Abstract: The pattern of "southern rice and northern wheat" constitutes the most distinctive regional characteristic of China’s grain cultivation structure, exerting profound and enduring impacts on rural human capital accumulation. Utilizing CFPS data as the research sample and focusing on the post-60s and post-70s rural labor force cohorts, this study investigates the effects of grain cultivation structure on rural human capital accumulation through multiple regression models. The results indicate that rural human capital accumulation levels in rice-growing regions are significantly lower than those in wheat-growing regions. Economic development can mitigate the significant negative impact of rice cultivation on human capital accumulation. Furthermore, the influence of grain cultivation structure on rural human capital accumulation demonstrates heterogeneity across different age cohorts, particularly showing more pronounced effects on laborers born between 1960-1964 and 1975-1979. Notably, the synergistic effect of improved educational attainment among farmers and the expansion of rice cultivation areas enhances their willingness to engage in agricultural work.

Key words: rice-wheat divide, grain planting structure, rural human capital accumulation, cultivated area, farmers’ employment choices