WHEAT!!!!!
THE #2 CROP OF THE WORLD
The Wheat Plant
The Wheat plant is the first know plant to be domesticated in human history. Wheat comes from the Fertile Crescent which is now modern day Syria. Wheat is the largest cereals grain in world, and is the 2nd largest grown commercial plant in the world. The most common breed of wheat grown around the world is the Hard Red Winter Wheat breed. The wheat plant grows best in almost any climate. Due to cross breading the wheat plant can grow anywhere except freezing cold climates.
The Wheat Harvest
The Wheat harvest starts in Texas each May and ends in Canada in September. Early Wheat harvest before the time of combines all wheat harvest was done by hand. The Scythe was used to cut the stalk of the wheat plant and then the stalk was left on the ground where people would go and wrap bundles of the stalks of wheat and then where taking to farms where they were stored. Now days combines are the main way to harvest grain. The head of the combine has a spinning wheel that pulls the stalks into a razor sharp sickle blade that cuts the stalk. The stalk is then fed into the feeder house. The grain is spun against a concave that spins at 9,000 rpm. The grain is knocked lose from the stalk and is fed into the holding bin.
Wheat Pest and Diseases
The most common and threatening diseases for the wheat plant is called,"Ug99" or also called Wheat Stem Rust Wheat Stem Rust is most common in Africa, Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Stem Rust attacks the stem and kills the plant in a matter of days. The only know solution for Ug99 is breads of Wheat that are resistance to Ug99.
Wire worms are a pest of Wheat crops. Soon after planting the worm may eat the seed causing lose of acres and replanting, and they also will tunnel into the stem causing the plant to wilt and die. The only way to get rid of them is to plant treated seed that kills the worm once it has bitten into the seed.
Fun Facts
- One acre of Wheat will feed 9,000 people
- Wheat is more than 20% of the worlds crop supplie
- Kananas is the largest producer of wheat
- China is the #1 grower of Wheat
- 1/3 of the world depends on wheat
- Wheat is on over 3,000 foods
W
Combine
This is a combine harvesting wheat.
Threshing
The inside of combine