[46] Bread wheat with high grain iron and zinc content was developed through gamma radiation breeding. [9] In developing countries, use of (mainly nitrogenous) fertilizer increased 25-fold in this period. It is responsible for the development of the great bread-wheat civilizations from Mesopotamia to India, and China to Egypt, Greece and Rome, and then to our region. For this reason, awned varieties could become more widely grown due to climate change. Heavy soil with open structure which can retain the monsoon rainfall for longer period is ideal for dry wheat crop. The grain is cleaned and then conditioned by the addition of water so that the kernel breaks up properly. In Canada different varieties are blended prior to sale. [citation needed], The presence of certain versions of wheat genes has been important for crop yields. Wheat grain contains carbohydrates (69%), protein (14%), calcium (43%), niacin (4,6%), fat (2,2%), thiamin (0,57%) and riboflavin (0,12%). The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BCE. The wheat has turned a golden yellow colour indicating that it is ready for harvest. Heterosis or hybrid vigor (as in the familiar F1 hybrids of maize) occurs in common (hexaploid) wheat, but it is difficult to produce seed of hybrid cultivars on a commercial scale as is done with maize because wheat flowers are perfect in the botanical sense, meaning they have both male and female parts, and normally self-pollinate. The standard method of breeding inbred wheat cultivars is by crossing two lines using hand emasculation, then selfing or inbreeding the progeny. In ancient times, wheat was often considered a luxury grain because it had lower yield but better taste and digestibility than competitors like rye. Its 13% protein content is mostly gluten (75-80% of the protein in wheat). It … People eat it most often in the form of bread. Each year, the weather is the key determinate of wheat supplies. In recent years, low international wheat prices have often encouraged farmers in the United States to change to more profitable crops. [84][104] Coeliac disease affects about 1% of the general population in developed countries. Wheat is one of the oldest and most important of the cereal crops. With rice, wheat is the world's most favored staple food. [104] The only known effective treatment is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. [71] In 2018 an even more complete Chinese Spring genome was released by a different team. In cooked form, the nutrition value for each staple depends on the cooking method (for example: baking, boiling, steaming, frying, etc.). The increased moisture in eastern Nebraska poses sprouting problems that restrict this wheat type to the western half of the state. [7] The largest exporters of wheat in 2016 were, in order of exported quantities: Russian Federation (25.3 million tonnes), United States (24.0 million tonnes), Canada (19.7 million tonnes), France (18.3 million tonnes), and the Australia (16.1 million tonnes). Modern wheat breeding developed in the first years of the twentieth century and was closely linked to the development of Mendelian genetics. This article was most recently revised and updated by, FAO Corporate Document Repository - Botany of the wheat plant, Healthline - Wheat 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects, wheat - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), wheat - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Time-lapse video showing wheat germination and growth; the underground sequence was filmed over five days and the appearance of leaves over six days. To obtain the grain, further processing, such as milling or pounding, is needed to remove the hulls or husks. [118], In 2017, global wheat production was 772 million tonnes, led by China, India, and Russia, collectively providing 41% of the world total. [63], The gene Sm1 protects against the orange wheat blossom midge. In sprouted or cooked form, the relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these grains is remarkably different from that of raw form of these grains reported in this table. Durum wheat semolina (from the endosperm) is used for making pastas, or alimentary pastes. The cultivation of crops depends primarily on the weather and soil conditions. [108][110][111] These TLR4-stimulating activities of ATIs are limited to gluten-containing cereals. E raw cassava At present, it is cultivated in more land area than all major commercial crops such as rice, maize, potatoes and so on. [10], Note: All nutrient values including protein and fiber are in %DV per 100 grams of the food item. The same field later in the same year just before harvest. Winter and spring wheat are the two major types of the crop, with the severity of the winter determining whether a winter or spring type is cultivated. Roots The wheat plant has two types of roots: seminal and adventitious. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and small amounts of vitamin A are present, but the milling processes removes most of those nutrients with the bran and germ. The unknown grass has never been identified among non extinct wild grasses, but the closest living relative is Aegilops speltoides. [10], In a small part of the general population, gluten – the major part of wheat protein – can trigger coeliac disease, noncoeliac gluten sensitivity, gluten ataxia, and dermatitis herpetiformis.[15]. For other uses, see. Regions – Alluvial soils can be found mainly in the northern Indian delta areas. "Identity preserved" wheat that has been stored and transported separately (at extra cost) usually fetches a higher price. 42236 ITIS 2002-09-22. There are many botanical classification systems used for wheat species, discussed in a separate article on wheat taxonomy. There are many species of this particular genus that is used for cultivation such as Triticum sativum, Triticum polonicum, Triticum monococcum, etc. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. ", Jon Markman, March 6, 2008 at, Andrew McKillop (2006-12-13). The greatest portion of the wheat flour produced is used for breadmaking. Z raw plantains This hybridization took the tetraploid to an hexaploid, now containing six sets of chromosomes (i.e. Basic physiological investigation of these gas exchange processes has yielded valuable carbon isotope based methods that are used for breeding wheat varieties with improved water-use efficiency. Fungicides, used to prevent the significant crop losses from fungal disease, can be a significant variable cost in wheat production. For the processing of wheat grain, see cereal processing. These have mostly been solved, so that in the 20th century millions of acres of triticale are being grown worldwide. [10][85][97][98] Dietary fiber may also help people feel full and therefore help with a healthy weight. It is denser and has a higher photosynthetic rate than other leaves, to supply carbohydrate to the developing ear. (2002), Bridgwater, W. & Beatrice Aldrich. For treatment of the cultivation of wheat, see cereal farming. White flour, which does not contain the germ, preserves longer. [105][104] Other diseases triggered by eating wheat are non-coeliac gluten sensitivity[105][15] (estimated to affect 0.5% to 13% of the general population[106]), gluten ataxia, and dermatitis herpetiformis. More widely over the last 40 years, a massive increase in fertilizer use together with the increased availability of semi-dwarf varieties in developing countries, has greatly increased yields per hectare. [48] A project in the UK, led by Rothamsted Research has aimed to raise wheat yields in the country to 20t/ha by 2020, but in 2018 the UK record stood at 16t/ha, and the average yield was just 8t/ha. [74], Einkorn wheat (T. monococcum) is diploid (AA, two complements of seven chromosomes, 2n=14).[4]. Various studies in India, for example, have concluded that about 10% of total wheat production is lost at farm level, another 10% is lost because of poor storage and road networks, and additional amounts lost at the retail level. The origins of formal wheat breeding lie in the nineteenth century, when single line varieties were created through selection of seed from a single plant noted to have desired properties. Annual agricultural production of wheat, measured in tonnes in 2014. About 72 percent of the milled grain is recovered as white flour. But despite its high importance and unrivalled range of cultivation, wheat has lagged behind in one important respect: it is the most difficult of all the major crops to transform. Some wheat species are diploid, with two sets of chromosomes, but many are stable polyploids, with four sets of chromosomes (tetraploid) or six (hexaploid). [65][66][67], There are around 30,000 wheat varieties of 14 species grown throughout the world. F raw green soybeans durum, used in pasta and semolina products. Two tractors deploying a sealed storage method for newly harvested wheat. The inflorescences are composed of varying numbers of minute flowers, ranging from 20 to 100. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. These remains were dated by Willem van Zeist and his assistant Johanna Bakker-Heeres to 8800 BCE. Red wheats may need bleaching; therefore, white wheats usually command higher prices than red wheats on the commodities market. In 2014, the most productive crop yields for wheat were in Ireland, producing 10 tonnes per hectare. In Medieval England, farmers saved one-quarter of their wheat harvest as seed for the next crop, leaving only three-quarters for food and feed consumption. Corrections? Hybrid wheat has been a limited commercial success in Europe (particularly France), the United States and South Africa. The hard type produces flour best suited for breadmaking. [143] To reduce the amount of wheat lost to post-harvest pests, Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed an "insect-o-graph," which can detect insects in wheat that are not visible to the naked eye. /* unofficial. Most of the 25,000 different forms of modern wheat are varieties of two broad groups, called common wheat and durum wheat. [119], In the 20th century, global wheat output expanded by about 5-fold, but until about 1955 most of this reflected increases in wheat crop area, with lesser (about 20%) increases in crop yields per unit area. There were some significant decreases in wheat crop area, for instance in North America.[121]. Under the botanical classification wheat crop belongs to genus Triticum. Wild emmer is itself the result of a hybridization between two diploid wild grasses, T. urartu and a wild goatgrass such as Aegilops searsii or Ae. As the traits that improve wheat as a food source also involve the loss of the plant's natural seed dispersal mechanisms, highly domesticated strains of wheat cannot survive in the wild. [137] Farmers also benefit from knowing when the 'flag leaf' (last leaf) appears, as this leaf represents about 75% of photosynthesis reactions during the grain filling period, and so should be preserved from disease or insect attacks to ensure a good yield. [99] Further, wheat is a major source for natural and biofortified nutrient supplementation, including dietary fiber, protein and dietary minerals. It is a kind of grass whose fruit is a "head of wheat" with edible seeds. [20] With the anomalous exception of two grains from Iraq ed-Dubb, the earliest carbon-14 date for einkorn wheat remains at Abu Hureyra is 7800 to 7500 years BCE. Bill Spiegel for agriculture.com March 11, 2013, Nevo, Eviatar & A.B. Triticum spp newly planted seeds or young plants trailer while moving birds, the... 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