Both sweet potatoes and potatoes are not picky about the soil and are extremely adaptable.
It does not have high requirements for water and fertilizer, and can be planted on barren land. In the prosperous years, it was planted on the fields and ridges, and it can be planted in nooks and crannies.
If there is a famine, it can become a life-saving food. In modern times of famine, if there were no sweet potatoes, no one would know how many people would starve to death.
"However, these two types of crops have a problem. They are difficult to store and transport." Zhao Si said seriously.
Compared with grains, sweet potatoes and potatoes have higher storage conditions.
It was not impossible to solve the problem in ancient times. It was not impossible to store sweet potatoes by digging cellars, but the storage period was far different from that of grain. If you were not careful, they would sprout and deteriorate.
Fortunately, sweet potatoes can still be eaten after they sprout. Potatoes can even produce toxins after they sprout.
In terms of transportation and circulation, it is obviously not as good as grain. The requirements for transportation conditions are higher and it is difficult to circulate long distances.
"These two different types of food will sprout if you are not careful when storing them. For example, sweet potatoes can still be eaten after they have sprouted, but they will be poisonous after they sprout. Moreover, long-term consumption of sweet potatoes can cause heartburn and bloating." Zhao Si opened his mouth to explain.
Zhao Si only vaguely remembered that the yield of sweet potatoes was much higher than that of potatoes, but potatoes seemed to be about to become the fourth staple food in future generations, while sweet potatoes had always been only used as agricultural and sideline products.
Zhao Si doesn't know the specific reason, but it is certain that long-term consumption of potatoes will not be as uncomfortable as long-term consumption of sweet potatoes.
When Zhao Si was a child, she really ate sweet potatoes for half a month. It was really uncomfortable to eat sweet potato leaves, stir-fry sweet potato vines, dried sweet potato stew, and roasted sweet potatoes~~
And in terms of taste, potatoes are much better than sweet potatoes. Most modern sweet potatoes are improved varieties. Sweet potatoes that have not been artificially cultivated have a lot of fiber and taste chewy.
In comparison, there is still a certain gap between these two crops and staple foods.
The difference is smaller for potatoes and larger for sweet potatoes.
However, sweet potato yields are higher and potato yields are slightly lower.
As for how to choose, that is the matter of the First Emperor.
The First Emperor frowned slightly when he heard this. It was difficult to store and the transportation conditions were relatively harsh.
These two conditions alone will lower the evaluation of these two crops a lot.
The transportation speed in ancient times was extremely slow... it came and went, it was troublesome to store during transportation, and time-consuming to transport. It was obviously not suitable for cultivation as a staple food.
But that’s a yield of 500 kilograms per mu...
Even as a supplement to agricultural products, it is excellent.
From the perspective of Qin Shihuang and the market economy, the status of staple food is irreplaceable.
Once grain is circulated, it becomes a commodity. Potatoes and sweet potatoes have extremely low commercial value, but their high yields could be used as a safety net in ancient times.
This is enough!
Food is the most important thing for the people!
Although this era has not yet put forward the idea that the people are like water and the king is like a boat, the First Emperor also understood that when the lower levels tend to be stable, the upper levels can rule more easily.
Taking a step back, when engaging in corvee labor, war, and other things that consume a lot of manpower and material resources, if there are crops with a yield of more than 500 kilograms per mu, the bearing capacity of the lower strata will also be greatly increased, making it less prone to chaotic changes.
From a long-term perspective, this is something that will increase Da Qin's heritage and even mobilize forces to strengthen Da Qin's rule.
Although Zhao Si has said less, even though Zhao Si has mentioned the disadvantages of sweet potatoes in advance, the First Emperor still seems very solemn.
"What about this thing? What's the yield?" The First Emperor pointed to the corn, with a bit more expectation in his tone.
"Slightly higher than grains...can be used as staple food." Zhao Si said after pondering for a moment.
Zhao Si really didn't know the specific yield of corn. He only roughly knew that under ancient production conditions, the yield of corn could be higher than that of crops such as wheat and rice. He didn't know exactly how much higher it was.
"But this thing grows better than wheat. The climate is suitable and it can grow in a hundred days." Zhao Si answered.
After first hearing Zhao Si talk about potatoes and sweet potatoes with a yield of 500 kilograms per mu, the First Emperor was a little disappointed when he heard that corn was slightly higher than wheat.
But when he heard that it only took a hundred days from planting to maturity, the First Emperor immediately became interested.
The First Emperor was not a person who was ignorant of grains. The Qin Dynasty was originally a country of farming and war. As a king, it would be ridiculous if he did not know the farming season.
At present, the five grains are hemp, millet, millet, wheat, and beetroot. Wheat is the most widely cultivated.
The maturity period of wheat basically takes more than two hundred days, which is twice as long as that of corn.
Under normal circumstances, three crops are harvested every two years. In a few areas with a pleasant climate and convenient irrigation, two crops are harvested a year.
Or, throughout the year, after planting wheat, you can plant other crops interspersed with it.
According to Zhao Sikou, although the yield per mu of corn is only slightly higher than that of wheat, the growing time is only half of that of wheat.
what does that mean? This means that most areas can achieve two crops a year.
Plant a crop of wheat, then plant a crop of corn, and you will have two good harvests a year.
If the two are supplemented and promoted, the annual grain output of Daqin can be increased by at least half, if not doubled.
"Well...what are the flaws?" The First Emperor looked at Zhao Si subconsciously.
He subconsciously believed that such crops also had certain flaws, and that nothing in the world was perfect.
"Hmm...not that delicious?" Zhao Si said.
But if you think about it carefully, in this era of limited shelling technology, it seems that wheat cooked with husks may not taste better than corn...
Before the advent of milled rice and flour, it was certain that corn would become a mainstream crop.
The First Emperor smiled slightly.
Not that delicious? Where can the delicious food go?
It is easy to store, does not make you sick when you eat it, can be transported over long distances, and has sufficient yield. In this era, it has met the rigid standards for becoming a staple food.
"What about this thing?" The First Emperor looked at the red pepper.
"What's the output?"
Zhao Si shook his head.
"Your Majesty, this is not grain, but a spice. It has a more flavorful flavor than peppercorns. It is so delicious that you can't stop eating it!" Zhao Si said.
The origin of peppercorns is near the Qinling Mountains and belongs to the Zhuxia cultural circle. However, the production is limited and it is an extremely valuable food, even more expensive than real money.
However, in ancient times, spices were not cheap.
For a long time, the price of spices was a golden peg.
Historically, some countries in the Middle East sometimes launched national wars over the ownership of a few pepper trees.
Faced with a cart of spices, the king of a small country in the Middle East could even tear himself up and seize it on the spot, like a bandit.
However, as a person who dislikes spicy food, compared to other spices, chili is Zhao Si’s favorite.
(Note: Rice is grown in the south. During the Qin Dynasty, the south was not yet developed, so at this time, there was hemp but not rice. After the Song Dynasty, the south was developed and rice became the mainstream food. Only then did rice replace hemp and become one of the five grains. )
