Abstract: Based on the established model of spring maize cultivation distributionclimate in China, this paper analyzed the decadal variations of the potential cultivation distribution of spring maize in this country in 1961-2010. There was an increasing trend in the potential cultivation distribution of spring maize in China. The optimal cultivation area presented a fluctuating increase, and reached about 5.3×10⁵ km² in last decade; while the suitable cultivation area expanded eastward obviously, and increased by 8.2×10⁵ km² in last 50 years. The northern boundary of the potential cultivation distribution shifted northward, and the maximum northward shift reached about 1.4 degrees in latitude. The results implied that climatic change helped the enlargement of spring maize cultivation in China, but the water condition in some areas of this country might limit this enlargement.

Key words: Ca²⁺, salicylic acid, ROS, pathogenesis related protein.