In which regions are buckwheat producing areas mainly distributed?
Buckwheat originated in China at the earliest, with a very long history of cultivation and rich planting experience. The earliest physical buckwheat specimens were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 4 at Yangjiawan in Xianyang, Shaanxi, dating back more than 2,000 years. In addition, physical specimens 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 at where buckwheat producing areas are!
Where are buckwheat producing areas?
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 cold highland regions of the northwest, northeast, north China and southwest, with more in the north, distributed in a scattered manner, and the sown area varies with the annual climate, changing considerably. Inner Mongolia's buckwheat is especially famous, and Kulun Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has long had the reputation of “China's Buckwheat Township”.
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 is about 400 kg/hectare.
Cultivated varieties of buckwheat
1. Common buckwheat: Common buckwheat, also known as ordinary buckwheat, has no mycorrhiza, 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 more widely cultivated in China.
2. Tartary buckwheat: Tartary buckwheat, also known as Tatary buckwheat, has mycorrhiza, and its stems are usually smooth and green. Its achenes are relatively small, triangular in shape, with inconspicuous ridges, some appearing wavy, and with rough surfaces. It is more widely cultivated 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 achenes have thin, wing-like ridges and relatively poor quality. 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, being plump and almost splitting between the two ridges, but smooth without deep concave lines, with blunt ridges and wrinkled skin. It is named for its seed coat, which easily bursts open.
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 can satisfy 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 assimilative capacity, and flower and fruit drop is serious.
3. Water: Buckwheat is a crop that requires more water. During seed germination, it needs to absorb about 50% of its own dry weight in water. During flowering and fruiting, it consumes a large amount of water, and the peak water requirement occurs at full flowering. Its transpiration coefficient is generally 450-630, and the relative air humidity is required not to be lower than 30-40%.
4. Soil: Buckwheat has no strict requirements for soil. Its root system is weak, and the seed's ability to push through the soil is poor, so loose soil is required to facilitate seedling emergence and promote root development. Its reproductive growth is rapid and its nutrient uptake capacity is strong, making it suitable for planting on newly reclaimed land. The required soil acidity is pH 6-7, and soil with relatively heavy alkalinity 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 thereby increase yield. It requires a relatively large amount of potassium fertilizer, but chlorine-containing potassium salts easily cause leaf spot disease.