History Einkorn wheat

wild einkorn, karadag, central turkey

einkorn wheat commonly grows wild in hill country in northern part of fertile crescent , anatolia although has wider distribution reaching balkans , south jordan near dead sea. short variety of wild wheat, less 70 centimetres (28 in) tall , not productive of edible seeds.

triticum monococcum l. domesticated triticum boeticum wild species of einkorn. wild , domesticated forms can considered separate species, or subspecies of t. monococcum. cultivated form similar wild, except seeds larger , ear stays intact. principal difference between wild einkorn , cultivated einkorn method of seed dispersal. in wild variety seed head shatters , drops kernels (seeds) of wheat onto ground. facilitates new crop of wheat. in domestic variety, seed head remains intact. while such mutation may occur in wild, not viable there in long term: intact seed head drop ground when stalk rots, , kernels not scatter form tight clump inhibits germination , makes mutant seedlings susceptible disease. harvesting einkorn intact seed heads easier human harvesters, manually break apart seed heads , scatter kernels not eaten. on time , through selection, conscious or unconscious, human preference intact seed heads created domestic variety, has larger kernels wild einkorn. domesticated einkorn requires human planting , harvesting continuing existence. process of domestication might have taken 20 200 years end product wheat easier humans harvest.

einkorn wheat 1 of earliest cultivated forms of wheat, alongside emmer wheat (t. dicoccum). hunter gatherers in fertile crescent may have started harvesting einkorn long 30,000 years ago, according archaeological evidence syria. although gathered wild thousands of years, einkorn wheat first domesticated approximately 10,000 years bc in pre-pottery neolithic (ppna) or b (ppnb) periods. evidence dna fingerprinting suggests einkorn first domesticated around 7500 bc near karaca dağ in southeast turkey, area in number of ppnb farming villages have been found.

an important characteristic facilitating domestication of einkorn , other annual grains plants largely self-pollinating. thus, desirable (for human management) traits of einkorn perpetuated @ less risk of cross-fertilization wild plants might have traits—e.g. smaller seeds, shattering seed heads, etc. -- less desirable human management.

from northern part of fertile crescent, cultivation of einkorn wheat spread caucasus, balkans, , central europe. einkorn wheat more commonly grown in cooler climates emmer wheat, other domesticated wheat. cultivation of einkorn in middle east began decline in favor of emmer wheat around 2000 bc. cultivation of einkorn never extensive in italy, southern france, , spain. einkorn continued cultivated in areas of northern europe throughout middle ages , until part of 20th century. einkorn resumed in areas of western europe because of increasing interest organic ancient wheat. hulled wheat species einkorn, emmer , spelt presumed alternative bread wheat in organic agriculture since yield penalty less pronounced under organic farming production. furthermore higher prices can achieved speciality grains.