A Detailed Guide to Angelica Dahurica Cultivation Techniques: Planting Time and Methods
Growing any crop is about following the timing of nature and then working according to the crop's own growth patterns. The same is true for cultivating Angelica dahurica. On one hand, you need to choose an environment suitable for its growth according to its growing habits; on the other hand, you need to adjust the planting time appropriately based on the local environmental conditions at the time.
Angelica Dahurica Cultivation Techniques
1. Seed cultivation. Angelica dahurica is propagated by seed. You can either select individual plants, transplant them, and keep them for seed, or keep seed plants in place. In production, the former method is mostly used, generally carried out when harvesting Angelica dahurica. In Sichuan, select purple-stemmed Angelica dahurica with unbranched main roots that are robust and disease-free as seed plants. In Henan and Hebei, select Angelica dahurica with slender roots, small rhizome heads, no fibrous roots, fine white skin, and robust growth as seed plants. Before transplanting, cut off the leaves and plant at a row spacing of 50-70 cm. Carry out weeding and fertilization in winter and the following spring. From June to July, the seeds mature successively. When the fruit skin turns yellow-green (yellow-white in Henan), harvest them together with the infructescence. They can be harvested in batches, then spread out in a ventilated, dry place, air-dried, and threshed. Remove all impurities and set aside for later use.
2. Sowing. The sowing period is divided into autumn sowing and spring sowing, with autumn sowing being preferable. In Henan, autumn sowing is around White Dew; in Hebei, between End of Heat and White Dew; in Sichuan, between White Dew and Autumn Equinox; in Zhejiang, 10 days before Cold Dew. In areas with higher temperatures, Autumn Equinox to Cold Dew is suitable. If sown too early, the Angelica dahurica plants grow too vigorously in the current year, and some plants will bolt and flower prematurely the following year, making the roots lignified and unusable for medicinal purposes. If sown too late, winter precipitation is low and temperatures are lower, so the seeds do not germinate easily after sowing, affecting growth.
Sowing methods. Both drilling and dibbling can be used. In Zhejiang, Henan, and Hebei, drilling is used, with a row spacing of 13-20-27 cm, furrows 1-1.5 cm deep, and 1-1.5 kg of seed per mu. After sowing, rake the seedbed surface level and water to keep the soil moist. In Sichuan, dibbling is mostly used, with a row spacing of 30-33 cm and a hole spacing of 23-27 cm; the bottom of the holes should be flat. The sowing rate is 0.5-0.8 kg per mu. After sowing, do not cover with soil; immediately apply diluted human and livestock manure water, about 1000 kg per mu, then cover with plant ash mixed with human and livestock manure water so that the seeds are not exposed. Then press with a wooden board or tread lightly so that the seeds and soil are in close contact to promote germination. Seedlings emerge in 15-20 days.
Angelica Dahurica Planting Time
1. Spring sowing: Spring sowing is generally around Qingming, but the yield is low and the quality is poor, so it is generally not adopted.
2. Autumn sowing: Autumn sowing cannot be too early or too late. It should not be earlier than End of Heat, otherwise the plants will grow rapidly in the current winter, and most plants will bolt and flower the following year, making their roots unusable for medicinal purposes. But it should not be later than Autumn Equinox, because after Autumn Equinox rainfall gradually decreases and temperatures turn lower, so Angelica dahurica will not germinate for a long time after sowing, affecting growth and yield. Therefore, sowing should be done in early August to early September.
Growth Habits of Angelica Dahurica
Angelica dahurica mainly grows in the East Asian monsoon climate zone. The main production area, the North China Plain, has a semi-humid, semi-arid continental monsoon climate, with characteristics such as cold winters with little snow, windy springs, hot and rainy summers, and clear, crisp autumns. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain and the Sichuan Basin have a subtropical humid monsoon climate, with warm, humid conditions and four distinct seasons. The altitude is mostly between 50-500 m. It is best grown in flat terrain with deep soil layers, fertile soil, loose texture, and well-drained sandy loam. When planted in clay, overly sandy, or shallow soil, the main root is small and has many branches. It is also not suitable for cultivation in saline-alkali land and not suitable for continuous cropping.
Planting Benefits and Prospects of Angelica Dahurica
Planted from September to October and harvested in July of the following year, Angelica dahurica has an annual market demand of 120,000 tons. Its root is used as medicine and is also one of the eight major spices. The price of Angelica dahurica has consistently been 12-15 yuan/kg each year. Its yield is high, reaching 700-800 kg per mu, and at 12 yuan/kg the benefit is 8000-9000 yuan per mu. Because Angelica dahurica is easy to plant and manage, the benefits are high.
In 2015, the planting area expanded. In 2016, the output of Angelica dahurica exceeded demand, and the price fell to 4-5 yuan/kg. Farmers all gave up planting Angelica dahurica in 2015 and switched to varieties with higher benefits. Due to the large demand for Angelica dahurica, after the new crop came out in 2017, the price rose to about 10 yuan per kg. Because the planting area shrank and usage is large, the price will continue to rise. In 2017, with the price at 10 yuan/kg, according to market trends in medicinal materials, 60% of medicinal material varieties had already increased in price. Angelica dahurica is a variety with relatively large market demand. At present, inventory is relatively small. Based on the analysis of the above favorable conditions for Angelica dahurica, the prospects for developing Angelica dahurica planting in 2018 look relatively promising.
Angelica dahurica is mainly broadcast-sown, with 4-5 kg of seed per mu, at 50 yuan per kg. Each mu requires 50 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer and 100 kg of organic fertilizer, about 300 yuan. Planting and harvesting labor costs 400 yuan per mu, and herbicides and mechanized plowing cost 100 yuan. Each mu can produce 700-800 kg of dried goods. Current market demand is 6-7 yuan/kg, giving a benefit of 4000-5000 yuan per mu, with an investment of 1000 yuan per mu (excluding land rent).
Planting Angelica dahurica is not very different from planting ordinary crops. First, you also need to cultivate seeds, and then choose the appropriate sowing time and method. At present, the benefits of planting Angelica dahurica are still quite good, so if you have mastered the cultivation techniques for Angelica dahurica and truly like this industry, you might as well give it a try.