Maarg Manthan · Topic 11.14

Wheat: Growing Conditions, Varieties, Cultivation, Production Pattern, International Trade

Geography › Agriculture and Crop Geography · Topic 11.14

Wheat is the most widely grown cereal and the main food crop of temperate lands. It needs cool weather during growth (10 to 15 °C at sowing and 21 to 26 °C at ripening), 50 to 75 cm of rain, and well-drained loamy soil. Winter wheat is sown in autumn and spring wheat in spring; hard wheat suits bread and soft wheat suits biscuits. China, India, Russia, the United States, France, Canada and Australia are major producers. In India wheat is a rabi crop, grown mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and Russia, Canada, Australia, the United States and France lead exports.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Agriculture and Crop Geography

At a Glance

Climate Cool growing season; 50 to 75 cm rain
Season in India Rabi
Top Indian states UP, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
Top exporters Russia, Canada, Australia, USA, France
Types Winter and spring; hard and soft
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Agriculture and Crop Geography

Where Does It Fit?

This is the first of the crop-wise topics of the macro. It treats wheat, the main rabi crop, and sets the pattern, conditions, production and trade, that is followed in the topics on the other crops. Previous topic: Use of Information Technology in Agriculture. Next topic: Indica, japonica, javanica Top…">Rice: Growing Conditions, Varieties, Methods of Cultivation, Production Pattern, International Trade.

What Are the Growing Conditions and Types of Wheat?

Factor	Requirement
Temperature	Cool winter growth, 10 to 15 °C at sowing, 21 to 26 °C at ripening; frost at flowering and heat at grain filling harm it
Rainfall	About 50 to 75 cm; irrigation in drier areas; dry weather at harvest
Soil	Well-drained loam or clay loam, rich in humus; the fertile alluvium of the Indo-Gangetic plain and the regur) Acidic leached soil Laterite Desert soil Arid soil, sandy Classification…">black soil of the Deccan
Relief	Flat, well-drained land, which allows use of machines

Winter wheat: sown in autumn, lies dormant under snow, and ripens in summer; grown in the United States, Europe, Russia and China.
Spring wheat: sown in spring and harvested in late summer, where winters are too severe; grown in Canada, northern USA and Kazakhstan.
Hard and soft wheat: hard wheat has high protein for bread; soft wheat is used for biscuits and cakes. Durum wheat is used for pasta.
In India: sown in October to December and harvested in March to April, the rabi season, as in Cropping Seasons in India.

How Is Wheat Cultivated and Which Varieties Are Grown?

Cultivation: the field is ploughed and levelled, seed is sown with a seed drill or by zero tillage after rice, then three to six irrigations are given. Fertilisers, weed control and combine harvesters are common in Punjab and Haryana.
Varieties: the Green Revolution introduced dwarf, high-yielding varieties from Mexico, such as Sonora 64 and Lerma Rojo, after Norman Borlaug’s breeding work, followed by Kalyan Sona and Sonalika. Present Indian varieties include HD 2967, PBW 343 and DBW 187. Heat-tolerant and biofortified varieties are being released, as in Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Practices.
Yields: India’s average yield is about 3.5 tonnes per hectare, higher in Punjab and Haryana (over 4.5) than in other states, but lower than the yield in France or Germany (over 7).
Mechanised grain farming: in the Prairies of Canada, the American Great Plains, the Pampas and Australia, wheat is grown on huge farms with few workers, a type of extensive commercial grain farming.

What Is the Production Pattern and Trade?

World: annual production is about 780 to 800 million tonnes. China, India, Russia, the United States, France, Canada, Australia, Ukraine and Pakistan are among the largest producers. Figures change by year with weather, and the latest should be checked.
India: output has exceeded 110 million tonnes in recent years, making India the second largest producer, with about 14 per cent of the world output. Uttar Pradesh is the largest producing state, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar. The wheat belt of the north-west gives the bulk of the grain procured by the government at the minimum support price, as in Agricultural Labour and Price Policy.
Exporters: Russia is the largest exporter, followed by Canada, Australia, the United States, France, Ukraine, Argentina and Kazakhstan.
Importers: Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, Algeria, the Philippines, Bangladesh and others; many import because they cannot grow enough wheat in a hot climate.
India’s trade: India mostly consumes its own crop. After a heat wave cut yield in 2022, it banned wheat exports in May 2022, and the restriction has been continued, with the position to be checked.
Trade issues: the war in Ukraine in 2022 raised world wheat prices, as both Ukraine and Russia are major exporters.

As an analytical point, wheat is the main crop to which assured procurement has been applied, and heat and water stress in the north-west are the main threats to the wheat economy of India.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Conditions Climate and soil are asked
Pattern States and countries
Trade Export policy

What Came Next?

The next topic describes rice: growing conditions, varieties, methods of cultivation and trade. Next topic: Rice: Growing Conditions, Varieties, Methods of Cultivation, Production Pattern, International Trade.

Key People and Terms

Winter wheat Sown in autumn
Spring wheat Sown in spring
Durum Pasta wheat
Zero tillage Sowing without ploughing
Rabi Winter crop season
Wheat belt Major producing region

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Wheat is a rabi crop in India.
Uttar Pradesh is the top producing state.
Russia is the largest exporter.
India banned wheat exports in May 2022.
Dwarf wheat came from Mexico (Borlaug).

Do Not Confuse With

Winter and spring wheat Autumn-sown versus spring-sown
Hard and soft wheat Bread versus biscuits
Wheat and rice seasons Rabi versus kharif

Memory Hook

Cool to grow, warm to ripen, wheat is rabi; Punjab, Haryana and UP show its belt.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the distribution and problems of wheat. These points add depth.

Region North-west belt
Threat Heat and water
Trade Export curbs and stocks

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Describe the geographical conditions for wheat cultivation and its distribution in India and the world.”

How to Answer

Conditions Temperature, rain, soil.
Types Winter, spring.
India States and output.
World Producers and trade.

GS Relevance

Prelims: wheat conditions, varieties, leading states and countries. GS Paper 1 and 3: crop geography and trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the climatic requirements of wheat?

Wheat needs a cool growing season, with about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius at sowing and 21 to 26 degrees at ripening, 50 to 75 centimetres of annual rainfall or irrigation, and bright dry weather at harvest. It grows best in well-drained loamy soils, such as the alluvial soils of the northern plains.

Which are the leading wheat-producing states of India?

The leading wheat-producing states of India are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar. Uttar Pradesh has the largest area and production, while Punjab and Haryana have the highest yields and supply most of the wheat procured by the government.

What is the difference between winter wheat and spring wheat?

Winter wheat is sown in autumn, grows slowly or lies dormant under snow in winter and ripens in summer; it is grown where winters are mild. Spring wheat is sown in spring and harvested in late summer, and is grown in regions of severe winters, such as Canada and Kazakhstan.

Which countries are the largest exporters of wheat?

The largest exporters of wheat are Russia, Canada, Australia, the United States, France, Ukraine, Argentina and Kazakhstan. Importers include Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, Algeria and the Philippines. Weather and conflicts such as the war in Ukraine can change the trade pattern a great deal.

Why did India ban wheat exports in 2022?

India restricted wheat exports in May 2022 after an unusually early heat wave in March reduced yields and government procurement fell, while world prices rose after the war in Ukraine. The aim was to protect domestic food supplies and control prices.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Wheat is a kharif crop in India.

False

It is a rabi crop.

2 Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of wheat in India.

True

Followed by Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

3 Wheat grows best in hot and humid climates.