Spelt
Triticum aestivum var. spelta
Cool-season hulled wheat sub-species (Triticum aestivum var. spelta) grown primarily as a winter-planted small grain in Zones 3-9. Marketed as a feed grain (hulls retained, similar feed value to oats) or de-hulled for the artisan and specialty-bakery flour market. More winter-hardy than soft red winter wheat but less so than hard red winter wheats; tolerates lower-fertility and somewhat poorly-drained soils where conventional wheat struggles.
Crop Snowflake Score
Overview
Hulls remain attached after threshing and represent 20-30% of grain weight; unhulled test weight is ~28 lb/bu, hulled test weight ~60 lb/bu. Most production is from winter-type cultivars planted on a winter-wheat schedule (early- to mid-fall in temperate zones); spring spelt cultivars are rare. Seeding rate ~80-100 lb/acre with a grain drill. Nitrogen requirements run roughly 10-20 lb/acre lower than wheat — taller pithy stems lodge under excess N. Disease pressure overlaps wheat (loose smut, stinking smut, leaf rust); rotation away from other cereals is recommended. Two common market channels: contracted feed-grain sales (price often tracks oats on a per-pound basis) and contracted food-grade production for de-hulling and specialty flour. Identify a buyer before planting.
Growing Season
- Plant
- early fall – mid-fall
- Harvest
- mid-summer – late summer
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,800 – 2,200
Yield
- Typical yield
- 50 bu/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 5 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Climate Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Standard small-grain drill with 6-8 inch row spacing. Spelt seeds are larger than wheat; check seed cup calibration. No-till drills work well in cover-crop residue.
Sufficient HP for drill, sprayer, and tillage operations on small-grain acreage. Used equipment widely available.
cultivation
For conventional seedbed preparation when not using no-till. Single-pass tools (vertical tillage, light disk) preferred to preserve soil structure.
spraying
Pull-behind boom sprayer for herbicide and fungicide applications. Critical for FHB/scab fungicide timing at flowering.
harvesting
Used or shared combine acceptable for small acreage. Settings: lower cylinder speed (500-700 RPM) and wider concave for hulled spelt to avoid de-hulling damage during threshing.
Field-side transfer between combine and trucks. Reduces combine downtime and field traffic.
post_harvest
Used straight truck or hopper trailer for moving grain from field to bin or buyer. Tarpable. Sized 200-500 bu typical for small-grain operation.
Per-bin cost (3,000-5,000 bu). On-farm storage gives marketing flexibility — critical for niche grains where buyers may want delivery throughout the year.
Roller or impact-style de-huller. On-farm de-hulling captures premium pricing. Custom toll de-hulling (~$0.05-0.15/lb) is common alternative for small acreages.
general
Handheld unit for monitoring at harvest and during storage. Essential to avoid storage spoilage; spelt should be stored at 14% moisture or below.
Finance Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Risk Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Known Risks
disease
Fusarium graminearum infects flowering heads in warm, wet conditions. Causes bleached spikelets, low test weight, and accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON/vomitoxin) which restricts food and feed use. A primary disease concern for spelt and other small grains.
Zymoseptoria tritici and Parastagonospora nodorum produce lens-shaped lesions on leaves and glumes. Pre-flag-leaf infection reduces grain fill; can cost 15-25% yield in wet years.
Ustilago tritici is seed-borne; infected heads emerge with sooty masses of black spores instead of grain. Plant losses are direct and visible. Less common where certified seed is used but a recurring concern in farm-saved seed.
Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici produces white fuzzy growth on leaves and stems, especially in dense canopies and humid weather. Spelt is generally less susceptible than modern wheat but not immune.
pest
Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid and English Grain Aphid feed on leaves and heads. Direct-feeding damage is usually modest, but aphids transmit Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) which can cause stunting and yield loss of 10-30% in fall-infected stands.
Mayetiola destructor larvae feed in leaf sheaths, causing stunting and lodging. Risk concentrates when fall planting precedes the local Hessian Fly Free Date.
weather
Spelt produces tall straw (often 4-5 ft) and is more prone to lodging than modern wheat varieties, especially when over-fertilized with nitrogen or in high-rain seasons. Lodged crops are difficult to combine and downgrade in test weight.
Prolonged wet weather at maturity can cause grain sprouting in the head, ruining milling quality. Spelt held in the hull is somewhat protected but extended wet periods still reduce grade.
market
Spelt is a niche specialty grain. Most production is contracted to specific organic millers or specialty bakeries. Without a contract, finding a buyer at harvest can be difficult and prices may default to feed-grade.
Spelt grain remains in a tight hull after combining and must be de-hulled before milling. De-hulling capacity is limited and geographically concentrated. Without access to de-hulling, growers can only sell hulled grain (often at feed prices).
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Spelt against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Purdue / University of Wisconsin–Madison Alternative Field Crops Manual — Spelt (Oplinger, Oelke, Kaminski, Kelling, Doll, Durgan, Schuler, 1990). URL: https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/spelt.html. Yield, test-weight, seeding-rate, and fertility values reflect that source; market-channel commentary cross-checked against contemporary USDA AMS specialty-grain marketing references.
5 tracked changes across 3 data categories