Wheat is the world’s most widely grown crop. It is an important component of human nutrition. Wheat grains are the main raw material for making flour, cereals and other food products.
Wheat comes in many varieties and has thousands of varieties. According to the growing season, there are 2 main types of wheat: winter and spring wheat.
What is the difference?
The growing season of plants. Winter wheat has a longer growing season and lasts 280 days on average, while spring wheat lasts 100 days.
The date of sowing. The first type is sown from late summer to late autumn, the second – from mid to late spring, depending on the climate zone.
Soil requirements. Winter varieties are more demanding on the soil and tolerate drought less well. At the same time, they are not as sensitive to excess moisture as spring varieties. Winter crops are grown on soils rich in phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.
Influence of weather factors. Spring varieties are more sensitive to weather and temperature fluctuations. They can freeze if the temperature drops too much. Winter varieties under snow can withstand frosts down to -25 degrees, without snow cover – down to -17.
Purpose. Winter varieties do not have the best baking qualities; general purpose flour is produced from such wheat, while durum varieties are processed. Spring wheat is usually used to make groats and pasta. These varieties have excellent baking qualities and produce porous and tasty bread.
Yield. Winter crops yield more than spring crops. Yields vary depending on the farming techniques used.