Hull index: Indicator of hulled wheat productivity and quality

Abstract

Wheat with hulled grain is einkorn (Triticum monococcum L), emmer (Triticum dicoccum Schrank) and spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L). During the wheat harvest spikes decompose to spikelets in which the grain (caryopsis) is tightly wrapped in chaffs and glumes. Since this hulled grain is improper for human diet it is necessary to peel it off mechanically before the use. The seed, i.e. the grain of true cereals, has about a hundred of characteristics, of which 20% have significance for the market, while 10-15% is officially studied. Hulled grain or hulled seed is the term that exists in the market of world trade. Introduction of hulled wheat into production and its growing presence on the market imposes the need for a clearer presentation of the grain presence in the crowd of hulled grain. As a result of our previous studies on spelt wheat we defined the term - the hull index (HI), that presents the ratio between the weight of un hulled and hulled grain. H=YDG/YHG x 100 Calculation formula: HI - hull index YDG - yield of dehulled grain YHG - yield of hulled grain This term can be used in research as an indicator of hulled wheat productivity, while in the trade it could indicate the grain quality more clearly, whether it was a seed or mercantile goods.

Keywords

• hulled wheat
• hulled grain
• hull index