities of its spike structure, which general view looks like this: at the mouths of the geniculate rod on both sides there are spikelets, in which there are flowers under the spikelet scales. The segments are arranged in a spiral shape, which ensures the formation of a platform in the upper section. Each platform is filled with spikelets, the arrangement of which is alternate: the first one looks to the left, the next one looks to the right, and so on. Thanks to this structure, 2 rows are formed on the sides, and on the front part one spikelet rests on the other. The color of the ears is white, red, black and smoky gray.

The glume is considered one of the important components of the ear: it is by its structure that wheat is classified into varieties. The scales are represented by two wide plates, separated in the middle by a keel. In order to determine what type of wheat, the scales of the middle part of the ear should be evaluated, since they do not change under the influence of external factors.

According to their shape, wheat ears are divided into several types:

• fusiform is represented by a wide middle, with a gradual narrowing towards the upper and lower sections;
• the prismatic spike is the same across its entire width;
• the club-shaped one expands towards the top, which is why it got its name.

Grains

The wheat fruit is presented in the form of a single-seeded grain with a high content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, starch, disaccharides and dietary fiber. In addition, the grains are rich in a large amount minerals, vitamins, pectin, phytoestrogens and linoleic acid.

The grain size depends on the growing conditions and varies from 5 to 7 or more mm. The shape of the seeds is also varied. There are grains of oval-elongated, ovoid, oval and barrel-shaped with square, rectangular, round and oval cross sections. The number of grains in a spikelet also depends on external factors and ranges from 20 to 50 pieces.

Varieties

Wheat is classified according to a number of characteristics, including the color of the ear and grains, the presence or absence of awns and pubescence. Spine species are represented by coarse, thin and intermediate types of awns, the properties of which directly depend on the amount of moisture. Thus, in the most humid areas the awns are tender and soft, while in drier areas they are rough and brittle. In relation to the spike, the awns can run parallel or extend to the sides under different angles. The color of the awns also depends on the amount of moisture, and can be gray-red with normal moisture, and black with a lack of water.

Wheat is also divided into winter and spring varieties.

• Winter is the most common species and is sown in autumn period. Plants are distinguished by rapid development and ripening, in which they are significantly ahead of spring wheat varieties. The winter wheat harvest is harvested the following summer after sowing. The number of spikelets depends on the variety and varies from 16 to 25. The most productive is considered to be “Mironovskaya Yubileinyaya”, which has the highest rate.
• Spring wheat, unlike the winter one, is characterized by a sharper ridge of the glume and a long awn on the lower flowering glume, which can reach 20 cm. The species is demanding external factors and quite thermophilic.

Wheat and rye crops - how are they different?

Wheat and rye are the most famous cultivated grains and have provided food to humanity for many years. However, despite their prevalence, many city residents cannot distinguish between these two cultures.

Rye (lat. Secale) is a representative of the cereal family, and there are 12 wild and one cultivated species. The plant is characterized by an erect, hollow stem with a knotty structure, the height of which can reach two meters, and bluish, sometimes fleecy leaves, reaching 30 cm in length. The ears have a two-row structure and grow up to 15 cm; the flowers contain 3 stamens. The root system of rye is very powerful, going two meters deep, which allows the crop to be grown on sandy soils. In my own way chemical composition Rye grains are very rich in gluten, carbohydrates, B vitamins and microelements. Flour is widely used to make baked goods, and young shoots of plants are excellent food for animals.

Although wheat and rye have so much in common, there are also differences between them.

• Seed color. Wheat grains have a golden hue, while rye seeds are green or greenish-gray.
• The structure of the spikelet. Rye has a thin spikelet covered with long tendrils growing quite densely. Wheat is distinguished, on the contrary, by a thick ear, the tendrils on which completely break off at the moment the grains ripen.
• Plant height. Rye often reaches a two-meter mark, while wheat does not grow above one and a half meters. However, due to long length The rye stem often “falls”, which causes certain difficulties during the harvest season.
• Nutritional value and chemical composition. Wheat flour is more nutritious than rye flour, and makes tastier baked goods. In addition, the nutritional value of wheat is much higher than that of rye. However, the calorie content of both crops is almost the same. So, energy value 100 g of wheat grains are 339 calories, while for rye this figure is 338. Rye contains 8.9% proteins, 1.7% fats, and 60.7% carbohydrates. Dietary fiber is present in an amount of 13.2%, and the share of mineral components is 1.9% of the total volume. Wheat contains 13% proteins, 2.5% lipids, 67% carbohydrates and 10% dietary fiber. In addition, wheat grains contain a lot of starch and sugar.

Therefore, the nutritional value of wheat exceeds that of rye, which is rightfully a dietary food product.

• Growing and care. Both species are grown in winter and spring. However, wheat is the most vulnerable species and does not tolerate severe frosts and lack of snow. In completely snowless winters, winter wheat may die. This is explained by the fact that the tillering of wheat stalks occurs very low. Rye is superior to wheat in terms of adaptability and frost resistance. The plant can withstand 30-degree frosts and tolerates the complete absence of snow cover. In addition, rye can easily grow on depleted clay and sandy soils, while wheat requires exclusively fertile chernozems and podzolic soils. Wheat also does not like high acidity, while this indicator does not have such a significant effect on rye.
• Susceptibility to diseases. Compared to rye, wheat is susceptible more diseases. So, when the soil is waterlogged, the plant is susceptible to fungal diseases, while rye is not afraid of them. Despite their differences, both wheat and rye are valuable sources nutrients and feed humanity for many centuries.

For information on the properties of winter wheat, see the following video.

Spikelet

Once upon a time there were two mice, Twirl and Twirl, and a cockerel, Vociferous Neck. All the little mice knew was that they sang and danced, twirled and twirled. And the cockerel rose as soon as it was light, first woke everyone up with a song, and then got to work.
One day the cockerel was sweeping the yard and saw a spike of wheat on the ground.
“Cool, Vert,” called the cockerel, “look what I found!” The little mice came running and said:

It needs to be threshed.
-Who will thresh? - asked the cockerel.
- Not me! - the cockerel with a broom screamed alone. - Not me! - shouted another.
“Okay,” said the cockerel, “I’ll thresh it.” And he got to work.
And the little mice began to play rounders. The cockerel finished threshing and shouted:
- Hey, Cool, hey, Vert, look how much grain I threshed! The little mice came running and squealed in one voice: - Now we need to take the grain to the mill and grind the flour.
-Who will bear it? - asked the cockerel.
- Not me! - Krut shouted.
- Not me! - Vert shouted.
“Okay,” said the cockerel, “I’ll take the grain to the mill.”
He put the bag on his shoulders and went. Meanwhile, the little mice started leapfrog. They jump over each other and have fun. The cockerel has returned from the mill and is calling the mice again:
- Here, Spin, here, Spin! I brought flour. The little mice came running, looked, and couldn’t boast enough:
- Oh yes cockerel! Well done! Now you need to knead the dough and bake the pies.
- Who will knead? - asked the cockerel. And the little mice are theirs again:
- Not me! - Krut squeaked.
- Not me! - Vert squeaked. The cockerel thought and thought and said:
- Apparently, I'll have to.
He kneaded the dough, hauled in the wood, and lit the stove. And when the oven was heated, I planted pies in it.
The little mice don’t waste time either: they sing songs and dance.
The pies were baked, the cockerel took them out and laid them out on the table, and the little mice were right there. And there was no need to call them.
- Oh, I'm hungry! - Krut squeaks.
- Oh, I’m hungry! - Vert squeaks. Hurry up and sit down at the table. And the cockerel tells them:
- Wait, wait! First tell me: who found the spikelet?
- You found! - the little mice squealed loudly.
- Who threshed the spikelet? - the cockerel asked again.
- You threshed! - both said more quietly.
-Who carried the grain to the mill?
“You too,” Krut and Vert answered very quietly.
- Who kneaded the dough? Did you carry firewood? Did you heat the stove? Who baked the pies?
“Everything is you, everything is you,” the little mice squeaked barely audibly.
- What did you do?
What should I say in response? And there's nothing to say. Twirl and Twirl began to crawl out from behind the table, but the cockerel could not hold them back. There is no reason to treat such lazy people with pies!

Russian folktale

Quite a lot of cereal crops are currently known.
Here's what some of them look like:

rye (genus Rye, Secale )

wheat (genus Wheat, Triticum )

oats (genus Oats, Avena )

All these plants belong to the class ABOUTmonocots, Liliopsida , family Cereals, Gramineae (Poagrass, Poaceae ).
The Young Naturalist's Calendar for 1956 shows images of cereal crops:

types of wheat:
1 - soft, 2 - dwarf, 3 - Spelled, 4 - Polish, 5 - einkorn, 6 - einkorn;
7 - rye;
8 - oats;
9 - millet

Benefits of rye

The most attractive for growing on your own plot of land is winter rye. Rye is annual plant, which can reach a height of 60 - 200 cm. The inflorescence of rye is a two-row spike. Cultivated rye has 39 (!) varieties, but we grow common rye (lat. Secále cerále ).

Only cornflowers can act as neighbors to rye.

Planting rye

It is recommended to sow winter rye in your garden or vegetable garden. in the third ten days of August or the first ten days of September. You can't sow later, since in this case the rye will not have time to gain strength before winter and will go under the snow weakened. If freshly harvested seeds are used for sowing, they must be heated in the sun for 3-4 days.

Here's what they say about planting rye in encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron:

And here's what it says in Yuzhakov's Great Encyclopedia:

And here is what is said about the cultivation of cereals in our area in the Military Statistical Review Russian Empire from 1848:

The area intended for sowing must be dug up.

Before sowing for cultivation (loosening with a rake), you can apply 120 g/m² of mineral fertilizers: azofoska, nitrophoska or ecophosphoska.
Nitrophoska - classic mineral fertilizer, which is based on three elements vital for the full growth and development of any plant - nitrogen ( N), phosphorus ( R) and potassium ( TO).
Nitroammofoska is a complex, solid, complex, granular nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. There are two types of nitrogen in nitroammophoska - nitrate and ammonium, which significantly increases the duration of this mineral fertilizing. Azofoska is a nitroammophoska with the addition of sulfur.
Ecofoska is a highly effective granular water-soluble complex chlorine-free nitrogen-potassium fertilizer for use for all cultivated crops.

Then the soil needs to be leveled and furrows drawn through 15 - 20 cm, in which the seeds should be sown, spreading them out every 3 - 5 cm.
But in order to simplify the sowing process, seeds can be sown scattered (“like in the old days”), planting them to a depth of 2 - 5 cm. In dry weather, the planting depth can be increased by 1 - 2 cm.
Then the soil surface must be harrowed with a rake and slightly compacted, for example, rolled with a special roller made of a wooden block so that the seeds are pressed into the ground ( rolling promotes better wintering).

The optimal temperature for germination is 6 - 12 °C. Rye sprouts will have four roots, and wheat sprouts will have three. When the first leaves appear on rye they will be reddish, and sometimes bluish or bluish, and on wheat they will be green.

Rye is very undemanding to growing conditions; it is the most frost-resistant crop among cereal grains (even in snowless winters it tolerates frosts of - 20 ° C; with a snow cover of 20 - 25 cm, winter rye tolerates temperatures down to - 35 ° C), it is also grown in northern areas.

When growing rye hydroponically big problem is the fact that cereal seeds are very often affected by mold and this mold affects the plant being grown. When grown in the ground, mold does not have time to grow enough to harm the plant.

Phenological phases of rye

1. regrowth
In the spring, after the snow melts and the soil warms up a little at a temperature of 3 - 5 ° C, rye resumes its growth. Winter rye begins to grow quickly, overtaking and drowning out the weeds.

2. tillering
The next phase of rye development after spring regrowth is tillering - this is the appearance of new shoots due to underground branching of the stem.

3. tube output
The rye usually comes into the tube on the 17th - 18th day after the start of the spring growing season.

4. heading
Earing of winter rye begins 14 - 15 days after emergence. Unripe rye is colored bluish, and wheat is green.

5. flowering
Flowering begins 12-13 days after the start of heading and lasts an average of 10-12 days.
Winter rye is a cross-pollinating plant. Pollination occurs with the help of wind when the flowers are open. Good pollination of rye is observed in warm sunny days with light wind. Drought, strong winds and rains often lead to incomplete pollination.

6. ripeness
The stage of firm ripeness is noted two months after the start of heading.

Phenological phases of wheat

(from the above-mentioned “Young Naturalist’s Calendar”)

The structure of rye

Stalk of rye ( straw) is divided into separate internodes and separating them nodes, to which are attached leaves.

Rye shoot elements:

sheet:
1- leaf sheath (enveloping the stem, contributes to its strength)
2 - leaf blade (petal)

3 - node (rests on the leaf sheath)
4 - internode (the thickness of the internodes decreases from bottom to top, and their length increases).

Season 2015-2016 (Season I)

I prepared rye seeds for planting:

I planted these seeds September 5 on a small plantation in rows several centimeters deep, spaced fifteen to twenty centimeters apart:


After planting, I compacted the soil with logs:

On September 13, the sprouts reached a height of about 4 centimeters:

Also September 13 I planted another rye plantation, bigger size than the first one:


As in the first plantation, I also compacted the ground with logs after planting.

By September 15, the rye sprouts on the first plantation had grown further:


and reached a height of about 8 centimeters:

By September 18, small rye sprouts appeared on the second plantation:


The rye sprouts of the first plantation reached a height of about 12 centimeters.

By September 20, the rye sprouts on the second plantation reached a height of 4 centimeters.
I also planted various plants on the third plantation - seeds of wheat, oats and rye. Inessa and I did a little weeding on the first plantation.

On September 24, rye sprouts on the first plantation reached a height of 16 cm:

By September 27, wheat sprouts sprouted on the third plantation:


and oat sprouts:


Rye sprouts on the second plantation reached a height of 13 cm:

In the first ten days of October, unusually cold weather set in - night temperatures reached -5 ... -7 °C. By October 12, rye sprouts on the first plantation reached a height of 25 cm, on the second - 22 cm, and on the third - 12 cm. Wheat and oat sprouts on the third plantation reached a height of 10 cm.

On October 16, rye on the first plantation (as well as on the others) is doing well:

Rye in frost (October 31):

On November 24th the first snow began!
My rye plantation in the snow:

January 3, temperature - 25 ° C, rye under snow (snow depth about 6 cm):

In mid-January, after the passage of Cyclone Emma, ​​the depth of the snow cover was about 13 cm:

At the beginning of February, the weather was unusually warm for this time, and almost all the snow melted. This is what overwintered plantations look like:

Rye (1) overwintered well, wheat (2) also did well, but oats (3) almost did not survive.

A spike is a type of inflorescence of angiosperms. It has an elongated main axis and flowers planted on it. Depending on their number, a simple spike with single sessile flowers (orchid, plantain) is distinguished, and a complex spike with several (rye, barley, wheat).

Each type and variety of wheat has its own differences and features in the structure of the ear.

Wheat is the main representative of grain crops. It is an annual self-pollinating plant. Some types can be cross-pollinated.

Propagated by grains (seeds), they germinate with an average of 4 roots. When the first leaves of wheat appear, the underground node begins to form a secondary root system. It can penetrate up to 1 m deep. The formation of lateral shoots begins before the nodal roots. During the tillering process, 1 - 5 shoots appear.

The stem is represented by a hollow straw, which is divided into internodes (5-7). They are held from below by the sheaths of the first leaf. Then they gradually diverge and transform into leaf plates at the top. They are smooth, freely arranged, 1-2 cm wide and 25-35 cm long. After tillering is completed, shoots grow due to the increase in internodes from bottom to top. This process is called stemming. As a result, the spike passes higher up the shoot and leaves the sheath of the last leaf. Heading begins.

General structure of the ear

The structure of a wheat ear is a cranked rod with several segments, in the mouths of which there are spikelets on both sides. They contain wide spikelet scales, and flowers are hidden inside them. The latter have two floral scales - outer (lower) and inner (upper). The lower one is the awn of wheat.

The segments are attached to each other like a spiral, as a result of which a platform is formed in their upper part. The space in each of them is filled by a spikelet.

Wheat spikelets are arranged strictly alternately: one to the left, the second to the right, etc. Therefore, two rows are formed on the side - the double-row side, and in front one spikelet rests on the second - the imbricated side.

A wheat spikelet has two outer glumes. Between them there are 2-4 flowers.

The number of spikelets in an ear and its length vary depending on the time of year, humidity, agrotechnical and territorial conditions.

The shape of a wheat ear is:

• fusiform (the middle is wide, tapering upward and slightly downward);
• prismatic (same width along the entire length);
• club-shaped (widening towards the apex).

Glume

One of the main characteristics distinguishing wheat varieties is the glume. It has two wide surfaces that are separated by a keel. The wider one faces outward and is used to judge the shape and size of the scales. To determine the variety, evaluate the middle part of the ear. In the upper and lower parts they change under the influence environment.

The color of winter wheat scales is red and white. At cold temperature air, the color of the ear becomes more pronounced, and when warm it turns pale.

By length they are distinguished:

• short 6-7 mm;
• average 8-9 mm;
• long 10-11 mm.

Width:

• narrow – 2 mm;
• average -3 mm;
• wide – 4 mm.

By form:

• oval (width is almost 2 times longer than length);
• ovoid (narrowed upward and widened below);
• lanceolate (narrow, elongated, tapering downwards and upwards, length 2 times greater than width).

The keel has a tooth and a shoulder, runs along the entire length or does not reach the base. It can be narrow, weakly defined, straight or curved.

The shoulder may be absent, sloping, straight or lumpy, and of varying widths.

The tooth differs in length between the awnless and spinous forms; in the former it is short and blunt, in the latter it is long and sharp.

Corn

The grain has a germ, endosperm, aleurone layer, beard, fruit and seed coat. It is assessed by size, color, weight, ability to be stained with phenol, and glassiness.

Divided by size:

• fine up to 5 mm;
• average 6-7 mm;
• large 7 or more.

By form:

• oval-elongated;
• ovoid;
• oval;
• barrel-shaped.

By type of cross section:

• square;
• rectangular;
• round;
• oval.

Number of grains in an ear of wheat

On average, one spikelet contains 7 grains. This figure varies depending on environmental conditions. Most of the grains are deposited in the middle part of the ear. And at the top and at the base there are fewer of them. For example, at the base - 2, in the middle - 4, at the top - 2. Therefore, in one ear there are from 20-50 grains.

Species differences of wheat

There are signs that distinguish different types wheat:

• ear pubescence;
• spinousness;
• awn color;
• ear color;
• grain color.

The wheat stalk is covered at the edges with thin and short hair. The longer one is at the base of the glume. This trait is important for testing varieties. Pubescence can be sparse and dense. The color of the straw located under the ear during the ripening period becomes dark purple. But this phenomenon is not present in all varieties. Some do not change color.

There is awned and awnless wheat.

The spinous form has a long, medium or short spine; they also come in:

• rough (hard);
• thin (delicate);
• intermediate (average).

The more moisture, the more tender the awns and vice versa. Rough ones are more brittle. According to their location, the awns are either parallel to the ear, or diverging from it at one angle or another. The awnless form has awn-like points.

The color of the awns is red, white and black. When the soil is moistened, the black color of the awn changes to gray-red, when dry, it becomes blacker.

The color of the ear is white, red, black and smoky grey. White color means straw yellow. Under red - all shades from pale tones to bright red. Gray-smoky is found as an addition to the white and red color of the ear. Black is found when grown in the south. In a damp, cool environment it is paler.

The grain is found in white, red and purple. White grain varieties have a white, amber, glassy color. Red grains - pink, bright red, brown-red. The color of the grain is determined if their number is at least 1000.

Main types and varieties of wheat

There are two main types of wheat:

Winter wheat is the most common type of wheat in the world. Sowed in autumn. It begins to develop earlier than the spring variety, ripens faster and is much taller in growth. Selective to soil. Wheat crops are harvested next summer. Depending on the variety, the number of spikelets winter wheat miscellaneous:

• Mironovskaya Anniversary – 23-25;
• Mironovskaya 808 – 15-17;
• Aurora 16-18.

The spring variety differs from the winter variety by a sharper crest of the glume and a long awn (10-20 cm) of the lower flower glume. whimsical to temperature conditions. Spikelets of the spring form can be: pale yellow, gray, pale brown. The color of the grain is yellow, pale yellow and pale red.

The two most common varieties of wheat in the world are:

• soft;
• hard.

They have a number of differences in the structure of the ear:

Thus, we can conclude that the ear of wheat has complex structure. Each of its components has its own characteristics, as well as species and varietal differences.