Forage and Grain Crops 

Agronomy 105's Weed ID
Wheat
Wheat, an annual grass, is one of the world's three most important food grains for human consumption.
	Wheat has a spike type inflorescence that is golden brown when ready for harvest.  Some wheat varieties have awns while others do not.  The awns are the long, thin structures that extend from the lemma and give the wheat heads a bearded appearance.  Most wheat grown in Indiana is of the non-bearded or awnless type.
Wheat can be identified from the other cereal grains by looking at the characteristic auricles at the base of the leaf blade where it attaches to the leaf sheath.  Wheat is divided into several market classes depending upon its use.
	The first of these classes is soft red winter wheat, which is the type of wheat grown in Indiana.  The seeds are barrel shaped and a tan color, which is lighter than the color of hard red winter wheat.  This type of wheat is used primarily for general purpose baking flour and for such things as cookies and cake mixes.
Hard red winter wheat is grown to our west and is used primarily for bread.  The seeds are longer, narrower, and darker than soft red winter wheat.
	White wheat is grown in the Pacific northwest, Michigan and New York.  This type of wheat is the lightest in color of the wheat seeds you will learn.  It is used in products such as saltine crackers that require a very light colored flour.
Durum wheat is grown in the Dakotas and in Canada.  It is the hardest and longest of the wheats you will learn.  It is used primarily in spaghetti, macaroni and other similar products.