Description:

Wheat, a cereal grass of the Gramineae (Poaceae) family and of the genus Triticum and its edible grain, is the world's largest cereal-grass crop. Historians believe it has been growing since Paleolithic times and cultivated for at least 6,000 years. Its status as a staple is second only to rice. One reason for its popularity is that, unlike other cereals, wheat contains a high amount of gluten, the protein that provides the elasticity necessary for excellent bread making. Although over 30,000 varieties of wheat exist, the two major types are bread wheat and durum wheat. Hard wheat is high in protein (10 to 17 percent) and yields a flour rich in gluten, making it particularly suitable for yeast breads. The low-protein (6 to 10 percent) softer type yields a flour lower in gluten and, therefore, better suited for tender baked goods, such as biscuits, pastries, and cakes. T. durum wheat, although high in gluten, is not good for baking. Instead, it is often ground into semolina, the basis for excellent pasta, such as spaghetti and macaroni.

In the United States, wheat is also classified according to the time of year it is sown-namely, spring wheat (sown in the spring) and winter wheat (sown in the fall). The unprocessed wheat kernel, commonly known as a wheat berry, is made up of three major portions-bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheat bran, the rough outer covering, has little nutritional value, but plenty of fiber. During milling, the bran is removed from the kernel. It is sold separately and used to add flavor and fiber to baked goods. Wheat germ, essentially the embryo of the berry, is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. It has a nutty flavor and is very oily, which causes it to turn rancid quickly. People use wheat germ which is sold in both toasted and natural forms, to add nutrition to food. Wheat germ oil, an extraction of the germ, is strongly flavored and expensive. The wheat endosperm, which makes up the majority of the kernel, is full of starch, protein, niacin, and iron. It is the primary source of many wheat flours. In addition to flour, wheat is available in several other forms, including wheat berries, cracked wheat, and bulghur wheat. Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed kernels, whereas cracked wheat is the whole berry broken into coarse, medium, and fine fragments. Both are sold in health-food stores and may be cooked as cereal, or in pilafs, breads, or other dishes.

Statistics:

In 2005 global production of wheat was approximately 631 million tons. Wheat is Asia's second most important staple and has been growing much faster than rice. It now makes up 19.2 percent of total calorie supply. Production in Africa stood at 21 million tons and in Asia at almost 268 million tons. For the developing regions as a whole, the annual demand for wheat is projected to grow at 3 percent over the coming decade.

In 2005 the global area area harvested to wheat was approximately 220 million hectares, of which 98 million hectares were in Asia, 60 million hectares in Europe, and 10 million hectares in Africa.

Wheat is the main staple crop in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is also the leading per capita producer of wheat. The MENA region consumed 160 percent of the wheat it produces, indicating the continuing need for heavy imports. Wheat covers an exceptionally high 44.3 percent of the region's total food supply. Durum wheat accounts for 5 percent of developing country wheat production, and 80 percent of it is grown in the MENA region.

Wheat is becoming increasingly popular in Africa, with output up two-thirds in the past 20 years, because of rising yields (63 percent). With an average 95.1 percent yield increase in all developing regions (1970/74 - 1990/94), wheat was the best performer among the food crops reviewed. It also was the only crop the yield increases of which closely matched the quantitative demand growth (97.3 percent) over the same period. However, the wheat area harvested expanded by 17 percent over the period; thus, indicating that wheat output exceeded quantitative demand by a considerable margin, bringing down prices and substituting wheat for other staples.

How Wheat is Used

The greatest portion of the wheat flour produced is used for breadmaking. Wheats grown in dry climates are generally hard types and are best suited for this activity. The softer wheats of the humid areas produces flour suitable for cakes, crackers, cookies, pastries, and household flours. Durum wheat semolina is used for making pastas, or alimentary pastes. Although most wheat is grown for human food, industry uses small quantities to produce starch, paste, malt, dextrose, gluten, alcohol, and other products. Inferior and surplus wheats and various milling byproducts are used for livestock feeds.

Nutritional Information

Wheat grain, a major source of energy in human diet, is higher in protein content than almost all other cereals. On an average the kernel contains 12 percent water, 70 percent carbohydrates, 12 percent protein, 2 percent fat, 1.8 percent minerals, and 2.2 percent crude fibers. Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and small amounts of vitamin A are also present. A pound of wheat contains about 1,500 calories. In West Asia/North Africa, as well as Central Asia, it contributes more calories to diets than all other cereals combined.

CGIAR Center’s Work

Two CGIAR centers, CIMMYT and ICARDA, have contributed to developing and distributing improved varieties of wheat in collaboration with national research institutions.

CIMMYT: Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center). It serves as the world center for the improvement of bread wheat, durum wheat, and triticale. It also is a repository for a significant proportion of the world's publicly available genetic resources of bread wheat. The Wheat Program of CIMMYT has provided a continuous stream of outstanding germplasm to national agricultural research systems, which had dramatically changed wheat production in the developing world.

CIMMYT also develops cropping practices that help farmers and researchers realize their full potential. CIMMYT's semi-dwarf materials are bred to yield well under a range of cropping conditions, both favorable and unfavorable. They yield at least as well as locally adapted wheats when climatic conditions are unfavorable, yet yield much more when conditions improve.

CIMMYT-derived wheats produce more grain, because they make better use of available water and nutrients than local varieties. They possess durable resistance to damaging wheat diseases, such as stem rust and leaf rust, plus greater tolerance to environmental stresses, such as poor soil fertility and drought, which together have greatly increased the reliability of yields in farmers' fields. These traits also reduce the amount of fertilizer and pesticides that farmers apply to wheat, a real boon to the environment.

CIMMYT varieties now cover at least 50 million hectares and account for 70 percent of improved varieties.

A collaborative program between CIMMYT and ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of wheat in West Asia and North Africa. Through ICARDA's collaboration with CIMMYT, it has been possible to introduce wheat production south of Khartoum in Sudan.

In 2005 the CGIAR invested approximated $25 million in wheat research.

Sources:

CGIAR Financial Report 2005

FAO. FAOSTAT.

CIMMYT web site.

ICARDA web site.