Botanical name: Triticum aestivum L

Family: Gramineae

Origin: Center of origin is South Western Asia. It is believed that Aryans brought wheat grains to India, since then it has been cultivated in India.

1) Triticum aestivum Vill. (Irrigated) known as common bread or chapatti wheat. It is good for making chapati and bakery products. It is cultivated throughout India. (GW 503, GW 190, GW 173, GW 496 and Lok 1).

2) Triticum durum desf. (Unirrigated) known as macaroni or durum wheat grown under rainfed conditions in Central and South India. It is used in Suji, Rawa, ladu, Sama, Macroni (sev) and bhakhari making. In Gujarat, it is grown in Bhal region. The seeds are bold and lighte. This wheat is also known as Bhalia or Katha. (GW 1 and A 206).

3) Triticum dicoccum L. grown in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Saurashtra region and Dantiwada zone (Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Kutch) of Gujarat in small pockets and it contributes about 1 per cent of wheat production. In Gujarat, it is grown only in few hundred hectares on the seashore belt of Saurashtra starting from Porbandar to Jamkhambhalia. It is good for South Indian dish “ Uppama ".