The production and distribution of minor crops in the Loess Plateau of China

The production situation of minor crops in the Loess Plateau of China was systematically analyzed based on crop species and regions of the study area. It is shown that minor crops play a very important role in grain production on the dry-lands of the Loess Plateau. Cultivated area of minor crop plants is largest in Shanxi Province，closely followed by Gansu. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has a lower minor crop planting area than Shaanxi，but its ratio to crop planting area is higher in Ningxia than Shaanxi. Among the different crops，cultivated area of potato is the biggest，then millet，buckwheat and mung bean in that order. Also the distribution of minor crops in the dry-lands of the Loess Plateau is divided into 3 major- and 10 sub-areas，and the main minor crop production and distribution characteristics of the different divisions were analyzed to provide policy and scientific bases for rational utilization of minor crop resources.