LSU AgCenter
BATON ROUGE, La. — In Europe, triticale — a hybrid of wheat and rye — is prized as a high-yielding, resilient crop that can be used for livestock feed and bioenergy production. Although less common in the U.S., triticale has been embraced by some as a winter cover crop, and LSU AgCenter breeders are hoping to soon release a variety that is ideal for Louisiana farmers.
Triticale is a vigorous grower that can crowd out winter weeds and protect soil from erosion. It is less prone to falling over and produces much higher yields than rye.
“The hope is that for a lot of folks, especially in northern Louisiana, who have switched over to using rye as a winter cover crop, triticale can be subbed in as a cheaper replacement that’s more productive,” said Noah DeWitt, who along with Steve Harrison is leading the AgCenter’s efforts to develop Louisiana-tailored triticale varieties.
Triticale — pronounced trit-uh-kay-lee — gets its name from Triticum and Secale, the Latin names of its parents. Wheat and rye have different numbers of chromosomes, so like a mule, triticale is naturally sterile — as Scottish botanist A.S. Wilson found out when he made the first wheat-rye crosses in the 1870s.
It wasn’t until 1937 that scientists realized a chemical called colchicine could double triticale’s chromosomes and create fertile plants. That discovery set in motion breeding efforts, and by the 1970s, commercial triticale varieties hit the market.
Triticale has been most widely adopted in Europe; about 90% of the world’s triticale is grown in Poland, Germany and France along with China. While it’s typically used in cattle and poultry rations and ethanol, people can eat triticale, too — although its lower gluten content makes it better suited for things like pancakes and unleavened baked goods than for traditional breads.