Crop Production

• Wheat


  Scientific name: Triticum aestivum, Family: Gramineae or Poaceae
• Origin of wheat


  South-west Asian countries, from where it reached to European countries
• Important cultivated wheat species in India

  • Hexaploid [AABBDD], Triticum aestivum (Common bread wheat)
  • Tetraploid [AABB], Triticum durum (Macaroni wheat)
  • Diploid [AA], Triticum monococcum (Emmer wheat)
• Triticum aestivum (Common bread wheat)


  Accounts for a little over 87% of the total wheat production in India, good for chapati making and bakery products
• Triticum durum (Macaroni wheat)


  Accounts for about 12% of the total wheat production in India, good for 'suji', 'semya', 'sphagetti' and 'macaroni'
• Triticum dicoccum (Emmer wheat)


  Accounts for about 1% of the total wheat production in India, good for the South India dish 'Uppumav'
• Classification of wheat


  • Einkorn series (diploid)
  • Einkorn Series (tetraploid)
  • Dinkale series (hexaploid)
• Wheat plant


  • Can be divided into 2 distinct parts: root system and shoot system
• Root system


  Consists of seminal or seedling roots and secondary or adventitious roots
• Shoot system


  Comprises of stems, leaves and inflorescence
• Stem


  Erect, cylindrical, jointed and smooth. Bread wheat stems are hollow, except at the nodes where they are solid
• Leaves


  Consist of leaf sheath, leaf blade, ligule and auricle
• Inflorescence


  Known as 'ear' or 'head', botanically called a spike. Spikelets are systematically arranged along the central zig-zag axis rachis
• Kernel


  Wheat has a 'caryopsis' type of fruit. The typical wheat kernel is 3 to 10 mm in length and 3 to 5 mm in diameter
• Growth stages of wheat plant in North India


  1. Vegetative: Germination, CRI, Tillering, Jointing, Internode elongation

  2. Reproductive: Boot leaf, Flowering, Milking, Dough, Maturity
• CRI (Crown Root Initiation)


  First node of crown is formed near the soil surface, crown roots start developing at this node
• Tillering


  Lateral buds at nodes give rise to tillers, tiller initiation takes place 4 weeks after sowing
• Jointing stage


  Node production and active growth period, stem becomes visible with distinct nodes
• Heading


  Internodes begin to elongate, flag leaf and ear emerge
• Grain development


  Up to the end of soft dough stage of the grain
• India ranks 2nd in wheat production in the world
• Wheat growing zones in India

  • North West Plains Zone
  • North East Plains Zone
  • North West Hills Zone
  • Central Zone
  • Southern Hill Zone
  • Peninsular zone
• Varietal improvement in India

  Major breakthrough with introduction of Mexican Dwarf Wheat Ideotype in 1967-68, having Norin10 gene
• Recommended wheat varieties for different zones in India

  • North West Plains Zone (NWPZ)
  • North East Plains Zone (NEPZ)
  • North West Hills Zone (NWHZ)
  • Central Zone
  • Southern Zone
  • Peninsular Zone
• Categories of Indian Bread Wheat

  • Indian Amber Wheat
  • Indian Sona Wheat
  • Indian Pissi Wheat
  • Indian Hard Wheat
  • Durum wheat
• Soils for wheat cultivation

  Well drained loams and clay loams, alluvial soils of Gangetic plains, black cotton soils of central India, hilly soils of Himalaya, desert soils of Rajasthan
• Climate for wheat cultivation

  Cool and sunny winters are very conducive, temperature requirements: Germination 20-25°C, Accelerated growth 20-23°C, Proper grain filling 23-25°C
• Wheat season in India

  Grown during rabi or winter season, high temperatures at both ends of season restrict cultivation
• Sowing and seed rate for wheat

  • Seeding time
  • Seed rate (kg/ha)
  • Time of sowing
  • Spacing (cm)
  • Seeding depth
• Soil types for wheat cultivation in India

  • Alluvial soils of Punjab and Harayana
  • Black soils of central and southern India
  • Hilly soils of Himalaya
  • Desert soils of Rajasthan
• Wheat


  • Grown in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate climatic conditions
  • Major wheat area is under sub-tropical region
  • Cool and sunny winters are very conducive for growth
• Temperature requirements for wheat growth stages

  1. Germination: 20 to 25°C mean daily

  2. Accelerated growth: 20 to 23°C mean daily

  3. Proper grain filling: 23 to 25°C mean daily
• Rabi season


  Winter season when wheat is grown in India
• Sowing time and seed rate for wheat

  • Irrigated timely sown: 10-25 Nov, 100 kg/ha
  • Late sown irrigated: 25 Nov -25 Dec, 125 kg/ha
  • Rainfed timely sown: 15 Oct-30 Nov, 100 kg/ha
• Optimum sowing time for wheat by zone

  • North western plains: 1st fortnight of Nov - short duration, 2nd fortnight of Nov - long duration
  • North eastern plains: 2nd week of Nov - short duration, 1st week of Nov - long duration
  • Peninsular zone: October 2nd fortnight for all varieties
• Wheat sowing methods


  • Broadcasting
  • Sowing behind plough with hand (PORA)
  • Sowing behind plough with seed drill (KERA)
  • Dibbling
  • Zero/No-tillage
  • FIRB - Furrow irrigated raised bed system
• Advantages of zero tillage wheat


  • Timely sowing
  • Better placement of seed and fertilizers
  • Less seed requirement
  • Less requirement of labour
  • Line sown and optimum plant stand
  • Easy inter-culture & management
  • Less cost, more profit
• Preparatory cultivation for wheat

  Well pulverised but compact seed bed required for good and uniform germination
• Wheat row spacing


  • Rainfed: 30 cm
  • Irrigated areas: 22.5 cm
  • Favourable conditions: 30 X 10-15 cm (dibbling)
• Sowing depth


  • Dwarf varieties: 5-6 cm
  • Tall varieties: 8-9 cm