Economic importance of food crops

 Rice

Binomial name: Oryza sativa.

This plant is an annual grass. Rice is the chief source of carbohydrates. Polished rice is less nutritious. In Japan, alcoholic beverages are also distilled from the grains of rice.

The flattened parboiled rice is known as flaked rice. Sake is an important alcoholic beverage in Japan. Sake is prepared by the fermentation of rice. Bran is an important by-product of the rice milling industry. It is used as a cattle feed.

Bran oil is extracted either by expression in a hydraulic press or extraction with solvents bran oil is used as edible oil and for the preparation of vanaspathi, making soaps. It is also used in the textile industry, leather industry.

Bran wax is a by-product of bran oil extraction. It is used in the chocolate industry and in the manufacture of lipsticks.

Paddy husk is used as fuel, in brick kilns. It is also used in brickmaking.

 Groundnut

Binomial name: Arachis hypogeal

The word groundnut devices its name from the fact that its fruits rip beneath the ground. Vegetable ghee is also prepared from this oil. The oil cake is fed to the livestock. It is rich in fatty acids and proteins.

Groundnut oil is one of the important edible oils. It is extensively used in cookery as a salad oil. It is used for the manufacture of vanaspati. Groundnut kernel is a rich and cheap source of vegetable protein. Kernels are eaten, fried salted and added to several dishes.

Oil is used as an illuminant and lubricant. Oil cake is used as animal feed and organic manure. Groundnut shell is used in the manufacture of activated carbon. The groundnut cake is a good cattle feed. The plant after removing the pod, both dried and fresh is good cattle feed.

 Cotton

Cotton is Malvaceae family.

The seed coat of cotton seeds produces fibres on their external surface. So, it is called as surface fibre.

Almost the entire textile industry depends on this fibre. Cotton is used in stuffing the pillows and cushions. It is also used in making rubber tyres, carpets, blankets and cordages made from cotton.

It is a cash crop. It gives three important products: fibre, food and cattle feed. Lint fiber is for clothing which is very useful in the textile industries. Seed is used for extracting oil and is also used as vanaspati.

Cotton flour prepared from the seed is used for bread and biscuit making. Cotton seed cake is used as good organic manure. Fatty acids obtained from oil are used in the preparation of insecticides, fungicides and plastic.