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#JustCurious What is winter wheat?

In this Friday, June 15, 2018 photo, a stalk of winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kan. Kansas farmers are harvesting a smaller winter wheat crop amid an ongoing drought. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) In this Friday, June 15, 2018 photo, a stalk of winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kan. Kansas farmers are harvesting a smaller winter wheat crop amid an ongoing drought. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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Saskatchewan remains the breadbasket of Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the province accounted for more than 2/5 of Canada’s total field crop acerage with 36.7 million acres. It’s more than Alberta and Manitoba combined.

Our viewer, Sharon, had a farming related question this week. She’s #JustCurious what winter wheat is and how it differs from other varieties.

The Ministry of Agriculture says winter and spring wheat differ in vernalization. Winter varieties won’t flower until they’ve experienced adequately cold temperatures for a sufficient period of time. Winter wheat is planted in the fall and will gemrinate and grow before the Winter sets in. The cold temperatures triggers the growth process in the seed and it remains safely dormant over the cold months, then emerges from the ground in the Spring. If it’s not cold enough for long enough, the ministry says, it won’t produce seed.

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