Wheat: Encyclopedia II - Wheat - History

Wheat - History

Domestic wheat originated in southwest Asia in what is now known as the Fertile Crescent. The earliest archaeological evidence for wheat cultivation comes from Syria, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Around 10,000 years ago, wild einkorn and emmer wheat were domesticated as part of the origins of agriculture in the fertile crescent. Cultivation of wild forms led to selection of mutations for tough-rachised ears (which do not break up at maturity) and larger grains (see domestication). While these forms could not have succeeded in the wild, under cultivation they produced more food for humans.

The cultivation of wheat began to spread into Europe beginning in the Neolithic period. 5,000 years ago wheat had reached Ireland, Spain, Ethiopia and India. A millennium later it reached China. Millenia later, the horse collar increased the yields, as did the seed drill of 18th century. Yields of wheat continued to increase, with more land under cultivation and new inventions like the tractor and better fertilizers, and the green revolution varieties like Norin 10 wheat. Only recently, with population growth rates falling sharply while yields still continue to rise the acreage devoted to wheat may now begin to decline for the first time in human history.[The Economist, 2005]

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki