Difference Between Cereals And Pulses

Cereals and Pulses are types of grains. Cereals are majorly produced in many countries. It is highly rich in carbohydrates, while pulses are rich in proteins. Pulses are grown in less quantity than cereals. The cereals are the grasses, whereas pulses are leguminous. The cereals belong to the Poaceae family (monocot), while pulses are crops that produce pods. Let us learn the difference between cereals and pulses.

Cereals and Pulses are small, dry, and hard seeds. There are five types of grains; cereal grains, whole grains, oilseeds, pseudo-cereals, and pulses. These grains are grown and consumed as food by humans and animals. Due to their high nutrient value cereals and pulses are grown and consumed in large quantities widely. Also, these grains are the staple foods of many countries.

The nutrition value of cereals and pulses are used to maintain a healthy diet. Thus, they are considered as one of the major edibles and produced chiefly.

Difference Between Cereals And Pulses

Let us unfold more key points, that exhibit the difference between cereals and pulses

Character	Cereals	Pulses
Definition	Cereals are defined as the harvested grasses, which are cultivated for its starch component.	Pulses are defined as the leguminous crop, that is harvested as the dry seed in a pod.
Production	It is largely produced. Cereals are highly rich in carbohydrates, it is the major staple food in many countries.	The production is less compared to the cereals. Though pulses are rich in proteins, they are consumed in less quantity.
Contains	Cereals consist of high levels of carbohydrates.	Pulses are rich in proteins and amino acids, though they consist of fewer contents of carbohydrates.
Growth	Cereals can be grown in all kinds of soil except desserts and in cold areas.	Pulses are grown in the pod, which may yield one to twelve seeds.
Classification	Kingdom: Plantae. Order: Poales. Family: Poaceae.	Kingdom: Plantae. Order: Fabales. Family: Leguminosae.
Examples	Wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn, wheat, rice, oats, and maize.	Lentils, chickpeas, dry beans, and cowpeas.

Cereals

Cereals belong to the family ‘Poaceae’. Cereals are a kind of grain, which are grass rich in carbohydrates, minerals, fats, oils and that’s why they are yielded in large quantity. The most commonly cultivated cereals are rice, wheat, oats, corn, rye, barley, and sorghum. Due to such high nutritional value, it is also the staple food of many countries. The cereals are deficient in vitamin A and calcium. They also lack a high amount of protein.

Importance of Cereals

The use of cereals is mainly done by humans. It is consumed by humans and animals. Cereals are available in the raw form (grain) or used as ingredients in many food products like bread. It is used to feed animals by poultry and livestock, which are further consumed as dairy, poultry products, or meat by humans. Cereals are also used in the industries for the production of oils, glucose, adhesives, alcohols, biofuels, etc.

The production cost of cereals is very less as compared to other foods. Carbohydrates are rich in energy as well as the value of nutrition level. It can be stored dry for many years.

The cereals are yield based on the nature of the soil, climate, and degree of economic development of a particular area or country. The cultivation also depends on the type of cereals, the kind of climate suitable for the cereal to grow. For example, wheat can be cultivated over various soils except for the desserts though rye and barley can be grown over less fertile soil.

Pulses

Pulses family consists of 12 crops like dry peas, dry beans, lentils, chickpeas. They are the dry seeds, known as grain legumes. Compared to cereals, the pulses are cultivated is less quantity but are highly rich in protein value, iron, vitamins, fibers, and amino acids. The microorganisms present on the roots help in absorbing the atmospheric nitrogen.

Importance of Pulses

Pulses are full of protein and nutritions. This makes them a rich source of protein. Pulses include many different seeds like kidney beans, butter beans, lima beans, and broad beans. They lack other protein sources like meat and dairy products.

Pulses are also rich in fiber and low in fat. They help in controlling blood sugar and used to lower cholesterol. They also support to fight against obesity. Due to characteristics, pulses helps in maintaining the disease like diabetes and heart-related problems.

Pulses are capable of fixing the nitrogen level and also helps in raising the fertility of the soil. This results in increasing the productivity of the land and thus promoting biodiversity. This nitrogen-fixing ability also reduces the dependency on synthetic fertilizers that affects the natural environment.