site.btaCrop of the Future: Triticale Shows More Resilience and Wider Applicability than Wheat

Triticale enjoys growing interest among farmers and is often referred to as “the crop of the future”, because people can make almost anything from it, Associate Professor Hristo Stoyanov of the Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute (DAI) in General Toshevo, Northeastern Bulgaria tells Agri.bg.

This hybrid of wheat and rye is used to produce bioalcohol, biodiesel fuel, biscuits, bread and other baked foods, all kinds of confectionery, and fodder, Stoyanov says. Drinking straws can be made from triticale instead of plastics. In Bulgaria, triticale is used more as a source of biomass than as a cereal, he says.

Artificial selection of triticale at DAI began 60 years ago, the associate professor says. The crop combines the useful features of its parent forms, wheat and rye. It possesses many characteristics that make it fine for growing in unfavourable climate conditions. It is highly resistant to economically significant diseases which can damage wheat. It is not demanding as to fertilizers and prefers low fertilization levels. Other important features are its resistance to cold, frost and drought.

The grain of triticale has a wider range of applications than wheat, Stoyanov says. The biomass that can be produced from it is in great demand and very popular on the Arabian Peninsula and in the Middle East as fodder and for producing biogas. According to the scientist, this is a very lucrative market niche for farmers.

DAI’s artificial selection programme for triticale is split evenly between its uses as grain and as a biomass component.

Triticale is increasingly used in bread-making. The “rye bread” which many people buy is actually made from triticale, says Mariela Yordanova, a seed and grain producer, as quoted by Agri.bg.

Triticale acreage in Bulgaria has grown considerably in recent years, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In 2023, the acreage increased by 148.7% compared with 2022, and the average yield went up by 8.3%. A total of 113,000 tonnes of the crop were harvested in 2023, a more-than-2.5-fold increase from 2022.