RYE ECONOMICAL PRODUCTION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF USING STRAW IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

Rye is, after wheat, the second most important bread grain, which is grown in a significantly smaller geographical area in conditions of a colder continental climate. In the total aboveground biomass yield, rye straw accounts for about 50%, although older varieties had a larger share compared to grain. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that the total amount of rye produced worldwide in the 2023–2024 season is 11.71 million tonnes, of which about 7.63 million tonnes are produced by EU nations. An estimated 2.50 million tonnes of this grain were harvested in Poland, the world’s second-largest producer. About 40% of rye grain is used for consumption in EU nations, and about 35% is used for feed. About 20% of the rye grain produced in the EU is used as a raw material in several sectors, with over half of that amount being converted into biofuel (bioethanol). The paper analyzes ways of using rye straw from the aspect of environmental protection. The results showed that rye straw can be used as bedding for domestic animals and as coarse animal feed, if it is previously chopped and treated with chemical compounds to increase its digestibility. Due to the length and strength of the stems, which depends on the method of harvesting, rye straw is the most suitable raw material for the production of the finest paper and as an alternative building material. In construction, straw is used to covering residential buildings (eco houses), but also for the production of panel boards that are used to cover walls for thermal insulation. In the chemical industry, rye straw is used as a raw material for obtaining lignin, organic acids and furfural. Certain types of mushrooms grow best on a substrate made from rye straw, for example, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, and so on. Straw is also suitable for covering (mulching) the inter-row space in wide-row crops, for example potatoes, cucurbits, in orchards and vineyards. In the food industry, whole straw is used as a substrate, and ground as a wrapper for special types of full-fat hard cheeses during the ripening process. People with more artistic talent created numerous art objects from rye straw. Due to the strength and flexibility of the stems, rye straw is most often used in home crafts for weaving various containers, baskets, hats, asuras, and children’s toys. Recently, rye has also been increasingly used in the energy sector to produce biogas.