A Study On The Introduction And Localization Of Pumpkin In China

Pumpkin is originated in America and its scientific name is Cucurbita moschata,Duch.,it belongs to gourd squash annual rampant herbal plant.The way that we call pumpkin in China differs from its producing area,however,pumpkin is undoubtedly the most widely way we call.Pumpkin is one of the most important vegetable crops in China,and it is also Chinese traditional crops both for vegetable and grain.Pumpkin owns a long cultivation history of more than 500 years,and it was introduced to China indirectly by Europeans from America.At present,China is the world’s biggest producer and consumer of pumpkin,its cultivating area is all over the country and it has reached high production level.However,except being the important vegetable in summer and fall,pumpkin also owns many other fantastic functions.This study belongs to the research category of history of agriculture(agricultural history of science and technology,agricultural economic history,rural social history),with the theoretical direction of historical geography and historical philology,and the the method of combining qualitative and quantitative,dynamic and static,and comparative analysis,the authors to research the introduction and localization of pumpkin in China.This study focuses on three points,firstly,analyze the origin,oversea spread,species resources and the names of pumpkin.Secondly,study the introduction time,introduction route,introduction process,development of production technology,development of processing technology of pumpkin in China.Thirdly,discuss the motivations and effects of the introduction and localization of pumpkin in China.In totally,to present the whole picture of the pumpkin’s introduction and localization in China with all-round and dynamic perspective.Through data analysis of historical documents and the use of geographic information science(GIS)technology,the authors to make the growing and distribution situation of pumpkin be map-visualized,and in this way the author can more clearly and intuitively to show the space-time evolution of pumpkin growing.As the name implies,"introduction" refers to American crop pumpkin introduced from outside to China,including the time,route,process of introduction and some related issues."Localization" contains three meanings:first,localization of popularization,when pumpkin was introduced in China,it was popularized in a number of ways,the introduction spread from the initial southeast coast and southwest frontier to major areas and gradually covering the whole country.The process of pumpkin’s localization of popularization not only promote pumpkin to spread rapidly across the country,but also cause the space-time changing of pumpkin’s main growing areas.Localization of popularization is the most important,because pumpkin soon becomes closely related to people’s daily life,and popularization localization process is basically completed in the period of the Republic of China(1912-1949);Second,localization of technology,although there is a long history of pumpkin’s production technology and processing technology in America,theses technologies haven’t been introduced in China with the introduction of pumpkin.On the basis of traditional technology of growing melons,Chinese working people creatively summarize a set of production technology system and processing technology system of pumpkin.Localization of technologyis the most complex,it reaches the climax in Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty,continues to develop in Republic of China(1912-1949),and basically completes before China’s reform and opening up;Third,localization of culture,here it refers to the spiritual culture from its narrow sense.It is a long and osmosis process for pumpkin culture to integrate in Chinese traditional culture,from the rise of pumpkin folk-custom to pumpkin literature transmission,to the spread of the spirit of pumpkin,pumpkin culture gradually belongs to psychological identity of Chinese traditional culture.Localization of culture is the most impressive,that is also the important psychological reason for why Chinese people don’t know pumpkin is the outside crops.Localization of culture owns the fastest growing speed and reaches its climax in the period of Republic of China(1912-1949),but its development haven’t stopped after the founding of new China and even to now days.The three aspects:localization of popularization,localization of technology and localization of culture contact each other and influence each other.Pumpkin is one of the ancient crops which was first cultivated by ancient human beings,America is the origin center of pumpkin,the history of pumpkin in American can be traced back to 3000 BC,at least in pre-Columbian times,pumpkin was the main agricultural crops of American Indian,the production and use of pumpkin had reached a considerable level.In 1492,after Columbus discovered the new world,with the climax ofAmerica colonization,exploration,religion spread,pumpkin was first introduced into Europe,and by the hand of Europeans spread all over the world.May be in the early 16th century,Portuguese first introduced pumpkin to the southeast coast of China,later the people in southwest of China independently introduced pumpkin from India and Burma.Thus,pumpkin was popularized rapidly in mainland China.While compared with other American crops,the most prominent feature of pumpkin was that in addition to individual provinces,pumpkin was basically introduced in Ming dynasty.Before the 17th century,except the Northeast,Taiwan,Xinjiang,Qinghai,Tibet,pumpkin cultivation in other provinces had formed a certain scale.Since Qing dynasty the development of pumpkin in Chinese provinces had become more rapidly,north of China and southwest of China gradually became the major production areas of pumpkin.After the founding of new China,the development of pumpkin industry was in well and standard order.During the cultural revolution period,pumpkin production fell into stagnation,after the reform and opening up,especially since the 90s,pumpkin industry came to life again and faced with both opportunities and challenges.The production and development of pumpkin have had such big changes after years of reform and opening up shows that science and technology is the support strength to promote the development of pumpkin industry.Pumpkin owns rich gene pool,it is various in species and shapes,and also extremely outstanding in biodiversity,so it is called "the most of diversity".Thus,it causes the problem that the names of pumpkin differ in different parts,appellation confusion,name and nickname coexist in long-term.The study on pumpkin’s name can sort out its problem such as naming reasons.At the same time,the comparative with squash and zucchini,and the research of variety resources of pumpkin,conduce to a more accurate understanding of localization process of pumpkin.Soon after pumpkin was introduced into China,with careful observation and summarization,working people innovated a whole set of cultivation techniques system including seed selection and breeding,seeding seedlings,planting,field management,pest control and harvest,as well as pumpkin processing and using technology system of storage,edible,medicinal,forage.It embodies the wisdom of working people and great inclusive of traditional agriculture in our country,these technical experience and basic achievement about pumpkin still do a certain practical significance for modern pumpkin production,and is the important agricultural heritage of our country.Even after the founding of new China,pumpkin technical achievement which is deeply influenced by modern natural science,we still can see the great effects done by traditional technology.Pumpkin is the "pioneer" in American crops,the speed of introduction and localization of America crops is the fast,and it owns profound reasons:premise factor is the natural ecological factor(ecological adaptability,physiological adaptability),the most important factor is the relieving factor,immigration is the accelerating factor,economic is the factor which exists in a long period and plays more important role,the strong demand for summer vegetable is the necessary factor of social development.Pumpkin introduction and localization have produced many influence and far-reaching significance:first of all,the impact on relieving is the most important effects of pumpkins in the historical period,pumpkin have saved millions of people in different areas of the country;Secondly,it has had an effect on agricultural production,and changed the traditional structure of vegetable crops in China,completed the system of the traditional agricultural planting;Thirdly,the impact on the economy is the most important influence of today’s society,the completed industrial chain of pumpkin production has been formed(production-processing-marketing),this is also the main driver of pumpkin’s rapid development;Fourthly,The impact on the science of traditional Chinese medicine cannot be ignored also,pumpkin has been an important Chinese herbal medicine since in late Ming dynasty,it not only enriches the theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine,but also contributes much to heal the wounded and rescue the dying,in all it has done a great influence on traditional Chinese medicine science.Finally,that is cultural influence,pumpkin culture is rich and colorful,and it has created different culture connotation and produced a variety of cultural symbols,it formed a part of Chinese traditional culture.