3.4 Herbaceous Crops
3.4 Herbaceous crops Editor: Theodore C. Hsiao (University of California, Davis, USA) Botanic Illustrations: Margherita Bongiovanni (Formerly professor of Design and Art History, and Fine Art, Ministry of Education, Rome, Italy) LEAD AUTHOR Senthold Asseng Wheat (formerly CSIRO, Wembley, Australia; currently University of Florida, Gainesville, USA) CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Steve Milroy (CSIRO, Wembley, Australia), Simona Bassu (University of Sassari, GENERAL DESCRIPTION Sassari, Italy), Marie-Therese Abi Saab read and durum wheat (Triticum aestivum and Triticum turgidum (formerly CIHEAM-IAMB, Bari, durum, respectively) comprise the third largest crop in the world. Italy; currently LARI, Fanar, Lebanon) BIn 2009, 226 million ha were sown to wheat, producing 685 million tonne of grain at an average grain yield of 3 tonne/ha (FAO, 2011). Over ACKNOWLEDGMENTS the last 50 years, the average yield per hectare has increased dramatically, Rossella Albrizio particularly between the 1950s and 1980s. Since the area cropped has (formerly CIHEAM-IAMB, remained relatively constant, global production has reflected the increase Bari, Italy; currently CNR-ISAFOM, in yield (Figure 1). Ercolano, Italy), John Angus Wheat is a cool season crop originating in the Fertile Crescent but now (CSIRO, Camberra, Australia), widely spread around the world. It is grown in arctic and humid regions Francesco Giunta as well as the tropical highlands and from sea level on the Dutch Polders (University of Sassari, to 4 500 m altitude in Tibet. The growing conditions are very diverse, not Sassari, Italy), only because of the widespread climatic regions and altitudes, but also Gerrit Hoogenboom (University of Georgia, because of variability of soil types and crop management.
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