Abstract: The Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) was the last feudal dynasty in China. It was a period of relatively developed agricultural economy. In this period, practices for the cultivation and utilization of many crops were greatly developed, and there are many historical records. This article focuses on alfalfa and reviews and collates selected passages from 44 of those records, to understand the patterns of cultivation and utilization of alfalfa in the Qing Dynasty, and the foundation that historical practice has laid for the present day. By the start of the Qing dynasty, alfalfa was planted in vast areas of north and east China, and as far south as Sichuan and Hubei provinces. The texts accessed, which are not a complete list, record the cultivation of alfalfa in 182 counties in 22 provinces at that time. Textual research on alfalfa is complex both because of the need to differentiate between references to alfalfa and related species such as Medicago polymorpha, and Melilotus spp., and because up to 6 different names were used for alfalfa in different texts. Despite this complication, the Qing dynasty literature contains rich detail on the botanical characteristics of alfalfa and the husbandry practices used to grow it. In the Yongzheng period, Jifu Tongzhi wrote, “vines, leaves were clustered, purple flowers, pods”, while Xu Song referred to the different purple flower color of the western varieties. Cheng Yaotian (1725-1814) and Wu Qijun (1789-1846) also systematically studied the growth characteristics and seasonal phenological development of alfalfa. Plantings on alkaline soil and incorporation in crop rotations for its biological nitrogen fixation were widely utilized in the Qing dynasty. Luo Zhenyu (1866-1940) advocated planting alfalfa for use as a green manure in remote areas. In 1909, the American soil scientist Franklin visited China to examine the use of alfalfa for green manure in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces and subsequently wrote a text “Farmers of forty centuries of permanent agriculture ……” which described the techniques he had observed and commented that these farmers had recognized the importance of legumes very early. The importance of alfalfa in the later Qing dynasty was such that some villages in Shaanxi had formulated alfalfa protection regulations. By the start of the 20th century there were obvious advances in the management of alfalfa, mainly in the selection of sites with suitable soil for alfalfa, and also from a breeding perspective, with development of varieties tolerant of sandy or stony soils or with enhanced salt and alkaline soil tolerance. Husbandry techniques also became more sophisticated, with traits like hard-seededness recognized, optimal sowing dates confirmed, critical winter and spring management practices developed, and optimal cutting regimes and hay making practices identified in the Qing Dynasty.

Key words: alfalfa, Medicago polymorpha, Qing Dynasty, cultivation and utilization, alfalfa history