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Triticum aestivum 'Marquis'
'Marquis' wheat (left) compared to 'Preston' (right)
Species	Triticum aestivum
Cultivar	'Marquis'

The 'Marquis' bread wheat cultivar was developed by a team led by Dr. William Saunders, Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, between 1892 and 1909. It is a cross between Red Fife (male parent) and Hard Red Calcutta (female parent). It was selected for superiority in milling quality for bread flour over other cultivars then prevalent in western Canada. 'Marquis' had the advantage of maturing 10 days earlier than its competitors – a factor of great importance in the Canadian wheatbelt such as Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, extending as far south as southern Nebraska.<

In 1892, Dr. William Saunders, and his team imported imported wheat varieties from Russia, India, Japan, Australia and the USA to be tested alongside Red Fife. Ultimately, it was the Red Fife cross with Hard Red Calcutta, from India, that gave rise to the Marquis wheat. "Hard Red Calcutta gave low yields and was of poor quality; however, the wheat matured roughly 20 days prior to Red Fife."

In 1907, Dr. Charles E. Saunders, Dominion Cerealist (son of Dr. William Saunders), sent 23 pounds of Marquis wheat from Ottawa to the Indian Head Experimental Farm to test the grain under prairie conditions. The variety produced high yields and ripened early; and, although it wasn't rust resistant, it was ready for harvest before rust was became problematic. In 1909, four hundred samples were distributed to farmers throughout Western Canada, resulting in a number of successful crops grown.

By 1920, Marquis wheat accounted for 90 percent of the hard red spring wheat planted on the Canadian prairies. The introduction of Marquis resulted in wheat production in Saskatchewan doubling between 1906 and 1920.

Marquis was eventually replaced by rust-resistant varieties like Thatcher, Apex, and Renown.

Notes

1. ^ Symko, Stephan (1999). From a Single Seed (PDF). Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. p. 31. ISBN 0-662-28145-4.
2. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca: "Marquis Wheat"
3. ^ McInnis, Amy (2004-05-11). "The Wheat That Won The West: The Impact of Marquis Wheat Development" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-06-21.
4. "Charles E. Saunders". Canada Heirloom Series. 1986. Retrieved 2024-06-29.

v t e Wheat
Types	Common Marquis Norin 10 Red Fife Winter wheat Durum Einkorn Emmer Khorasan Spelt
Agronomy	Wheat diseases list Wheat mildew Hessian fly
Trade	Australian Wheat Board Canadian Wheat Board Corn exchange Exports International Wheat Council Peak wheat Production statistics Protein premium Wheat pools in Canada
Plant parts and their uses	Stalk Straw Seed Bran Germ Chaff (husk) Endosperm Gluten Sprouts
Basic preparation	None Berries or groats Milling Farina Flour Middlings Semolina Parboiling Bulgur
As an ingredient	Bread Couscous Cracker Flatbread Pasta Wheat beer Wheat germ oil Wheat gluten
Associated human diseases	Anaphylaxis Gluten-related disorders coeliac disease non-celiac gluten sensitivity wheat allergy dermatitis herpetiformis ataxia
Related concepts	Bread riot Plant breeding Refined grains Staple food Wheatpaste Whole grain Shattering Tell Abu Hureyra Tell Aswad
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