Buckwheat sowing

Different sources say different information about the homeland of buckwheat, most often mentioning Ukraine, as well as North India and Nepal , where it is called "black rice ". Wild forms of the plant are concentrated on the western spurs of the Himalayas . Buckwheat introduced into the culture more than 5 thousand years ago.

In the XV century BC e. it penetrated into China , Korea and Japan , then into the countries of Central Asia , the Middle East , the Caucasus and only then into Europe (apparently, during the Tatar-Mongol invasion , because it is also called the Tatar plant, Tatar). In France , Belgium , Spain and Portugal it was once called the “Arab grain”, in Italy and Greece itself - Turkish, and in Germany - simply pagan grain. The Slavs began to call it buckwheat because they brought it to them from Byzantium in the 7th century ^[4] . According to another version, it was cultivated mainly by Greek monks at monasteries ^[5] .

In many European countries it is called “beech wheat ” ( German Buchweizen ) because of the similarity of seeds with beech nuts. Hence the Latin name of the genus Fagopyrum - "bucket-shaped nut".

In the folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs there is a day called Akulina-buckwheat on June 13 (June 26) . The name is associated with St. Akilina . She was considered the patroness and collaborator of the buckwheat harvest ^[6] , and the day of Akulina on June 13/26 was the last date for sowing this crop.

Flowers collected in loose inflorescences are white or pink in color. They appear in July and attract bees.

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After the plants bloom, small triangular seeds are ripened on them, ripening in September - October. They have a trihedral shape, light green in color and sizes from 5 to 7 mm in length and 3 to 6 mm in thickness. Buckwheat is a trihedral nut. The fruits ripen very unevenly: the lower ones, ripened, easily break off and crumble, while the top is still covered with flowers.

Buckwheat is a late culture. In Russia, harvesting begins in late August - early September.

Fungus Phytophthora omnivora occasionally ruins shoots.

Of the insects eat: stems and leaves - the caterpillar of the wheat scoop ( Agrotis Tritici L. ), the leaves - the caterpillar of the butterfly Hadena atriplicis L. and the roots - the May beetle .

Of the nematodes, microscopic rye acne ( Tylenchus devastator Kühn ), penetrating the stem, delays the development of the entire plant, especially inflorescences, and causes the disease .

Buckwheat contains a lot of iron , as well as calcium , potassium , phosphorus , iodine , zinc , fluorine , molybdenum , cobalt , as well as vitamins B1, B2, B9 ( folic acid ), PP , vitamin E. The flowering aerial part of buckwheat contains rutin , phagopyrine , procathechin, gallic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids; seeds - starch , protein , sugar , fatty oil , organic acids ( maleic , menolenic , oxalic , malic and citric ), riboflavin , thiamine , phosphorus , iron . By the content of lysine and methionine , buckwheat proteins surpass all cereals; it is characterized by high digestibility - up to 78%.

Carbohydrates in buckwheat, as in other cereals (pearl barley, millet), about 60% ^[8] ; Available carbohydrates are absorbed by the body for a long time, so after eating from buckwheat you can feel full for a long time. With long-term storage, buckwheat does not go rancid like other cereals, and does not grow moldy with high humidity.

Getting Honey

Buckwheat is the main honey plant for many regions of Russia with light sandy loam soil. The feed base of beekeeping and honey production there largely depends on the state of buckwheat-growing. In favorable years, up to 80 kg of honey is obtained from 1 hectare of crops in areas with normal moisture (in arid regions, honey collection from buckwheat is extremely unstable). As a cross-pollinated, mainly entomophilous plant (pollinated by insects), buckwheat requires at least 2–2.5 bee families per 1 ha ^[9] , which also provide up to 70% of seed production.

Buckwheat flowers give a lot of nectar and greenish-yellow pollen . Abundant nectar production is observed in warm and humid weather in the first half of the day (in hot and dry weather, bees stop taking nectar bribes). Buckwheat honey is dark, brown with a reddish tinge, fragrant, spicy ^[9] .

Eating

Buckwheat is a common food product. Several varieties of cereals are known : the kernel - whole grain , large and small seeds - chopped grains, Smolensk cereal - crushed kernels. Groats for sale that have undergone hydro- and heat treatment (from black to light brown) are used to make buckwheat cereals , casseroles, puddings , meatballs, soups , and buckwheat tea is also popular in the East. Buckwheat grain is ground on flour, but due to the lack of gluten, it is unsuitable for baking bread without adding ordinary flour. It is used for pancakes , pancakes, cakes, dumplings.

From a mixture of buckwheat and wheat (or other) flour, noodles and pasta are obtained, which are traditional for Japanese ( soba ) and Alpine Italian ( pizzoceri ) cuisines. In France, traditional Breton pancakes ( French galette bretonne ) are made from buckwheat flour. The traditional dish of East European Jews is “porridge varnishkes” - buckwheat porridge mixed with vermicelli. It is widely used as a side dish in the countries of the former USSR (in the form of porridge) and very few in Western European countries, with the exception of the above examples. In recent years, a slight increase in the consumption of buckwheat products in the West is associated with its use for dietary purposes.

Unroasted cereals (green-grassy), known as "green buckwheat" , is considered a dietary and "healthy" product, and costs two or more times more than ordinary, processed buckwheat. It also makes cereals and other dishes. In China, unroasted buckwheat grains are used to make tea, which is believed to reduce blood pressure ^[10] .

Buckwheat and flour are stored for a long time and are very suitable for storage in army warehouses, since the fats contained in them are resistant to oxidation.

Biological Pest Management

Buckwheat is now being studied and used as a source of pollen and nectar to increase the number of carnivorous insects for the biological control of pests in New Zealand ^[11] .

Medical Use

The tops of flowering plants serve as raw materials for the production of rutin , which is used in medical practice for the treatment of diseases accompanied by increased permeability and fragility of blood capillaries . There is a lot of routine and phagopirin in the flowers and upper young leaves of buckwheat, a decoction or infusion of which is indicated for hemorrhagic diathesis , hypertension , measles , scarlet fever , atherosclerosis , radiation sickness and other serious health problems. Buckwheat is used for varicose veins , hemorrhoids , rheumatic diseases, arthritis and as a prevention of sclerosis . The high content of lecithin determines its use in diseases of the liver, vascular and nervous systems. It is able to raise the level of dopamine (a neurohormone that affects motor activity and motivation).

In folk medicine, a decoction of a plant is recommended for colds, and also as an expectorant for dry coughs. For medicinal purposes, use flowers and leaves harvested in June - July, as well as buckwheat seeds - as they mature. In the old manuals, buckwheat porridge was recommended with a large loss of blood, a cold. Buckwheat is rich in folic acid , which stimulates blood formation , increases the body's resistance to ionizing radiation and other adverse environmental factors. Significant amounts of potassium and iron contained in it interfere with the assimilation of their radioactive isotopes . For diabetics, this cereal replaces the consumption of potatoes and bread.

Poultices and ointments from buckwheat flour are used for skin diseases ( boils , eczema ). Fresh leaves are applied to wounds and abscesses . Flour and powdered leaves are used as powders in children.

Buckwheat honey is used for anemia, atherosclerosis , cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and skin diseases.

The largest producer of buckwheat in the world is Russia , in 2016 it produced almost half of the world's crop production (1.186 million tons out of 2.396 million tons).

The yield of buckwheat in Russia is about 8 - 10 centners per hectare, which is lower than, for example, wheat, almost twice. The maximum yield is 30 kg / ha (3 t / ha or 300 t / km²). So, the FAO database ^[12] contains statistics for Russia:

Yield (q / ha * 1000)

• Buckwheat

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