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Wheat

Wheat was first domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago from wild emmer wheat in the Fertile Crescent region. Over generations, wheat evolved through natural selection and human intervention to increase yields and develop desirable traits. Modern wheat varieties have undergone significant changes compared to ancient wheat, such as shorter stature, larger seeds, improved disease resistance, and higher yields. Today there are several classes of wheat grown around the world, each suited for different food applications like bread, noodles, and pasta.

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356 views

Wheat

Wheat was first domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago from wild emmer wheat in the Fertile Crescent region. Over generations, wheat evolved through natural selection and human intervention to increase yields and develop desirable traits. Modern wheat varieties have undergone significant changes compared to ancient wheat, such as shorter stature, larger seeds, improved disease resistance, and higher yields. Today there are several classes of wheat grown around the world, each suited for different food applications like bread, noodles, and pasta.

Uploaded by

Anni Quimverly Crencia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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EFOLUTION OF WHEAT

EVOLUTION OF WHEAT
INTRODUCTION
• Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain which is a
world wide staple food.

* There are many species of wheat which together make up the genus
Triticum; the most widely grown is common wheat (T. aestivum)

• Wheat genetics is more complicated than that of most other


domesticated species. Some wheat species are diploid with two sets of
chromosomes, but many are stable polyploids, with four sets of
chromosomes (tetraploid) or six (hexaploid).
Objectives
• To be able to understand the historical development and genetic
changes of wheat over time.

• To be able to learn about the domestication of wild wheat species


and the genetic modifications that have led to the modern current
varieties we have today.

• To be able to explore the evolution of wheat and can gain insights


into the genetic diversity, varieties, and characteristic traits that
have shaped wheat and its significance in agriculture.
Center of Origin
Wheat is believed to have originated in the region of southwestern Asia,
specifically in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, which includes parts of
modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. This area is commonly recognized
as the birthplace of agriculture, where ancient people initiated the farming
and domestication of crops, including wheat, approximately 10,000 years
ago.
Center of Diversity
Its center of diversity is in the Mediterranean and does not coincide
with the geographical center of emmer origin. A similar disagreement exists
in hexaploid wheat. Its center of molecular diversity is in Turkey, which is
west of the putative site of its origin in Transcaucasia and north-western
Iran.
Geographic Distribution

Wheat is widely cultivated cereal, spread from 57ºN to 47ºS


latitude. Hence, wheat is cultivated and harvested throughout the
year in one country or other. China, India, Russian federation,
USA, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey
are most important wheat growing countries. In India, UP, Punjab,
Haryana, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Uttaranchal and West Bengal are the important wheat cultivating
states.
Ancestors of Wheat

Wheat was domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago in the


Middle East region known as the Fertile Crescent from an
ancestor called wild emmer. Natural breeding between wild
emmer and another wild relative, goat grass, in the
southwestern Caspian Sea region gave rise to bread wheat as
what we knew it today.
Morphological changes of the wheat from before to now

1. Increased Yield
2. Shorter Stature
3. Uniformity
4. Resistance to Pests and Diseases
5. Improved Grain Quality
6. Adaptation to Climate
Chromosome number

Spelt and Common bread wheat were the result of natural


hybridisation between Emmer wheat and the wild goat-grass Aegilops
tauschii. This hybridisation took the tetraploid to a hexaploid, now
containing six sets of chromosomes (i.e. 42 chromosomes),
somewhat different to the 14 in the original species.
Comparison of the wheat ancestor and now

1. Plant Height:
- Before: Ancient wheat varieties were typically taller with long, slender stems.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties are generally shorter, a result of breeding for shorter stems to
prevent lodging (stem breakage) and increase yield.

2. Seed Size and Shape:


- Before: Ancient wheat had smaller seeds and a variety of seed shapes.
- Today: Modern wheat has larger, more uniform seeds with a consistent oval or elliptical shape.

3. Number of Grains per Spike:


- Before: Older wheat varieties often had fewer grains per spike.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties tend to have more grains per spike, enhancing yield potential.

4. Chaff:
- Before: Ancient wheat had a tougher, thicker chaff, which needed to be removed during
processing.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties have thinner and easier-to-remove chaff, simplifying harvesting
and processing.
5. Disease Resistance:
- Before: Ancient wheat had limited resistance to pests and diseases.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties are bred for improved resistance to various pests and diseases,
reducing the need for chemical pesticides.

6. Adaptation to Climate:
- Before: Older wheat types were often region-specific and less adaptable to varying climates.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties are bred to be more adaptable and have a wider geographical range of
cultivation.

7. Nutritional Content:
- Before: Ancient wheat varieties had different nutritional profiles, with varying protein and nutrient
content.
- Today: Modern wheat is often bred for higher protein content, making it more suitable for bread-making.

8. Photoperiod Sensitivity:
- Before: Ancient wheat was often sensitive to changes in day length.
- Today: Modern wheat varieties are bred to be less sensitive to photoperiod, allowing for more flexible
planting and harvesting.
Wild relatives of Wheat

Wild relatives

Figure 1.0 The combination of the A, B, and D genomes led to common bread wheat, which has all three
genomes. From left to right, A genome, Triticum urartu; B genome, Aegilops speltoides ligustica; D
genome, Aegilops tauschii; and A+B+D genome, Triticum aestivum. Photo credit: Pat Byrne.
The A genome ancestor of wheat is Triticum urartu, and the B genome
is thought to have originated with a close relative of Aegilops speltoides.
Hybridization between these progenitors less than one million years ago
(Marcussen et al., 2014) gave rise to the tetraploid species Triticum
turgidum ssp. dicoccoides, known as wild emmer, having the AABB
genome constitution. This wild species was domesticated to form emmer
wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum), which gave rise to durum or
pasta wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum). Both emmer and durum
wheats are tetraploids with genome designation AABB.
Factors that contributed to the evolution

• Natural selection played a role as wild grasses with favorable traits, such as larger seeds and
non-shattering seed heads, were naturally favored in their ecosystems.

• Human intervention is another crucial factor.

• Geographical factor

• Trade and cultural exchanges played a pivotal role in spreading wheat varieties across
different regions.

• The advent of scientific agriculture in the 20th century, which included selective breeding and
genetic modification, accelerated the evolution of wheat by enabling precise control over
desirable traits.
Characteristics of current varieties of the crop

Figure 1.1 Wheat classes and its varieties


Hard Red Winter
Versatile, with excellent milling and baking characteristics for pan bread, Hard Red Winter wheat is
also a choice wheat for Asian noodles, hard rolls, flat breads, general purpose flour and cereal.

Hard Red Spring


The “aristocrat of wheat” when it comes to “designer” wheat foods like hearth breads, rolls,
croissants, bagels and pizza crust, Hard Red Spring wheat is also a valued improver in flour blends.

Soft Red Winter


It is a great, weak-gluten (low protein) wheat with excellent milling and baking characteristics

Soft White
This low moisture wheat with high extraction rates creates a whiter product.

Hard White
Hard white shares its territory with Hard Red Winter wheat, but is grown on a much smaller scale.

Durum
This wheat has a high protein (aka gluten) content that is perfecto for pasta and couscous and some
Mediterranean breads. Durum is the hardest of all wheats and has a rich amber color.

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