What kind of plant is barley: description and characteristics

Biological features of barley

Among the various types of barley there are one-, two- and perennial self-pollinating plants . Common barley is a widespread cultivated cereal. The remaining species grow wild or are rarely cultivated.

Plants reach a height of 30–60 cm, cultivated varieties - up to 90–100 cm . Stems are bare and straight with well-developed nodes. The leaves are flat, 30 cm long, 2-3 cm wide. The root system is fibrous, well developed. The ears are four- or hexagonal, 10 cm or more in height, 1.5 cm in width. The grass blooms in early summer and bears fruit by the end of August.

What does the grain look like and what kind of inflorescence does barley have? The grain is mostly light yellow, length is in the range of 8–10 mm, width is 2–4 mm .
The inflorescence of a cereal is a complex spike. The rod itself is strong, with 3 spikelets sitting on it. The outer flower scales are yellow, black or orange.

Treatment

If you find a stye on your eye, what should you do? Various methods are used to get rid of purulent inflammation. These include both medications and methods for eliminating pathology at home.

First of all, treat the affected area with brilliant green. Lotions with vodka or alcohol will help quickly eliminate the tumor at the initial stage of ripening. This treatment is carried out with caution, avoiding contact with the eyes. The use of alcohol solutions and brilliant green helps stop the spread of infection.

Drug treatment

If the disease is caused by a bacterial nature, drug treatment is prescribed. At the first signs, anti-inflammatory drugs with antibacterial effects are used, which can quickly relieve inflammation and block the spread of infection. These drugs include Floxal: barley ointment is applied to the inflamed area at least 3 times a day. If the disease is accompanied by bacterial conjunctivitis (read more about childhood conjunctivitis here), drops from barley are instilled on the eye for 5 days, 2-4 times a day.

Medication treatment is also used:

• Gentamicin ointment and drops are used topically;
• ointment for stye on the eye Tetracycline 1%;
• Ciprofloxacin;
• Erythromycin 1%;
• Albucid barley drops 30%;
• anti-inflammatory ointments Hydrocortisone, Cyclomed, Levomycetin.

A purulent abscess often requires surgical intervention.

Therapy at home

Popular folk remedies are:

• Dry heat is an effective method to get rid of a purulent sac and open it at home.
• Dill seeds are kneaded, poured with boiling water, cooled and lotions are made. This method helps eliminate local inflammation.
• Treatment with a hard-boiled chicken egg is used without waiting for the purulent head to appear, since the process of suppuration can quickly intensify. A moderately hot egg is applied to the eye for several minutes, 2-3 times a day.
• Another method of therapy at home is onions, baked or heated in a frying pan, which are wrapped in gauze and applied to the eye several times a day.
• The use of tansy flowers, which must be eaten 8 pieces per day, quickly shows positive results.
• Crushed aloe leaves are poured with cold water, and compresses soaked in the solution are applied to the inflamed area. This way you can get rid of the growth at the stage of its maturation.
• Using a plantain leaf applied to the eyelid, you can quickly remove the internal growth.
• An effective way to cure stye on the eye in children is to use a salt compress. Treatment with salt will help to successfully get rid of the tumor, provided that the yellowish head has not yet matured. Gauze soaked in salt water is attached to the eyes using a patch and left for several minutes. The procedure is repeated if necessary. Albucid barley drops and Erythromycin ointment are also used.

A common cause of inflammatory processes in the organs of vision is reduced immunity, so experts additionally prescribe immunostimulating agents and vitamins, as well as drinking plenty of fluids.

Doctor's advice

You should not use wet compresses in acute cases: such treatment can provoke the penetration of bacteria into the sebaceous glands and cause complications.

Composition and beneficial properties

Barley has a rich chemical composition , see the table for more details.

Name	Amount of substance in 100 g of product (daily requirement)
squirrels	10,96%
fats	3,48%
carbohydrates	39,44%
alimentary fiber	72,5%
vitamin B1	28,8%
vitamin B2	10,3%
vitamin B6	19,8%
a nicotinic acid	25,8%
pantothenic acid	9,8%
magnesium	35,4%
iron	20,3%
selenium	46,0%
phosphorus	38,6%
potassium	14,6%
copper	51,5%

The calorie content of 100 g of product is 288 kcal.

Identifying Barley Varieties

The most important characteristics of barley varieties are as follows:

1) filmy grains - filmy and naked;

2) ear density - loose and dense;

3) spinousness and structure of the awns - spinous, spinous and lobed, or furcated;

4) jaggedness of the awns - jagged and smooth;

5) the color of the ear is yellow and black.

To determine varieties, only fully mature ears should be used (Table 8).

Table 8. - Distinctive features of barley varieties

Variety	Ear coloring	Ear density	Serration of the awns	Filminess of grain
Multi-row barley
Pallidum – pallidum Ser.	Yellow	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Membranous
Nigrum - nigrum Wild.	Black	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Membranous
Ricotense-ricotense R. Reg.	Yellow	Loose	Smooth, jagged at the top	Membranous
Leiorhynchum Korn.	Black	Loose	Smooth, jagged at the top	Membranous
Parallelum – parallelum Korn.	Yellow	Dense	Serrated along the entire length	Membranous
Celeste – coeleste L.	Yellow	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Naked
Trifurcatum - trifurcatum Senlecht.	Yellow	Loose	Instead of awns, 3-lobed appendages	Naked
Two-row barley
Nutans - nutans Sehubl.	Yellow	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Membranous
Nigrikans-nigrigans Ser.	Black	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Membranous
Medicum – medicum Korn.	Yellow	Loose	Smooth, slightly serrated at the top	Membranous
Persicum – persicum Kom.	Black	Loose	Smooth, slightly serrated at the top	Membranous
Nudum – nudum L.	Yellow	Loose	Serrated along the entire length	Naked

OATS

The genus Avena (avena) has 16 species, including cultivated and wild species (wild oats). Of the cultivated species, Avena sativa L. is of the most practical importance. Wild species, especially common wild oats and southern wild oats, infest crops of cereals and other field crops.

Definition of species. The main distinguishing features of oat species are: structural features of the apex of the outer flower scales (teeth or spine-like points); the presence of a horseshoe (joint) at the base of the grain; the nature of the disintegration of grain in the spikelet during ripening.

In table 9 provides a description of the types of oats that are of greatest interest.

Table 9 - Distinctive features of oat species

View	The tip of the outer lemma	The presence of a horseshoe at the base of the grain	The nature of the disintegration of grains in the spikelet during ripening
Cultivated species
Oats - Avena sativa L.	Without spine-like points with two teeth	There is no horseshoe. The fracture area of ​​the lower grain is straight	When threshing, the stem of the upper flower remains with the lower flower
Sandy oats - Avena strigosa Schreb.	With two spine-like points up to 6 mm long	No horseshoes	When threshing, the stem of the upper flower remains with the lower flower
Oats
Common wild oat - Avena Fatua L.	Without spine-like points with two teeth	All grains in the ear have horseshoes	When ripe, all grains in the spikelet disintegrate one by one.
Southern wild oat - Avena Ludoviciana Dui.	Without spine-like points with two teeth	Only the lower grain of each spikelet has a shoe	When ripe, all the grains of each spikelet fall together without falling apart. Medium or small spikelets

Determination of varieties of oats. Important characteristics of oat varieties include: panicle shape (spreading or compressed single-mane); spinousness and color of the flower scales covering the grain. All varieties of this species are combined by A.I. Mordvinkina into three groups (grex), presented in table. 10.

Table 10 - Distinctive features of varieties of oats

Coloring of the flower scales covering the grain	Panicle spinosity
	spinous	Bezostaya
Grex diffusae (membranous grains, spreading panicle)
White	Aristata - aristata Korn.	Mutica - mutica Al.
Yellow	Krausei - krausei Korn.	Aypea - aurea Korn.
Gray	Cinerea - cinerea Korn.	Grisea - grisea Korn.
Brown	Montana - montana A1.	Brunnea - brurmea Korn.
Grex orientalis (membranous grains, compressed single-maned panicle)
White	Tatarica - tatarica Asd.	Obtusata - obtusata Al.
Yellow	Ligulata - ligulata Vav.	Flava - Flava Korn.
Gray	Armata - armata Petropav.	Borealis - borealis Al.
Brown	Pugnax - pugnax AI.	Tristis - tristis Al.
Grex nudae (naked grains)
White	Inermis - inermis Korn.
White	Chinensis - chinensis Fisch.

The spinousness of the grain is not a stable enough trait; therefore, panicles in which 25% of the spikelets have awns are considered spinous.

The white color of the filmy grains is also very variable, turning yellow under the influence of wet weather during the harvesting period. When determining oat varieties in doubtful cases, the true color of the grains is revealed in two ways.

1. Oat grains are poured into a glass with a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid. After 10 minutes they are removed and dried. Genuinely yellow grains become intensely yellow 5 hours after treatment, and white grains acquire a light brown color after 18 hours.

2. Illuminating grains with ultraviolet rays is a more reliable method and does not lead to damage to the grain. White grains give a light glow, and yellow ones give a dark glow.

MILLET

Identification of millet species

There are several types of millet in cultivation, of which only two are cultivated in Russia. The most widely known and widespread type of common millet is Panicum miliaceum L., which is predominantly a cereal grain, and dehulled millet grains (millet) are used.

Another type of millet is known as capitate, or bristly, millet - Setaria italica (L.) R.V. Some forms of capitate millet are cultivated primarily for grain and are used to produce cereals, others - primarily for feed in the form of green mass or hay.

The named types of millet belong to two different botanical genera and differ from each other, primarily in the structure of the inflorescence, which in common millet is a panicle, and in capitate millet - a spike-shaped panicle with bristles more or less protruding on its surface, which are reduced panicle branches.

How it grows

It takes an average of three months for an ear to ripen . The favorable temperature when planting a plant is +1…+3°C, but the grain ripens only at +20°C. Varieties that grow at lower temperatures are intended for the northern and high-mountain regions of Russia. In a comfortable environment, the grain reaches 8 mm in length.

By the way. Barley is cultivated in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Arctic Circle. In the wild, the grass is found from Tibet to North Africa.

Prevention of stye

The main reason for the development of infection is weakened immunity. In its normal condition, the infection that has entered the body will be simply destroyed and will not have time to turn into barley.

Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the level of immunity. This is especially important in the autumn and spring. It is recommended to take vitamin complexes (Blueberry Forte) and eat right (eat a lot of carrots, blueberries and spinach). In addition, it is necessary to take care of oral hygiene. After all, inflammation of the gums often leads to the appearance of barley.

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Types and varieties

Agronomists divide barley into the following types :

1. Spring - used to produce barley and pearl barley, flour and coffee substitute. This type of grain is considered an early crop, so it is sown at certain times so as not to lose an impressive part of the harvest. Spring cereal is resistant to pests.
2. Winter wheat is drought-resistant, has a short growing season: it ripens 10–12 days earlier than winter wheat. The crop has good feeding qualities and produces a high grain yield. This barley is used to make flour and cereals, but the bulk of the grown grain is used for feed purposes. The disadvantage of the winter variety of cereal is the lack of resistance to cold: the plant dies at temperatures below -12°C.

Popular varieties

The most popular varieties are:

1. Priazovsky - has a semi-erect bush and a cylindrical, medium-loose ear. Mid-season: the growing season is 71–87 days. The variety is resistant to drought and various pests. Has high nutritional value. Distributed throughout Russia.
2. Helios are erect bushes, reaching a height of 70–80 cm. The variety has high drought resistance and stable yields in different latitudinal zones. An average of 8,000 kg of cereals are harvested from 1 hectare of planted seeds. Recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.
3. Mamluk - has a cylindrical long spike of straw-yellow color, elongated serrated awns. The variety was bred in the Krasnodar region by crossing Triumph and Temp. Early ripening barley: ripens in 65–85 days. Included in the list of valuable varieties, it has high yields and tolerates drought well.
4. Duncan - developed using nanotechnology in Canada in 2012. It is used both for the production of cereals and for livestock feed. The height of the barley is 100 cm, it has 14 stems. The number of grains in an ear is more than 250 pieces. Canadian barley is sown for 10 years in a row, and it does not lose its beneficial properties. The plant tolerates drought well, withstanding +60°C, and is resistant to fungal diseases, acid rain and soil salinity. Duncan does not tolerate being around weeds.
5. Vakula (photo on the right) are semi-erect bushes, reaching a length of 70–80 cm. The culture easily adapts to different types of soil and gives good germination. The average yield for the Central Black Earth region is 33.7 c/ha. The growing season is 69–85 days. Grains accumulate up to 13% protein. The variety is used mainly in brewing production and for feeding livestock.
6. Ark - winter barley. The bushes are semi-erect, the ears are short and cylindrical. The variety ripens within 275 days. Productivity - 64 c/ha. Resistant to shedding and lodging, moderately susceptible to drought. The grains contain 13.3% protein. Recommended for the North Caucasus region.
7. Selena Star - has semi-spreading bushes and semi-erect cylindrical ears. Reaches 1 m in height. The variety is resistant to many diseases and pests and is not susceptible to shedding. The ripening period is 285 days.
8. Borisfen - bushes of medium height (94–100 cm), ears with a slight waxy coating or without it. Productivity - 75 c/ha. The grains are rich in protein. The variety has strong immunity to diseases. The cereal ripens in 288 days.

Take note:

How to make malt from barley

Barley moonshine recipes

How to germinate barley and why it is needed

Kinds

Stye on the eye types: internal, external
Depending on the location of inflammation, stye on the eye is of two types:

1. Internal - located inside the eyelid. The causes of internal growth are inflammatory processes of the meibomian gland, located in the middle of the eyelid. Meibomitis is less acute. The disease is characterized by drying out of the ducts of the meibomian glands and their blockage. If left untreated, the pathology can cause chalazion.
2. External neoplasm occurs when bacteria penetrate the hair follicles of the eyelashes and spread to the sebaceous glands. External stye is more common and can progress and affect adjacent tissue. In severe form, swelling occurs that prevents a person from opening his eyes.

Beneficial features

The rich composition of barley makes it a valuable health product . Main properties of cereal:

• activates brain function, strengthens the nervous system;
• improves metabolism;
• reduces blood cholesterol levels;
• gently and carefully cleanses the body of waste and toxins;
• makes the skin elastic and firm;
• slows down the aging process;
• strengthens teeth, bones and nails;
• promotes weight loss and weight maintenance;
• with regular use, it increases immunity and has a general strengthening effect;
• has diuretic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory effects.

A decoction of cereal is used for inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Diagnostics

You can diagnose the disease yourself, but if the disease lasts for a long time, and to avoid dangerous consequences, it is advisable to see a specialist.

A visual examination is carried out using eversion of the eyelids, illuminating the stye on the eye from the side. Other examinations are not usually used. With frequent relapses, consultations with doctors of other specializations may be necessary: ​​endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist. To determine the cause of frequent relapses, blood and urine tests, testing for demodicosis, helminthiasis, and bacteriological culture of the conjunctiva may be prescribed.

Application

The cereal is used to make barley and pearl barley , each of which is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

The plant contains a large amount of proteins and carbohydrates, so it is often used as pet food. Barley is used in the following industries :

• cosmetology - smoothes wrinkles, tightens and moisturizes the skin;
• folk medicine - for the treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies (gastritis, colitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers), gynecological diseases, cough, sore throat, high temperature as an antipyretic;
• brewing - as one of the ingredients of an alcoholic drink.

Dishes with the addition of barley or pearl barley have a special taste . Therefore, grain is added to soups and side dishes (especially in kindergartens, schools and medical institutions).

Causes

A factor in the appearance of an inflammatory process in the eye is the penetration of Staphylococcus aureus. Other reasons are:

• weak immune system;
• hypothermia;
• insufficient eye hygiene, exposure to germs from dirty hands or objects;
• lack of vitamins;
• purulent inflammation of the follicles;
• disruption of the endocrine glands, for example, diabetes;
• pathology of the digestive system, gastritis, colitis;
• using foreign cosmetics to apply makeup;
• oxygen deficiency;
• demodicosis

The disease goes away quite quickly on its own - within one week. However, in some cases complications arise that require immediate consultation with a specialist.

Barley varieties

Due to the wide variety, beginning farmers often have the question of which plant variety to choose. In this case, you need to be guided not only by soil and climatic conditions, but also by the level of yield and the characteristics of certain varieties.

Below are the characteristic features of the best varieties of barley for growing in the Russian climate.

Barley variety in memory of Chepelev

The Chepelev memory variety was created by breeders by crossing several varieties. The main feature of the variety is that it was created specifically for cultivation in the climate of Siberia and the Urals (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Chepelev memory variety

In addition, the crop has good acclimatization to different growing conditions and has stable yields regardless of soil, temperature and lighting conditions. The variety also effectively resists drought, and although they are considered mid-season, the shoots are highly resistant to diseases and pests.

Description of barley variety Bogdan

This variety is one of the subspecies of grain crops. This grain is used primarily for the production of animal feed.

A characteristic feature of the variety is that it can not only be grown in the field by sowing, but also found in the wild. It is most often found in arid regions. The crop is valuable due to its unpretentiousness, and high yields and grain quality make it possible to produce nutritious and fortified animal feed based on it.

Maned barley planting and care

It is rather a decorative crop that is actively used in landscape design. The plant has soft stems that end in lush tassels (Figure 3).

Note: During the flowering period, it is better to pick off the tassels to prevent self-seeding.

Planting and caring for the crop is very simple. Since it is unpretentious, it is enough to sow it just once in the garden. Further care only involves removing the tassels during flowering, but even if the crop spreads throughout the garden, it will be easy to remove. The root system is shallow, so the plant is very easily pulled out by its roots.

Figure 3. Maned barley: photo

The crops do not need to be fed, but in the spring, after the first shoots appear, it is advisable to remove weeds and organize regular watering in dry weather.

Description

Grains of common barley ( Hordeum vulgare

).

brewing variety “Staly”, produced in 2005 from one grain.

Representatives of the genus Barley are annual, biennial or perennial herbs.

The leaves in the bud are curled. The tongue is short.

The spikelets are single-flowered, collected in bunches of 3-2 into a long apical complex spike. The spikelet scales are thin, bristly, sitting crosswise with the flower scales. The lower flower scale usually has a curled awn at the apex. The films are oblique or oblong.

The ovary is hairy at the apex; the caryopsis often grows together with the covering scales; it has a wide groove.

Description of the plant

Barley is a crop that is widely cultivated for grain production. Barley grain is the basis of nutrition for the livestock and poultry industries.

Barley includes more than 35 species, wild and cultivated forms.

The culture has been known since ancient times; its age is about seven thousand years. The two-row cultural form of barley was the first to be cultivated; the plant found wide distribution in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, and from these countries migrated to Europe.

Two-row barley has two forms: spring and winter. Botanical characteristics are represented by a thin erect stem, about half a meter high, golden or brown ears, linear, flat in shape, with awns diverging in different directions. The awns are represented by three-horned lobed appendages – the furcated spike.

But there are also ears without awns. The three ears located on the protrusion of the stem are different: the middle one is single-flowered, bisexual, fertile. The grain is filmy, golden in color, and is actively involved in agriculture in Europe and Asia.

Six-row barley, whose homeland is considered to be Asia, is represented by an annual spring crop. The spikelets are light yellow, brown, rarely black, differ in density, shape and size, spinous or without.

The stem ledges are crowned with fertile single-flowered spikes, hexagonal or tetrahedral. The grain is filmy, classic yellow in color. The culture shows excellent resistance to weather anomalies: drought and low temperatures.

These qualities of barley have won recognition throughout the world.

The productivity of barley is high, the crop requires little heat, is drought-resistant and not afraid of cold, and grows on any soil, including acidic soil.

The plant is early ripening, ripening in 70-90 days after sowing. After the formation of the panicle and during the ripening of the grain, it is demanding of sunlight and heat.

During grain ripening, barley can withstand temperatures up to 45 °C. This hardy feature distinguishes the plant from other grains, however, during the filling of ears, the plant requires an additional source of moisture and nutrition.

The most suitable soil for cultivating barley is neutral loams and deep-plowed chernozems. In general, barley is a crop that calmly endures all the hardships associated with weedy, poorly enriched or acidic soil.

Selective work to improve the barley crop continues; new varieties of barley, bred by domestic and foreign breeders, have introduced completely new characteristics to the crop.

A low threshold for lodging, resistance to fungal and putrefactive infections, increased productivity, and the development of new, dwarf varieties were made possible by selecting and crossing the best varieties of barley, which have proven themselves more than once.

The resulting rain-fed barley varieties are several times more productive than wheat, and the amount of grain harvested does not stop at 3.5 tons per hectare, but is constantly increasing.

Story

Barley is one of the oldest cultivated plants. Like wheat, it was domesticated during the Neolithic revolution in the Middle East at least 10 thousand years ago[3]. Wild barley ( H. vulgare

) grows over a wide area from the island of Crete and North Africa in the west to the Tibetan mountains in the east [4].
In Palestine, it began to be eaten no later than 17 thousand years ago. The most ancient examples of cultivated barley were found in Syria and belong to one of the oldest Neolithic cultures of the pre-ceramic period. It is also found in the most ancient Egyptian tombs and in the remains of lake pile structures (that is, in the Stone and Bronze periods). Based on many historical monuments, one can judge the widespread distribution of barley in distant times. In particular, it appeared on the Korean Peninsula no later than 1500-850 BC. e.[5] It is possible that barley was introduced into cultivation in different areas independently. In Central Europe, barley culture became universal already in the Middle Ages. Barley could have entered Russia from Asia through Siberia or the Caucasus and has long been of great importance as a food product for those areas where the cultivation of other grains was impossible or difficult. Barley in Egyptian hieroglyphs

jt barley (symbol)

jt
normal spellingšma
ideogram Barley beer was perhaps the oldest drink of Neolithic man[6]. Later it was used instead of currency for payments to employees. In Egypt, barley was used to make not only beer, but also bread. The Egyptians called barley jt

(pronunciation probably
yit
) or
šma
​​(
shema
).
In the latter version, barley was also a symbol of Upper Egypt. The Sumerians called barley Akiti
. The Book of Deuteronomy lists barley among the seven fruits of the Promised Land, and the Book of Numbers describes the Israelite sacrifices made with barley.

In Ancient Greece, barley was used in the sacred rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The goddess Demeter also had the name or title of the mother of barley. Pliny the Elder described a recipe for barley porridge in his Natural History. In Tibet, barley flour, tsampa, came into use no later than the 5th century. BC e.[7][8]. In ancient Rome, gladiators were called “barley eaters” due to the fact that barley contributed to the rapid gain of muscle mass. In medieval Europe, bread made from rye and barley was the food of the peasants, while wheat bread was consumed only by the upper classes[9]. Only by the 19th century. potatoes gradually replaced barley[10].