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Introduction

The phrase "DESERT DURUM" has been trademarked with the U.S. patent office under the ownership of the Arizona Grain Research and Promotion Council and the California Wheat Commission. Only durum wheat produced in the states of Arizona and California can use the DESERT DURUM® trademark.

DESERT DURUM® wheat is produced under irrigation in the desert valleys and lowlands of Arizona and California. These are regions of high temperatures (May-June temperatures average 32C) and low rainfall (annual precipitation averages less than 200 mm). DESERT DURUM® wheat is planted December through February and harvested in May and June. It enters the market up to three months ahead of the spring durum crops harvested in other Northern Hemisphere durum-producing areas.

DESERT DURUM® wheat is usually delivered "Identity Preserved" to U.S. domestic and export markets. The identity preservation system allows buyers to purchase grain of varieties having intrinsic quality parameters specific to their needs. Annual production requirements can be contracted ahead to experienced growers using Certified seed and then stored for season-long shipment at the buyers' schedule.

The data presented in this crop quality report are from samples that were traceable to known quantities of grain of each variety. Sampling techniques have been approved by an agricultural statistician and at least 80% of the crop was sampled. Thus, these data are intended to characterize the 2000 DESERT DURUM® crop by both variety and as an entire crop.

The milling, semolina and pasta analyses used to produce these data were conducted at the California Wheat Commission wheat quality laboratory. The laboratory staff works closely with breeding companies and buyers to provide an accurate assessment of current crop quality and breeding material.