Wheat is an important part of our world’s food source, and its demand is rising even to this day. According to ABC News, the wheat price hit a stunning record of ten dollars a bushel as traders worried about the tight world supplies and the United Nations called for urgent steps to aid poor nations that are being pummeled by shrinking food stockpiles and historic cost run-ups. The reasons for why these demands are rising depend on many factors. One reason for such demands is because of bad weather in such exporting nations as Australia. Demand for wheat is rising in rapidly developing economies such as India and China, and the picture is further complicated by the fact that a growing share of United States cropland is being devoted to corn for ethanol.
Considering these facts, we can conclude that we are living in a modern world that depends on many food sources, and wheat is one food source playing an essential role. As I pondered on what I should select for my presentation topic, I instantly thought of wheat. The reason why is because I come from South Korea, which is an East Asian nation on the southern half of the Korean peninsula, where wheat is highly consumed. Therefore, I chose to do wheat as my general topic. However, after receiving advice from the professor, I realized that wheat is too general of a topic to cover in a fifteen to twenty-minute presentation. Thus, I chose India because I wanted to learn about their wheat cultivation techniques, and how they actually sowed and harvested their wheat.
Before I start on how the Indian people actually harvest their wheat, I believe it would be more appropriate to touch on basic knowledge on wheat such as what wheat actually is, when it was discovered, and the nutritional aspects of this food source.
According to healthline.com, wheat is one of the world’s most commonly consumed cereal grains. It comes from a type of grass called Triticum that is grown in countless varieties all around the world. Bread wheat, or other known as common wheat to many, is the most common species of wheat. Just to name several others, there is durum, spelt, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan wheat. White and whole wheat flour are key ingredients in baked goods, such as bread. Although there are many wheat-based foods in this world, pasta, noodles, semolina, bulgar, and couscous are just a few that are popular in this world. Despite its popularity, wheat is highly controversial because it contains a protein called gluten. According to our great friend Wikipedia, gluten is a composite of storage proteins termed Prolamins and Glutelins and stored together with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. Nonetheless, it can trigger a harmful immune response in predisposed individuals which explains why some individuals choose to avoid wheat. For those who are able to tolerate these proteins, whole-grain wheat can be a rich source of various antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers.
Now touching on the nutritional aspects of wheat, wheat is mainly composed of carbohydrates, but also has moderate amounts of protein. Starch is the predominant type of carbohydrate in the plant kingdom, and accounts for ninety percent of the total carb content in wheat, according to healthline.com. The health effects of this starch mainly depend on its digestibility, which determines its effect on blood sugar levels. High digestibility may cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar after a meal and have harmful affects on health, especially in people with diabetes. On the other hand, some processed wheat products, such as pasta, are digested less efficiently and therefore do not raise blood sugar levels to the same extent. Thus, just to get to the main point, Carbohydrates are the main nutritional component of wheat, which is generally considered unsuitable for people with diabetes. People with diabetes should most likely try to stay away from consuming wheat.
Refined wheat does not have any beneficiary health properties. However, whole wheat actually has several health benefits for those who can tolerate it, especially when it replaces the frequent consumption of white wheat. Whole grain is rich in fibers, which are mostly insoluble, that are concentrated in the bran, the harder outer layers of cereal grain. Studies indicate that the components of wheat bran may function as prebiotics, feeding the beneficiary bacteria residing in the gut. However, most the bran passes virtually unchanged through the digestive system, increasing fecal weight. Wheat bran may also shorten the time it takes undigested material to travel through the digestive tract, while slowing down transit times that are very fast. In fact, one study found that bran can reduce the risk of constipation in children. However, depending on the underlying cause of the constipation, eating bran may not always be effective. In other words, fibers in whole wheat may promote gut health if you are able to tolerate the components of wheat.
In many people, gluten may trigger a harmful immune response, a condition known as celiac disease. Other types of gluten intolerance include non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which is of a different nature and has an unknown cause. Celiac disease is a chronic condition, characterized by a harmful immune reaction to gluten. Gluten, the main family of preteins in wheatm can be divided into glutens and gliadins, which are present in varying amounts in all types of wheat. The gliadins are considered to be the main cause of celiac disease. Celiac disease causes damage to the small intestine, resulting in impaired absorption of nutrients. Associated symptoms may be weight loss, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, and fatigue. Also, in other studies, it has been suggested that gluten may contribute to brain disorders, such as schizophrenia and epilepsy. Thus, we can see that wheat may have its positives and its negatives. Einkorn, a primitive wheat variety discussed earlier, causes weaker reactions than other varieties, but it is still not suitable for people with gluten intolerance. Adhering to a gluten-free diet is the only known treatment for celiac disease. Wheat is the main dietary source of gluten, but it can also be found in rye, barley and many other processed foods.
The number of people that follow a gluten-free diet exceeds those who have celiac disease. Sometimes, the reason may be the mere belief that wheat and gluten are inherently harmful to health. In other cases, wheat or gluten may cause actual symptoms, similar to those of celiac disease. This condition has been called gluten sensitivity, or non-celiac wheat sensitivity, and is defined as an adverse reaction to wheat without any autoimmune or allergic reactions. Frequent symptoms of gluten sensitivity include abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, joint pain, bloating and eczema. Another study shows that in some people, the symptoms of wheat sensitivity may be triggered by substances other than gluten. Digestive symptoms may be due to a family of soluble fibers in wheat, so-called furctans, which belong to a class of fibers known as FODMAPs. According to Wikipedia, FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. High dietary intake of FODMAPs exacerbates irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that has symptoms similar to those of celiac disease. In fact, according to the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, gluten or wheat sensitivity has been estimated to be present in approximately 30 percent of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
Anyways, since I have addressed the various health and nutritional features of wheat, I assert that it is appropriate to introduce how wheat has affected the country of India as a whole. During the 1950’s to the 1970’s, India was very poor. Indian economy was not only a poor economy, but a scarcity economy. The inflation levels were low, but so were the income levels of most people. There was not only poor demand for even essential things, but there were also supply-side constraints for almost everything from necessities to comforts. This meant that even the few people who could actually afford some comforts or luxuries in life could not still get these because these were simply not available or easily accessible. India was dependent on external aid even for food, and even whatever food articles were available had to be rationed among the millions of the poor or the needy. Famines in India were very frequent during the period of 1940’s to the 1970’s. Due to faulty distribution of food and because farmers did not receive the true value for their labor, the majority of the population did not get enough food. Thus, malnutrition and starvation was a huge problem back then. Marginal farmers found it very difficult to get finance and credit at economical rate from the government and banks. Hence, they were considered easy prey to the money lenders. They took loans from zamindars, or other known as land owners in Persian, who charged high rates of interests and also exploited the farmers later on to work in their fields to repay the loans. Also, due to traditional agricultural practices, low productivity, and a growing population, often food grains were imported, which drained scarce foreign reserves. This all gradually improved as the Green Revolution came into the country of India. For the sake of a brief summary of what the Green Revolution is, the Green Revolution in India was a period when agriculture in India increased due to improved method and technology. The Green Revolution allowed developing countries, like India, to overcome poor agricultural productivity. It started in India in the early 1960’s and led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during the early phrase. Agriculture was basically for subsistence and therefore, less agricultural product was offered for sale in the market. Hence, the need was felt to encourage the farmers to increase their production and offer a greater portion of their products for sale in the market. The new methods in agriculture increased the yield of rice and wheat, which reduced India’s dependence on food imports. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution mentioned earlier. This provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains. The program was started with the help of the United States based Rockefeller Foundation and was based on high-yielding varieties of wheat, rice, and other grains that had been developed in Mexico and the Philippines. Amongst all the high-yielding seeds, wheat produced the best results. The major benefits of the Green Revolution were experienced mainly in northern and northwestern India between 1965 and the early 1980’s. The program resulted in a substantial increase in the production of food grains, mainly wheat and rice. Food-grain yields continued to increase throughout the 1980’s, but the dramatic changes in the years between 1965 and 1980 were not duplicated. By 1980, almost 75 percent of the total cropped area under wheat was sown with high-yielding varieties. For rice, the comparable figure was 45 percent. In the 1980’s, the area under high-yielding varieties continued to increase, but the rate of growth overall was slower. The Green Revolution created wide regional and interstate disparities. The plan was implemented only in areas with assured supplies of water and the means to control it, large inputs of fertilizers, and adequate farm credit. These inputs were easily available in at least parts of the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. Thus, yields increased most in these states. In other states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in areas where these inputs were not assured, the results were limited or negligible, leading to considerable variation in crop yields within these states. The Green Revolution also increased income disparities. Higher income growth and reduced incidence of poverty were found in the states where yields increased the most and lower income growth and little change in the incidence of poverty in other states.
Now, we should address the different conditions of growth for wheat in India. Conditions of growth for wheat are more flexible than those of rice. In contrast to rice, wheat is a rabi crop, which means it is a crop that is sowed in the beginning of winter and is harvested in the beginning of summer. The time of sowing and harvesting differs in different regions due to climate variations.
The sowing of wheat crop normally begins in the September through October in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and November through December in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The harvesting is done in in January through February in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and in West Bengal. It is done in March through April in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. It is done in April through May in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The growing period is variable from one agro climatic zone to other that effects the vegetative and reproductive period leading to differences in potential yield. The important factors affecting the productivity are seeding time and methodology, crop establishment and climatic conditions during the growing season.
Wheat is primarily a crop of mid-latitude grasslands and requires a cool climate with moderate rainfall. The ideal wheat climate was winter temperature 10 degrees Celsius to 15 degrees Celsius and summer temperature varying from 21 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celcius. The temperature should be low at the time of sowing but as the harvesting time approaches, higher temperatures are required for the proper ripening of the crop. Nonetheless, sudden rise in temperature at the time of maturity is harmful for the crops.
Wheat thrives well in areas receiving an annual rainfall of about 75 centimeters. Annual rainfall of 100 centimeters is the highest limit of wheat cultivation. The isohyet of 100 centimeters marks the boundary between wheat growing areas on one hand and rice growing areas on the other. In areas of less than 50 centimeters of annual rainfall, irrigation is necessary for its successful growth. In fact, wheat can be grown in areas with as little as 20 to 25 centimeters of annual rainfall provided that there are proper irrigation facilities available. About 5 to 7 watering are required in irrigated areas depending upon the amount of rainfall. While prolonged drought, especially in rain fed areas, at the time of maturity is harmful, light drizzles and cloudiness at the time of ripening help in increasing the yield. Frost at flowering time and hail storm at the time of ripening can cause heavy damage to the wheat crop.
Although wheat can be grown in a variety of soils, well drained fertile, friable loams and clay loams are the best suited soils for wheat cultivation. It also grows well in the black soil of the Deccan plateau, a large plateau in southern India.
Wheat cultivation is an extensive type of farming which is highly mechanized and requires comparatively less labor. It is mainly grown in the flat alluvial plains of north India. To sum up, wheat requires a combination of factors including cool climate with moderate rainfall, flat and well drained plain areas, fertile friable loam and heavy inputs in the form of irrigation, fertilizers and mechanization.
To see how productive India is producing wheat, I will provide reliable data results to show credibility. Wheat is grown on 13 percent of the cropped area of India. Production, area and yield have recorded rapid growth particularly after the introduction of the Green Revolution strategy in 1967. The production had more than doubled from 109.97 lakh tonnes (A numbering system in India that equals to one ton) in 1960~1961 to 238.32 lakh tonnes in 1970~1971. During the same period, the area under wheat had increased by over 41 percent and yield had increased by 53.6 percent. The development of new varieties of seeds has brought about a real revolution in wheat production. The phenomena of overall development in wheat farming is still continuing although the pace of progress has slowed down with Green Revolution reaching its mature stage. Production, area and yield of wheat reached their zenith in 1999~2000 after which varying trends have been observed.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest wheat producing state of India accounting for over 36 per cent of the production and 36 per cent of the wheat area of the country. In 2002-03, this state produced 236.12 lakh tonnes of wheat. Fine alluvial soil deposited by the mighty Ganga and its several big and small tributaries and a close network of canals, supplemented by large number of tube wells have helped U.P. to occupy the top position. More than half of the wheat area lies in the Ganga-Ghagra doab. Next in importance is the Ganga-Yamuna doab. These two doabs account for about 75 per cent wheat of U.P. About 55 districts of Uttar Pradesh produce wheat out of which 43 are the leading producers. Saharanpur, Muzaffamagar, Meerut, Moradabad, Rampur, Budaun, Etawah, Hardoi, Bahraich, Kheri, Gonda, Basti, etc. are the main producing districts. However, wheat production to the east of Varanasi declines due to high rainfall and heavy soils.
Although very small state as compared to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab has emerged as a very important producer of wheat in India. The Green Revolution strategy has helped Punjab in making rapid strides in wheat production. In fact, Punjab has drawn maximum benefit from Green Revolution and in Punjab too it is the wheat crop which has been benefited the most.
The excellent irrigation system provided by a close network of canals and the tube wells is supplemented by light rainfall associated with the western disturbances. The fertile alluvial soil brought by the rivers of the Indus system is ideal for wheat production. Over and above, the Punjab farmer is very enterprising and is always willing to adopt the new farm technologies. Punjab accounts for over 21.77 percent of the wheat production and 13.58 percent of wheat area of India and has the distinction of giving the highest yields of 42 quintal/hectare. In 2002~2003, Punjab produced 141.75 lakh tonnes of wheat, thus occupying second position among the major wheat producing states of India. Punjab has 12 leading wheat producing districts. Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bhatinda, Amritsar, Firozepur, Faridkot, Mansa, Kapurthala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar and Patiala are the main producing districts. The state has a large surplus and contributes a lot of wheat to the central pool.
About one-third of the total production of wheat enters trade. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are surplus states and supply wheat to deficit states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar and the Union Territory of Delhi. India imported 29.23 lakh tonnes of wheat in 1970-71 and 70.94 lakh tonnes in 1975-76. Since then India has become self-sufficient in wheat production and does not have to import wheat. Rather India is in a position to export small quantities of wheat, and it is truly fascinating to see how India has become a powerhouse in wheat cultivation.