The latest division of wheat planting regions and planting conditions in different regions in China

Wheat is widely distributed in China and is planted all over the country. Due to different natural conditions in different places, obviously different planting areas are formed. As early as 1936, Chinese wheat was divided into 7 regions according to climate and wheat production, including 6 winter wheat regions and 1 spring wheat region. According to the results of 3-year regional adaptability tests of more than 100 wheat varieties in 9 sites in 8 provinces in 1937, 6 winter wheat regions were classified into 3 main regions. This is the earliest study on the differentiation of wheat in China.

In 1943, according to the winter and spring character, grain color and texture of Chinese wheat, the main wheat areas in China were divided into three planting areas: hard red skin spring wheat area, hard winter and spring wheat mixed area and soft red skin winter wheat area. In the early 1960s, wheat in China was divided into three main regions and 10 subregions: northern winter wheat region, southern winter wheat region and spring wheat region, which laid the foundation for a more complete wheat division in China. In particular, the dividing line of winter and spring wheat and the division of major wheat areas have been redetermined. Later, scientists in meteorology, variety and cultivation have put forward different divisions according to the characteristics of their respective disciplines. Based on the regionalization of Chinese Wheat cultivation, the book "Chinese Wheat varieties and their pedigree" is directly divided into 10 wheat regions, and some areas are further divided into several sub-regions.

Since the 1980s, with the rapid development of wheat production in the whole country, the data about wheat regionalization have been enriched and the understanding has been deepened. For this reason, the national wheat planting region is divided on the basis of the original 10 wheat regions: northeast spring wheat, north spring wheat, northwest spring wheat, Xinjiang winter wheat, Qinghai-Tibet spring winter wheat, northern winter wheat, Huang-Huai winter wheat, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, southwest winter wheat and South China winter wheat. The regional scope and zoning trend were revised and adjusted accordingly. According to the different natural conditions and the characteristics of wheat cultivation in different parts of China, the whole country is divided into different types of wheat planting areas to facilitate the rational arrangement of wheat production according to local conditions.

1. Northeast spring wheat area

The northeast spring wheat region includes all the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, most of Liaoning except the southern coastal areas and the northeast of Inner Mongolia Autonomous region. The area and total output of wheat in the region are close to about 8% of the whole country, accounting for about 47% and 50% of the area and total output of spring wheat in the country, so it is the main producing area of spring wheat, mainly in Heilongjiang Province.

The topography of the northeast spring wheat region is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with an elevation of 40m to 500m in most areas and 600m to 800m in parts of northwestern Inner Mongolia. The soil is mainly chernozem, the soil layer is deep and the soil is fertile. The area of wheat in the eastern Sanjiang Plain and the northern Heihe area of Heilongjiang Province is relatively concentrated, with a large number of state-owned farms, and its wheat output accounts for about 1x2 of the total spring wheat output of Heilongjiang Province. The whole region has a continental climate, the temperature is low, the heat is insufficient, and the temperature in winter and summer is very different. The temperature increases gradually from north to south, the coldest monthly average temperature is-23: 10 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-41: 27 ℃, which is the lowest in the country. The annual precipitation is 320mm to 870mm and 130mm to 333mm during the wheat growth period, but it is rainy in the east and dry in the west. In the Sanjiang Plain of Heilongjiang Province in the east, waterlogging disasters were often caused by too many Rain Water in the later stage, which affected the harvest. On the other hand, in Baicheng, Jilin Province and Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, drought and sand damage are caused by spring drought and windy winds. The wheat varieties in this area are spring, sensitive to light, and the growth period is short, mostly in about 90 days. The main diseases were root rot, rust and scab, and cluster dwarf disease and total erosion disease also occurred. The planting system ripens once a year, sows in mid-April and matures around July 20. In addition to timely prevention and control of various diseases in the region, waterlogging and moisture prevention in the east, weed control in the north, construction of water conservancy in the west, and tillage techniques such as less deep ploughing, more deep loosening, less tillage, no-tillage and reducing evaporation are the main measures to increase wheat production. According to the distribution of temperature and precipitation, this area can be divided into three sub-regions: cold in the north, humid in the east and drought in the west.

2. Northern spring wheat area

The northern spring wheat area is located to the west of the Daxing'an Mountains, to the north of the Great Wall, to the Yikezhao League and Bayannur League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous region in the west, and to the north of the people's Republic of Mongolia. The region is mainly in Inner Mongolia Autonomous region, including Hebei and Shaanxi provinces north of the Great Wall and northern Shanxi Province. The planting area and total output of wheat in the region account for about 3% and 1% of the country, respectively, accounting for about 20% of the area of grain crops in the region. The average yield per unit area of wheat is the lowest in all wheat regions in China, and the development is very uneven; the yield level of Yikezhao League and Bayannur League in western Hetao Irrigation District is relatively high. Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, Yanbei in Shanxi Province and Yulin in Shaanxi Province are all low-yielding areas.

The elevation of the whole region is 1000m to 1400m, and the soil is mainly chestnut soil. The continental climate is characterized by cold and little rain, poor soil and poor natural conditions. The coldest monthly mean temperature is-17: 11 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-38: 27 ℃. The annual precipitation is 309-496 mm, about 300 mm in most areas, and only 94-168 mm during the wheat growth period. The planting system is based on one crop a year, and three crops in two years in some areas. The wheat varieties in this area are spring and sensitive to light, and the growth period is 90-120 days. The sowing time is from the middle of March to the middle of April, the maturity is around the first ten days of July, and the latest is the end of August. The main diseases in the region were leaf rust, stem rust and yellow dwarf disease, clump dwarf disease, and wheat straw flies and armyworm. Drought in early spring, high temperature forced ripening in the later stage, damage caused by dry and hot wind and soil salinization in Hetao irrigation area are the main problems in wheat production. In order to increase production, the planting system such as leisure rotation should be implemented to improve soil fertility, furrow and border irrigation should be advocated, canal system should be well matched, irrigation system should be improved and soil salinization should be prevented. According to the difference of precipitation in the south and north of the region, it can be divided into two sub-regions: arid in the north and semi-arid in the south.

3. Northwest spring wheat area

The northwest spring wheat region is mainly in Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous region, as well as the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous region and the eastern part of Qinghai Province. The area of wheat fields accounts for about 4% of the country, with a total output of about 5%. In the whole country, the per unit yield is second only to the winter wheat area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and ranks first among the spring wheat areas; there are great differences among regions, among which the per unit yield of Hexi Corridor Irrigation District and Ningyin Yellow River diversion Irrigation District in Gansu Province are higher.

The northwest spring wheat region is located in the inland, the influence of marine monsoon is weak, and some areas belong to arid desert climate. 1100-2240 meters above sea level, the soil is mainly brown calcium soil and gray calcium soil, loose structure, easy to wind erosion and desertification. In the Loess Plateau, the gully is deep and the slope is steep, the water loss is serious, and the soil fertility is barren. The coldest monthly mean temperature is-9.3-7.5 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-27-23 ℃. It is rich in light energy resources, good heat conditions, large daily temperature range, more sunny days, long sunshine and strong radiation, which is beneficial to wheat photosynthesis and dry matter accumulation. However, the annual precipitation is only 86mm to 335mm, and the precipitation during the wheat growth period is 52mm to 181mm, which is one of the areas with the least precipitation in China, and the evaporation is large. The growth of wheat is mainly irrigated by the Yellow River and the snow water of the Qilian Mountains. Wheat rust, smut and midge are the main diseases and insect pests of wheat in this area. The planting system of the whole region is one crop a year. The wheat variety belongs to spring, and the growth period is 120-130 days. It was sown in early March and matured from mid-July to early August. According to the topography and precipitation, the whole region can be divided into four sub-areas: desert drought, Ningyin irrigation area, Longxi hills and Hexi Corridor.

4. Winter and spring wheat area in Xinjiang

The winter and spring wheat region of Xinjiang is located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region. The wheat planting area of the whole region is about 4.6% of that of the whole country, and the total output is about 3.8% of the whole country. Among them, the area of wheat in northern Xinjiang is about 57% of that of the whole region, mainly spring wheat, and the per unit yield is also higher than that in southern Xinjiang, while in southern Xinjiang, the area is mainly winter wheat, which is more than three times that of spring wheat.

The winter and spring wheat region of Xinjiang has a continental climate, dry climate and rare rainfall, but it is rich in iceberg snow water resources and groundwater resources. Sunny days, long sunshine, strong radiation. Northern Xinjiang is located between Tianshan Mountain and Altai Mountain, the temperature is low, the coldest monthly average temperature is-18: 11 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-44: 33 ℃. But because of the snow cover in winter, wheat can survive the winter safely in general years. In the year with less snow, the overwintering seedling death of winter wheat is more serious. The annual precipitation is 163-244 mm, 107-190 mm for winter wheat and 83-106 mm for spring wheat. The temperature in southern Xinjiang is higher than that in northern Xinjiang, the coldest monthly average temperature is-12.2-5.9 ℃, the absolute minimum temperature is-28.0-24.3 ℃, the annual precipitation is only 13-61 mm, the precipitation during wheat growth period is 8-48 mm for winter wheat and 7-39 mm for spring wheat, but there are icebergs and snow water for irrigation. The soils in northern Xinjiang are mainly brown calcium soil and gray brown soil, while those in southern Xinjiang are mainly brown desert soil. The planting system is mainly one crop a year, while there are two crops a year in southern Xinjiang. Winter wheat varieties are strongly winter and sensitive to light. The prevention of low temperature and freezing injury, drought, soil salinization and dry and hot wind damage in the later growth stage are all important issues in wheat production in this area. The sowing time of winter wheat is about the middle of September and matures at the end of July or early August of the following year. Spring wheat in northern Xinjiang was sown around early April and matured around early August, while in southern Xinjiang it was sown from late February to early March and matured in mid-July. According to the trend of Tianshan, the whole region can be divided into two sub-regions: southern Xinjiang and northern Xinjiang.

5. Qinghai-Tibet Spring and Winter Wheat region

The spring and winter wheat regions of Qinghai and Tibet include Xizang Autonomous region, most of Qinghai Province, southwest Gansu Province, western Sichuan Province and northwest Yunnan Province. The whole region is dominated by forestry and animal husbandry, and the planting area and total output of wheat are about 0.5% of the whole country, of which spring wheat is the main one, accounting for about 65.3% of the total wheat area of the whole region. Since the mid-1970s, winter wheat has developed rapidly in the Brahmaputra River valley in southern Tibet. Xizang's perennial winter wheat area accounts for about 4080% of the total wheat field area. The valley in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and Ludu are the main wheat producing areas with low and flat topography, fertile soil and developed irrigation. Agricultural areas are generally 3300-3800 meters above sea level, with a warm and cool climate, no heat in summer and no severe cold in winter. The coldest month: the average temperature is-4.8-0.1 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-25.1-13.4 ℃. The winter temperature is low and stable, and lasts for a long time, the winter wheat turns green to jointing and heading to maturity for two months, and the sunshine time is long, the diurnal range of temperature is large, the intensity of photosynthesis is high, the net photosynthetic efficiency is high, and the yield is also high. The sowing time of winter wheat is late September, and spring wheat is from late March to early April, and all mature from late August to mid-September. During the whole growth period, winter wheat lasts for about 330 days, and some of them do not mature until the anniversary; spring wheat lasts 140-170 days. The annual precipitation in the region is 42mm to 770mm, with an average of about 450mm. Among them, the annual precipitation in southern Tibet is 280-764 mm, usually about 500 mm. The precipitation during the growth period of wheat is 250mm for winter wheat and 224mm for spring wheat. The planting system is ripe once a year. The soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is more alpine soil, thin soil layer and less available nutrients. In the main agricultural areas on both sides of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, the soil is mostly calcareous alluvial soil, while the Qaidam Basin is dominated by gray-brown desert soil. Winter wheat varieties are strong winter and sensitive to light. The key measures to increase production in this area are the construction of water conservancy, the leveling of land, fine planting and thin pipes, and the improvement of irrigation conditions to prevent soil salinization. The whole region can be divided into three sub-regions: Qinghai Huanhu Basin, Sichuan-Tibet Plateau and southern Qinghai and northern Tibet.

6. Northern winter wheat area

The northern winter wheat region includes the south of the Great Wall of Hebei Province, the central and southeastern part of Shanxi Province, the northern area south of the Great Wall of Shaanxi Province, the Liaodong Peninsula of Liaoning Province and the southern part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous region, Longdong area of Gansu Province and Beijing and Tianjin. The wheat field area and total output of the whole region are about 9% and 6% of the whole country respectively, which is about 31% of the planting area of grain crops in this area. The average yield per unit area of wheat is lower than the national average.

The northern winter wheat area is located in the northern boundary of winter wheat, except for most of the plains in Hebei Province and hilly areas along the coast of Liaoning Province, with an elevation of 750-1260 meters above sea level. There are cinnamon soil, yellow cotton soil and saline soil and so on. Cinnamon soil is the main one with low humus content, but moderate texture, good permeability and tillage, deep ripening layer, soil moisture conservation and drought tolerance. The characteristics of continental climate are obvious. The coldest monthly average temperature is-7.7-4.6 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-24-20.9 ℃. Winter wheat can survive the winter safely in normal years, but the interannual variability is large. Frost injury occurs from time to time in low temperature years, especially in the border zone of winter wheat and spring wheat. The annual precipitation is 440mm to 660mm, which is mostly concentrated in summer and autumn. The precipitation from July to September accounts for about 44% of the whole year. The precipitation during the growth period of wheat is 143-215 mm. Drought is more serious, especially in spring. The cropping system is mainly three crops in two years, in which the dry land is mostly one crop a year, and the system of two crops a year has been developed in irrigated areas. The type of variety is winter or strong winter, it is sensitive to light, and the growth period is about 260 days. The diseases include stripe rust, leaf rust, powdery mildew, yellow dwarf disease and so on. The dry land was sown in the first and middle of September, and the irrigated land was about September 20; the mature period was usually in the middle and late June, and a few were as late as early July. Strengthening farmland capital construction and soil and water conservation, building water conservancy, increasing fertilizer application and selecting cold-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties are the key measures to increase wheat production in this area. The whole region can be divided into three sub-regions: Yanshan-Taihang Piedmont plain, Shanxi-Hebei mountain basin and loess plateau gully.

7. Huang-Huai winter wheat area

Huang-Huai winter wheat region includes all of Shandong Province, most of Henan Province (except Xinyang area), south-central Hebei Province, Huaibei area of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, Guanzhong Plain area of Shaanxi Province, southwest of Shanxi Province and Tianshui area of Gansu Province. The wheat area and total output of the whole region account for about 45% and 48% of the national wheat field area and total output respectively, accounting for about 44% of the grain crop planting area of the whole region, and are the main wheat producing areas in China.

Huang-Huai winter wheat area is low and flat, except for Longdong, Guanzhong, southwest Shanxi and some hilly areas, the main wheat areas are less than 100 meters above sea level. The soil type is mainly calcareous alluvial soil, some of which are yellow soil and brown soil, with good texture and high productivity. The climate of the whole region is mild, and the rainfall is more suitable. The coldest monthly average temperature is-3.4-0.2 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-22.6-14.60 ℃. The wheat overwintering condition is good, and the wheat seedlings usually remain green in winter. The annual precipitation is 580-860 mm, and the precipitation during the wheat growth period is 152-287 mm, which can basically meet the needs of wheat growth in rainy years, but drought damage often occurs in the northern region due to uneven rainfall distribution or interannual variation. The whole region is rich in water resources and can develop irrigation. There are mainly two crops a year in irrigated areas, three crops in dry land and hilly areas, and one crop a year in some dryland fields in Guanzhong, Henan and southern Shanxi. Most of the varieties are winter or weak winter, the response to light is moderate to sensitive, and the growth period is about 230 days. Spring varieties were planted as late stubble wheat in the south of this area. The general diseases and insect pests are roughly the same as those in the northern winter wheat area, but the total erosion disease and soil-borne mosaic disease are more serious in Jiaodong area of Shandong Province. The damage of dry and hot wind in the late growth stage of wheat is widespread and serious. The suitable sowing time is generally in the first ten days of October, but in some areas it is often not suitable for sowing due to various reasons, resulting in large area of late stubble wheat and low yield, thus affecting wheat production in the whole region. Therefore, reasonable arrangement of stubble and sowing date is the key to wheat production. Wheat ripens from late May to early June in the whole region. According to the climate and topography, the whole region can be divided into three sub-areas: Huang-Huai Plain, Fen-Wei River Valley and Jiaodong Hills.

8. Winter wheat area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

The winter wheat area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River extends to the Huaihe River in the north, to the mountains of western Hubei and hilly areas of western Hunan in the west, to the seashore of the East China Sea in the east, and to Nanling in the south, including most of the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and Xinyang, Henan Province. The wheat area of the whole region is about 11.7% of the total wheat field area of the country, and the total output is about 15% of the whole country. The output per unit area is high, which is the highest in the wheat farming area of the country, but the development among provinces is extremely uneven. Among them, Jiangsu Province has the highest yield, while the whole province of Jiangxi and the southwest of Hunan Province are low-producing areas. Wheat is not a major crop in the region. The wheat area of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces is only about 20% of that of food crops, while that of Jiangxi, Hunan and Zhejiang provinces is only about 5%. The climate of the region is mild, the terrain is low and flat, coastal areas such as Shanghai, Ningbo are less than 10 meters above sea level, other areas are only about 50 meters above sea level. The coldest monthly mean temperature is 1.0-7.8 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-15.4-4.1 ℃. The annual precipitation is 1000-1800mm, and the precipitation during the growth period of wheat is 360- 830mm. Wheat growth not only does not need irrigation, but also wet damage often occurs. Wheat planting is even affected by serious wet damage in Fuzhou and other areas in the south of Jiangxi Province. The planting system is mainly two-cropping system in one year, and three-cropping system in some areas. Most of the wheat varieties are weak winter or spring, the light response is not sensitive, and the growth period is about 200 days. The sowing date is from mid-late October to early and mid-November, and matures in late May of the following year. Besides scab, there are powdery mildew, leaf rust, stripe rust, sheath blight, leaf blight and so on. Supporting ditches in wheat fields, reducing and controlling groundwater to control wet damage and supplemented with pesticides to control diseases are the key measures to improve wheat yield in this area. The whole region can be divided into four sub-areas: the Jianghuai Plain, the lakes along the Yangtze River, the mountains of southern Zhejiang and Anhui and the hills of Hunan and Jiangxi.

9. Southwest winter wheat area

The southwest winter wheat region includes the whole of Guizhou Province, most of Sichuan Province and Yunnan Province, the south of Shaanxi Province, the southeast of Gansu Province and the west of Hubei and Hunan provinces. The wheat planting area in the region accounts for about 12.6 percent of the country's total wheat field area, and the total output is about 12.2 percent of the country's total. Among them, the Sichuan Basin is the main producing area, and the area and total output account for about 53.6% and 63% of the whole region respectively.

The topography of southwest winter wheat area is complex, including mountains, plateaus, hills and basins. It is 300 to 2000 meters above sea level. The climate of the whole region is mild, the hydrothermal condition is good, but the light is insufficient. The coldest monthly mean temperature is 2.6-6.2 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-11.7-5.2 ℃. The coldest monthly mean temperature in Sichuan Basin is 5.2-7.5 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-5.9-1.7 ℃. Except for the less rainfall in the southeast of Gansu Province, the annual precipitation in other areas is 7721510mm, and the precipitation during the growth period of wheat is 2791565mm. There are two main soil types: red soil and yellow soil. Yellow soil is dominant in western Hubei, western Hunan and Sichuan basin, and red soil is mainly distributed in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Most areas of the planting system are double cropping system of rice and wheat in one year. Most of the wheat varieties are spring or weak winter, and they are not sensitive to light, and the growth period is 180-200 days. Stripe rust and powdery mildew were seriously damaged in the whole region, and scab occurred occasionally. Aphids are the main pests. There are natural disasters such as wet damage, low temperature cold injury and late high temperature forced ripening. The suitable sowing time in Pingchuan wheat area is from late October to early November, and the mature period is in the first and middle of May. The sowing time in hilly and mountainous areas is a little earlier and the mature period is later. In addition to strengthening the prevention and control of wet damage and diseases and insect pests in the whole region, improving sowing methods in Pingchuan rice-wheat double cropping area, strengthening soil and water conservation and farmland construction in hilly and arid areas, and applying more fertilizer to improve soil fertility are all key measures to increase wheat production. This area can be divided into three sub-regions: the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the Sichuan Basin and the hills of southern Shaanxi and western Hubei.

10. South China Winter Wheat area

The winter wheat region in South China includes all the four provinces (autonomous regions) of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Taiwan, as well as southern Yunnan Province. The wheat planting area is about 2.1% of the country's total wheat field area (lack of Taiwan provincial data, the same below), and the total output is about 1.1% of the country's total. Wheat is not the main crop in this area, and its planting area only accounts for about 5% of the food crop area, and the area is very unstable over the years.

Nearly 90% of the area of winter wheat in South China is mountainous and hilly, and the total area of the Pearl River Delta, Chaoshan Plain and Minnan Coastal Plain is only 10%. The elevation of the mountain is about 1000 meters, the hilly area is about 200m, and the coastal plain is less than 100m. The soil is mainly red soil and yellow soil. The climate of the whole region is warm and hot, and there is no snow in winter. The coldest monthly average temperature is 7.9-13.4 ℃, and the absolute minimum temperature is-5.4-0.5 ℃. The annual precipitation is 1280-1820 mm, and the precipitation during the growth period of wheat is 320mm-450 mm. It is rich in water and heat resources, but the distribution of rainfall between seasons is uneven, especially it is not in harmony with the law of water demand in wheat growth period. Drought and little rain in the seedling stage, but more rain and humidity during grain filling, which affect the flowering, filling and fruiting of wheat, and often lead to scab, rust and so on. The planting system is mainly three crops a year, double cropping of rice and wheat or three crops of two years in some areas. Wheat varieties are spring, slow to respond to light, and the growth period is about 120 days. The main diseases were scab and powdery mildew, followed by stem rust and leaf rust. Pests include aphids and armyworms. It was rainy and sprouted seriously in the mature period, and the main measures to increase yield were to open ditches, drain water and prevent moisture and properly arrange the sowing date. The suitable sowing time is in mid-late November, and the earliest mature period is mid-late March, usually from late March to early April. The whole region can be divided into two sub-areas: mountains and hills and coastal plains.

Expanded reading: high-yield planting techniques of wheat and the difference between spring wheat and winter wheat in China