Field Crops> Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)> Area and Distribution

Wheat is the world’s leading cereal crop, cultivated over an area of about 229 million hectares with a production of 425.5 million tones of grain (1979).

Maximum area under wheat is in U.S.S.R. followed by China, U.S.A. and India. In production U.S.S.R. stands first and U.S. A. ranks second. In regard to average yield per hectare, Switzerland ranks first followed by France and Federal Republic of Germany. India stands fourth in area and production (22.2) million hectares and 34.98 million tones respectively-1979) and accounts for about 7 per cent of the total wheat production of the world. However, the average wheat yield is only 1574 kg per hectare in India which is much lower than most of the wheat growing hectare in India which is much lower than most of the wheat growing countries of the world.

In India wheat is the main cereal crop. In respect of area and production it occupies the second position, being exceeded only by rice. The area and production, along with yield per hectare of wheat in different states of India are given in Appendix 2. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat are major wheat growing states in the country. Though the maximum acreage and production of wheat is in Uttar Pradesh but Punjab gives highest average yield per hectare (2715 kg) followed by Delhi (2685 kg.)