Wheat is the main food grain produced in the United States. The three most common types grown are winter wheat, spring wheat, and durum wheat. Winter wheat production is about 70% of total U.S. production.

Wheat ranks third among U.S. field crops in planted acreage, production, and gross farm receipts, behind corn and soybeans. Wheat is measured in bushels (BU). For wheat, 1 bushel equals 60 pounds of wheat or about 1 million wheat kernels. Wheat is a member of the grass family that produces a dry, one-seeded fruit called a kernel.

Winter wheat varieties are sown in the fall and usually become established before going into dormancy when cold weather arrives. In the spring, plants resume growth and grow rapidly until the summertime harvest.

Alabama 2021 Wheat Numbers

• 175,000 acres planted
• 110,000 acres harvested
• 83 bu/acre average yield
• 9,130,000 bu—production
• $7.05/bu
• 62,997,000 value

New October 2022, Let’s Build a Burger: Wheat, ANR-2937

Read other publications in the Let’s Build a Burger series.