Editing Triticale (section)

{{Short description|Hybrid wheat/rye crop}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Triticale.jpg
| image_caption =
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = × Triticosecale
| authority = Wittm. ex A. Camus.
| synonyms = × ''Triticale'' <small>[[Erich von Tschermak|Tscherm.-Seys.]] ex Müntzing</small>
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}

'''Triticale''' ({{IPAc-en|t|r|ɪ|t|ɪ|ˈ|k|eɪ|l|iː}}; × ''Triticosecale'') is a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] of [[wheat]] (''Triticum'') and [[rye]] (''Secale'') first [[plant breeding|bred]] in laboratories during the late 19th century in [[Scotland]] and [[Germany]].<ref>{{citation |author=Stace, C. A. |author-link=Stace, C. A.|year=1987 |title=Triticale: A Case of Nomenclatural Mistreatment |journal=[[Taxon (journal)|Taxon]] |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=445–452 |jstor=1221447 |doi=10.2307/1221447}}</ref> Commercially available triticale is almost always a second-generation hybrid, i.e., a cross between two kinds of primary (first-cross) triticales. As a rule, triticale combines the yield potential and [[grain]] quality of wheat with the disease and environmental tolerance (including soil conditions) of rye. Only in 1970 did the first commercial variety become available.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.glnc.org.au/resource/triticale/ |title= Triticale |publisher= Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council |access-date=2025-05-22}}</ref> Depending on the [[cultivar]], triticale can more or less resemble either of its parents. It is grown mostly for [[forage]] or [[fodder]], although some triticale-based foods can be purchased at [[health food store]]s and can be found in some [[breakfast cereal]]s.

When crossing wheat and rye, wheat is used as the female parent and rye as the male parent (pollen donor). The resulting hybrid is [[infertility|sterile]] and must be treated with [[colchicine]] to induce [[polyploidy]] and thus the ability to reproduce itself.

The primary producers of triticale are [[Poland]], [[Germany]], [[Belarus]], [[France]] and [[Russia]]. In 2014, according to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO), 17.1 million tons were harvested in 37 countries across the world.<ref name="FAOSTATCrops">{{cite web |url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx |title=Food and Agricultural commodities production |publisher=FAO Statistics Division |access-date=2016-04-05 |archive-date=2012-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407180211/http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The triticale hybrids are all [[amphidiploid]], which means the plant is [[diploid]] for two [[genomes]] derived from different [[species]]. In other words, triticale is an [[allotetraploid]]. In earlier years, most work was done on [[octoploid]] triticale. Different [[ploidy]] levels have been created and evaluated over time. The tetraploids showed little promise, but [[hexaploid]] triticale was successful enough to find commercial application.<ref name="FAO_TriticaleImprovement">{{cite book |url=https://www.fao.org/4/y5553e/y5553e00.htm |title=Triticale improvement and production |first1=Mohamed |last1=Mergoum |first2=Helena |last2=Gómez-Macpherson |publisher= [[FAO]] |year=2004 |isbn=92-5-105182-8 |access-date=2024-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004005845/https://www.fao.org/4/y5553e/y5553e00.htm |archive-date=2024-10-04 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center|CIMMYT]] (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) triticale improvement program was intended to improve food production and nutrition in [[developing countries]]. Triticale was thought to have potential in the production of bread and other food products, such as [[cookie]]s, [[pasta]], pizza [[dough]] and breakfast cereals.<ref name="FAO_TriticaleImprovement"/> The [[protein]] content is higher than that of wheat, although the [[glutenin]] fraction is less. The grain has also been stated to have higher levels of [[lysine]] than wheat.<ref name="Can">{{cite web |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/triticale |title=Triticale |work=Agriculture |publisher=The [[Canadian Encyclopedia]] |first=E. N. |last=Larter |access-date=2009-06-19 |archive-date=2017-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902095456/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/triticale/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Acceptance would require the [[Gristmill|milling]] industry to adapt to triticale, as the milling techniques employed for wheat are unsuited to triticale.<ref name="sell-et-al">Sell, J.L.; Hodgson, G.C.; Shebeski, L.H. (1962) [http://pubservices.nrc-cnrc.ca/rp-ps/absres.jsp?jcode=cjas&ftl=cjas62-026&lang=eng ''Triticale'' as a potential component of chick rations] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130115123650/http://pubservices.nrc-cnrc.ca/rp-ps/absres.jsp?jcode=cjas&ftl=cjas62-026&lang=eng |date=2013-01-15 }} [[Canadian Journal of Animal Science]], Volume 42, Number 2</ref> Past research indicated that triticale could be used as a feed grain and, particularly, later research found that its [[starch]] is readily digested.<ref name="bird-et-al">Bird, S. H; Rowe, J. B.; Choct, M.; Stachiw, S.; Tyler, P.; Thompson, R. D. (1999) [[hdl:2123/2615|In vitro fermentation of grain and enzymatic digestion of cereal starch]] Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition, Vol 12, pp. 53–61</ref> As a feed grain, triticale is already well established and of high economic importance. It has received attention as a potential [[energy crop]], and research is currently being conducted on the use of the crop's [[biomass]] in [[bioethanol]] production. Triticale has also been used to produce [[vodka]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=France |first1=Marie |title=This distillery produces gin and vodka from locally grown bio-dynamic triticale |url=https://www.spiritshunters.com/choice/this-distillery-produces-gin-and-vodka-from-locally-grown-bio-dynamic-triticale/ |website=www.spiritshunters.com/ |date=6 May 2019 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sharman |first1=Linda |title=WA distillery in High Spirits |url=https://www.farmweekly.com.au/story/5980720/wa-distillery-in-high-spirits/ |website=Farm Weekly Australia |date=April 2019 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref>