Buckwheat

Buckwheat

Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.

Family- Polygonaceae

Buckwheat is one of the minor grain crops grown in America. It is said to be a native of Central Asia and is cultivated in various countries as a food or fodder crop. In Europe, particularly in Russia, it constitutes one of the main food crops. It is also grown in Poland, USA, France, Rumania etc. In India, it is grown as a minor grain crop, particularly in higher altitudes (600-3700m) of Himalayas, from Kashmir to Sikkim, Khasi hills and Manipur and in Nilgiris. It is more often raised as a vegetable than as a grain crop in the lower reaches of the mountains. The principle varieties grown in the United States are Japanese and Silver hull, both belonging to the species F. esculentum.

Origin

The buckwheats originated in temperate Eastern Asia. The perennial species F. cymosum, the probable ultimate source of both common and Tartary buckwheat, is native to northern India and China. wild forms of F. esculentum are found in China and Siberia. Tartary buckwheat is reported as growing in the Himalayas and north-eastern India and China under cooler and harsher climatic conditions, to which it is better adapted than common buckwheat.

Distribution

Buckwheat is known to have been cultivated in China for 1000 years. It was introduced into Europe in the Middle Ages, reaching Germany early in the 15th century. From there it was spread and was cultivated for several centuries in England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Russia. It has also found a place in the agriculture of Africa and Brazil. It was introduced early into the American Colonies having been relatively much more important than now (Simmonds N.W. 1976).

Other species of Fagopyrum

• F. cymosum Meissn.

A tall branched annual with perennial roots grows wild in temperate Himalayas, from Kashmir to Sikkim (1500-3000m). It is considered to be an ancestor of the cultivated Fagopyrum species. It is used as a fodder plant.

• F. tataricum Gaertn. Buckwheat, Tartary or Indian Buckwheat

An annual plant taller and coarser than F. esculentum with small greenish or yellowish self-fertile flowers, fruits ovoid and conical with more or less wavy outline, brownish grey or black. The plant is cultivated in the higher Himalayas at altitudes of 900-2700m, especially in the colder parts of Ladakh, Zaskar and western Tibet.

• F. emarginatum Notch or Wing-seeded buckwheat

It is cultivated in Europe.

Cytogenetics

Three species all diploid with 2n=2x=16, are generally recognised: cymosum, esculentum and tataricum. F. emarginatum is cultivated in northeastern India and China. As the plant resembles common buckwheat in many respects and is completely compatible with it, so it is considered that as a form of F. esculentum (Bailey, 1917).

 

Botany of the plant

 

Herbaceous, erect annual, about a metre in height, stem angular, hollow with swollen nodes, leaves alternate, 5-10 cm long, broadly triangular, lamina base hastate or cordate, tip acute, petioles of lower leaves long reaching 5-10 cm, the upper leaves are almost sessile, stipules ochraceous, inflorescence axillary and terminal cyme with densely clustered flowers, flowers white or pink or reddish perianth five partite, stamens eight, alternating with eight glands at the base, ovary superior one celled and one ovuled, ovules erect, style tripartite each with a capitate stigma, fruit is a dry one seeded, three sided nut called the achene.

Cultivation Practices

In northern India, buckwheat is usually grown as a rainy season crop, sown in July and harvested in October. In Nilgiris, it is generally sown in April and harvested in August. The seed rate varies from 44 to 67 kg per hectare for grain crops. Due to the intermediate growth, the plants maybe in all stages of development- in buds, flowers and fruits- at the time of harvest. The time of harvest can be selected to prevent shattering of mature print. A yield yield of up to 575 kg of grains per hectare has been obtained in Nilgiris. 

Fruit

The grains or achene are endospermous and contain about 11percent protein, 2% fat, 11% digestible carbohydrate and a high proportion of fibre. The green flour makes fairly satisfactory bread, though the gluten content is low. During milling of the 'grains', the fruit coat and seed coats are broken, then sieved and the floury mass inside is ground into flour.

Uses

Buckwheat is used mostly in the form of flour for making bread, pouches and porridge. The leaves and young shoots are boiled and eaten as spinach. In America and Russia the grins are used mostly as stock and poultry feed.

Buckwheat perisperms can be used as fuel in producer gas plants. A dye for use in textile fabrics has been prepared from buckwheat hulls. Buckwheat flowers are considered valuable as a source of honey in certain parts of Russia and USA. It is estimated that an acre of buckwheat yields110-170 kg/ha of honey.

Rutin

The buckwheat leaves and blossoms contain a rutin a flavonal rutinoside having the property of reducing increased capillary fragility. Rutin is used in medicine in the treatment of increased capillary fragility with associated hypertension, a condition which sometimes results in bursting of blood vessels in the brain, leading to apoplexy or retinal hemorrhagic condition which include certain types of purpura, bleeding from the kidney, hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and haemophilia. It also affords protection against harmful effects of atomic radiations and prevents weakening of capillaries due to such drugs as salicylate, arsenicals, thiocyanate sulphadiazine and gold salts.