PSB 412

ECONOMIC BOTANY

CEREAL CROPS
 INTRODUCTION:

 WHEAT

 RICE

 MAIZE

M. NASIRU YAKUBU

INTRODUCTION
Food is essential for good health as well as survival of human beings. Human

beings depend on plants (and on animals that eat plants) for their food.

The nutrients provide materials for building, repairing or maintaining body

tissues. They also regulate body processes and serve as fuel to provide energy.

Foods are classified into five main groups: carbohydrates, fats, proteins,

minerals and vitamins.

Cereals are the members of grass family Poaceae and are grown for their

starchy seeds. Cereals are among the first plants to be domesticated by human

during the early times. Most of the cereals are herbaceous annuals.

The cereals or grain crops are the most important sources of food for human and

provide the basic or staple diet. They have a good nutritive value. Cereals were

preferably selected as the food crops because of some attributes which include-

i) Great adaptability to varying environmental conditions leading to their

rapid colonization in different ecological habitats

ii) Easy cultivation

iii) High yield per unit area

iv) Compact grains which can be handled, stockpiled and transported easily
v) Grain having good nutritive value i.e. having high percentage of

carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats and rye are the six major cereals of the world.

Rye and oats are dominantly use in the colder regions near North Pole. Wheat

and barley are consumed as major cereals in warm temperate regions while

maize and millets predominate in tropical regions.

 WHEAT (Triticum aestivum)

Wheat is the world’s most important food crops for morethan one third of the

world’s population. Millions of people throughout the world depend on foods

made from the kernels (seeds or grains) of the wheat plant. It is probably the

oldest crop known in cultivation. Long before the beginning of agriculture,

people gathered wild wheat for food. Agriculture believed to be originated

from the Middle East and wheat is the oldest food crop cultivated in the ancient

time. The most widely cultivated wheat is called the common wheat or the

bread wheat. We owe much to the Russian Botanist Nikolai Vavilov (1887-

1943) for our knowledge of wheat. He studied more than 31,000 samples of
wheat from different parts of the world and classified them as different

varieties. E.g. Triticum aestivum, Triticum monococcum, Triticum durum

 Botany of Wheat plant

The plant is made up of root and shoot system. Two types of roots are found,

primary or seminal roots and secondary or coronal roots which are adventitious

and develop from the basal underground nodes of the main axis and the tillers.

The primary roots live only for six to eight weeks while the secondary roots

represent the permanent root systems of the plant. The main stem (culm) as well

as tillers are erect cylindrical structures. Each is made up of 5-7 nodes and

grows to a height 0.3 to 1.5m. The leaves show an alternate arrangement. It

shows parallel venation and more stomata on the adaxial surface. The

inflorescence is a terminal spike made up of numerous spikelets. The

inflorescence axis is tough and does not shatter (break up) when the grain is

ripe.

 Cultivation

Wheat is one of the most cultivated crops. It is grown from the regions in the

range of equator to 60°N and 40°S but the greatest concentration is reported
from warm temperate regions. The regions have cool winters followed by a dry

and warm summer suitable for the ripening of the grain. Moderate rainfall

between 30 and 90 cm is suitable for cultivation. Wheat requires a cool climate

with moderate rainfall. The ideal temperature for growth of wheat is 10°- 15° C

and for summer varieties it ranges between 21° to 26° C. Wheat can be grown

on any type of soil but best growth has been noted in silt and clay loams having

pH not less than 5.8. The growth period of wheat is generally 150-160 days .

China is the leading producer of wheat in the world. The planting and harvest

season for wheat farming in Nigeria and Africa depends on the region and

climate. In general, wheat is planted during the cool, dry season, which occur

between November and February in the northern regions of Nigeria. The harvest

season typically falls between March and June depending on the climate change

and unpredictable weather pattern

Disease of wheat

1. Powdery mildew cause by fungi Erysiphales

2. Loose smut caused by fungi Ustiligo tritici

3. Yellow rust caused by fungi Puccinia striiformis

 4. Spot Blotch caused by Pathogenic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana

USES OF WHEAT

The wheat varieties also show change in their chemical composition which is

influenced by edaphic or climatic factors. The wheat can be soft or hard. The

soft wheat possesses a white starchy interior and is generally low in gluten

content. It is used for making cakes, cookies and pastries. The hard wheat is

dark and vitreous and shows no starchy area. It is high in gluten content and is

used for making flour. The wheat grain is rich in nutrients including protein,

starch, vitamins, essential minerals such as iron and phosphorus. Wheat is used

industrially for the manufacture of starch, gluten, alcohol, adhesives, polish etc.

Wheat straw is used as a livestock feed, compost and for making baskets, hats,

strawboards, paper

RICE Oryza sativa

Rice (Oryza sativa) originated in South East Asia . Nearly halve of the world

population depend or eat rice as the main part of their diet. Rice is the main

staple food of the Asian people. Taxonomist discovered 20 species of rice

among which only two are cultivated and are of economic importance (Oryza
sativa and Oryza glaberrima). Rice is grown over an area of about 146 million

hectares in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Top 10 rice-

producing countries reside in the Asian continent among which include India,

China, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh etc.

Botany of Rice

The rice plant is a semi-aquatic, freely tillering, annual grass. It has a

cylindrical jointed stem (culm) about 50 to 150cm tall. The root system is

fibrous. The primary root emerges on germination and it is followed by two

additional roots. Adventitious roots are then produced from the basal nodes of

the primary stem and tillers. The root can be grown under low oxygen

concentrations. The stem or culm is usually erect, smooth and 6-10 mm in

diameter. The leaves are borne alternately on the stem in two ranks one at each

node. The inflorescence is a loose terminal panicle 14-42 cm long. The main

axis bears a variable number of primary branches. The fruit is a caryopsis

closely enclosed in the husk formed by the lemma and palea. This is called

paddy. During milling the hull is removed and the rice grain is separated
Cultivation

 Rice crop requires hot and humid climate for cultivation.

 Temperature above 250c and high humidity with annual rainfall above

100 cm are favourable for the growth of rice.

 Rice can be grown on many soil types ranging from sandy loams,

lateritic soils and alluvial soils.

 The rice crop needs a swampy soil where the land is submerged under

water for the growing season.

 Rice varieties may be classified based on their period of maturity. Some

varieties mature in less than 110 days, some take 110 to 140 days to

mature, and some take 150-170 days to mature while very late maturing

varieties take about 180 days to mature.

Diseases of Rice

1. Rice yellow mottle virus caused by Sobermovirus

2. Rice Blast cause by fungus Pyricularia orizae

3. Brown spot caused by fungus Bipolaris oryzae

 4. Sheath rot caused by Sarocladium oryzae

Uses of Rice

1. It is an excellent source of carbohydrates and has small amounts of

proteins, minerals and vitamins.

2. Rice can be use in industries in the manufacture of alcoholic beverage

3. Rice bran, obtained during polishing brown rice for producing white rice,

is used as a livestock and poultry feed.

4. Oil, extracted from the bran, is used for cooking and in the manufacture

of soap

5. Rice straw is used as cattle feed

Maize (Zea mays)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world’s leading crop and is widely cultivated as

cereal grain that was domesticated in Central America. It is one of the most

versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability. Maize is the only cereal

crop that can be grown in diverse seasons and ecologies. Maize have many

types like normal yellow/ white grain, sweet corn, baby corn, popcorn, waxy

corn, high amylase corn, high oil corn, quality protein maize. Globally, it is
cultivated on more than 160million hectares area across 166 countries having

wider diversity of soil, climate, biodiversity and management practices. USA is

the largest maize producing country contributing nearly 35% of the total maize

production, followed by China with more than 20% production. Nigeria is the

highest producer of maize in Africa with 10.2 million tons of maize (FAO,

2018).

Botany of Maize

• Maize plants have three types of roots seminal roots, which develop from

radical and does not persist for long period, adventitious roots developing

from the lower nodes of stem below ground level which are the effective

and active roots of plant and brace or prop roots, produced by lower two

nodes.

• The stem generally attains a thickness of three to four centimetres. The

leaves are arrange in two vertical rows on the opposite side of an axis one

at each nodes

• The inflorescence are unisexual or monocious i.e male and female

inflorescence located at different part of the plant.

 • The male inflorescence is terminal and is called the tassel. The female

inflorescence is auxiliary pistillate called Ear.

Cultivation

 Maize is grown or cultivated over a wide range of climatic conditions

because of it has many divergent types.

 The maize crop requires warmth throughout the period of its active life,

With optimum temperature of 21 to 270C.

 Maize does not grow well in areas where the growing season temperature

is less than 19 °C or where the average night temperature falls below14

°C.

 Therefore, proper timing of planting is required for dry-season cropping

under irrigation.

 The amount and distribution of rainfall are highly important factors in

successful production.

 A minimal range of 480–880 mm of well-distributed rainfall is adequate

for maize, depending on the variety.

  The moisture requirements are small during the early stages of

development but increase rapidly up to the flowering stage, before

decreasing again as the crop matures.

 Maize is especially sensitive to moisture stress during flowering when a

short spell of stress can reduce the crop yield by up to 30–35%.

Cultural Practices

1. Land preparation: Land preparation in the savannas is not as rigorous as

in the forest zone of the country. In the Guinea savannas, where

vegetation cover is fairly dense, land clearing should be carried out well

ahead of the rains. For high grain yield, maize should be sown in well

prepared ridges 75 cm apart

2. Planting date: Planting should be done as soon as the rains are

established and preferably immediately after a good rain because

establishment of rains varies according to the different ecological zones

in northern Nigeria and from one year to another. Early planting enables

the crop to benefit from the early release of nitrates in the soil, as well as

reduced incidence of insects and diseases.

3. Seed treatment: It is recommended that seeds for planting should be

dressed with the appropriate dressing chemicals before being planted to

protect them against soil pests, diseases, and bird attacks before or after

germination.

4. Fertilizer application: For high yield, adequate and balanced nutrition is

important in maize. Ensure proper thinning of the plants to recommended

stand density then conduct weeding before fertilizer application. The

following fertilizer nutrients are recommended per hectare for maize in

the savannas; 100 kg N, 50 kg of single super phosphate (SUPA), and 50

kg of muriate of potash (K20). This recommended fertilizer rate should

be applied in two split applications. The first dose (that is 50:50:50)

should be applied at planting or within the first week of planting using

about 6 bags of NPK 15-15-15. The second dose of N (50 kg, about 2

bags of urea) should be applied between 4 and 5 weeks after planting in

the Southern and Northern Guinea savanna zones, but between 3 and 4

weeks after planting for extra-early varieties in the Sudan savanna.

 5. Weed control: Good control of weeds in maize is a prerequisite for high

yield. Weeds usually compete with the crops for nutrients, sunlight, and

water. To permit the maize crop to express its full potential on the field,

regular weeding is necessary. Timely weeding is essential, especially at

the 12 Guide to Maize Production in Northern Nigeria early stages of

growth. The method include manual weeding and chemical weeding

6. Harvesting: When maize is to be consumed fresh, harvesting should be

conducted when the silk has turned brown (50–70 days after planting).

However, when grain is needed, harvest as soon as the grain is dry

enough (80– 110 days after planting) depending on the variety.

Disease of Maize

S\N Disease Causal Symptoms

Organism
1 Northern corn leaf blight Helminthosporium Grayish-green or tan

turcicum lesions on adaxial

surface
2 Gall smut Ustilago maydis Kernels are replaced by

glistering silvery-white

galls
3 Bacterial stark Erwinia species decay of one or more
 internodes above the soil
4 Maize streak Virus Maize streak virus Chlorosis along the veins

and Poorly flled cobs or

lack viable kernels

5 Nitrogen Deficiency Nitrogen Deficiency Stunted growth and

yellowish-green foliage

Uses of Maize

Different types of maize and its uses.

Types Uses
Waxy maize Contains 100% amylopectn starch. Starch is used as a

stabilizer/thickener in the food industry and as an adhesive in

the paper industry. Very litle is currently grown.

Yellow dent maize High vitamin A content, high feed value. Of all cereal grains, it

has the highest carotene content (Vitamin A). Contains 75%

amylopectin and 25% amylose starch.

Soft maize Well adapted for starch production. Kernels consist almost

entirely of soft starch

Pop corn Produced mainly for snacks but also has potential for packaging

materials
High amylase maize More than 50% amylose content, the starch is used in textiles,

candies and adhesives.

High oil maize Contains 7–8% oil, 2–3% more than dent maize
High lysine maize Have increased levels of two amino acids (lysine and tryptophan)

that are essential in non-ruminant diets.