Is Common Buckwheat Sweet? Planting Times, Harvest Periods and Cultivation Techniques by Region

In May 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the 2018 Technical Guidance on Common Buckwheat Production, offering cultivation guidance for three regions: the eastern Inner Mongolia production area, the central Inner Mongolia and northwestern Shanxi production area, and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia production area. So, is common buckwheat sweet? When is the best time to plant it? When is it harvested?

Common buckwheat is an important grain crop, cash crop and healthy food resource in China. It has the characteristics of a short growth period, drought tolerance and tolerance of poor soil, and can achieve high yields within a relatively short growing season. The main production areas include Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and other places. In recent years, with the development of buckwheat rice and buckwheat flour processing, demand for buckwheat has increased. To promote the development of common buckwheat production and support the adjustment of the agricultural structure, the Minor Grain and Bean Expert Steering Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the National Agricultural Technology Extension and Service Center, put forward the 2018 Technical Guidance on Common Buckwheat Production.

I. Eastern Inner Mongolia Production Area

This area includes Chifeng City, Tongliao City and other places in Inner Mongolia, and is a white-flowered buckwheat production area in China.

(1) Crop rotation. The main rotation models are potato — broomcorn millet/foxtail millet — buckwheat, and pea/lentil/grass pea — flax — buckwheat, with a rotation interval of more than 3 years to avoid continuous cropping and return cropping.

(2) Apply sufficient base fertilizer. Common buckwheat is mostly planted on dry land and hillside fields, and fertilization generally adopts the one-time basal application technique, that is, combining autumn plowing or spring plowing to apply all the fertilizer needed for the whole growth period into the soil at once, with no topdressing during the growing season. Organic fertilizer is the main type, applied at 500—750 kg per mu.

(3) Select good varieties. According to the ecological conditions and production levels of each area, scientifically select high-quality varieties and avoid cross-regional introduction of varieties that have not been tested and demonstrated. Choose high-yielding, superior varieties that are drought-resistant, cold-resistant and tolerant of poor soil, with a growth period of 80—90 days.

(4) Sow at the appropriate time. Sow in mid-to-late June and harvest at the end of September. Sun the seeds for 2—3 days before sowing and carry out careful seed selection. The sowing depth is 4—5 cm, and care should be taken that the soil cover thickness is uniform. For common buckwheat, the sowing rate is generally 2—3 kg per mu, with 60,000—80,000 plants per mu retained.

(5) Strengthen field management. Carry out the first intertillage when the seedlings are about 10 cm tall, and the second intertillage at the bud stage. During the flowering period, spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves to promote seed setting; bee release or artificial supplementary pollination can also be used to increase the seed-setting rate.

(6) Harvest at the appropriate time. Harvest before Frost's Descent. Common buckwheat is mature when 70% of the grains show the characteristic color of the variety. The grains can be safely stored when the moisture content is below 14%.

II. Central Inner Mongolia and Northwestern Shanxi Production Area

This area includes northwestern Shanxi and Ulanqab City, Hohhot City and Baotou City in Inner Mongolia.

(1) Select good varieties. According to the ecological conditions and production levels of each area, scientifically select high-quality varieties and avoid cross-regional introduction of varieties that have not been tested and demonstrated.

(2) Sow at the appropriate time. Sow as early as possible after the late frost ends. In this area, common buckwheat is sown from mid-to-late May to early June and harvested in early September. The sowing depth is 4—5 cm. The sowing rate is 2—3 kg per mu, and the soil should be pressed promptly after sowing. The basic seedling population is 50,000—60,000 plants per mu.

(3) Balanced fertilization. Apply 500—750 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, and 5—7 kg of diammonium phosphate or 5—7 kg of urea as seed fertilizer.

(4) Pest and disease control. Carry out reasonable crop rotation and seed coating before sowing. For the buckwheat hook-tipped moth, adult insects can be controlled by net catching, light trapping or chemical pesticides.

(5) Harvest at the appropriate time. When 70% of the grains on the whole plant show the color of mature grains, it can be harvested.

III. Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Production Area

This area includes Yulin City and Yan'an City in Shaanxi; Qingyang City, Pingliang City, Dingxi City and Baiyin City in Gansu; and Wuzhong City, Guyuan City and Zhongwei City in Ningxia. It is the main cultivation area for pink-flowered buckwheat.

(1) Select good varieties. According to the ecological conditions and production levels of each area, scientifically select high-quality varieties and avoid cross-regional introduction of varieties that have not been tested and demonstrated. In this area, common buckwheat is sown from early June to early July and harvested in mid-to-late September. The main promotion is high-quality pink-flowered varieties used for making rice and flour.

(2) Pre-sowing preparation. Choose preceding crops of beans, cereals or tubers, plow in time before winter, and harrow and level the soil after plowing to preserve moisture. Combined with plowing, apply 500—750 kg of farmyard manure, 10—15 kg of diammonium phosphate and 7—10 kg of urea per mu.

(3) Sow at the appropriate time. The sowing period is early-to-mid June. Sun the seeds before sowing, carry out careful seed selection, and remove impurities and shriveled grains. Use drilling, with a row spacing of 30 cm and a sowing depth of 4—6 cm. After sowing, press the soil to preserve moisture, with a basic seedling population of 50,000—60,000 plants per mu.

(4) Insect pest control. Select suitable insecticides and poisoned bait, apply them to the soil surface before harrowing and leveling, and trap and kill underground pests such as mole crickets.

(5) Mechanical harvesting. Common buckwheat is mature when 70% of the grains show the characteristic color of the variety. Adopt two-stage harvesting: first harvest with a swather, dry in the field for 7—10 days, then use an automatic pickup thresher or stationary thresher for threshing.