Where is buckwheat produced? A complete overview of the latest distribution of major producing areas nationwide

Buckwheat originated in China at the earliest, with a very long history of cultivation and rich growing experience. The earliest physical remains of buckwheat were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 4 at Yangjiawan in Xianyang, Shaanxi, dating back more than 2,000 years. In addition, physical remains from the Former Han and Later Han periods were also unearthed at Maquan in Xianyang, Shaanxi, and Mozuizi in Wuwei, Gansu, respectively. Now let us take a look together at where buckwheat is produced!

Where is buckwheat produced?

1. Producing areas in China: Buckwheat is widely distributed in China, from Hainan Province in the south to Heilongjiang in the north, from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the west to Taiwan, China in the east. The main producing areas are in the high-cold mountainous regions of the northwest, northeast, north China and southwest, with more in the north. The distribution is scattered, and the sown area varies with the annual climate, changing considerably. Buckwheat from Inner Mongolia is especially famous, and Kulun Banner in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has long enjoyed the reputation of “China's Home of Buckwheat”.

2. Producing areas in the world: Buckwheat is one of the main food crops of Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, and France, Canada and the United States are also important producing countries. According to 1975 statistics, the world planting area was 1.616 million hectares, of which the Soviet Union planted 1.5 million hectares, Poland 35,000 hectares, Japan 22,000 hectares, Canada 19,000 hectares, the United States 13,000 hectares, and France 10,000 hectares. The average yield was about 400 kg per hectare.

Cultivated varieties of buckwheat

1. Common buckwheat: Common buckwheat, also known as sweet buckwheat, has no mycorrhizae, slender stems that often have ridges, and a pale red color. Its achenes are relatively large, triangular in shape, with smooth surfaces and edges and good quality. It is the type cultivated more widely in China.

2. Tartary buckwheat: Tartary buckwheat has mycorrhizae, stems that are usually smooth and green, and smaller achenes that are triangular in shape with inconspicuous ridges, sometimes wavy, and rough surfaces. It is cultivated more extensively in the southwest region of China.

3. Winged buckwheat: Winged buckwheat, also known as winged buckwheat, has pale red stems and large leaves, and is mostly self-pollinating. Its achene ridges are thin and wing-shaped, and its quality is relatively poor. It is cultivated in small amounts in both northern and southwestern China.

4. Rice buckwheat: Rice buckwheat is distributed in almost all the main buckwheat producing areas of China. Its achenes resemble those of common buckwheat, plump between the two ridges as if about to split, but smooth with no deep groove lines, with blunt ridges and wrinkled skin. It is named for its seed coat, which tends to crack.

Growth habits of buckwheat

1. Temperature: Buckwheat prefers cool and humid conditions, is not tolerant of high temperatures and dry winds, and fears frost. An accumulated temperature of 1000-1500°C is enough to meet its heat requirements. Seeds can germinate in about 4-5 days when the soil temperature is above 16°C. The most suitable temperature for flowering and fruiting is 26-30°C. When the temperature is -1°C, the flowers die; at -2°C, the leaves and even the whole plant die.

2. Sunlight: Buckwheat is a short-day crop. When the day length decreases from 15-16 hours to 12-14 hours, the growth period shortens. Late-maturing varieties are more sensitive than medium- and early-maturing varieties. Each plant can produce more than 2,000 flowers, but the seed-setting rate is very low, only about 10%. In addition, the leaves have weak assimilation capacity, and flower and fruit drop is severe.

3. Water: Buckwheat is a crop that requires a lot of water. When the seeds germinate, they need to absorb about 50% of their own dry weight in water. During flowering and fruiting, a large amount of water is consumed, and the peak water requirement is during full bloom. Its transpiration coefficient is generally 450-630, and the relative air humidity must not be lower than 30-40%.

4. Soil: Buckwheat has no strict requirements for soil. Its root system is weak, and the seeds have poor ability to push through the soil, so loose soil is required to facilitate seedling emergence and promote root development. Reproductive growth is rapid and nutrient uptake is strong, making it suitable for planting on newly reclaimed land. The required soil acidity is pH 6-7, and soil that is relatively alkaline is not suitable for planting.

5. Fertilizer: Buckwheat is a crop sensitive to fertilizer. With sufficient fertilization, the stems can produce a large number of branches. Phosphate fertilizer can promote grain formation and increase nectar secretion. Using bees to assist pollination can thus increase yield. The need for potassium fertilizer is relatively high, but chlorine-containing potassium salts easily cause leaf spot disease.