GRAIN CROPS on Carsis

Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible grains. Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more energy than any other type of crop. In some nations grain constitutes practically the entire diet of poor people. In most nations, cereal consumption is more moderate but still substantial.

 Wheat            

The primary crop of the coastal areas around the Inner Ocean, however it is grown as a secondary crop in almost every land. It originated in the West. Wheat grain is milled into flour for breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles. It also valued in fermentation to make beer. Wheat straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.

Barley             

The next most popular grain, it is grown on land too poor or too cold for wheat. It originated in the far North and is often called Dwarf cereal. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and to make bred. Barley beer is the major drink in all northern kingdoms, however the central civilizations consider barely fit for animals only. 

Rye    

It is highly tolerant of soil acidity and is more tolerant of dry and cool conditions than wheat, though not as tolerant of cold as barley. It is native to the central continent. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskies, some vodkas, and animal fodder. It can also be eaten whole, either as boiled rye porridge.

Oats   

A grain that grows well in cold, wet conditions, it is very popular with the Clanic peoples. It originated in the East and so is often called Troll fodder. While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal, they are most common uses as livestock feed. If properly dried, they keep well over long periods. Oats are the preferred feed for horses on the march, so armies and adventurers will often stock up on them.

Sorghum                    

It is an important staple food in the south east. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Most species are drought tolerant and heat tolerant and survive well in arid regions. They are used for food, fodder, and the production of alcoholic beverages.

Millets           

They form an important staple food in the south west, although they are grown all around the Inner Ocean for food and fodder. Millet flour called Bajari is used to make the flat bread called Rotla. Millets are also used in brewing millet beer, the drink of the common man in the south.

Maize

The major food of the ancient world, it was called corn by the humans. Today it is cultivated only by the elves. It is cold‑intolerant, in the temperate zones maize must be planted in the spring. Its root system is generally shallow, so the plant is dependent on soil moisture. Unlike all other cereals, which are hard gains, corn is soft and there for much simpler to eat directly after harvest.

Rice

The primary cereal of tropical regions, it is native to the far South. Rice is very labour intensive to cultivate and requires plenty of water. Traditional method for cultivating rice is flooding the fields after setting the young seedlings. This simple method requires sound planning and servicing of the water, damming and channelling, but reduces the growth of lesser robust weed and pest plants and reduces vermin. The Elves showed little interest in rice so it was the Humans who turned it into a major food source. Brown rice contains all ingredients of a healthy cereal, white rice, without the nutrients of rice-germ and rice-bran, is less healthy, but more tasty.

Farming

While each type of grain has its own peculiarities, the cultivation of all cereal crops is similar.

All are annual plants; consequently one planting yields one harvest and seeds then must be sown for the next crop. Rye, Oats, and Barley are the cool‑season cereals. These are hardy plants that grow well in cool dry weather and cease to grow in hot weather. Wheat, Maize and Millets are warm‑season cereals that prefer moderate temperature and will fail if the weather turns cold. Sorghum and Rice are tropical plants, requiring lots of heat, sorghum doing well in dry climates, rice needing lots of water.

Planting

Cool‑season cereals are well‑adapted to northern climates. Most can be sown in the autumn, germinating and growing, then going dormant during winter. They resume growing in the springtime and mature in early summer. Although this winter planting is risky, many farmers use this technique to maximise their productivity.  

The warm‑season cereals are grown in the south year‑round with staggered planting of fields so that a crop can be harvested every other month. In the north they are planted in early summer.

The tropical cereals are usually planted right after the rainy season.  

Harvest

Once the cereal plants have grown their seeds, they have completed their life cycle. The plants die and become brown and dry. As soon as the plants and their seed kernels are reasonably dry, harvest can begin. If a crop is harvested during wet weather, the grain may not dry adequately in the field to prevent spoilage during its storage.

Food value

Whole grains are good sources of fiber, essential fatty acids, and other important nutrients.

Most cereals are ground into flour a process called milling. The outer layers of bran and germ are removed. This lessens the nutritional value but makes the grain more resistant to degradation and more appealing. Health‑conscious people tend to prefer whole grains, which are not milled. The waste from milling is usually mixed into animal feed.