Winter wheat varieties: description and characteristics of the top 10, pros and cons

Wheat is one of the most common and important cereals for humanity. It has the largest number of varieties that are used to prepare a variety of products - from bread and pastries to pasta. Each of the varieties of winter wheat has its own characteristics, important not only for classification, but also for use with a specific purpose.

Types of varieties

According to the quality of the ear and straw, wheat is divided into two groups:

1. Real wheat.
2. Spelled.

In real wheat, the grain is easily separated from the films.The ear is firmly attached to the stem, the straw is resilient and durable, and does not collapse during threshing. In spelled, all the characteristics are strictly reversed: the grain is firmly held in the film, the ear is easily separated from the stem, the straw crumbles during product processing.

The scientific classification of wheat is complex, but the division into soft and hard varieties is important. This is due to the fact that flour from different types of wheat has completely opposite technical properties and is used to obtain different products.

Soft

Soft varieties of wheat account for more than 95% of its total. They grow in areas with a humid temperate and hot climate, so their distribution area falls on regions such as Western and Central Europe, Russia and countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. Also, these varieties are found in Australia.

Soft wheat has thin-walled straw with a cavity inside that extends to length. Its grain has a glassy, semi-glassy or powdery interior texture. The color of the shells can vary from white to a rich reddish hue.

The starch particles in this grain are large, soft and loose, so the resulting flour is thin and crumbly. It does not absorb liquids added to it well, the products quickly become stale. Such characteristics make soft wheat and the flour made from it more suitable for baking, bread and confectionery.

Solid

Durum wheat has a dense, whole straw, small and hard grain, painted brownish or golden yellow. It prefers a drier and warmer climate, so it is found in the Mediterranean region and in dozens of countries around the world with suitable weather.

It has small and hard inclusions of starch. The flour obtained from such grains contains a lot of gluten (gluten), and the structure is uniform and fine grained.It quickly absorbs water and other liquids, and products from it retain freshness for a long time without becoming stale. These characteristics make durum wheat flour ideal for quality pasta.

When cooked, they do not boil soft, retain their shape, and have a delicate taste.

The best frost-resistant

Wheat can be winter and spring. Winter crops are sown in late summer-early autumn, depending on the region. It is more demanding on soil quality, therefore it is more suitable for sowing in regions with black soil and chestnut fertile soils.

Before the onset of cold weather, winter crops have time to germinate and take root well. They are favored by mild weather with plenty of moisture.Such wheat is quite indifferent to weather conditions, the main thing is that the crops are covered with snow before the onset of severe cold. Therefore, winter varieties released for cold areas are the most frost-resistant.

In the spring, after the snow cover has melted, the seedlings receive a large portion of water, which, combined with fertile soil, leads to rapid plant growth. Winter wheat can be soft and hard, but in our regions it is soft varieties that are more common, due to the climate and high humidity. Very few hard varieties of winter crops are planted, mainly in those areas where the climate suits them more.

Most popular varieties

Since wheat is one of the most demanded and important cereal crops for humanity, its selection has not stopped since the time when people learned how to cross the first wild varieties.Despite the fact that in recent years there has been an increase in interest in such old types and variants of wheat as spelled, spelled and dicorn, breeding of its modern varieties and varieties continues.

Scientists are trying to develop new varieties that will not only be suitable for sowing in different climatic zones, but will also be resistant to a set of diseases of cereal crops, as well as show high and stable yields, resistance to weather conditions.

Scepter

Winter soft wheat variety recommended for cultivation in the Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and Pskov regions of Russia.

Pros:

1. Medium drought tolerance, according to standard.
2. Resistant to shedding of grain from the ear.
3. Frost resistance.
4. Baking quality.
5. Resistant to standing sprout, bunt, moderately resistant to leaf rust.

Cons:

1. Susceptible to snow mold, powdery mildew, septoria.

Thunder

Winter wheat is a valuable variety, part of the Lutescens variety.

Pros:

1. Winter hardiness.
2. Lodging resistance.
3. Relative drought tolerance.
4. Mid-season variety.
5. Suitable for baking bread and baked goods.

Cons:

1. Susceptibility to a number of diseases.

Alekseich

The variety is recommended for cultivation in the Belgorod region, the Northern and Southern foothill zones of the Krasnodar Territory, the Azov and Southern zones of the Rostov region, the Stavropol Territory and the Republic of Adygea.

Belongs to the Lutescens variety.

Pros:

1. Mid-season variety.
2. Winter hardiness above average.
3. Resistant to lodging.
4. Strong wheat.

Cons:

1. The growing region is limited to the southern regions of the Russian Federation.

Tanya

High-yielding semi-dwarf variety. Yield leader in industrial cultivation.

Pros:

1. Resistant to most diseases common in soft winter wheat.
2. Early.
3. Boneless ear.
4. Resistant to lodging.

Cons:

1. Demanding on agricultural background.
2. It is important to choose the right planting areas.

Stayless 100

Medium-sized cultivar of the Lutescens variety. The ear is cylindrical, with short awn processes in the upper part, without a wax coating.

Pros:

1. Mid-early variety.
2. Winter hardiness above average.
3. Lodging resistance.
4. Strong wheat.

Cons:

1. Moderate yield.
2. Susceptibility to a number of cereal diseases.

Yuka

The variety was obtained by fourfold selection based on hybrids of Polovchanka and Rufa varieties. It is characterized by drought resistance and productivity, which makes it possible to use the variety in areas with similar climatic characteristics.Refers to the yellow variety (lutescens).

Pros:

1. Lodging stability.
2. Resistant to grain shedding.
3. Mid-late variety.
4. Yield.
5. Sowing on predecessors, including after corn.

Cons:

1. Narrow distribution area.

Moscow 56

Recommended for cultivation in the Tula region and the Central zone of the Moscow region. Refers to a variety of erythrospermum.

Pros:

1. Mid-ripening.

Cons:

1. Average and below average yields.

Moscow 40

Located in the State Register for the Central and Central Black Earth region, recommended for cultivation in the Tula region. Variety - erythrospermum.

Pros:

1. Mid-ripening.
2. Lodging resistance.

Cons:

1. Average yield.

Moscow 39

Soft winter wheat for growing in the Central and Central Black Earth regions of Russia, as well as in nearby areas with a similar climate and soil type.

Pros:

1. Mid-ripening.
2. Standard hardiness and drought tolerance.
3. Resistant to snow mold, smut and septoria.
4. Protein in the grain is 1.5-2% higher than the standard data, and gluten is 6-8% higher.

Cons:

1. Medium resistant to powdery mildew and leaf rust.

Ermak

Winter wheat is recommended for cultivation in the Stavropol Territory, Rostov and Volgograd regions. Refers to a variety of erythrospermum.

Pros:

1. Resistant to lodging.
2. Mid-ripening.

Cons:

1. Average or below average yield.
2. Narrow growing zones.

Each of the new or old varieties of wheat has its own advantages and disadvantages, so with an abundance of production, producers can choose the right seed for themselves.

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