Secale cereale

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal, Sprouts, Seeds - coffee

The seed is a widely used cereal, particularly in northern Europe for making bread. It contains around 13% protein and some gluten, though less than wheat, producing a denser loaf. It can also be used in cakes and similar baked goods, and sprouted seeds can be added to salads. Germinated seed is used to produce malt — a sweet substance extracted after roasting — which serves as a sweetening agent and is used in brewing beer. The roasted ungerminated seed can be used as a coffee substitute. Nutritional composition per 100g (dry weight, 380 calories): water 0%, protein 13.2g, fat 2.5g, carbohydrate 82.5g, fibre 2.2g, ash 2g; calcium 44mg, phosphorus 400mg, iron 4mg, sodium 4mg, potassium 524mg; thiamine (B1) 0.4mg, riboflavin (B2) 0.24mg, niacin 1.8mg. (Figures are the median of a reported range.)

Where to Find It

A temperate plant. It needs an open sunny position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. It produces well in areas with cold winters and hot dry summers. It has value in cold places. It can grow in poorer soils. It germinates are 4-5°C. Seedlings can endure frost. The average temperature should not exceed 20°C when grain is being produced.

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Belarus, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Czech Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, North Africa, North America, Norway, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, USSR,

How to Identify

An annual plant. It is a cereal grass. It grows to 60-200 cm high. It spreads to 30 cm across. It produces tufts. The stem is erect and bluish green. The leaves are rough and narrow. They are 30 cm long and 8 mm wide. The leaves are smooth on the lower surface. The flowers are dense, slender spikelets. They are 20 cm long. The spikelets are 2-flowered and strongly awned.

Nutrition Score: 63/100

How to Grow

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but prefers a well-drained light soil in a sunny position. It thrives on infertile, submarginal areas and is renouned for its ability to grow on sandy soils. Established plants are drought tolerant. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of of 22 to 176cm, an annual temperature in the range of of 4.3 to 21.3°C and a pH of 4.5 to 8.2. Rye is a widely cultivated temperate zone cereal crop. It is able to withstand severe climatic conditions and can be grown much further north and at higher altitudes than wheat. Average yields vary widely from country to country, the world average is around 1.6 tonnes per hectare with yields of almost 7 tonnes per hectare achieved in Norway. There are many named varieties. Rye is a rather variable species and botanists have divided it into a number of sub-species, all of which could be of value in breeding programmes. These sub-species are briefly listed below:- S. cereale afghanicum (Vavilov.)K.Hammer. Native to the Caucasus, western Asia and India. S. cereale ancestrale Zhuk. Native to western Asia. S. cereale dighoricum Vavilov. Native to the Caucasus and eastern europe. S. cereale segetale Zhuk. Native to temperate Asia. Rye grows well with cornflowers and pansies, though it inhibits the growth of poppies and couch grass. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water.

Propagation: Sow seed in March or October in situ, barely covering the seed. Germination should occur within two weeks.

Medicinal Uses

The seed can be made into a poultice and applied to tumours. It also acts as an effective laxative due to its fibrous seed coat.

Other Uses

The straw can be used as a fuel or industrial biomass. It is strong enough for thatching, paper making, and weaving mats and hats, and also serves as packing material for nursery stock, bricks, and tiles, as well as bedding, archery targets, and mushroom compost. Rye is a good green manure crop — fast growing with an extensive, deep root system. Sown in late autumn, it prevents soil erosion and nutrient leaching over winter and can be incorporated into the soil in spring. The root system also makes it useful for soil stabilisation, especially on sandy soils.

An annual grass reaching 1.8 m (6 ft) tall and 0.1 m (4 in) wide. Hardy to UK zone 3, not frost tender. Flowers May to July; seeds ripen August to September. Hermaphroditic, wind-pollinated. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, preferring well-drained conditions across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun, prefers moist soil, and tolerates drought. Withstands strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Other Information

It has occasionally been planted in trials in Papua New Guinea. It is a cultivated food plant.

Notes

There are 6-8 Secale species.

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