Wheat
Brought to you by: Aaron Johannsen
Description of Wheat
Wheat is classified as a cereal of Gramineae (herbaceous or woody (cereals, bamboo, sugar cane)) family. Herbaceous plant that is also an annual with a similar structure of a cane (stick like). The stem is hollow except at the nodes where the leaves grow.
Location of Wheat
Wheat is an adaptive plant that can be grown all around the world through the different types of wheat. In the United States 42 states grow wheat. Of those 42 states Kansas prevails as largest producer, producing enough to make a whopping 36 billion loaves of bread!
Growth of Wheat
The growing of wheat is based on scale called the Feekes Scale. Feekes Scale begins at 1.0 (emergence) and ends at 11.4 (maturity). Feekes 1 is emergence. Feekes 2-3, tillering (producing side shoots). Feekes 4-5, greening (plant greens and side shoots are formed). Feekes 6, jointing (first node is visible). Feekes 8, more nodes and flag leaf (last leaf). Feekes 9-11, flowering and maturity.
Farming of Wheat
The production of wheat starts with the use of a wheat drill which is essentially and plow for wheat and wheat only. The use of insecticides is almost always a necessity. Harvesting is the matter of using a typical combine with a soybean head.
Pests
All pests of wheat are common pests of the soybean. Pests focus on eat or destroying the leaves and stem/stalk.
5 Uses
- Pasta products
- Assorted flours
- Livestock Feed
- Breads
- Livestock bedding (wheat straw)
FUN FACTS
- Many different "breeds" of wheat including: Durum wheat, Hard red spring wheat, Hard red winter wheat, Hard white winter wheat, Soft red winter wheat, and soft white wheat.
- Grown in 42 states with Kansas claiming the title of largest wheat producer in 2008
Sources
- http://www.botanical-online.com/english/wheat.htm#
- https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-422.pdf
- http://www.wisegeek.org/how-is-wheat-grown-and-harvested.htm
- http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/ggpages/wheatpests.html#aphids
- http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0146.html
- http://agron-www.agron.iastate.edu/Courses/agron212/Readings/Oat_wheat_history.htm
- http://www.kn-eat.org/F2S/F2S_Docs/Nutrition_Education/Wheat_Poster.pdf