Question

The first man-made cereal triticale has been developed from a cross between,
(a) Wheat and oats
(b) Wheat and maize
(c) Maize and rice
(d) Wheat and rye

Answer 1

Hint: Triticale is a hybrid of Triticum and Secale, which were first bred in laboratories at the end of the 19th century in Scotland and Germany. Commercially available triticale is almost always a second-generation hybrid, i.e. a cross between two forms of primary (first-cross) triticales.

Complete step by step answer:
Triticum is the scientific name of wheat and secale is the scientific name of rye. In general, triticale blends yield ability and grain quality of wheat with disease and environmental tolerance (including soil conditions) of rye. It was only recently grown into a commercially viable crop. Triticale can be more or less similar to any of its parents, depending on the cultivar. In general, triticale blends yield ability and grain quality of wheat with disease and environmental tolerance (including soil conditions) of rye. It was only recently grown into a commercially viable crop. Triticale can be more or less similar to any of its parents, depending on the cultivar.
When wheat and rye are mixed, wheat is used as the female parent and rye as the male parent (pollen donor). The resulting hybrid is sterile and must be treated with colchicine in order to cause polyploidy and hence the ability to replicate itself.
So, the correct answer is ‘Wheat and oat’.

Note: Triticale flour: a combination of wheat and rye, triticale is higher in gluten than other non-wheat flours but still needs to be mixed with wheat flour to achieve a suitable texture in baked goods. It's a close relative to wheat, but it shouldn't be consumed by people with celiac disease or allergy to gluten.