What percentage of the world's wheat is common wheat (Triticum aestivum)?
About 95% of all wheat produced worldwide is common wheat, also known as bread wheat. It is also the cereal with the highest monetary yield of all cereal crops.
Questions about Common wheat
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where was common wheat first domesticated?
Common wheat was first domesticated in West Asia during the early Holocene. From there it spread to North Africa, Europe, and East Asia during the prehistoric period.
What is the chromosome structure of bread wheat and where do the chromosomes come from?
Bread wheat is an allohexaploid, carrying six sets of chromosomes. Four sets come from emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum) and two come from Aegilops tauschii, a wild diploid goatgrass.
Who introduced dwarfing genes into modern wheat varieties and when?
Norman Borlaug introduced RHt dwarfing genes into modern wheat varieties in the 1960s, using Norin 10 cultivars of wheat grown in Japan. These genes reduce the plant's sensitivity to gibberellic acid, keeping stems short and preventing lodging under heavy fertilization.
When did wheat first arrive in North America?
Wheat first reached North America with Spanish missions in the 16th century. North America did not become a major grain exporter until the colonization of the prairies in the 1870s.
What are compact wheats and how do they relate to common wheat?
Compact wheats, such as club wheat (Triticum compactum) and in India T. sphaerococcum, are closely related to common wheat but have a more compact ear with shorter rachis segments. They are often classified as subspecies of Triticum aestivum rather than separate species.