Wheat Classes: Hard Red Spring and Red Durum

Wheat Classes: Hard Red Spring and Red Durum

Hard Red Spring Wheat
Hard red spring wheat is grown principally in North and South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota and the Prairie Provinces of Canada.

It may be grown in other areas to replace winter wheat that has failed due to winter killing, drought or other causes. Hard red spring wheat is divided into three subclasses according to its content of dark, hard, and vitreous kernels.

These subclasses are dark northern spring wheat (75% or more), northern spring wheat (25 – 75%), and red spring wheat (less than 25%). Overall, hard red spring accounts for about 20% of the total wheat acreage in the United States. This class of wheat is used for bread and rolls.

Durum and Red Durum Wheats
Durum and durum wheats are grown in the north central states, especially North and South Dakota.

These classes of wheat account for approximately 5% of the wheat acreage of the United States. Durum wheat cannot be used to produce flour for bread making; rather it is milled to supply semolina for making macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, etc.

Durum wheat is divided into three subclasses,: hard amber durum wheat, which has 75% or more of hard, vitreous kernels of amber color; amber durum wheat, which has 60 - 75% of hard, vitreous kernels of amber color; and durum wheat, which has less than 60% of hard, vitreous kernels of amber color, the red durum class includes all varieties of red durum wheat and has no subclasses.
Wheat Classes: Hard Red Spring and Red Durum