Wheat

Cereal grain of wheat had been originally cultivated in the region of Levant in Near East and Ethiopian islands. In the present day scenario, wheat production is found to occur throughout the world. On a global level, wheat production ranks third after maize and rice, but trading of cereals is mostly at the level of wheat, rather than any other agricultural cereal product. It is also considered to be produced in the largest area on land, in comparison to any other kind of commercial food item. But, wheat is second only to the amount of cereal consumption, after rice and nutritionally, wheat is the largest store of proteins in human food. Worldwide consumption of wheat has grown, rather than having a decrease. The land area used for wheat production is larger than any other cereal grain. Throughout the world, it is a commonly consumed staple food. It also provides humans with a variety of food nutrients. Due to the adaptability of the plant to grow in diverse surroundings, it can be grown in variety of set ups. In many countries, it is the primary source of starch, and is easily digestible by people, up to the extent of about 99%. Red and white wheat are the two major types produced qualities of this grain.

Historically, wheat is more known for being responsible for establishing various societies in the past due to the property of wheat to be grown extensively on a large scale. Various societies, existing in the modern day, had come up as some of the earliest civilizations, near to the region of wheat cultivations. Areas like Babylon Crescent containing the lands of Babylon had emerged as the modern civilizations because of this indulgence. It is a staple food for many people, but along with that, wheat is also used for making flour, breads, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cakes, noodles and pasta. In some places, the use of wheat is also found in the making of beer, alcoholic beverages and biofuel. From the wheat plants, animal feed is prepared, and when the endosperm is removed, the remaining portion is known as barn and germ. Lots of minerals, vitamins, proteins and starches are found in this cereal grain.

From the early days of wheat cultivation, a number of newer techniques have been introduced again and again, resulting in increased productivity. Seed drills, harvester tractors, planters and few other machines have been introduced, which increases the overall productivity of wheat. Crop rotation was also instrumental in giving proper growth to productivity of wheat.

Wheat Production in India

Among the largest producers of wheat during the year 2010, EU was the top most regions in wheat production followed closely in second place by India. With rise in westernized products and increasing prosperity, per capital wheat consumption in India gradually increased. Wheat production in India is the second largest staple cereal grain, after the cultivation of rice. Apart from rice, wheat forms a major cultivation crop in the country, although it has the highest area under production in India. Total crop area under wheat production is about 29.8 million hectares. Production has also increased significantly from 2005 from 75.81 million MT to about 94.88 million MT in the year 2011-12. Majority of the wheat produce has increased in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while Madhya Pradesh has the highest area under wheat production.

Grain of this particular crop varies in consistency from different areas of production. Those produced from western and central India are typically high in protein, more glutinous and is hard. Durum quality of wheat is produced mostly from Madhya Pradesh. The wheat which is produced in India is of the soft and soft/medium variety, suitable for white bread, whereas those cultivated in US are mostly hard and suitable for brown bread. By the time India became independent in 1947, wheat production was quite poor due to various issues with the fertility of the soil, cultivation methods and equipments used and proneness to diseases. Thereafter in 1961, a commission was established to look exclusively into the production of wheat, which made it possible to increase productivity of this cereal in the country. Bumper increase in production resulted from the introduction of green revolution and India became self sufficient in the production of this cereal grain.

Wheat production in India is possibly divided into few zones, such as the Northern Hill zone, comprising of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, where some districts have high yield. North Western plain zone is the largest producer of wheat, comprising of states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and few districts of J&K and Chandigarh. North Eastern Plain zones are also having good production, comprising of the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Central zone, peninsular zone and Southern Hill zone contribute the rest of the production in India.

In India, wheat production is done across a number of soil varieties. Ideally, soils with loamy clay texture are best suited for wheat crops, as they have moderate water holding capacity. Neutral pH soil, heavy texture and good drainage with dry conditions are suited for this crop. The soil should have the property to absorb water and retain rain water, although water logging is not preferred. Even in lighter soil, wheat can be successively grown, provided the water retention capacity is improved and water logging is prevented.

Fertilizer usage in the production of wheat has been a major determinant for the rise in production. Proper mix of nitrogen, potash and phosphorus is required for optimum productivity. Further research has proved that sulphur can be a good component for enhancing the productivity of wheat in the soil. Few other mineral components have also been demonstrated to have beneficial effects. Nutrient management has also proven to be essential for boosting the production of wheat across various regions of India. Hence, it was planned that there should be some specific nutrient management plans for achieving targets in yields. Inorganic fertilization with integration of crop residues and bio fertilizers are to be used. Remote sensing for efficient nutrient management methods have been researched and implemented.

Methods of Growing Wheat in India

Few conservative methods of sowing of seeds are followed in India. In drilling method, the seeds are put in the soil by seed drill. By doing this, the crops tend to be buried up to a certain depth in the soil and the crops are germinated and grown to a specific height. To work with the seed drill, the soil should be clear of any kind of clods and weeds. The traditional method of hand dropping of seeds is done into furrows, which are created by the movement of the plough. By these Kera and Pora methods, the depth to which the seeds are buried is about 5-6 cms and germination is satisfactory. When the seed supply is limited, dibbling method is used. The tool used is called a dibbler, which is pressed with hand on the soil and one or two seeds are dropped into the holes. Since, it is quite time consuming, this method has not been used extensively. Broadcast method is perhaps the easiest way, where the seeds are thrown and then they are covered by harrowing. In this method, seeds are not uniformly distributed and shouldn’t be ideally encouraged. Seed germination is relatively poor and irregular plant stand is common. Seeds can get wasted in this method as they tend to remain above the soil in most cases.

Land preparation can be done by different methods. For good and uniform germination, the soil should be pulverized properly and seed bed should be compact. In areas where irrigation facilities are present, wheat is sown after the kharif crops like maize, bajra, jowar, moong and few others. After the harvesting of these crops, field is required to be ploughed properly. Tractor is a better option of pulverizing the soil and creating compact seed bed. Planking needs to be done after each ploughing, so that there is proper seed bed. Once, there should be a pre-sowing irrigation to ensure that there is enough germination. At this juncture, there should be sufficient addition of fertilizer and anti-insect pesticides, especially for the plants. Seed selection has to be done properly and in rain fed areas, the ploughing should be done with care, so as not allow moisture to be retained in the soil. Time of sowing has a huge bearing on the kind of produce and hence, it is dependent on a number of features, such as rain, climate, temperature, soil pH and other factors. Depending on the zones into which the Indian wheat production has been divided, the time of sowing is determined.

Wheat Growing States in India and Best Season

Climatic requirements are quite varied for wheat production. Since it has got great adaptability, it is possible to grow crops in tropical and subtropical areas as well as in temperate zones and cold areas of hills. It can be cultivated from plains to high altitudes and can withstand snow and rain, remaining dormant till the spring season sets in. But, the best quality and huge production of wheat is seen during the time when there is cool and moist temperature, mostly during the growing period and then, it should be followed by dry and warm weather to allow the grains to become ripe. For germination, the temperature should be around 20-25 deg C. After germination, if there are rains, then it might destroy the newly germinated seeds. Wheat production is not suitable in areas with damp and warm climates. When the plants are flowering and heading, there shouldn’t be extremes of temperature or drought. Also, cloudy weather and damp climate is not suitable. About 15 deg C is required for ripening. Temperatures below 25 deg C are good for grain filling and development. Primarily, wheat is a Rabi crop, suitable for sowing and ripening during the winter season in India.

Wheat is majorly produced from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Nowadays, India is gradually becoming self sufficient in wheat production and export amount productions are possible. Most of the states in India have suitability of soil, climate and equipments for the cultivation of wheat. The country has been divided into different zones, based on the yield, and among the 6 divided zones, North Western Plain zones are having the highest yields. Punjab and Haryana are the highest producers of wheat. North Eastern Plain zone, comprising of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand and West Bengal and Odisha, these states are also having good outputs. Different varieties of wheat are being produced in India and some of the varieties are also exported. It took several years for India to become self sufficient in wheat production and the present day scenario is quite bright for this particular cereal grain crop.

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