Using yearly statistics for grain output and economic development (GDP) from 1978-2013 at the provincial level in the major grain producing area (MGPA) in China,three indicators including the gravity center (GC),geographic concentration index (GCI),and coupling index (CI),were used to determine the GCs of grain output and economic development,quantify the concentration degrees of grain output and economic development and its related CI,and then analyze the relationship and consistency between grain output and economic development.We found that the yearly GCs of grain output and economic development were typically located in the southwest of the geometric GC of MGPA.The grain GC generally moved in a northeastward direction characterized by noticeable but unstable movement,whereas the economic GC moved in an opposite (southwestward)direction featured by slight and stable movement from 1978 to 2013.In 1978,there was 1.173 8 latitudinal degrees of the GCs between grain output and economic development.However,the deviation of the two GCs further increased to 1.506 8 degrees in 2013,and the GC of grain was located to the southwest of the economic GS.Both grain output and economic development showed a weak conformity in 1978.Developed provinces in the east of the MGPA had a lower level of grain production,displaying a slightly reverse-economic feature in the course of grain production concentration.However,the grain-economy relationship was characterized by higher concentration of grain output with obvious reverse-economic feature.In the past 35 years,the number of provinces featured by conformity declined,while difference in the consistency coefficient of grain-economy increased.The inconsistency between economic level and grain production showed an increased tendency which meant both were not spatially-matched,leading to an unfavorable situation labelled by weak economy in the MGPA.
grain outputeconomic developmentgravity centerCGE indexmajor grain producing areaChinareform and opening up