What Is the Difference Between Hulless Barley and Wheat? A Comprehensive Analysis of the Main Differences

Wheat is one of the three major grains, and almost all of it is used as food, with only about one-sixth used as feed. The Mesopotamia region is the earliest area in the world where wheat was cultivated, and China is one of the earliest countries in the world to grow wheat. Hulless barley is a special type of barley. So, what is the difference between hulless barley and wheat?

1. What is the difference between hulless barley and wheat?

Different awns: Wheat awns are relatively short, while hulless barley awns are very long, about the same length as the ear;

Different number of spikelets: Each node of wheat bears only one spikelet, and each spikelet has 2 to 3 small yellow flowers. Hulless barley branches, and each node grows 2 to 3 spikelets, with each spikelet generally having only one flower;

Different spike morphology: The wheat ear is flat and contains individual grains enclosed in a husk. The hulless barley grain has no husk.

2. Classification of wheat types

1. Classification by kernel coat color

According to differences in wheat kernel coat color, wheat can be divided into red wheat and white wheat, abbreviated as red wheat and white wheat. The seed coat of red wheat (also called red-grained wheat) is dark red or reddish brown; the seed coat of white wheat (also called white-grained wheat) is yellowish white or milky white. A mixture of red and white wheat is called mixed wheat.

2. Classification by kernel texture

According to differences in kernel texture, wheat can be divided into hard wheat and soft wheat, abbreviated as hard wheat and soft wheat. The endosperm structure of hard wheat is compact and translucent, also called vitreous or glassy; the endosperm structure of soft wheat is loose and gypsum-like, also called floury. As for wheat kernels, when the vitreous portion accounts for more than 1/2 of the cross-section at the middle, it is called a vitreous kernel, which is hard wheat; when the vitreous portion is less than 1/2, it is called a floury kernel, which is soft wheat. For a batch of wheat, according to Chinese standards, hard wheat refers to wheat with a vitreous rate of no less than 70%; soft wheat refers to wheat with a floury rate of no less than 70%.

3. Classification by sowing season

According to differences in sowing season, wheat can be divided into spring wheat and winter wheat. Spring wheat refers to wheat sown in spring and harvested in summer or autumn of the same year; winter wheat refers to wheat sown in autumn or winter and harvested in the summer of the following year.

Wheat is widely cultivated in both northern and southern China, and in the north it is a major food crop, generally used for grinding into flour for food. Hulless barley, however, is mainly cultivated in northern China and the cold high-altitude regions of the west, and can be used for flour-based foods and for making alcohol.