Rheology as a tool to predict the effect of different biotic and abiotic factors on the quality of cereals and pseudocereals

Abstract

Cereals represent a staple food for a majority of the world’s population and play an important role in food security and nutrition. They are the most produced crops in the world (2777 million tons in 2020), with maize, wheat, and rice comprising more than 80% of total cereal production (FAOSTAT, 2021). The distribution of cereal production around the world depends on various factors (environmental, cultural, political, and economic), among which temperature and water availability have a major impact on crop growth in a given region (Awika, 2011). Maize is the mostly produced cereal crop in the world with over 1162 million tons produced in 2020. The United States of America is the largest producer of maize, accounting for 30% of world production in 2020, followed by China at 22.7% and Brazil at 8.8%. World wheat production in 2020 reached 761 million tons. China and India are the world’s largest producers of wheat, producing approximately 31% of world wheat in 2020, followed by the Russian Federation (9.7%) and the United States (6.8%). World rice production stood at 757 million tons in 2020. Asia is the world’s largest producer of rice, producing about 90% of world rice, with China and India accounting for 57% of world rice production in 2020 (FAOSTAT, 2021). In regions where the main problem is frequent droughts, like in some parts of Africa and India, drought-tolerant crops, such as sorghum and millet, are commonly grown. On the contrary, barley is mostly produced in Northern Europe, northern parts of the United States of America and Canada being more tolerant to cold climates.