ABSTRACT
Devoid of plants there would not be human or animal life on our planet. Of all the plant groups, the flowering plants or angiosperms have furnished mankind with nearly all the species used for food. The cereals are the foremost important plants. From the time of the earliest seed gatherers to the present, cereals have been the staff of life. The name cereal derives from Ceres, the ancient Roman and Greek goddess of sustenance. Cereal foods have been the most important suppliers of dietary energy for more than 24 centuries and will continue to be the main food source for mankind in years to come. Most cultures have been strongly related to the planting and use of cereals; for instance, rice has been the main food for Asian civilizations, whereas sorghum and millets are the staples for people in Africa and India. In Europe, the most ancient and modern societies have traditionally depended on wheat, rye, and barley. In the new world, maize is the primary and most important staple.
