Oilseed crops

Unit 6

Weeds

Insect Pests

Diseases

Types of maize

Nutritional value of maize

Maize is utilized in more ways than any other cereal. As human food, as feed grain, fodder crop, and for industrial purposes. Its grain, stalk, leaves cobs, tassels and silks all have commercial value, although that of the grain is the highest. In the US, over 1,000 products in supermarkets contain maize in one form or the other in their makeup. Maize can be found on shelves in such products as corn meal, bread, flour, tortilla chips and baby food. Maize is also a popular treat for summer picnics as corn on the cob and a movie isn't a movie without popcorn.

There are many races of maize available. They can be grouped into five major categories, mainly the dents, flints, floury, pop, and sweet corn. Dent corn has kernels that are very hard and vitreous with a soft floury central core. Flint corn kernels are very hard and thick. Floury corn has kernels which are soft and non-vitreous endosperm which makes it easily ground. Pop corn is an extreme form of flint corn and sweet corn has translucent kernels which contain a sugar gene which inhibits the conversion of sugar to carbohydrates.

Scald (Rhynchospoium secalis), Stripe (Pyrenophora graminea), Net Blotch (Pyrenophora teres), Spot Blotch (Cochliobolus sativus), and smuts (Ustilago spp.) are all infecting cereal grains. Growers lessen the incidence of the diseases by rotating crops and selecting seed from fields with minimal disease infestations.

Occasionally an outbreak of grasshoppers occurs. The migratory (Melanoplus sanguinipae) and band-winged (Camnula pellucida) grasshoppers are the two most common. Insecticides have not been necessary to control these insects since 1992 when late spring and early autumn snows interrupted their life cycles, causing drastic declines in their populations. Field scouting and late fall or early spring tillage of grasshopper egg beds is occasionally used to help control their numbers. A parasitic fungus (Entomophaga praxibuli) was experimentally released in the Delta Junction area in the early 1990’s. The fungus has been observed on deceased grasshoppers for several years. Evaluation of this fungus is continuing.

Cereal grains can experience severe competition from uncontrolled weeds. Fields are often fallowed to control weeds, interrupt disease cycles and conserve soil moisture. In this effort, growers are employing more chemical fallow for improved weed control, less soil erosion, conservation of soil moisture, fuel, equipment use and labor. The more problematic common weeds are lambsquarter (Chenopodium album), shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), chickweed (Stellaria media), hawksbeard (Crepis tectorum), wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus), corn spurry (Spergula arvensis) and bluejoint reed grass (Calamogrostis canadensis). A few noxious weeds are becoming established including wild oats (Avena fatua), hempnettle (Galeopsis tetrahit), quackgrass (Agropyron repens), and perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). Because of the limited amount of spring precipitation, it is extremely important to conserve soil moisture to permit early germination of the crop. This enables a more competitive crop and also allows rapid crop development to the desired growth stage for effective herbicide utilization. Field scouting is used to identify the types of weeds, their economic thresholds, stage of growth of both weeds and crops and then selection of the most desirable herbicide control program.

Questions and tasks for comprehension:

1. What is the history of barley as a crop?

2. What are the uses of barley?

3. What are the uses of oats?

4. Why do people like oat flakes?

5. What are the uses of rye?

6. What is the history of rye as a crop?

7. What kind of distinguish features has rye?

8. What weather conditions are ideal for growing corn?

9. Why do all over the world like to consume corn?

Task 1. Describe six-rowed barley and two-rowed barley. Use the following words: spikelet, rachis, spike, triplet, glumes, node, central, lateral.

Task 2. Grains on parade.

Fill in the following worksheet.

Name:_________ Period:__________

Date:____________ Group №:_________

1. The seven types of cereal grain are:

2. The most widely used cereal grain is:

3. The word “cereal” comes from the Roman goddess:

4. The most widely used grains in Ukraine are:

5. The brown outside covering of the grain kernel that contains carbohydrates, minerals, protein and vitamins is:

6. The inner portion of the kernel is:

7. The tiny living part of the kernel that contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fat is:

8. The special protein found in wheat is called:

9. The other name for vitamin B₁ in whole grain is:

10. The deficiency disease caused by lack of vitamin B₁ is:

11. Vitamin B₁ is needed by the body for: (give five reasons)

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

12. Starch is used in the body for:

Task 3. Sum up:

1. Cereals are useful for our health. Prove it.

2. Cereals are for multipurpose use. Give examples.

In this unit you will find the answers for the following questions:

- What are oilseeds?

- What are the main uses of sunflower?

- What kinds of environment requirements are important for sunflower?

- What are fertility and lime requirements for sunflower growing?

- How to control pests and diseases?

- What is the best time for sunflower harvesting?

Oilseeds are plant species whose seeds contain high oil content (20-50%). Oilseeds are members of many different families and species, which produce oils and fats either for human and livestock consumption, or for industrial applications.

All of the oilseeds, except sunflower, have tiny seeds which require shallow seeding. This means that the upper layers of the soils must be moderately fertile and moist for the seeds to germinate quickly. With these requirements and their preference for cooler temperatures in the early growing season, oilseeds are more common to the parkland than to other growing areas.

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