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Wheat
Wheat plant is one of the most important cereals. This plant is one year old and belongs to the family of gramines (wheat) and has two species, domestic and wild. Its scientific name is Triticum spp. This food item evolved and became domesticated in an area located in eastern Iraq, as well as in Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, around 15,000 to 10,000 years BC.
The cultivated area of wheat in the world is more than all cereals. The United States of America, China, India, France, Canada, Turkey and Italy are the most important wheat producers, respectively. In the countries of Canada, the United States of America, Australia and France, the production of wheat is more than their domestic consumption, and for this reason, most of their wheat production is exported.
Features of wheat plant
Wheat has spiked inflorescences. A spike consisting of two glumes and three florets usually emerges from each node. Sometimes the number of flowers reaches 9. The wheat grain is placed between two spoon-like covers called the outer diaper (lemma) and the inner diaper (palea).
Wheat leaves, like the leaves of other cereals (except corn and millet), are thin and narrow and have small tabs. According to its species, the wheat fruit is 3 to 10 mm long and 3 to 5 mm in diameter and includes these parts:
Seedling: or embryo, which makes up approximately 2.5% of the weight of the grain and is rich in protein and fat, which is usually separated in the preparation of wheat flour.
Bran: It is the shell of the seed and makes up approximately 14% of the weight of the seed. Bran is also separated from the grain like a seedling in the flour making stage and is usually used for animal feed.
Endosperm: Contains the starchy material of the wheat grain and comprises approximately 83-87% of the whole grain. The endosperm has starch grains and protein substances, whose starch grains are stuck together by gluten, which is one of the proteins in the seed. The amount of gluten in the grain varies according to the type and breed of wheat. It is the amount of wheat gluten that determines its quality. Hard red spring and autumn wheats have more gluten, and for this reason, the value of making bread from them is higher. Because the dough made from flour that is rich in gluten, due to its stretchy state, it is able to hold more gases caused by fermentation, and for this reason, the dough rises better and its volume increases.
Suitable climate for growing wheat
The ideal conditions for growing wheat are cool weather during vegetative growth, moderate weather during seed formation, and hot and dry weather during harvest. Therefore, in regions with harsh winters, wheat cultivation faces problems such as winter frost. Of course, we should know that wheat is not very resistant to drought and cannot tolerate drought and lack of water for a long time. But it is able to adapt itself to dry conditions to a certain extent and by forming smaller cells which eventually causes the formation of small leaves and as a result smaller openings, it reduces the level of transpiration and is partially protected from the adverse effects of dehydration.
Types of wheat
Wheat is usually divided into two general categories: spring wheat and autumn wheat. These two types, in addition to the fact that their seeds are different in terms of color, texture, shape, etc., their growth and development conditions are also different. These two types of wheat are cultivated in two different times of the year. Wheat grain has a groove that runs along the length of the grain. The depth of this furrow is high in autumn wheat and low in spring wheat. The sides of this groove are round in spring wheat and angular in autumn wheat.
Spring wheat spring wheat: As the name suggests, spring wheat is planted in early spring. After sprouting, the young plant grows in spring and early summer and its crop is harvested by late summer. Spring wheat is usually grown in areas where autumn wheat cannot withstand the harsh winter cold of those areas. Of course, the yield of autumn wheat is higher than that of spring. Spring wheat is usually planted after the seeds are prepared and when the soil temperature reaches one degree Celsius above zero. If the weather conditions allow, wheat can be planted earlier so that its growth period is longer and its yield is higher.
Autumn wheat autumn wheat: This type of wheat is cultivated in the Northern Hemisphere, in the autumn season when the soil temperature is lower than 13 degrees Celsius. First, autumn wheat seeds germinate. Then in the winter season, the plant remains as a small young plant and with the beginning of the spring season, it starts its growth and development again. Usually, in one of the months of June, July or August, the seeds ripen and are ready to be harvested.
In order for spring wheat to reach the flowering stage, it must be exposed to cold weather for a long time. If autumn wheat is planted in spring, because it does not survive the cold period, it cannot form a good flower.
Compared to spring wheat, autumn wheat has deeper and denser roots that penetrate up to 200 cm into the soil. This is due to the fact that autumn wheat have a longer growing season.
Suitable conditions for wheat growth
Soil: Deep sandy and clay soil with good drainage is suitable for growing wheat. Basically, wheat yield in dry conditions (irrigated with rain) is higher in fine-textured soils, because such soils are able to retain water better and for a longer period of time. But under irrigated conditions (where the farmer irrigates the plant himself), wheat is usually not much affected by its soil texture.
Water: Like other plants, wheat cannot germinate in dry soil. Spring wheat always has its required moisture due to winter moisture stored in the soil. But the soil moisture of autumn wheat usually causes problems in the germination process. If the soil does not have enough moisture for germination or the initial growth of the sprout, the seeds may rot or be exposed to cold damage.
Wheat growth
Wheat plant and other types of cereals, like many plants, have two stages of growth: vegetative and reproductive. Germination, greening, and tillering are part of the vegetative stage, and stem growth and the formation of inflorescences and seeds are part of the reproductive stages of the plant. They use growth regulators to control and regulate the growth of wheat. One of these materials is Cicocel (brand name CCC). The scientific name of this chemical is 2-chloroethylmethylammonium chloride, which: Increases wheat cell membrane. It increases the number of vascular bundles in the stem. It increases the root growth and increases the resistance of wheat plants against drought. Increases the efficiency of wheat in water consumption. So it is possible to plant wheat in low rainfall areas and produce a product as good as that of high rainfall areas. Increases wheat resistance to soil salinity, It is better to use nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers for wheat growth. Potassium is also necessary for the growth of wheat plants.
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