Prairie Provinces

Wheat

Marquis wheat played a decisive role in reshaping farming in the Prairie provinces, with their rich soils and long winters. Marquis wheat matured a week earlier than its predecessor, Red Fife. The ripe Marquis could be harvested before the damaging early autumn frosts hit, thus sharply reducing the risk of crop failure. It equalled the superior milling and baking qualities of its parent, Red Fife. Marquis hard red spring wheat made excellent bread flour due to its high protein and strong gluten content. This established Canada's reputation for high-quality export wheat. Per acre Marquis also gave high yields By 1920, Marquis accounted for 90 percent of the hard red spring wheat planted on the Canadian Prairies, doubling wheat production in some areas between 1906 and 1920. This opportunity attracted farmers from eastern Canada and the United states, as well as Ukraine, Germany and Scandinavia who arrived before World War I shut down travel in 1914. Hybrid Marquis Wheat thus played a central role in establishing the Prairie provinces as a major global grain-exporting area.