明清时期苜蓿的地域分布及其影响因素

基于对中国古籍库与中国方志库中的苜蓿记载的考察,发现苜蓿名实的流变呈现出两种迥然不同的面貌.即古籍记载中苜蓿名实相对单一明了,对苜蓿花色的指向比较明晰;方志中则比较复杂,出现了大量苜蓿异名,常与其他植物相混淆.其名实的流变实际上是苜蓿在中国传播历史进程中的一个缩影.对各地方志中的苜蓿记载次数进行计量分析,可以直观地看到...

Distribution of alfalfa in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the underlying driving factors

Based on the investigation of alfalfa records in Chinese ancient books and Chinese local records,it is found that the adoption of alfalfa across China shows two totally different faces.On the one hand,identification of alfalfa in the ancient records is relatively simple and clear,and the evolution of alfalfa flower color from yellow to purple is relatively clear.On the other hand,identifying alfalfa in local records is more complex as in a large number of cases there are misnomers,and alfalfa is often confused with other plant species.The appearance of the modern Chinese name Mùxu is actually a useful indicator of the adoption and spread of alfalfa in China.Based on the quantitative analysis of alfalfa records in local chronicles,it can be inferred that alfalfa in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was mainly distributed in the northwest,North China and Jianghuai,while it was also distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,the southeast coast and the southwest frontier.Using knowledge of social and economic factors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,we can draw three conclusions.First,the establishment and reorganization of military garrisons the Ming and Qing Dynasties resulted in alfalfa spread in the border areas and along the grain transport routes because alfalfa was used to feed horses.Secondly,during recovery programs in natural disaster areas,there was often widespread promotion by local officials of the planting and utilization of alfalfa,because as well as being an animal feed,alfalfa could be used as a vegetable by poor farmers and by the poor in the cities.Finally,the simple cultivation requirements of alfalfa made it a convenient crop for farmers to grow,thus incentivizing ongoing adoption of alfalfa and spread of its use.After the middle period of the Qing Dynasty,alfalfa was widely used to treat saline-alkali land in Hebei and Shandong,and the rotations of alfalfa with other crops were quite sophisticated.In short,the broad spectrum of knowledge embodied in the agronomy of alfalfa use has formed an agricultural system in its own right,which in the Ming and Qing Dynasties became established as the norm for local practice in many parts of China.