Triticum aestivum L. subsp. spelta (Spelt)

Crop Type: Open field crop

Breeding system: Predominantly autogamous

Soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is among the most cultivated cereals and one of the most important staple foods in world. The derived flour is commonly processed to produce bread as well as other baked goods. This species originated and was initially domesticated in the Middle East, in particular in the Fertile Crescent (Meyer and Purugganan, 2013). Currently (2017) its production is estimated around 771 million tons (FAOSTAT, 2019). Soft wheat is a global source of staple grain and has contributed to the development of human civilisation (Huang et al., 2018). Common wheat is the predominantly used for milling and producing products in the UK but other types, such as spelt, are also fairly popular. It is a predominantly autogamous crop.

Spelt is a hexaploid wheat. Hexaploid wheats evolved in fields when domesticated emmer or durum hybridised with a wild diploid grass (Hancock, 2014). Its yield varies between 2.5-4.5 t/ha, and it grows in similar conditions as winter wheat (Sellars, 2018). Unlike winter wheat, spelt requires dehulling which adds labour but increases grain freshness and nutrient content as the hulls protect the grain until dehulling.

It is different to common wheat in that it has higher protein content and a tougher husk, and also has a more delicate gluten structure which makes it more suitable for those with a sensitivity to common wheat.

References

• FAOSTAT (2019). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAOSTAT database.
• Hancock, J. (2014). Plant evolution and the origin of crop species. Wallingford: CABI.
• Huang, M., Mheni, N., Brown-Guedira, G., McKendry, A., Griffey, C., Van Sanford, D., et al. (2018). Genetic analysis of heading date in winter and spring wheat. Euphytica 214, 1–18. doi:10.1007/s10681-018-2199-y.
• Meyer, R. S., and Purugganan, M. D. (2013). Evolution of crop species: genetics of domestication and diversification. Nat. Rev. Genet. 14, 840–52. doi:10.1038/nrg3605
• Sellars, A. (2018). GROWING ORGANIC SPELT AND ENSURING A MARKET. [online] CERERE. Available at: https://orgprints.org/35241/1/211205-7PA-Spelt-ORC-EN.pdf [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].

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