Historians believe that wheat was brought to China
from the Middle East during the Neolithic Period, possibly
as early as 1500 B.C. By the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-200
A.D.), wheat had become so entrenched as a crop that
a philosophical treatise written during that time included
dates when winter wheat should be sown. (Needham Vol
VI, 461-3)
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| Wheat planted next to Song Dynasty
tomb figures, Gongxian, Henan, China. photo by
J. Willis |
Winter wheat and barley served as ideal supplements
to native, summer season cereals such as rice and
millet,
allowing for an efficient crop-rotation system. (Needham,
Vol. VI: 464).
Wheat served as an important crop throughout China’s
dynastic history. Early historical texts included descriptions
of farm implements and planting systems used to grow
wheat. The Qimin Yaoshu (Essential Skills for the Common
Man) of the 6th century lists instructions such as
parboiling wheat before storage to prevent mildew and
facilitate
hulling. (Needham Vol VI p. 382)
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| Replica of a traditional Chinese
plow. photo by S. Willis |
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Winter wheat in November in
moutainous area of southern Shaanxi province. Photo
by S. Willis
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In modern China, wheat continues to play an important
role. Although China produced less than 25 million metric
tons per year in the 1950s, production increased gradually
through the 1970s. In the early 1980s, agricultural reforms
spurred China’s wheat production to dramatic increases,
peaking at over 120 million metric tons in 1997. (ERS
China agricultural and economic data). The wheat harvest
has now fallen to about 90 million metric tons per year,
but China remains the largest producer of wheat in the
world. Wheat consumption and production are shifting,
though, as China steadily becomes more urbanized and
a growing number of people become consumers rather than
subsistence farmers.
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