Straw

Straw is an agricultural consisting of the dry s of  plants after the  and  have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as, s, , and. It has a number of different uses, including, and ,  and.

Straw is usually gathered and stored in a straw bale, which is a, or bundle, of straw tightly bound with twine or wire. Straw bales may be square, rectangular, or round, and can be very large, depending on the type of used.

Uses
Current and historic uses of straw include:


 * Straw may be fed as part of the component of the diet to cattle or horses that are on a near maintenance level of energy requirement. It has a low digestible energy and nutrient content (as opposed to, which is much more nutritious). The heat generated when microorganisms in a herbivore's gut digest straw can be useful in maintaining body temperature in cold climates. Due to the risk of  and its poor nutrient profile, it should always be restricted to part of the diet.  It may be fed as it is, or chopped into short lengths, known as.
 * s and linen baskets are made from coiled and bound together continuous lengths of straw. The technique is known as lip work.
 * Bedding: humans or
 * The straw-filled mattress, also known as a, is still used in many parts of the world.
 * It is commonly used as bedding for ruminants and horses. It may be used as bedding and food for small animals, but this often leads to injuries to mouth, nose and eyes as straw is quite sharp.
 * s
 * The use of straw as a carbon-neutral energy source is increasing rapidly, especially for . Straw or hay briquettes are a biofuel substitute to coal.
 * Straw, processed first as s, has been fed into a biogas plant in Aarhus University, Denmark, in a test to see if higher yields could be attained.
 * The use of straw in large-scale biomass power plants is becoming mainstream in the EU, with several facilities already online. The straw is either used directly in the form of bales, or densified into pellets which allows for the feedstock to be transported over longer distances. Finally, of straw with pelletisation is gaining attention, because it increases the energy density of the resource, making it possible to transport it still further. This processing step also makes storage much easier, because torrefied straw pellets are hydrophobic. Torrefied straw in the form of pellets can be directly co-fired with coal or natural gas at very high rates and make use of the processing infrastructures at existing coal and gas plants. Because the torrefied straw pellets have superior structural, chemical and combustion properties to coal, they can replace all coal and turn a coal plant into an entirely biomass-fed power station. First generation pellets are limited to a  rate of 15% in modern  plants.
 * Construction material:
 * In many parts of the world, straw is used to bind clay and . A mixture of clay and straw, known as, can be used as a building material. There are many recipes for making cob.
 * When, straw has moderate insulation characteristics (about R-1.5/inch according to Oak Ridge National Lab and Forest Product Lab testing). It can be used, alone or in a post-and-beam construction, to build . When bales are used to  or  buildings, the straw bales are commonly finished with . The plastered walls provide some , compressive and ductile structural strength, and acceptable fire resistance as well as thermal resistance (insulation), somewhat in excess of North American . Straw is an abundant agricultural waste product, and requires little energy to bale and transport for construction. For these reasons, straw bale construction is gaining popularity as part of  and other  projects.
 * Wheat straw can be used as a fibrous filler combined with polymers to produce composite lumber.
 * can be made from straw.
 * Strawblocks are strawbales that have been recompressed to the density of wood blocks, for compact shipment, or for  of s that support roof-loads, such as a "living" or s.
 * When, straw has moderate insulation characteristics (about R-1.5/inch according to Oak Ridge National Lab and Forest Product Lab testing). It can be used, alone or in a post-and-beam construction, to build . When bales are used to  or  buildings, the straw bales are commonly finished with . The plastered walls provide some , compressive and ductile structural strength, and acceptable fire resistance as well as thermal resistance (insulation), somewhat in excess of North American . Straw is an abundant agricultural waste product, and requires little energy to bale and transport for construction. For these reasons, straw bale construction is gaining popularity as part of  and other  projects.
 * Wheat straw can be used as a fibrous filler combined with polymers to produce composite lumber.
 * can be made from straw.
 * Strawblocks are strawbales that have been recompressed to the density of wood blocks, for compact shipment, or for  of s that support roof-loads, such as a "living" or s.


 * Construction site sediment control
 * Straw bales are sometimes used for at  sites. However, bales are often ineffective in protecting  and are maintenance-intensive.  For these reasons the  (EPA) and various state agencies recommend use of alternative sediment control practices where possible, such as s, s and.
 * Ground cover
 * In-stream check dams
 * Hats
 * There are several styles of s that are made of woven straw.
 * Many thousands of women and children in England (primarily in the district of Bedfordshire), and large numbers in the United States (mostly ), were employed in  for making hats.  By the late 19th century, vast quantities of plaits were being imported to England from Canton in China, and in the United States most of the straw plait was imported.
 * A fiber analogous to straw is obtained from the plant , and is used to make.
 * Traditional Japanese rain protection consisted of a straw hat and a.
 * Straw is used in houses and for  growing.
 * In, 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 reduce e by changing the nutrient ratios in the water.
 * The soil under is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt, and straw is also used to cover the plants during winter to prevent the cold from killing them.
 * Straw also makes an excellent.
 * 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.
 * Wheat straw is also used in compostable such as compostable plates. Packaging made from wheat straw can be certified compostable and will biodegrade in a commercial composting environment.
 * Paper
 * Straw can be pulped to make.
 * In, 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 reduce e by changing the nutrient ratios in the water.
 * The soil under is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt, and straw is also used to cover the plants during winter to prevent the cold from killing them.
 * Straw also makes an excellent.
 * 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.
 * Wheat straw is also used in compostable such as compostable plates. Packaging made from wheat straw can be certified compostable and will biodegrade in a commercial composting environment.
 * Paper
 * Straw can be pulped to make.
 * Straw can be pulped to make.


 * Rope
 * Rope made from straw was used by thatchers, in the packaging industry and even in iron foundries.
 * s
 * wear, sandals made of straw.
 * In some parts of Germany like and  people wear straw shoes at home or at carnival.
 * Targets
 * Heavy gauge straw rope is coiled and sewn tightly together to make targets. This is no longer done entirely by hand, but is partially mechanised.  Sometimes a paper or plastic target is set up in front of straw bales, which serve to support the target and provide a safe backdrop.
 * Thatching uses straw, or similar materials to make a waterproof, lightweight roof with good insulation properties.  Straw for this purpose (often  straw) is grown specially and harvested using a.
 * Thatching uses straw, or similar materials to make a waterproof, lightweight roof with good insulation properties.  Straw for this purpose (often  straw) is grown specially and harvested using a.

Health and safety
Dried straw presents a fire hazard that can ignite easily if exposed to sparks or an open flame. It can also trigger in people who are hypersensitive to airborne allergens such as straw dust.

Research
In addition to its current and historic uses, straw is being investigated as a source of s including s, s, s,, and s.