Kerry French, age 12, of Galveston, Tex., for her question:
WHAT IS WINTER WHEAT?
There are two general groups of wheat. winter wheat and spring wheat The kind planted depends primarily on the climate.
Winter wheats are used in mild climates. Spring wheats are found in areas where the winters are extremely cold. Each major wheat group includes varieties of both hard and soft wheat.
Winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested the following spring or summer Winter wheat gets a start before cold weather begins. Growth stops during the winter, then begins again in the spring.
If winter wheat is planted in the spring, it ordinarily will not head or produce a crop. Winter wheat needs fairly low temperatures so that it can develop properly during early growth.
Among important varieties of winter wheat grown in the United States are Triumph, Wichita, Pawnee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Knox and Seneca.
Spring wheat is planted in the spring and ripens the same summer, usually a few weeks after the winter wheat. If spring wheat is planted in the fall, it will not live through the winter except in mild climates or during unusually warm winters.
Among important varieties of spring wheat grown in the United States are Selkirk Lee, Thatcher, Conley, Rescue, Rushmore and Centana.
All of the wheat grown throughout the world belongs to one of 14 species. Seven of these species are grown in the United States, but only three are of special importance. These are common, club and durum wheats.
Common wheat is bread wheat. It probably originated in Turkey and southern Russia. The most important common wheat states are Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota.
Club wheat grows only in the Pacific Coast states Elgin and Hymar are the leading club wheats.
Durum is a hard, tough wheat. It is similar to Polish and English wheats, but is much more important commercially. Spaghetti and macaroni makers use Stewart and mindum varieties of durum wheat, because they hold together well while cooking. In North America, durum wheat grows in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota and in parts of Canada.
Each species of wheat is divided into many varieties. About 30,000 varieties of wheat are grown in various parts of the world.
More than 200 varieties of wheat grow in the United States. Each is different from the others in some way. Experts study these varieties in milling laboratories and agricultural experiment stations. They analyze these wheats and crossbreed them to get the best qualities of each.
Hybrid wheats are developed by crossbreeding varieties of wheat.