Stalk (sheaf)

In agriculture, a stalk refers to the stem or main axis of a plant, especially cereal crops like wheat, barley, and rye. After harvesting, a number of stalks bound together constitute a sheaf.

A sheaf is a bundle of stalks of grain, traditionally tied together after reaping. Sheaves were historically an important unit of measurement and a convenient way to handle and store harvested crops before the advent of combine harvesters and other modern agricultural techniques. The size of a sheaf could vary depending on local custom and the crop being harvested.

The term "stalk" can also be used more generally to refer to the main stem of other plants, not just grains, though the subsequent binding into a sheaf is less common outside of cereal crops.