grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk layer – harvested for human or animal consumption.[Babcock, P. G., ed. 1976. Webster's Third New Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Co.] A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are and legumes.
After being harvested, dry grains are more durable than other , such as starchy fruits (plantains, breadfruit, etc.) and (, cassava, and more). This durability has made grains well suited to industrial agriculture, since they can be mechanically , transported by rail or ship, stored for long periods in , and milled for flour or pressed for Seed oil. Thus, the grain market is a major global Agriculture that includes crops such as maize, rice, soybeans, wheat and other grains.
Cereal and non-cereal grains
In the
grass family, a grain (narrowly defined) is a
caryopsis,
a fruit with its wall fused on to the single seed inside, belonging to a cereal such as wheat, maize, or rice. More broadly, in
agronomy and commerce, seeds or fruits from other plant families are called grains if they resemble cereal caryopses. For example,
amaranth is sold as "
Amaranth grain", and amaranth products may be described as "whole grains". The pre-Hispanic civilizations of the Andes had grain-based food systems, but at higher elevations none of the grains belonged the
cereal family. All three grains native to the Andes (
kaniwa,
kiwicha, and
quinoa) are broad-leaved plants rather than grasses.
Cereal grains
Many different species of cereal are cultivated for their grains.
File:Wheat-kernel nutrition.png|A wheat kernel, its composition and the nutritional values of its parts.
File:Dinrêyes.jpg|Cereal grain seeds clockwise from top-left: wheat, spelt, oat, barley
File:Gerstenkorrels Hordeum vulgare.jpg|Barley
File:Secale cereale (roggekorrels).jpg|Rye
File:Rice grains (IRRI).jpg|Rice grains by the IRRI
Warm-season cereals
Cool-season cereals
Pseudocereal grains
Starchy grains from broadleaf (dicot) plant families are cultivated as nutritious alternatives to cereals. The three major pseudocereal grains are:
Pulses or grain legumes
Pulses or grain
,
members of the
Fabaceae, have a higher protein content than most other plant foods, at around 20%, while soybeans have as much as 35%. As is the case with all other whole plant foods, pulses also contain carbohydrates and fat. Common pulses include:
Oilseed grains
Oilseed grains
are grown primarily for the extraction of their
vegetable oil. Vegetable oils provide dietary energy and some essential fatty acids.
They are also used as fuel and lubricants.
Mustard family
Aster family
Other families
Historical importance
Because grains are small, hard and dry, they can be stored, measured, and transported more readily than can other kinds of food crops such as fresh fruits, roots and tubers.
The development of grain agriculture allowed excess food to be produced and stored easily which could have led to the creation of the first temporary settlements and the division of society into classes.
This assumption that grain agriculture led to early settlements and social stratification has been challenged by James Scott in his book .
Trade
Occupational safety and health
Those who handle grain at grain facilities may encounter numerous occupational hazards and exposures. Risks include
grain entrapment, where workers are submerged in the grain and unable to extricate themselves;
caused by fine particles of
grain dust,
and falls.
See also
External links
