Triticale is an artificially bred hybrid of wheat and rye, possessing unique agronomic and nutritional characteristics. Spring triticale varieties developed by the V.Ya. Yuryev Institute of Plant Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NABR) are distinguished by high yields, reaching up to 9.0 tons/hectare, as well as a complex of valuable economic traits. This crop can be effectively used in organic farming to produce environmentally clean products thanks to its resistance to pests, diseases, spring frosts, and drought. Triticale is also successfully applied in regions where difficulties arise in growing soft winter wheat, serving as a crop insurance for reseeding and replanting winter crops.
Triticale grains are distinguished by high biological value: they contain more protein and essential amino acids, such as valine, lysine, threonine, arginine, and glycine, compared to wheat and rye. In addition, it contains a wide range of macro- and microelements, including copper, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, manganese, and iron, as well as B-vitamins and vitamin E. Triticale flour has a sweetish taste, a light nutty aroma, and a creamy hue, making it especially suitable for baking cookies, cakes, and other confectionery products. Bakery products made from such flour turn out fluffy and retain freshness for a long time.
Triticale is widely used as a fodder crop for poultry, pigs, and cattle. Triticale green mass and grain ensure good live weight gain in animals and also serve as a source of quality feed during the period between harvesting winter and perennial grasses. In addition, the crop is used in industry for the production of starch, brewing malt, and bioethanol — an environmentally clean fuel. Thanks to its unpretentiousness to soil and climatic conditions, high resistance to diseases and pests, as well as high yield, triticale is a profitable and promising grain crop for various directions of agriculture.
