Abstract:

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.

Key words: alfalfa, Ming and Qing Dynasties, alfalfa distribution： natural disaster area, garrison, localization