As far back as we have recorded history, mankind has regarded wheat as a staple food. Historians believe that early mankind was encouraged to end a nomadic existence by learning to cultivate wheat. Once they discovered they could grow and store the grain to eat during the long winters, and plant the seeds again the next spring to continue the cycle, mankind was no longer forced to move about in search of food. People were at last able to settle in one place, to build homes, to organize as a community, to plan ahead.
Wheat is a cereal grain, and grows in most of the world's climates. A crop of wheat is harvested somewhere in the world during every month of the year. Wheat is the third largest crop in the world after corn and rice. And it's a leading source of vegetable protein in food.
Wheat grown in the United States falls into two categories: winter wheat, which is planted in the fall and harvested in summer; and spring wheat, which is planted in spring after the final frost has passed. Spring wheat also matures in summer.
When wheat is ready for harvest, the plant turns a golden color and the stalks bend under the weight of the heavy kernels. After harvest the wheat is separated from the stalks and chaff. The stalks have a variety of end uses – mulch, construction material, and animal bedding. It can even be used as forage.
Pioneer purchased a wheat breeding program from W.R. Grace Company in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1970. The program was active in hard red winter, hard red spring and soft red classes of wheat. Today, Pioneer is market leader in the soft winter wheat region of the United States and has two research stations actively engaged in its product development.
As global demands for wheat and other food staples continue to evolve, so does the wheat business. Advances in technology are beginning to be applied toward wheat as the industry again increases investment in this important global grain.
At a glance…
When wheat is processed, the hard outer layer-the bran-is separated. The wheat is ground into white flour. The bran is packed with nutrition and offers many dietary benefits.
Wheat germ is the embryo portion of the wheat kernel. It is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and protein.
Wheat is used for food, to ferment beer and other alcoholic beverages, and for biofuel.
After harvest, the stalk remains in the field. It can be cut and baled for other end uses.
Pioneer Hi-Bred's wheat researchers have steadily improved grain yields and the overall package of defensive traits, providing the best soft wheat varieties on the market. Highlights of product development include:
Product Development – Pioneer breeders make more than 1,000 new genetic combinations every year to build on the strengths of our elite germplasm.
Disease Resistance – By leveraging new, marker-assisted selection technologies with strong breeding and disease screening programs, breeders can improve resistance to key diseases such as Fusarium head blight (scab), leaf rust, stripe rust, powdery mildew, leaf blight, soil borne viruses and barley yellow dwarf virus.
End-Use Quality – Pioneer develops wheat varieties for end-use traits such as flour milling and baking properties. Researchers also work with processors to identify varieties with added-value traits for end-use that could enhance profitability for Pioneer customers.
