Cereal crops are herbaceous plants with edible seeds, including rice, wheat, and corn. They are staple foods and a significant part of agriculture. All cereal crops belong to the grass family Poaceae and can be harvested by hand or machine. Corn is the most produced cereal, followed by rice and wheat. Rice is a daily food source for many in Asia and the Middle East, while wheat is a major source of plant protein for humans in North America, Europe, and Oceania.
Cereal crops, or grain crops, and are an important source of food in many parts of the world. Although there are several varieties of these crops, all are herbaceous plants that contain an edible seed or kernel, called a kernel. Cereal crops can be processed in a variety of ways to form foods such as bread and pasta. The three most common types of grain crops are rice, wheat and corn.
The term “cereal” comes from Ceres, the Roman god of agriculture. As this name suggests, grains are a vital part of agriculture and farming industries in many countries. Cereal crops are classified as staple foods, meaning they are a significant part of the human diet and are consumed regularly for their high energy content.
All true cereal crops belong to the grass family Poaceae. These plants are often specially planted in large fields. When the grass is fully grown, it can be harvested by hand or using agricultural machinery. The grains found on a Poaceae grass plant are high in nutrition and can be eaten whole or ground into derived products, including flour.
Corn is the most produced of cereals. This crop is commonly called corn in many places, such as Africa and South America. A corn plant has a tough bamboo-like stalk and large green leaves. The top of a mature corn plant contains a large cob containing many kernels, which can be eaten raw but are commonly separated from the plant and cooked.
The second most produced of all grains is rice. A large percentage of people living in Asia and the Middle East consume rice as a daily food source. It is estimated that one-fifth of all calories consumed worldwide come from rice products. Rice plants have long, thin leaves and are able to grow almost anywhere with heavy rainfall. Individual rice grains are usually removed from the plant and eaten as brown rice or further refined into white rice.
Wheat is the third most common of all grain crops. People in the North American, European, and Oceanic regions of the world eat a large amount of grain products. This crop has more natural protein than corn or rice and is the major source of plant protein for all humans. Like the rice plant, a grain crop has long, tapering leaves. The grain of wheat is typically plucked from the fully grown herbaceous plant before having the outer husk stripped or ground into flour.
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