Cereals, oil-bearing crops and industrial crops

Soft wheat

Wheat is the main and most important cereal crop in the Bulgarian agriculture. Wheat is used for flour milling of for bread, bakery and confectionery industry and for fodder as well.

Hard wheat is used for the production of macaroni, vermicelli, semolina, etc.

Wheat has average heat requirements and moderate moisture requirements. The critical growth stages of wheat with respect to moisture are: heading, flowering and ripening of the grain. Droughts during these stages lead to severe reduction of the yields.

Wheat is demanding towards crop rotation and bean crops are the most suitable preceding crops.

Hard wheat

Hard wheat is irreplaceable for good quality pasta production.

This grain crop is mainly grown in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain, etc. The hard wheat grains are big, with golden-amber colour and high degree of vitreousness. This wheat is characterized with high gluten contents and its gluten has strong elastic properties. Products produced from hard wheat are difficult to overcook and do not stick. This wheat is less cold resistant, but more drought-resistant, it has a higher stem and is more prone to frееzing and lodging than the soft wheat. Hard wheat yields are usually lower which is due to its lower production potential (at the expense of a higher quality) and to the fact that it’s more commonly grown in the Mediterranean countries where the climate is dry and hot and the soils are weaker. The varieties grown in our country are winter and spring and are usually sown later than the other wheat, to prevent the plants from overgrowing during the autumn and freeze during the winter.

Barley

Barley is grown for its grain, which is characterized by high fodder properties. It’s the second most important and significant grain fodder crop after the corn. Barley is the main raw material for the brewing industry. It is less cold resistant than wheat and rye. During ripening of the grain barley is far more resistant to high temperatures than wheat. Barley needs less moisture and is very resistant to drought. It’s more demanding towards the soil, because its root system is poorly developed. It ripens 10-12 days earlier than wheat. Barley is demanding towards crop rotation. Crops that are harvested earlier are most suitable for growing on the same field as the winter fodder barley. All row crops are suitable, and the winter wheat varieties and those crops that are lately harvested are not suitable. Brewing barley is best grown after row crops (such as sugar beet, corn, cotton, etc.). Leguminous plants are not suitable for growing before barley because they cause the protein content to increase and deteriorate barley’s technological qualities. Barley is harvested early and is a very good predecessor for all crops and one of the best predecessors for second crops within a growing season.

Corn

Corn is an important food, fodder and industrial crop. Corn is mainly grown for grain, which is characterized by high nutritional value and used for various purposes but mainly as animal feed.

Corn grows and develops as large plant, which can be used as food for farm animals both green and silaged. Corn is a heat-loving crop. It’s not drought-resistant and can’t produce high yields without irrigation. It’s very demanding towards soil.

Sunflower

In our country sunflower is usually cultivated after wheat and barley, which are considered its good predecessors. The annual leguminous crops are even better. Sunflower must not be sown after potassium-loving crops.

Sunflower is probably the most important industrial crop in our country. The sunflower oil is one of the best quality vegetable oils .With a yield of 250 kg of grains per decare 120 kg of sunflower oil and 80 kg of sunflower press cake can be produced. Domestic bees make 8-10 kg of honey from 1 decare of sunflower.

Rapeseed

Rapeseed requires moderate climate. During winter the rapeseed endures very low temperatures. During the rosette growth stage the plants temper up and endure temperatures of 15°С below zero and even less without snow-cover. Rapeseed is the plant of the long-lasting day. It grows as large plants and needs a lot of water, especially during raceme development and flowering stages and also when the pods grow. It tolerates different kinds of soil – black earth, silty, gray, maroon and brown forest soils. Most of the nowadays hybrid varieties can be grown on weaker soils in foothill regions where other crops give unsatisfactory results.

Winter oil-bearing rapeseed is sown after the winter grains, leguminous and hilling crops. It must not be sown after cruciferous vegetables and after rapeseed on the same field earlier than 4-5 years.

The small seeds of the rape require excellent preparation of the soil. Before sowing the rapeseed the soil must be disc harrowed and rolled in order to achieve flat surface and a firm bed for the seeds. Firm beds allow water to rise to the seeds, which facilitates their simultaneous germination.

Coriander

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual grass plant, which is widely used as a spice in the Mediterranean, Indian, Latin American, Near East and Far East cuisine. Coriander is grown for its fruits which contain 0,3-1,2% of essential oil and 17-24% of plain vegetable oil.

Essential oil contains linalool, geraniol and citronellol, that is why it is used for the production of various products with fragrance resembling a rose, snowdrop, lemon, violet, lily, lime, and etc. The most valuable ingredient is the linalool (making up to 60-70% of the oil).

Coriander is an annual, winter-hardy and moisture-loving essential oil-bearing crop. During soft winters with absolute minimum temperature up to 16-18°С below zero it is successful as a winter crop. Lower average day temperatures during the ripening stage are particularly favourable for the extraction of essential oils.

Cereals