Effect of sowing time on buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) growth and yield in central Korea

Abstract

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum MOENCH) is a traditional Korean crop that gaining global attention as a health food due to its rich nutrition. Climate change effects such as high temperature, cold weather, flooding, and drought induce plant stress, reduced production yield of upland crops. In general, buckwheat is grown during the fall season in Korea. Flooding is a severe environmental stress factor, and flooding during the early growth stage of buckwheat causes large reductions in yield. Therefore, we established optimum growth parameters to maximize buckwheat yield. The optimum temperature for harvesting of buckwheat was approximately 1,083 ~ 1,515°C. The number of growing degree days (G.D.D.) from flowering to harvest was 509 ~ 673°C. Plant hight, stem diameter, and dry matter weight were reduced as planting date was delayed (p < 0.05). We investigated buckwheat sowing time during fall, and established an optimum cropping system according to the local climate conditions in central Korea. The growth period of buckwheat cultivar ‘Yangjueol’ was approximately 56 ~ 60 days during fall, and yield was higher than that of cultivar ‘Daesan’. The results indicated that buckwheat yield in central Korea was maximized by sowing cultivar on 25th August and cultivar ‘Daesan’ on 15th August. The yield of Yangjeol sown in spring was 119 kg 10a-1, whereas the yield of Daesan sown in summer was 158kg 10a-1. The results of this study established the effects of sowing time on growth and yield in central Korea. We propose an optimum cropping system for improving quality.