A Detailed Explanation of the Evolution of Corn Varieties in Northeast China
After the great upheaval of 2012, just as in our country's history the Han Dynasty was followed by the Three Kingdoms, the Tang Dynasty by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and the Qing Dynasty by years of warlord infighting, Northeast China entered a situation of many heroes rising together. The 2013 map of corn varieties and their evolution in Northeast China is as follows:
1. In 2013, across the entire mid-to-late maturing zone of Northeast China, Xianyu 335 and Zhengdan 958 formed a “standoff,” with their areas roughly equal, but within the traditional planting zones of these two varieties, a large number of new varieties began to rise. This was the first time since 2007!
That year, Xianyu 335 still maintained its position as the largest variety in Northeast China, but in Jilin, the province where its planting area was largest, the area was only close to 10 million mu. Its second-largest province was not in Northeast China but in the distant North China province of Shanxi. Xianyu 335's statistical planting area in Northeast China was about 20 million mu. Although a lean camel is bigger than a horse, the Xianyu 335 storm in Northeast China came to an end here!
In Xianyu 335's traditional advantage zone, the first to rise was Nonghua 101. Because of its long promotion period and excellent marketing work, it became one of the highlights that year as the fourth-largest variety in all of Northeast China, especially becoming one of the absolute main planted varieties in Gongzhuling City, Jilin. The local dealer Manager Cao also became famous throughout Northeast China.
At the same time, the Liangyu series varieties also rose comprehensively. Among them, Liangyu 88 achieved great success in Liaoning, and Liangyu 188 in Jilin, but they could not overshadow the brilliance of Liangyu 99. In the surrounding areas centered on Lishu, the second-largest corn-planting county in Jilin Province, Liangyu 99 became the absolute main planted variety at a stroke! Liangyu thus became another banner of Northeast China, and Ma Xiaozhi of Jinhang Seed Industry in Lishu, Jilin also became another legend among Northeast China dealers!
Varieties with relatively large simultaneous influence also included Limin 33 and Dika 516, but they were soon submerged by the vast sea of varieties.
Tiannong 9 that year completed its layout with an area of nearly one million mu. Although its influence was not yet very great at the time, it laid the foundation for major development in the past two years.
Jinqing 707 sowed the seeds of development in Jilin Nong'an, the largest corn county in the country! Two years later, it would become the main planted variety centered on this place!
2. That year, Zhengdan 958 was mainly concentrated in Northeast Inner Mongolia centered on Tongliao, northern Liaoning, western Jilin, and parts of the Sanzhao area in the first accumulated temperature zone of Heilongjiang. Most of its main planting areas were located in the semi-arid region of Northeast China, roughly forming an east-west division with Xianyu 335. Its statistical area was about 18.17 million mu, ranking as the second-largest variety in Northeast China. This itself is a myth!
But at this time Zhengdan 958 finally encountered its strongest opponent, Jingke 968! That year, Jingke 968 completed its layout with an area of less than 2 million mu. What was the situation by 2015? We can know through two reports!
On October 12, 2015, Farmer's Daily, under the title “Good Varieties + Good Marketing Can Build Popularity,” and on October 19, People's Daily, under the title “Why Is Jingke 968 Even More Popular?,” respectively reported that Jingke 968's planting area reached 16 million mu, with Tongliao alone in Inner Mongolia reaching 9 million mu. Based on this, it is expected that in the 2016 planting season, Jingke 968's variety replacement of Zhengdan 958 will be completed!
3. When mentioning the extremely early maturing corn zone of Northeast China, “Demeiya No. 1 zone” has become a synonym! Since its rise in 2008, with the rapid expansion of the extremely early maturing corn zone, Demeiya No. 1 became a variety exceeding 10 million mu in 2013, ranking fourth nationwide, third in Northeast China, and first in extremely early maturing, a truly major variety! At the same time, Demeiya No. 2 ranked second in the extremely early maturing zone with an area exceeding 3 million mu. But it should be noted that the success of the Demeiya series varieties was mainly in Heilongjiang. In other areas of extremely early maturing corn, such as Hulunbuir League in Inner Mongolia, Lihe 16 and Jichengdan 3 were far larger than Demeiya that year. One important reason was that the soil fertility in that region was poorer than in Heilongjiang, corn planting density was lower, and Demeiya's advantage of being suitable for high-density planting could not be brought into play here.
Up to the present, the varieties in Heilongjiang's extremely early maturing zone have remained stable, but Inner Mongolia and other places are in a decisive battle among four varieties: Ruifuer No. 1, Demeiya No. 1, Tunyu 188, and Longping 702.
And across the entire extremely early maturing zone, Ruifuer No. 1 shows signs of rising.
4. In the early maturing corn zone of Northeast China, ranked by variety planting area in 2013, the order was Ludan No. 2, Zhedan 37, Ludan No. 1, Demeiya No. 3, Longdan 59, Suiyu No. 7, Suiyu 19, and Suiyu 20. All of the above varieties exceeded one million mu in planting area. In the past two years, Suiyu 20 and Demeiya No. 3 rose the fastest, and Dongnong 254 also achieved impressive results.
5. In the mid-early maturing corn zone of Northeast China, Jidan 27 remained vigorous in 2013, still ranking third. The top two were Longju No. 1 and Jidan 519, but in fact the planting areas of the three varieties were basically comparable. Varieties exceeding one million mu also included Xinxin No. 1, Longju No. 7, Suiyu 10, and Longdan 49 in order. In the past two years, Xinxin No. 1 and Suiyu 23 made considerable progress in this region.
6. In the mid-maturing zone of Northeast China, although Jidan 535 was the control variety, its planting area had already fallen below the one million mu mark. Xianyu 335, Damin 3307, and Xinxin No. 2 ranked in the top three. In recent years, competition in this region has been especially fierce, with Huanong 887, Syngenta 408, and the Fuer series varieties all fully participating in competition.
7. The late maturing zone of Northeast China is mainly in Liaoning. In 2013, Danyu 405, Shenyu 21, and Danyu 39 ranked in the top three. After that, Danyu 405's area expanded year by year. In addition, there was another variety with a very large area, which is omitted here.
The Northeast China corn region experienced three consecutive years of large spot disease spread from 2013, 2014, and 2015. This major corn disease, which began in 2012 along the line from Songyuan to Shuangliao at the boundary between the semi-humid and semi-arid regions of Northeast China, showed no sign of stopping, as can be seen from the relatively severe incidence in Chifeng in 2015.
In 2014, the semi-arid region of Northeast China encountered relatively severe drought.
The main problems encountered in the 2015 corn season were as follows:
(1) Local severe drought
(2) In some local areas, sowing was too late due to spring frost
(3) Localized lodging caused by Typhoon Swan. It should be noted with great attention that some very famous and rapidly growing varieties also suffered severe lodging in some regions, planting a “landmine” for the next two to three years!
(4) After 2012, armyworms occurred relatively heavily for the second time in the central and southern parts of Northeast China.
(5) After severe occurrence in Northeast China in 2010, corn ear rot and kernel rot occurred relatively heavily in 2014, and 2015 was again a year of relatively heavy occurrence.
Based on the above situation, and at the same time, because the Northeast China temporary storage grain purchase progress was relatively fast and grain-selling households could get cash, although this season's seed sales progress was generally later than in previous years, which varieties were “hot” and the overall market situation had actually largely been decided. Many dealers had already securely obtained this season's profits, which is still highly consistent with the current market trend!
But it should be seen that the turning point for corn in Northeast China is now emerging. In 2016, in addition to the official implementation of the revised Seed Law, what else will we often mention in the future? Let us wait and see!