Wheat was established food crop at the dawn of history. It probably originated from grasses native to the Middle East, but cultivation of bread wheat was common in Europe by the time of the Greek and Roman Empires, and wheat was brought to America by the earliest explorers.
It is grown in temperate zones around the world and on some part of every continent except Antarctica.
The main wheat exporting countries are Canada, USA, Argentina, Australia, EU and Kazakhstan. The wheat importing countries are Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, countries of North Africa, Nigeria, Baltic Republic, Philippines and the Central Asian countries.
The principle species of wheat are Triticum vulgae or bread wheat: T.durum, which has extra hard kennels used primarily for macaroni and related pasta products; and T.compactum or club wheat, which has very soft kernels.
These are numerous varieties and cultivars within each species. Wheat is also classified in the United States according to weather is hard or soft, white or red, and planted in winter or spring.
Hard red spring: contains the highest percentage of protein of the wheat classes, baking it excellent for bread with superior milling and baking characteristics.
Soft white wheat: Contains know protein content but is high yielding. It produces flour for baking cakes, crackers, cookies, pastries, quick breads, muffins, and snack foods.
Hard white spring wheat: the newest class of wheat in the USA. This class has a milder, sweeter flavor, equal fiber and similar milling and baking properties to red wheat.
It is also graded according to such criteria as test weight. It is also graded according to such criteria as test weight per bushel and content of damaged kernels, foreign materials, and wheat of other classes.
Wheat grain qualities relates to how successfully wheat and flour perform in consumer products and industrial processes.
Enhancing wheat quality improves processing efficiencies, makes more desirable and more diverse consumer products and ensures the competitiveness of farmers grain merchandisers, miller and end processers.
Much of progress in raising wheat yields over the past four decades can be attributed to three major factors:
*The expansion of irrigation in developing countries
*The spread of high yielding semi dwarf wheat varieties
*Rapid increases in the use of chemical fertilizers on all crops
Wheat production
