How much does Astragalus root cost per jin? Including cultivation techniques

Astragalus root, also called Mianqi, mainly grows in Gansu, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and other places in China. Due to widespread harvesting by humans, the amount of wild Astragalus root has greatly decreased, so most of what is on the market is cultivated. So how much does Chinese herbal medicine Astragalus root cost per jin? What are the key points of cultivation techniques?

1. How much does Chinese herbal medicine Astragalus root cost per jin?

Recently, the price of Astragalus root has shown a rising trend, with certain differences in price among different regions. For example, Astragalus root produced in Inner Mongolia costs about 8.5-10 yuan/jin, and Astragalus root produced in Gansu costs about 6.5-8.5 yuan/jin.

2. Key points of Astragalus root cultivation techniques

1. Site selection and land preparation

Astragalus root is a deep-rooted plant. For flatland cultivation, choose high, dry terrain with good drainage and loose, fertile sandy loam; for mountainous areas, choose slopes or wasteland with deep soil layers, good drainage, and shelter from the wind facing the sun. Sites with a high groundwater table, high soil moisture, and tight clay texture; low-lying, easily waterlogged clay, or poor, thin gravelly soil are all unsuitable for planting. After selecting the site, carry out land preparation. Autumn plowing is preferable, generally deep plowing 30-45 cm, applying base fertilizer together with plowing, applying 2500-3000 kg of farmyard manure per 667 sq m. For spring plowing, pay attention to preserving soil moisture, then harrow finely and level, and make beds or ridges.

2. Propagation methods

Alternating hot and cold water seed soaking. A few days before sowing, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water during the day, then switch to cold water at night. Treat continuously for 3 days and nights, then remove the seeds and put them in an earthenware jar, cover with a wet cloth, and place in a warm place to promote germination. They will sprout in 3-4 days and can then be sown. Alternatively, place the seeds in boiling water and stir rapidly for 1 minute, immediately pour into cold water, cool the water temperature to 40°C, then soak for another 2 hours, pour off the water, cover with a wet burlap sack and let stand for 12 hours, and sow when the seeds swell or the outer coat cracks.

Mechanical damage. Mix 1 part fine river sand with 2 parts seeds evenly, place on a medium-sized mill, spread 3-4 cm thick, and grind until the seed coat becomes fuzzy. After grinding, sieve out the seeds, soak in 20°C warm water for 1 day, pile and ferment in a warm place, and they will germinate in about 5 days, then can be sown. Be careful not to over-grind the seeds.

Sulfuric acid treatment. For old, fully mature, hard seeds, soak in 70-80% sulfuric acid solution for 3-5 minutes, then remove and immediately rinse in running water for half an hour, or wash the remaining sulfuric acid off the seeds several times with clean water, and sow when slightly dry. The germination rate can reach over 90%.

3. Sowing methods

Generally, hole sowing and drill sowing are used. For hole sowing, on the prepared bed surface of the planting site, open shallow holes at a row spacing and plant spacing of 30 cm × 25 cm, sow 6-7 seeds per hole, cover with soil 2 cm thick, using 1-1.5 kg of seed per mu. For drill sowing, open horizontal furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 40 cm, with a furrow depth of 3 cm. When sowing, mix the seeds evenly with plant ash and organic fertilizer, then spread evenly into the furrows, cover with fine soil 1-2 cm after sowing, and press lightly.

4. Field management

Irrigation: Keep the soil moist before emergence. After emergence, water less and loosen the soil more to encourage the roots to grow downward. Water in the morning and evening. If there is a sudden clearing after heavy rain at noon, drain promptly.

Intertillage, weeding, and topdressing: After the seedlings of the current year emerge uniformly, loosen the soil and weed, generally 2-3 times. When the seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, thin the seedlings, and set the plants at a spacing of 15-20 cm. Thereafter, each year during the growing period, loosen the soil and weed according to soil compaction and weed growth. Sown 1-2 year old Astragalus root grows vigorously, and the roots develop quickly, so appropriate phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can be applied along with intertillage and weeding.