What are the latest regions where sorghum is produced?
Sorghum is also known as shushu, taoshu, muji, etc. It is an annual herbaceous plant of the grass family, and is widely distributed in China, being grown almost everywhere across the country, but its main producing areas are very concentrated. North of the Qinling Mountains and the Yellow River, especially north of the Great Wall, is the main producing area. The whole country is divided into 4 cultivation regions: the early-maturing spring-sowing region, the late-maturing spring-sowing region, the spring and summer sowing region, and the southern sorghum region. Let us take a look below at where the sorghum producing areas are!
Early-maturing spring-sowing region
The early-maturing spring-sowing sorghum region includes all of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia, the Chengde area of Hebei Province, the area below the Zhangjiakou dam, northern Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, the arid region of Ningxia, central Gansu and the Hexi region, and the northern Xinjiang plains and basins, etc. The early-maturing spring-sowing region lies at 34°30' to 48°50' north latitude, at an altitude of 300 to 1000 m, with an annual average temperature of 2.5 to 7.0°C, an active accumulated temperature (accumulated temperature of ≥10°C) of 2000 to 3000°C, a frost-free period of 120 to 150 days, and annual precipitation of 100 to 700 mm. The varieties produced are mainly early-maturing and medium-early-maturing types. Because the accumulated temperature is relatively low, sorghum production is easily affected by low-temperature cold damage, and technical measures should be taken to prevent low temperatures and promote early maturity. It is a one-crop-per-year system, usually sown in early to mid-May and harvested in September.
Late-maturing spring-sowing region
The late-maturing spring-sowing sorghum region is China's main sorghum producing area, with a relatively high yield level. It includes most areas of Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces, Beijing, Tianjin, the Yellow River irrigation district of Ningxia, eastern and southern Gansu, and the southern Xinjiang and eastern Xinjiang basins, etc. The late-maturing spring-sowing region is located at 32 to 41°47' north latitude, at an altitude of 3 to 2000 m, with an annual average temperature of 8 to 14.2°C, an active accumulated temperature of 3000 to 4000°C, a frost-free period of 150 to 250 days, and annual precipitation of 16.2 to 900 mm. It is basically a one-crop-per-year system. Because the heat conditions are relatively good, late-maturing varieties are mostly used in cultivation. In recent years, due to reform of the farming system, summer-sown sorghum is planted after wheat harvest, changing one crop per year to three crops in two years or two crops per year.
Spring and summer sowing region
The spring and summer sowing sorghum region includes parts of Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, and Hebei provinces. It is located at 24°15' to 38°15' north latitude, at an altitude of 24 to 3000 m, with an annual average temperature of 14 to 17°C, an active accumulated temperature of 4000 to 5000°C, a frost-free period of 200 to 280 days, and annual precipitation of 600 to 1300 mm. In the spring and summer sowing region, spring-sown sorghum and summer-sown sorghum each account for about half. Spring-sown sorghum is mostly distributed on relatively poor low-lying and saline-alkali land, and medium-late-maturing varieties are mostly used. Summer-sown sorghum is mainly distributed on flat, fertile land and, as the succeeding crop after summer-harvested crops, mostly uses early-maturing varieties with a growth period of no more than 100 days. The cultivation system is mainly two crops per year or three crops in two years.
Southern sorghum region
The southern sorghum region includes the southern part of central China and all of south China and southwest China. It is located at 18°10' to 30°10' north latitude, at an altitude of 400 to 1500 m, with an annual average temperature of 16 to 22°C, an active accumulated temperature of 5000 to 6000°C, a frost-free period of 240 to 365 days, and annual precipitation of 1000 to 2000 mm. The southern sorghum region covers a vast area and is mostly planted in scattered plots. The provinces with relatively more planting include Sichuan, Guizhou, and Hunan, etc. The varieties used are strongly short-day types, with loose-panicle and waxy varieties being the majority, and most have tillering ability. The cultivation system is three crops per year. In recent years, ratoon sorghum has seen some development.