ABSTRACT
The grain crops of the tropics and the temperate zones are literally "our daily bread". The success of grains as crop plants is related to many factors. It is no accident that the first three of the most important foods of the world are grains: rice, wheat, and corn. This chapter discusses the nomenclature; family and related species; practical description; origin, distribution, and production; climate and soil adaptability; cultural factors; utilization; nutritional value; varieties and characteristics of rice, corn sorghum and pearl millet. The proteins of all tropical grains lack sufficient content of the amino acid lysine, but protein content of pearl millet is the highest, about twice that of rice. The grain crops are productive at proper spacings even in poor soils, improved cultivars require the highest possible soil fertility for maximum yields. It adapts to different growing conditions, both geographically and climatically. The combination of adaptive factors make one grain crop more attractive in one region than another.
