“霜麦复生”与黑霜杀麦：清代华北地区对冬小麦晚霜冻害的不同响应与应对策略-《中国农史》

文章信息/Info

Title:: Resurrection or Withering: Different Responses and Strategies of Winter Wheat Harvest to Late Frost Damage in North China during the Qing Dynasty

Author(s):: KANG Yibo; （Center for Historical Anthropology/Department of History, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275）

摘要:: 方志对晚霜冻害天气后冬小麦的收成存在不同记载。除常见的“陨霜杀麦”外，还存在很多“霜不为灾”乃至小麦灾后复生且当年丰收的记录。这种现象与小麦的潜伏芽在灾后重新发育成穗的能力有关，是小麦抗逆性恢复能力的体现。对有关记载进行收集整理，共计得到1620—1911年间的“霜麦复生”记录71条，遍及北方五省，以山东省为多。其发生时间一般在公历4月23日前后，大体处于小麦的孕穗、抽穗阶段。史料细节中的恢复条件和过程与现代田间试验记录相吻合，除受灾程度外，灾后降水或土壤墒情是晚霜冻害后小麦不同收获情形的一个重要影响因素。面对这种情形，民众在及时刈苗补种和枯苗补救间进行决策，并在“刈与不刈”间形成了一定的经验总结。

Abstract:: There were different records in local chronicles on the harvest of winter wheat after late frost and freezing weather. In addition to the common "frost killing wheat", there were also many records of "frost not causing disaster", and even records of the revival of wheat after a disaster and a bumper harvest that year. This phenomenon was related to the ability of wheat to use latent buds to regenerate into spikes, which was a manifestation of wheat’s resilience and recovery ability. After collecting and organizing relevant records, a total of 71 records of "frost wheat rejuvenation" from 1620 to 1911 were obtained, covering five provinces in the north, with Shandong Province being the majority. The average occurrence time was around April 23rd in the Gregorian calendar, and it is generally in the stage of wheat booting and heading. Further examination of relevant historical details reveals that the restoration conditions and processes are consistent with modern field experimental records, and post disaster precipitation or soil moisture was a key influencing factor for different wheat harvests after late frost damage apart from the extent of the disaster. In the face of this situation, the public needs to make decisions between timely cutting and replanting of seedlings, as well as repairing dead seedlings, and form a certain experience summary between "cutting and not cutting".