Introduction
0001 Triticale, the first synthetic cereal, is the product of a
cross between wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale
cereale L.) and has been of both practical and theoretical
interest. This cross is an attempt to combine in
one strain the high yield and good bread-baking quality
of wheat and the winter hardiness, high lysine and
protein, drought tolerance, and disease resistance of
rye. In all soils presently unsatisfactory for wheat but
acceptable for rye, it would be desirable to be able to
grow a cereal which is equal to wheat in both yielding
capacity and in nutritional, and bread-baking quality.
0002 While it was simple to outline this task, many difficulties
had to be overcome before successful crosses
and fertile hybrids could actually be produced. From
the 1930s to the 1950s, research on triticale never
really progressed past the botanical curiosity stage,
despite considerable efforts. Many of the goals that
had been set eluded the plant breeders. Recent research
efforts, however, have resulted in triticales of acceptable
quality and characteristics which are grown c