Until the 19th century, a lot of spelt was grown alongside wheat (around 1900 approx. 300,000 ha in Germany). Spelt was considered to be robust, undemanding and hardy and less susceptible to cereal diseases than wheat. The robustness of spelt is due to the grains being covered by husks. The husks form a kind of protective cover around the grain and protect it from environmental influences and pests. The husks have to be laboriously removed before milling, which is an economic disadvantage compared to wheat, as processing involves additional costs.
Thanks to advances in breeding and higher yields, wheat almost completely replaced spelt in the 20th century. In the 1980s, interest in spelt increased again, also in connection with consumers‘ growing interest in original grain varieties. Due to its robustness, spelt is particularly suitable for organic farming. Overall, an increase in cultivation areas has been observed in recent years.
