Straw

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For other uses of the term straw, see straw (disambiguation)

Bales of straw

bundles of rice straw

Pile of straw bales, sheltered under a tarpaulin

Straw is an agricultural byproduct, 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 barley, oats, rice, rye or wheat. 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.

[edit] Uses of straw

Biofuels
- The use of straw as a carbon-neutral energy source is increasing rapidly, especially for biobutanol.

Bedding humans or livestock
- The straw-filled mattress, also known as palliasse, is still used in many parts of the world.
- It is often sold as bedding and food for small animals, but this often leads to injuries to mouth, nose and eyes as straw is quite sharp.

Animal feed
- 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 herbivore's gut digest straw can be useful in maintaining body temperature in cold climates. However due to the risk of injuries, hay is a much better alternative.

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 skeps and linen baskets 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' algae.
- The soil under strawberries is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt.
- Straw also makes an excellent mulch.