Up to now, the origin of mustard has not reached a recognized conclusion. This is because the genetic origin of mustard is not completely consistent with the conclusion of the Center for Geographical Origin and Diversity.

(1) Genetic origin of mustard

The study on the genetic origin of mustard began with cytogenetic research. Morinaga and Sasaoka made a deep study on chromosome pairing behavior in meiosis of interspecific hybrids in Brassica, and thought that there was a close genetic relationship between several species. China scholars generally think that mustard (n = 18) and Brassica campestris (B. rapa, n = 1) should be written as b campestris, but in recent years, no scholar has written it as b campestris), and the chromosome pairing in metaphase of F meiosis is 1Ⅱ(1 bivalents)+8 Ⅰ (. Therefore, it can be inferred that mustard is an allotetraploid or diploid synthesized by crossing Brassica campestris with black mustard. It is suggested that the genome of Brassica napus is A, that of Brassica napus is B, and that of Brassica oleracea is C. The genome of mustard is AB. U. Nagah(1953) put forward the hypothesis of cell genetic relationship of six species of Brassica and established the famous Yu's triangle pattern (Figure 9-1).

fig. 9-1 Yu's triangle pattern diagram

Later, three compound species of mustard, European rape (B. napus) and Abyssinia mustard (B. carinata) were synthesized by artificial hybridization, and their characteristics were consistent with those of the above three natural species in morphological characteristics and cytological structure, and there was no reproductive isolation between the artificially synthesized materials and the naturally occurring plants of this species, which strongly proved that mustard. This view has been widely recognized by academic circles.

(2) geographical origin of mustard

The geographical origin of mustard is mainly based on four aspects of evidence, one is the opinion of authoritative experts; Second, archaeological discoveries; Third, ancient literature records; The fourth is the distribution of wild species and original parents. When the four are unified, it is easy to draw conclusions, otherwise, it is difficult to obtain consistent conclusions. The geographical origin of mustard is not only inconsistent with the three, but also the internal details of the three.

1. Opinions of authoritative scholars

Up to now, many scholars have devoted themselves to this issue, but due to the differences in research areas, materials and research methods, different opinions have been drawn:

In 1926, Vavilov considered Central Asia, northwestern India, Pakistan and Kashmir as the original origin centers of mustard. The central and western parts of China, eastern India and Myanmar, Asia Minor and Iran are three secondary origin centers. In the book "Theoretical Basis of Breeding" officially published in 1935, vavilov believed that the mountainous areas in central and western China and their adjacent lowlands, Central Asia, namely northwest India, the whole Afghanistan and Tajikistan and Uzbekistan of the former Soviet Union, and the western Tianshan Mountains are the origin of mustard, among which China is the eastern origin of mustard. Western Asia (all of Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Iran and mountainous Turkmenistan) and Indian origin centers (including Assam province and Myanmar in eastern India) are the secondary origin centers of mustard.

Burkitl I.H.(193) thinks that mustard is native to the arid areas of north and central Africa, and it was introduced to the West Indies. It may also be native to the interior of China, from which it was introduced into Malaysia. Sinskaia(1928) thinks that mustard originated in Asia and has many main variation types in China. Simons N.W.(1979) believed that mustard originated in northern India, while its original parent, black mustard, originated in the Near East, and Brassica originated in the Mediterranean and the Near East. Hemingway (1976) believed that the original origin center of mustard was from Central Asia to the Himalayas, and then moved to three secondary origin centers: India, China and Caucasus. Vaughan et al. (1963) reported that black mustard independently crossed with local species or subspecies with n = 1 in the above areas and originated many times. Keisuke Xingchuan (1978) believed that Central Asia was the original origin center of mustard, which was formed by natural hybridization between black mustard and Brassica in the coastal areas of China.

The mustard article in Cihai published in p>1979 states that mustard is native to China. The Agricultural Encyclopedia Vegetable Volume (199) published by Agricultural Publishing House also indicates that mustard is native to China.

Sun Fengji (197) believed that mustard originated in the Middle East in prehistoric times, and China was not the origin of mustard. Because two parents of mustard, B.campestris and B.nigra, were not found in China.

Tan Junjie (198) thinks that black mustard in the coastal area of origin spread from Asia Minor to Central Asia, and from Central Asia to India and China. The year when it was introduced into China was around the epoch. The chromosomes of distant hybridization between black mustard and B.oleracea in the origin center and adjacent areas naturally doubled to form Ethiopian rape; However, the black mustard which spread to China was hybridized with Brassica napus or turnip, and then naturally doubled to form mustard. Therefore, mustard in China is neither originated from the so-called "wild mustard" nor a new species of black mustard, but a new epigenetic species produced in the natural environment of eastern, southern or western China.

Li Jiawen (1981) thought that 18 kinds of vegetables, such as turnips, mustard greens and radishes, had been widely cultivated in Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Hubei provinces, and China was isolated from the outside world at that time, so these vegetables (including mustard greens) should all have originated in China.

Bo Muhua (1981) listed 237 kinds of prehistoric or native cultivated plants in China in his article "Discussion on the sources of cultivated crops in China" through the analysis of a large number of historical classics and the comparison of modern Chinese and foreign documents, but there was no record of mustard in 113 kinds of cultivated plants introduced from other places on a large scale in BC and later. Therefore, he thought mustard was a prehistoric or native vegetable crop in China.

Li Shuxuan (1982) thought that China was one of the origins of mustard, and Sichuan Basin in China was the center of small gene or secondary differentiation of mustard.

Chen Shiru (1982) wrote in the article "The Origin and Differentiation of Mustard Variables in China": "Mustard is widely distributed as an oil crop in China, India, Egypt, the south, southwest and Europe of the former Soviet Union, but interestingly, it was originally limited to China as a vegetable crop. According to the fact that many varieties of mustard were found in China, it is clear that China is a vegetable mustard.

According to China Ancient Agricultural Science and Technology, "Mustard, a Brassica plant in Cruciferae, originated in China and is one of the specialty vegetables in China, with different varieties of roots, stems and leaves".

Liu Houli (1984), after comparing various opinions of Chinese and foreign scholars, also thought that northwest China was one of the origins of black mustard and mustard.

Song Keming et al. (1988) thought that the RFLP data obtained from the experiment combined with the phylogenetic evidence of B.rapa and B.juncea and the results of the analysis of natural distribution characteristics supported the view that mustard had at least two origin centers, one in the Middle East and India and the other in China.

To sum up, we have the following opinions or views on the origin of mustard: ① It originated in the Middle East or the Mediterranean coast; ② Originated in northern and central Africa; ③ Originated in Central Asia; ④ Originated in eastern, southern or western China.

it is not difficult to see that most foreign scholars hold the first three views. This is because the genetic origin of mustard is not completely consistent with the conclusion of geographical origin and diversity center, and the genetic diversity center of mustard is not consistent with the distribution of the original wild species of mustard. Chongqing City and Sichuan Province in the southwest of China are the diversity centers of mustard, and there are almost all other types except some variation types, such as heading mustard. However, in these areas, there are no wild black mustard and mustard needed for the formation of mustard compound species, and the study on the origin of mustard started late and the historical data is incomplete, which makes it complicated to clarify the origin of mustard.

2. Archaeological discoveries

Among archaeological discoveries, one is the textual research of Banpo site, and the other is the textual research of Mawangdui No.1 Han tomb.

In p>1954, archaeologists in China excavated carbonized vegetables stored in clay pots by primitive humans in the primitive social and cultural sites of Neolithic Age in Banpo (Yangshao culture) in the suburb of Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province, and the age was determined by radioisotope 14C, which was 6,-7, years ago. Identified by Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, it was confirmed as a kind of seed of mustard or cabbage. Primitive humans who lived in tribal groups could not introduce and cultivate plants from a long distance, but could only live with aquatic plants, and gradually developed from collecting wild plants near their habitats to consciously retaining seeds for cultivation. Therefore, there is no reason to think that the cabbage or mustard found in Banpo site is not an ancient prehistoric plant in China.

textual research on mawangdui No.1 Han tomb. There are extremely rich unearthed cultural relics in Mawangdui No.1 Han Tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province, among which there are a large number and many kinds of agricultural products. Among these cultural relics, there are both physical objects and bamboo slips written records. Among the 312 bamboo slips, 7 recorded the names of vegetables, including mustard, sunflower, ginger, lotus root, bamboo shoots and taro. At the same time, there are fruits and seeds of the above plants. In the Western Han Dynasty, 18 kinds of important cultivated crops introduced from Central Asia and India by Zhang Qian when he went to the Western Regions around 1 BC, and 71 kinds of main cultivated crops introduced from Asia, Africa and Europe after A.D. were not found in the No.1 Han Tomb in Mawangdui, Changsha, and there was no written record of bamboo slips, indicating that the crops in the tomb were all native to China, not imported species.

3. Ancient literature records

The Book of Songs Gufeng, which was written more than 2,5 years ago, has a poem of "picking the weeds and collecting the Philippines, and the things below the body". "Fen" and "Er Ya Shu" stated that "Fen and Fen are different, but the sound is the same, then Fen is also, Xu is also, turnip is also, turnip is also, fen is also, fen is also, mustard is also, seven things are also." Ci Hai, published in 1978, is called "dysprosium, turnip". Experts in past dynasties have interpreted fennel as a kind of vegetables, such as mustard, turnip and mustard. It shows that mustard was planted and utilized in the vast areas of Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Hubei provinces as early as the 5th to 7th century BC.

Mencius (about 372 BC-289 BC) discussed the relationship between the monarch and his subjects in Gao Yu Shang: "The monarch treats his subjects as brothers and sisters, and the subjects treat him as their heart; If you treat me like a dog or a horse, then I treat you like a Chinese; If you treat me like dirt, then I treat you like enmity. " It can be seen from the above that it is not surprising that mustard was as common as grass in Qilu land (now in Shandong and Hebei), or that mustard, like grass, had only simple leaf clusters with complex morphological differentiation.

In the Book of Rites of the Western Han Dynasty (26 BC-24 AD), there was a record of "fish and mustard sauce", which showed that mustard seeds were mainly made into sauce as seasoning at that time. At the same time, there was a mustard article in Yin Duwei's Book, which recorded that "... the suburbs of Zhao and Wei were called big mustard, and the small ones were called pungent mustard or secluded mustard." It showed that mustard also had variation in plant size at that time, which was undoubtedly the result of natural and artificial selection. It is recorded in Shuo Yuan that around 1 BC, melons, mustard greens, sunflower, Polygonum hydropiper, onion, etc. have been widely cultivated in China. By the 1st century A.D., in the Central Plains, mustard should be planted in July and August, and rapeseed should be harvested after midsummer the following year. According to the recorded cultivation time, the growth period of mustard at that time was longer than that of mustard at present, which may be because mustard was older at that time, and the growth period was shortened by artificial selection and its own evolution, or it may be related to the climatic conditions at that time. In April People's Decree (about 166), it was recorded that in the 2nd century AD, turnips and mustard were planted in July and harvested in April. At this time, mustard can be distinguished from turnips, and in terms of utilization, it has been developed from using seeds as seasoning to eating nutritional organs, and "the valley is used to support the people and the vegetables are used as food", which has officially become a kind of vegetables. In addition, in Zhou Xingsi's Thousands of Articles in the Liang Dynasty, there is a saying that "vegetables are more important than ginger mustard", which Jeff Lee explained as: "This is because farmers worked hard every day, and it was hard to avoid wind and rain. If they often ate vegetables such as mustard and ginger, they could both get rid of cold and wind and reduce diseases." It shows that at that time, they not only understood the vegetable value of mustard, but also realized its medicinal effect. In the section "Planting Mustard" and "Mustard and Mustard 23" of Qi Min Yao Shu published in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), it was written: "Those who take leaves from Shu mustard and mustard are all planted in July and half, and the ground wants to be cooked. One mu of Shu mustard is used for one liter and one mu of mustard is used for four liters. The planting method is the same as turnip. Not only born, but also not uprooted. When turnips are harvested in October, Sichuan mustard is harvested. Brassica, foot frost is the harvest. " In addition, it is marked in small print that "the middle is salty and light, and it is also dry." "Those who plant mustard seeds, Sichuan mustard seeds and mustard seeds are planted in February and March when it rains. If there is drought, the border is watered. Harvest in May. " In addition, there is a small note that "the three species are not cold-tolerant, and they die after winter, so they must be planted in spring." The above account shows that mustard in Sichuan basin had differentiated from seed mustard into leaf mustard at least before the first half of the 6th century. The cultivation technology is more mature, and turnip, Brassica, mustard and mustard can be separated in understanding. In addition to condiments and fresh food, there have been relatively primitive processing technologies. Chen Shiru believes that the so-called "Shu mustard" may be a mustard cultivar introduced from Sichuan to the north. The records of "Southern Mustard and Giant Mustard" in Lingbiao Yilu show that mustard varied strongly in Lingnan area in the 6th-7th century, and the plants increased significantly and became "Giant Mustard". In the illustrated materia medica (161) published in the Northern Song Dynasty, "Mustard is everywhere, and green mustard is hairy and very spicy; The record that purple mustard is pure purple and lovely in stems and leaves, and the most beautiful as a horseshoe crab shows that by the 11th century, mustard has been widely cultivated in China, among which the leaf color is lighter like that of Chinese cabbage (fermented grains), and there are also variations of extremely spicy taste and purple leaves.

In the Miscellaneous Books of Xuepu in the Ming Dynasty, it is recorded that "there are many kinds of mustard, and those who have roots in mustard think that it is a vine, and ... they can be brought to the north of the home". It shows that at that time (16th century A.D.), the root mustard was differentiated, but it was confused with the turnip by people at that time. In Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica (1578), "April food is called summer mustard, the mustard is tender and tender, and it is called kale, which is crispy and delicious." It shows that people didn't know that mustard had differentiated, but not B.alboglobra Bailey.

The famine relief chapter in the Ming Dynasty's Complete Book of Agricultural Administration recorded the wild mustard as a way to relieve famine and satisfy hunger: "Water mustard is abundant by the water, and the seedlings are taller than feet. The leaves are very small, slightly green in color, with many flower forks and thin stems, small yellow flowers, short and short horns and spicy taste. Save the hunger, pick the leaves of the seedlings and cook them, the water overflows to get rid of the spicy smell, washed them, and adjusted the food with oil and salt. " "Mustard, born in the hillside of Mi County and Okano. The seedlings are one or two feet tall, with leaves like mustard leaves and thin.