Triticum aestivum macha - (Dekapr.&A.M.Menabde.)Mackey.
(Dekapr.&A.M.Menabde.)Mackey.
Makha Wheat
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GBIF
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Conveyor Belt
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Description
Triticum aestivum macha is a ANNUAL. It is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked. It is usually ground into a flour and used as a cereal for making bread, biscuits etc.
Distribution
Europe - S. Russia.
Where It Grows
Coming Soon
Cultivation
Succeeds in most well-drained soils in a sunny position. One of the more modern species of wheat, probably developed around 8,000 years ago as a result of a cross between T. dicoccum and Aegilops squarrosa. It is still sometimes cultivated for its edible seed in Georgia and other areas in W. Asia though it is of little economic value. Closely related to T. spelta. A hexaploid species.
Propagation
Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a few days.
Other Uses
Biomass Mulch Paper Starch Thatching. The straw has many uses, as a biomass for fuel etc, for thatching, as a mulch in the garden etc. A fibre obtained from the stems is used for making paper. The stems are harvested in late summer after the seed has been harvested, they are cut into usable pieces and soaked in clear water for 24 hours. They are then cooked for 2 hours in lye or soda ash and then beaten in a ball mill for 1½ hours in a ball mill. The fibres make a green-tan paper. The starch from the seed is used for laundering, sizing textiles etc. It can also be converted to alcohol for use as a fuel.
