Straw is an agricultural
by-product, the dry s of
cereal plants, after the
grain and
chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as
barley,
oats,
rice,
rye and
wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and basket-making. It is usually gathered and stored in a
straw bale, which is a bundle of
straw tightly bound with twine or wire. Bales may be square, rectangular, or round, depending on the type of
baler used.