What is Bread wheat?
Bread wheat, Triticum aestivum, is a cereal grown for flour and many foods. Durum wheat is a different species.
Botany and life cycle
1. Identity and native range Triticum aestivum belongs to Poaceae. Long selection and its multiple ancestral genomes distinguish bread wheat from wild relatives. 2. How to recognize it It has narrow parallel-veined leaves, jointed stems and spikelets bearing grains. Each grain is a cereal fruit with a tightly associated seed. 3. Flowering and reproduction Flowers often self-pollinate, though wind can move pollen. Weather and cultivar influence grain filling.
Ecology, cultivation and uses
4. Habitat and ecology Varieties suit different temperate growing seasons. Water and soil needs vary; intensive monocultures require soil and pest management. 5. Cultivation and care Sow for local conditions, manage nutrients and disease, and base irrigation on rainfall and soil. Excess water also harms roots. 6. Uses and cautions Grain becomes flour, bulgur and other food. Wheat contains gluten and is unsuitable for people with celiac disease.