In many regions of Russia, wheat is grown in large volumes for domestic use, as well as for export. It is represented by different species and varieties. The production technologies used by Russian companies make it possible to grow even hard varieties that are very much appreciated all over the world due to their unique characteristics.

Types of wheat and their characteristics

Wheat can rightfully be called the most popular grain crop. Its main feature is that the grains form gluten. This is very important in the production of bread and pasta. No grain crop can boast such a high nutritional value. In Russia, its various types and varieties are grown, which differ in their characteristics and methods of cultivation.

Important! To get a better crop, winter wheat should be exposed to low temperature for 50 days.

Solid

Durum wheat (Triticum durum) is used for the production of pasta flour, from which high quality pasta is made. This grain also produces cereals with high nutritional value.

This species is characterized by a high content of gluten and protein, as well as grain hardness.. It has a pleasant smell and bright yellow color. Bakery products made from hard flour have very good taste.

The most popular representatives of this group in Russia: varieties Almaz, Svetlana, Kharkov and Orenburg.

Soft

The most common is soft wheat, which in Latin is called Triticum Vulgare. It can be identified by a loose spike, the scales of which do not have a keel, so they only partially cover the grains.

Different varieties of this species are distinguished by such a feature as awn, because some have it, while others do not. But this variety itself is characterized by such distinctive features as the shape, color and texture of the grains, as well as their stems.

In soft wheat, as a rule, the stems do not have a core. The grains in the spikelets are oval, with a powdery, glassy or semi-glassy consistency. Their color varies from white to dark red, depending on the variety. This type is divided into groups according to the strength of flour or baking properties: strong, medium strength (valuable) and weak.

Strong grain It has a high content of gluten, so it resembles durum (a solid type of culture) in its properties. Out of him produce flour, which is used for baking expensive varieties of bread and bakery products. This flour contributes to a good loosening of the dough and has a high taste. It is often added to lower grade flour to improve it.

Valuable grain, flour of which has medium strength, is also used to produce high-quality bread. It is good in itself, but is not able to improve lower grades.

And here weak wheat practically not used in its pure form in the production of bread, because it has a very low gluten content.

The most popular varieties of soft culture are: Altai 81, Voronezh 10, Kurgan 1 and Albidum 28. All of them have red grains. But from varieties with white grains, Novosibirsk 67 and Saratov are most often grown.

Did you know? Among the Slavs, wheat grains were considered a symbol of wealth and life, and the ancient Slavs believed that they protect against damage.

Spring

All cereals are divided into winter and spring, depending on the time of their sowing and the growing season. Spring sown in the middle of spring. Their vegetation period is much shorter than that of winter crops, but resistance to low temperatures is much lower. But spring wheat also has its own advantages: it tolerates drought better and has the best baking properties.

Most often, it is represented by varieties Saratov, Novosibirsk and Albidum.

Winter

Usually this grain is sown in September, and harvested in August next year. It is considered very high quality due to the fact that each seed is exposed to low temperatures during growth. That is why it is more resistant to frost and brings large yields.

Most often in Russia in the fall they sow the Don Besostoy, Bezostoy 1 and Obriy.

Did you know? In Russian colloquial speech, quite often you can hear the expression "vicious place", which means a fun or satisfying place. But in the texts in the Church Slavonic language paradise was called the hot spot, that is, the place where the cereals grow.

The main regions of wheat growing in Russia

Spring cereals are grown in the Volga region, in the Urals and in Siberia. But winter crops are in the southern regions, where mild winters are. As for solid species, regular precipitation is a decisive factor for them.

Productivity and production by years

Wheat production volumes from 2000 to 2018, as well as its yield throughout Russia, are presented in the table:

Demand for Russian wheat in the global market

Wheat groats and flour is one of the main export products that are very in demand around the world. The largest buyer is North Africa. Egypt in 2017 bought a record amount of Russian wheat - 7.8 million tons. Libya, Morocco and Tunisia are also very large buyers. East and West Africa are also not far behind in terms of wheat grain purchases.

Russia also supplies grain to the countries of the Middle East, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Slightly smaller volumes of Russian wheat are represented in America and Europe, because in these regions there are many local exporters.

Features of growing durum wheat in Russia

To get a good harvest, durum wheat is sown only for a couple. This means that the culture is planted on a plowed field that has been empty for a year. Thus, hard varieties are sown after a year, giving the earth a rest. For this year, the earth needs to maintain an optimal level of humidity, because it is very important for this type of cereal.

Important! Durum wheat crumbles less than soft wheat, but during threshing it requires more labor, especially if the year it was grown was dry.

Advantages and disadvantages

The climate in Russia is very suitable for growing durum wheatIn addition, there are now many different varieties, bred taking into account the characteristics of each region. Precipitation, as a rule, is plentiful in the country, which significantly helps with the cultivation of this crop. The only drawback is the idleness of planting areas every second year, as well as low profitability.

Soft and hard wheat varieties are grown in Russia. Some of them are sown in the fall, some in the middle of spring. The main thing to get a good harvest is to choose the varieties that are most suitable for the climate and soil characteristics of each region.