CEREALS
The word Cereal derives from Ceres, the name of the Roman goddess of harvest and
agriculture. Cereals are grasses (members of the monocot family Poaceae, also known as
Gramineae) cultivated for the edible components of their grain (botanically, a type of fruit called
a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ and bran. Cereal grains are grown in greater
quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop, they are
therefore staple crops.
In their natural form (as in whole grain), they are a rich source of carbohydrates,
vitamins, minerals, fats, oils and protein. However, when refined by the removal of the bran and
germ, the remaining endosperm is mostly carbohydrate and lacks the majority of the other
nutrients. In some developing nations, grain in the form of rice, wheat, millet or maize
constitutes a majority of daily sustenance. In developed nations, cereal consumption is moderate
and varied but still substantial. Globally, more than 2000 m.t. of cereals are produced from about
700 m. ha with the average productivity of about 3000 kg/ha.
PULSES
Pulses may be defined as the dried edible seeds of cultivated legumes. They belong to the
family of peas, beans and lentils (Family: Fabaceae). English word pulse is taken from the Latin
Puls, meaning pouage or thick pap. The pulses are a large family and various species are capable
or surviving in very different climates and soils.
Pulses are cultivated in all parts of the world and they occupy an important place in
human diet. In India, especially people who are mostly vegetarian depend largely on cereals and
pulses as their staple food, which serve as the main source of dietary protein and energy.
Pulses contain more protein than any other plant. They serve as a low-cost protein to
meet the needs of the large section of the people. They have, therefore, been justifiably described
as 'the poor man's meat'. Their low moisture content and hard test or seed-coat permits storage
over long periods. In addition to providing dry pulses, many of the crops are grown for their
green edible pods and un-ripe seeds. Nutritionally, immature fruits have distinctly different
properties to those of the mature seed; the protein content is lower, but, they are relatively richer
in some of the crops are used as pot herbs.
In general, pulses contain 20 to 28% protein with the exception of soybean which has as
much as 42%. Their carbohydrate content is about 60% except soybean which has about 30%.
Pulses are also fairly good sources of thiamin and niacin and provide calcium, phosphorus and
iron. On an average, 100 g of pulses contain 345 Kcal of energy, 24.5 g of protein, 140 mg of
calcium, 300 mg of phosphorus, 8 mg of iron, 0.5 mg of thiamin, 0.3 mg of riboflavin and 2 mg
of niacin.
OILSEEDS
Oilseeds are important as are the pulses in the country. The principal oilseeds include
groundnuts, rapeseeds and mustard seeds. While the former is a Kharif crop, depending wholly
upon reasonable but timely rainfall, the latter is a Rabi crop, fundamentally confined only to non
irrigated areas. As a result their production as well as productivity is subject to climatic
variations and market hypotheses. The other oilseeds incorporate sesame, linseed, caster seed,
safflower seed, soybeans, sunflower seeds, cotton seeds and copra. Rapeseeds and mustard seeds
belong to the wheat belt of north and central India. Groundnut, on the other hand, is grown in
west and south India. Gujarat is the dominant producer of groundnut. While population has been
mounting at 2% per annum, the demand for oil has been rising at 5% every year.
