Shikha Awasthi

Wheat is an annual plant of Graminease family, it belong to genus Triticum. Although as many as 18 species of wheat have been described and recognized by Percival (1921) only a few are of importance in agriculture. In India only three species of wheat namely Triticum aestivum (Common bread wheat), Triticum durum (Macaroni or durum wheat) & Triticum dicocum (emmer wheat) are economically important. The bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the most important species accounting to a little over 87% of the total wheat production of India followed by the durum wheat & Dicocum wheat. The common bread wheat (T. Aestivum) which is good for chapati making and bakery products, is grown in whole of North India and also in central and South India. The durum wheat which is good for Suji' 'Semyeea' 'Sphageti' and 'Macaroni' is grown only in central and South India and that too under rainfed conditions. The dicocum wheat is grown only on limited acreage in TamilNadu, A. P., Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is good for the South India dish' 'Uppamav' Wheat crop has wide adoptability. It can be grown not only in the tropical can sub-tropical zones but also in the temperate zone.