Soft wheat: description, cultivation, application

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Soft wheat varieties are a variety of annual herbaceous plants. The most common families of cereals and bluegrass. The very first specimens of soft wheat were found thousands of years ago in what is today Turkey. Nowadays, this cereal is mainly used for bakery products, although there are other ways to use this agricultural product. The conditions in which soft wheat is grown do not have high requirements for climate, so it is quite common in Russia.

Description of the plant

Wheat reaches 100 cm in height, while the average varies between 60-80 cm. In the early stages, the nodes of the plant are bare or pubescent, and the culm inside is hollow and thin. The leaves reach a width of 16 mm, gaining hardness in the process of growth. Actually, wheat ears determined its name - their soft structure is not brittle, but it is characterized by elasticity. There are no tufts of hairs at the junctions of the ears of the second row with the central axis.

On the upper part of the inflorescence, the gaps from neighboring spikelets average -7 mm. At the same time, the ears have approximately equal parameters in length and width. Scales in whichwheat ears are enclosed, is about 10 mm in length, while having a sharp keel at the end. This is a short prong that faces the outside - a kind of protective device for the plant.

Where is it cultivated?

In the list of the most famous grain crops, this particular species holds the record for the area occupied in the world. This spread was facilitated by undemanding soil and climatic conditions in which the culture can grow. However, some varieties still have some limitations. For example, summer wheat develops optimally in conditions from 25 to 40 °. These are the so-called wheat regions, where agricultural zones with a favorable climate prevail.

If we talk about specific territories, it will be Europe and Australia. In the case of European regions, we can talk about growing in the steppes and forest-steppe zones. Australian farmers are also guided by the organization of wheat fields in the steppe spaces. This culture is also widespread in North and South America, where it is cultivated on the prairies and pampas. Do not deprive this plant of attention and Russian farmers. This is evidenced by the yield of wheat, which averages 26-28 c/ha per season.

Basic classification of soft wheat

The main quality of wheat is its ability to form gluten. It is on this property that the characteristics of bakery products depend. Wheat after primary processing is sent for the manufacture of pasta, cereals andstarch. To determine the suitability of the crop for certain needs, the main classification of wheat was introduced based on the content of protein and gluten, as well as its quality. According to the totality of the qualities of the typical composition, as well as the presence of impurities, soft wheat is divided into five categories. At the same time, durum wheat still leads in terms of gluten, but its cultivation requires compliance with more stringent agro-climatic conditions, and this is far from possible in all regions.

Classification by flour quality

Determining the strength of flour is based on two main indicators - the activity of enzymes and the quality of gluten. There are three classes that differ in the totality of indicators of these properties. The first class is represented by strong wheat, which is distinguished by a high protein content, elastic and elastic gluten, as well as pronounced vitreousness. From the flour produced on the basis of such grains, a porous and voluminous bread is obtained. Like durum wheat, this bread base can improve weak grains. The second group is represented by grains of medium strength, which just cannot act as modifiers of weak wheat, but they have optimal qualities for making bakery products. The third category is weak wheat, which has the lowest baking qualities. It produces small-sized bread products, which are characterized by coarse porosity. In soft weak wheat, as a rule, there is a minimum amount of gluten and proteins. Such flour is used for making confectionery.

Growing

In Russia both winter and spring wheat are cultivated. At the same time, the share of soft varieties accounts for about 95%. About 45% of this part is winter wheat, which is mainly grown in the southern and central regions. Such varieties take root better because they are resistant to frost. They can withstand up to -35 degrees. However, snowless winters are detrimental to such wheat.

For all varieties, soil fertility and moisture are of great importance. Winter crops require sufficient moisture during germination. They cope with drought better than spring wheat. Liming is used as an additional top dressing - as a rule, this fertilizer method is used on soils with high acidity. As for the timing of sowing, then winter wheat should have time to sprout by the time frost sets in - this is what experienced agronomists are guided by. In drought conditions, rolling is also practiced. In spring, urea and s altpeter are added to the soil, but only if the earth is depleted in nitrogen.

Milling properties of wheat

The grinding process requires the connection of special machines that consume a certain amount of energy during operation. Depending on the effort expended, the flour-grinding value of the grains is determined. It is derived on the basis of several qualities of the culture, including grinding time, fineness, energy consumption, etc. Indirect factors are also taken into account.characteristics, including uniformity, nature and ash content. Nature is an indicator of the mass of grain volume, which can be expressed in liters. The lower this value, the lower the volume of flour. Also, soft wheat is characterized by evenness, which, in essence, means grain parameters. Medium-sized grains of the correct form contribute to more efficient and high-quality grinding.

Nutritional properties of grains

Spikelet grains contain many useful elements, including fats with proteins, carbohydrates and minerals. Especially nutritious is gluten, the content of which distinguishes the most valuable varieties of wheat. This is a rubber-like mass produced from finely ground grains. The technological process involves washing it with water, resulting in a high concentration of protein components in the form of glutenin and gliadin. In addition, processed soft wheat may contain starch as well as fiber and fat in small amounts. Protein elements account for 80%, and starch occupies about 20% of gluten.

Application

Most often this wheat is used as a cereal to produce bakery products. M alt is also produced from this crop, which is known as wheat beer. By-products are also used - for example, bran remains after threshing, which can be used in feeding livestock. Soft varieties of wheat are also used for the industrial production of starch and bioethanol. However, these industries are notparamount, in terms of the use of wheat raw materials. At least there are quite a few cereals that are more common in industrial production areas. Wheat is still more focused on the food segment.

Conclusion

The widespread use of wheat was facilitated by its unpretentiousness to agro-climatic conditions and optimal flour-grinding properties, which make it possible to obtain high-quality bakery products during processing. In this regard, soft wheat is the most profitable raw material for the food industry. The established practice of farming brought spring varieties to the fore as the most suitable for cultivation in the Russian climate. But winter crops also occupy a considerable share in the total volume of cultivated areas. This wheat is suitable for growing in less favorable conditions, so it is used mostly in the northern regions of the country.