(Written by: Khadija Tehseen Arshad)
Introduction:
- Rabi crop
- Ranked 4th in cereals
- Botanical name………………… Hordeum vulgare
- Urdu name …………………. jao
- Latin word ………………………… flour
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom ………………………………………. Plantae
Phylum ……………………………………….. Spermatophyta
Class ………………………………………… Monocotyledons
Family ………………………………………… Poaceae
Order ………………………………………… Cyperales
Genus ………………………………………… Hordeum
Species …………………………………………. vulgare
Top ten barley producers:
- Russia
- France
- Germany
- Ukraine
- Canada
- Australia
- Turkey
- United kingdom
- United states
- Poland
Total world production is …………………………….. 152 million metric tons
Uses:
- Animal feed
- Health food
- Algicide
- Beverages
- Bakery products
Importance of barley for human beings:
Barley is considered as the most important crop as it ranked 4th among cereals. It is considered as staple food for most of the countries e.g. barley is staple food for Egypt.
Barley is considered as best diet a it contains:
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Fiber
- Copper
- Vitamin B1
- Phosphorus
- Vitamins B3
- Magnesium
These all are compulsory for human body. As vitamin B is compulsory for all the cells of human body to convert the carbohydrates into glucose. Barley helps in the:
- Lowering the cholesterol level
- Prevent from heart failure
- Beneficial for the diabetic
- Protect against cancer
- Prevent gallstones
- Prevent kidney problems
- Prevent asthma
- Beneficial for that people who are suffering with joint problem or arthritis
- Help in rapid growth and development of human body cells and tissue etc.
- Improve the digestion process
- Help to weight loss
- Prevent heart diseases
- Control sugar level
- Provide antioxidants to body which help to prevent the breast cancer
Written by: Khadija Tehseen Arshad
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
