Wheat

Wheat, cereal plant (genus Triticum) of the grass family, the world's main cereal crop; about 300 million tons are produced every year, mostly used to make flour for bread and pasta. Wheat has been in cultivation since at least 5000 B.C. and grows best in temperate regions of Europe, North America, China, and Australia. The USSR is the largest producer, followed by the United States and Canada. There are many varieties of wheat, and different parts of the grain are used to produce the various types of flour. Grains comprise an outer husk called bran and a central starchy germ (which is embedded in a protein known as gluten). Wheat is graded as hard or soft depending on how easily the flour can be separated from the bran. Wheat for bread is hard wheat and contains a lot of gluten. Soft wheat flours containing more starch and less protein are used for pastries. There are 2 main types of wheat; these are sown either in the fall (winter wheat) or in the spring (spring wheat). Harvesting is carried out by combine harvesters that cut and thresh the crop in one operation. Wheat is vulnerable to several diseases, including smut, rust, army worm, and Hessian fly.