Cereals are harvested grasses that are grown for their starch component. The type of fruit (seeds) and botanically known as caryopsis belong to the Poaceae family (monocot). These seeds are very rich in carbohydrates and are mainly produced around the globe, while pulses are leguminous, belonging to the Leguminosae family (dicot).
Cereals and pulses are the types of grains produced and consumed by humans and animals in small to small sizes, dry and hard seeds, such as food, feed and pulses.
These seeds are produced inside the pods and are harvested as dry seeds. Protein is richly available in these grains and has been grown in less quantities than cereals.
Also Read: Tur farmers get more price in open market than NAFED’s MSP
Five types of grains: cereals, whole grains, pseudo-cereals, oil seeds and pulses. Among them, cereals and pulses are produced and consumed in large quantities around the globe—also because of their high nutritional value, many countries use them as staple foods.
India is the largest producer, importer, consumer and contributor, followed by Canada, Maynamar, China, Nigeria, Brazil, Australia, USA. Cereals and pulses are grown and produced mainly since they have been seen as one of the main palatable products for healthy diet balancing.
In the case of Cereals, China is ranked the world’s leading producer of cereals. According to the census, total production in 2017 was 617 million metrics, accounting for 20.75 per cent of world production. Apart from China, the United States of America, Brazil, India and Russia are registered in the top five countries for cereal production and contribute 54.42% of total output.
Basic Differences:
COMPARISON |
CEREALS (monocot) |
PULSES (dicot) |
| Basic Meaning | Cereals are the harvested grasses, which are grown for its starch component. The type of fruit and Scientifically known as a caryopsis. | Pulses are the leguminous crop, that is harvested as the dry seed formed in a pod. |
| Richness | Cereals have high levels of carbohydrates. | Pulses, though they have lower contents of carbohydrates, known for their protein richness and amino acids. |
| Production | Cereals are majorly produced, as they are highly rich in carbohydrate, it is the main staple food in many countries. | Though pulses are rich in proteins, they are consumed and produced in less quantity. |
| Land/Soil | Cereals can be grown in all kind of soil except desserts and in temperate climatic areas. | Pulses are grown in the pod, that may yield one to twelve seeds. |
| Classification | Kingdom: Plantae. Order: Poales. Family: Poaceae. |
Kingdom: Plantae. Order: Fabales. Family: Leguminosae. |
| Examples | Barley, corn, wheat, rice, oats, and maize. | Lentils, dry beans, chickpeas, and cowpeas. |
Add Comment