is the dry Stalk of a Cereal plant, after the Nutrient Grain or Seed has been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of a cereal crop such as Wheat , Oat s, Rye or Barley . In times gone by, it was regarded as a useful By-product of the Harvest , but with the advent of the Combine Harvester , straw has become more of a burden, almost a nuisance to farmers.
However, straw can be put to many uses, old and new.
- Biofuel s
- ---The use of straw as a carbon-neutral energy source is increasing rapidly
- Bedding Human s or Livestock
- ---The straw-filled mattress, also known as palliasse, is still used in many parts of the world.
- Feed for Livestock
- ---Straw may be fed as part of the roughage component of the diet to cattle that are on a near maintenance level of energy intake. It has a low digestible energy and nutrient content. However, the heat generated when microorganisms in a herbivores' gut digest straw can be useful in maintaining body temperature in cold climates.
- Thatching
- ---Thatched roofs are becoming increasingly popular, and the skills of a master thatcher are once again in demand.
- Packaging
- ---Straw is resistant to being crushed and therefore makes a good packing material. A company in France makes a straw mat sealed in thin plastic sheets.
- ---Straw envelopes for wine bottles have become rarer, but are still to be found at some wine merchants.
- Paper
- ---Straw can be pulped to make paper.
- Archery targets
- ---Heavy gauge straw rope is coiled and sewn tightly together. This is no longer done entirely by hand, but is partially mechanised.
- Horse collars
- ---Working horses are making a comeback, and there is a need for horse collars stuffed with good quality rye straw. Being a "long straw filler" is a highly skilled job.
- Construction material: bricks / cob
- ---In many parts of the world, straw is used to bind clay and Concrete . This mixture of clay and straw, known as Cob , can be used as a building material. There are many recipes for making cob.
- ---When Baled , straw has excellent insulation characterics. It can be used, alone or in a post-and-beam construction, to build Straw Bale Houses .
- Rope
- ---Rope made from straw was used by thatchers, in the packaging industry and even in iron foundries.
- Straw plait for the hatting industry
- ---Until about 100 years ago, thousands of women and children in England were employed in the straw hat making industry. Nowadays the straw plait is imported.
- Basketry
- --- Bee Skep s and linen Basket s are made from coiled and bound together continuous lengths of straw. The technique is known as lip work.
- Horticulture
- ---Straw is used in Cucumber houses and for Mushroom growing. In Japan , certain trees are wrapped with straw to protect them from the effects of a hard winter as well as to use them as a trap for parasite insects.
- ---It is also used in ponds to 'soak up' Alga e.
- ---The soil under Strawberries is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt.
- ---Straw also makes an excellent Mulch .
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