An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but prefers a well-drained light soil in a sunny position[1, 132]. It thrives on infertile, submarginal areas and is renouned for its ability to grow on sandy soils[269]. Established plants are drought tolerant[1]. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of of 22 to 176cm, an annual temperature in the range of of 4.3 to 21.3°C and a pH of 4.5 to 8.2[269]. Rye is a widely cultivated temperate zone cereal crop. It is able to withstand severe climatic conditions and can be grown much further north and at higher altitudes than wheat[13, 34, 57]. Average yields vary widely from country to country, the world average is around 1.6 tonnes per hectare with yields of almost 7 tonnes per hectare achieved in Norway[269]. There are many named varieties[183]. Rye is a rather variable species and botanists have divided it into a number of sub-species, all of which could be of value in breeding programmes. These sub-species are briefly listed below:- S. cereale afghanicum (Vavilov.)K.Hammer. Native to the Caucasus, western Asia and India. S. cereale ancestrale Zhuk. Native to western Asia. S. cereale dighoricum Vavilov. Native to the Caucasus and eastern europe. S. cereale segetale Zhuk. Native to temperate Asia. Rye grows well with cornflowers and pansies[18, 20], though it inhibits the growth of poppies and couch grass[18, 20]. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread [1-2]. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fibrous dividing into a large number of fine roots [2-1].