All about wheat

A lot of the world’s wheat comes from the Palouse.

It only makes sense that a lot of the World Book’s information about wheat should, as well.

Stephen Jones, a longtime wheat researcher for Washington State University, was chosen to write and update the 6,000-word entry on wheat for the 2009 World Book. The article covers wheat from every angle: history, cultivation, breeding, marketing and the impact of bread.

It’s a kind of singular recognition that feels pretty good to Jones, who’s been doing research and teaching at WSU since 1995 and who has appeared frequently in the national and regional media in connection with wheat studies.

“Only one person gets to write it,” he said. “You can add a bit of a point of view, but they don’t want you to go ape with it.”

Jones was contacted last year by the publisher of the encyclopedia series. The editor “did a Google search and read around, and saw I was involved with current thinking on wheat,” Jones said.

Jones was then given the previous article to edit for 2009 publication.

“You delete, you add and you update,” he said. “They have a pretty good format in place.”

Jones expanded the information about modern, environmentally-friendly wheat growing practices, such as no-till farming and reduced use of fertilizers. He also updated the entry on the state of wheat breeding and genetics, which has been one of WSU’s primary areas of research.

An effort to arrange an interview with a World Book editor was unsuccessful. World Book bills itself as the best-selling encyclopedia in the world, and it’s targeted for an audience of sixth- to eighth-graders.

Starting in about a year, Jones’ work will be a source of information – and perhaps occasional plagiarism – by schoolchildren all over the country.

“It was very flattering to be asked, kind of a big deal,” Jones said.