Attic find in Italy: ancient wheat helps agronomists

In the commune of Parma (Italy), farmer Claudio Grossi was cleaning the attic of his house and found an unknown bag of seed that had apparently been left by his great-grandfather, the founder of the family farm in 1915. Considering the dried grain unsuitable for use, Grossi took it outside and threw it onto a manure heap. However, the seed soon produced seedlings.

The resulting plant significantly exceeded all cultivars known to the farmer in height and possessed a surprising feature: unlike conventional cereals with a single ear, the new harvest produced seven ears per stalk. Grossi found a description of such grain in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. The plant demonstrated the ability to survive in harsh conditions, tolerate drought better than commercial wheat cultivars, and also do without the application of fertilizer and pesticides. Due to the great height of the stalks, the cereal may be vulnerable to extreme weather conditions; the farmer solved this problem through companion planting with shorter cultivars.

Food technology specialists confirmed the uniqueness of the find. Student Benamino Perobelli studied the grain for his thesis at the University of Parma and established that it is a species of wheat *Triticum turgidum* (also known as "emmer wheat") originating from modern-day Turkey, Egypt, and adjacent regions, and once cultivated in Italy as well. Analysis showed that this grain contains more phosphorus, iron, and amino acids than modern commercial cultivars.

In the 1990s, when the find was made, farmers around the world were already facing the consequences of global warming, including droughts and floods. At the same time, commercial wheat cultivars bred by agronomist Norman Borlaug in the mid-20th century showed vulnerability to disease and required the intensive use of fertilizer, which damages the soil and makes crops less resistant to climate change. The new resilient crop offers agronomists a viable alternative, and researchers can use its properties in breeding programs to develop more resistant cultivars. Diversity of crop types remains one of the main protections for farmers against climate change.