Mary Allen
Rye is a grain like wheat, barley, and many others. Rye, therefore, belongs to the group of sweet grasses. Rye can grow taller than an adult male. However, its long roots, which reach up to one meter deep into the ground, are of great benefit. As a result, the rye also thrives on sandy soil and survives some dry periods. In addition, it endures the coldest winter of all types of grain, down to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Humans have been using rye in the Orient since almost 7,000 years before Christ, and in Europe around 1,600 years before Christ, i.e. since the Neolithic Age. However, the Romans only needed it in times of need.
Winter rye is primarily cultivated in Europe because it is more productive than summer rye. Humans mainly use rye for bread. But you can also use it to distill strong alcohol: In Germany, it is “Korn”, in Russia it is “Wodka”. Much more, however, is used as animal feed. It is often fed while still green and with stems and leaves.
In recent years, rye has been increasingly used as an energy crop. Alcohol can be made from it and used for combustion, as an additive to petrol. Or you can produce bio-gas from rye. However, many people see this very critically as long as so many people in the world are starving.