New varieties of triticale have made the crop a better feed grain than many people think.
Although it has found some use as an annual forage, triticale has not been embraced as a valuable food or feed grain in Canada. This is unfortunate, because spring triticale varieties yield 15 to 20 percent more grain than the highest yielding wheat varieties.
Recently developed varieties of triticale such as AC Ultima (1999), AC Certa (1995) and Pronghorn (1995) differ dramatically from those developed 20 to 30 years ago.
An analysis of older varieties showed protein content ranged from 11.7 to 22.5 percent with an average of 17.5 percent. Recently developed triticale varieties have a protein range of 10.9 to 19.1 percent with an average of 13.4 percent.
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Despite this decrease, total protein yield actually increased due to higher yields. For example, in 1968, with an average protein content of 17.5 percent, the best grain yield was 2.5 tonnes per hectare with a protein production of 425 kg per ha. In 1973, average protein content was 13.7 percent and grain yield increased to eight tonnes per ha, boosting total protein yield to 1,100 kg per ha.
In addition to higher starch content and yield, new varieties also have improved protein quality. The biological value of protein is determined by the profile of essential amino acids.
Mono-gastric animals like humans, swine and poultry cannot produce essential amino acids on their own. But ruminants can synthesize them from rumen bacteria.
Lysine, the “first limiting” amino acid in all cereal grains is available in higher levels in triticale (3.4 percent) than in wheat (2.83 percent) and lower levels than in rye (4.02 percent). This relationship is also true for the other essential and non essential amino acids.
The digestible energy level of triticale is slightly lower than that in wheat and corn and higher than in rye and barley. Values for net energy used for growth and for maintenance are comparable to those for digestible energy.
