Wheat Grade 3

Product Description

The cultivation of wheat (Triticum spp.) reaches far back into history. Wheat was one of the first domesticated food crops and for 8 **0 years has been the basic staple food of the major civilizations of Europe, West Asia and North Africa. Today, wheat is grown on more land area than any other commercial crop and continues to be the most important food grain source for humans. Its production leads all crops, including rice, maize and potatoes.

Although the crop is most successful between the latitudes of *0° and *0°N and *7° and *0°S , wheat can be grown beyond these limits, from within the Arctic Circle to higher elevations near the equator.

Development research by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) during the past two decades has shown that wheat production in much warmer areas is technologically feasible.

In altitude, the crop is grown from sea level to more than 3 **0 masl, and it has been reported at 4 **0 masl in Tibet.

The optimum growing temperature is about *5°C, with minimum and maximum growth temperatures of 3° to 4°C and *0° to *2°C, respectively. Wheat is adapted to a broad range of moisture conditions from xerophytic to littoral.

Although about three-fourths of the land area where wheat is grown receives an average of between **5 and **5 mm of annual precipitation, it can be grown in most locations where precipitation ranges from **0 to 1 **0 mm.

Optimal production requires an adequate source of moisture availability during the growing season; however, too much precipitation can lead to yield losses from disease and root problems.