Triticale, << `triht` uh KAY lee, >> is a grain produced by crossbreeding wheat and rye. It has a high nutritional content because it contains more usable protein than either wheat or rye. The plant stands from 18 to 41 inches (45 to 105 centimeters) tall and has 6 to 10 long, narrow leaves. The head consists of many spikelets, each of which holds three to five kernels of grain.
Botanists first crossbred wheat and rye in 1876. This process yielded a hybrid plant that could not produce seeds. In 1937, scientists discovered that treating seedlings of wheat-rye crosses with a chemical called colchicine made the plants fertile. By the 1950’s, many countries had triticale breeding programs.
Triticale may become an important food in countries not suited for wheat production. Some varieties can grow in cold climates and in sandy or acid soils. Others resist disease-causing rust fungi better than wheat.
