Modern Cereal Crops

Historical Sketch and Background

Different kinds of cereal grains were developed millennia ago from the native grasses that had evolved across the planet. Native grasses had emerged earlier over tens of thousands of years of natural selection. These ancient grains were developed in relative isolation from each other within ancient cultures and an entire system of using these grains further developed and evolved along with human culture, becoming embedded over time as ancient foodways.   

It wasn’t until global exploration and trade developed that different peoples even learned about the grains from other regions. Thus, rice, wheat, oats, millet, quinoa, barley, maize, and a whole host of other cereal grains emerged rather separately and independent from each other later to be discovered as global cultures encountered each other.

Different regions developed these grains in widely varying circumstances, selecting based upon sensory inspection (visual, taste, smell, feel) culminating in grain crops adapted to local/regional environments. For millennia, many of these grains were improved through the efforts of producers as they selected seed to product the next crop, culminating in what we refer to as “landrace” varieties of these grains. Though efforts were made to purify specific varieties based upon specific characteristics developed through selection, there remained a significant amount of variation in traits, largely due to underlying genetic differences. Where there was sufficient stabilization of the characteristics of these specific varieties, they were named and catalogued.

More modern breeding methods were developed in the past century largely based upon hybridization, or selective and intentional crossing, of different named varieties. Nearly all modern production of commodity cereal grain crops relies on hybridized seed. Essentially all our animal feed is based on these hybridized grains.  

Most grain destined for human consumption also comes from hybridized grains. Even so, there are many examples around the world of more ancient grains that are deeply embedded in regional cultures and therefore highly valued. Many argue that modern breeding practices focused primarily on producing high yielding commodity grain crops have not paid enough attention to preserving taste and nutritional characteristics found in earlier landrace varieties. There is a resurgence of interest in conserving and using more ancient varieties that predate modern breeding practices in the production of specialty food products. Even first-generation hybrids (single cross) are now of interest to some, largely based on nostalgia.

Bakers, Brewers, Distillers, and Maltsters interested in using specialty grains that differ remarkably from commodity grains represent a potential market for producers interested in producing them.