How to cultivate Codonopsis pilosula for high yields? A detailed explanation of the key growing techniques

Codonopsis pilosula (scientific name: Codonopsis pilosula) is cut into oval or nearly round thick slices, with a yellow-brown or grayish-yellow surface, a yellowish-white or yellow-brown cut surface, cracks or chrysanthemum-like patterns, and a pale yellow core in the center. The outer edge is pale yellowish-white to yellow-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles. It has a distinctive aroma and a slightly sweet taste. Raw Codonopsis pilosula slices are especially effective at tonifying qi and promoting fluid production. They are often used for damage to both qi and fluids or for dual deficiency of qi and blood. Codonopsis pilosula is sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. It tonifies the middle and boosts qi, quenches thirst, strengthens the spleen and benefits the lungs, nourishes the blood and promotes fluid production. It is used for spleen-lung qi deficiency, poor appetite and fatigue, cough with deficient wheezing, insufficient qi and blood, sallow complexion, palpitations and shortness of breath, thirst due to fluid damage, and internal heat with wasting-thirst. It is also used for reluctance to speak and shortness of breath, weakness of the limbs, poor appetite, qi deficiency, dual deficiency of qi and fluids, dual depletion of qi and blood, and blood-deficiency sallow complexion and other patterns. However, it must not be used when exterior patterns have not been resolved and there is middle fullness with excess pathogens. The effects of this product are similar to those of ginseng, only weaker in potency. For treating general deficiency patterns, it can be used in place of ginseng; for severe collapse patterns, ginseng is still preferable. It is dug up in autumn, washed clean, and dried in the sun.

Codonopsis pilosula growing environment:

Codonopsis pilosula prefers a cool and humid climate and is cold-tolerant. It avoids high temperatures and waterlogging. During the seedling stage it prefers shade and fears direct sun, while at the mature plant stage it prefers light.

The seeds can germinate above 10°C, and the suitable germination temperature is 18-20°C. Fresh seeds can reach a germination rate of more than 85%, but seeds stored until the next year have an extremely low development rate, or even completely lose their germination capacity, so old seeds are not suitable for planting.

For seedling raising and transplanting, choose a half-slope field. In the winter of the first year, plow the soil deeply, apply 15,000 kg of farmyard manure and 750 kg of phosphate fertilizer per hectare as base fertilizer, and in the second spring, break the soil up finely and level it. Around the Spring Equinox, make raised beds 170 cm wide. Use 45 kg of seed per hectare, mix it with fine soil, and sow in drills, opening furrows at a row spacing of 10 cm, with a furrow depth of 1-2 cm, and sow evenly in the beds in drills, then cover with fine soil. After emergence, pull weeds and apply topdressing. Transplant in the second year. Each hectare of seedbed can plant 6 hectares of field. Apply 15,000 kg of farmyard manure and 750 kg of phosphate fertilizer per hectare, then level the soil and harrow it finely. Dig up strong two-year-old seedlings and transplant them around “Qingming” or after “Bailu” in autumn. When transplanting, arrange the main roots of the seedlings diagonally in the furrow at 10-20 cm, with the rhizome head about 7 cm below the soil surface. Apply 7,500 kg of stable manure and 300 kg of phosphate fertilizer per hectare, and open soil for the second row to cover the seedlings in the first row.

Field management: after planting, weed twice each year. For autumn planting, weed in spring; for spring planting, weed in autumn. Codonopsis pilosula is tolerant of fertilizer and mainly relies on base fertilizer. In the year of planting, apply 15,000 kg of dilute manure water or 375 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per hectare. After planting Codonopsis pilosula, choose 170 cm-long small stakes or branches and insert them alternately between the rows every 30-60 cm for the Codonopsis pilosula vines to twine around. For seed collection, use seeds produced after planting for 2 years, and around “Chushu”, harvest and store the mature seeds.

Pest and disease control: red mold root rot and yellow rust generally occur severely from May to July. After onset, pull out diseased plants and burn them, and disinfect the diseased holes with quicklime. Before sowing, disinfect the soil with 30 kg of quintozene per hectare. Spray or drench the roots with 500-fold 65% wettable zineb solution or 1:1:200 Bordeaux mixture, once every 7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times. To control aphids and red spiders, use 1 kg of dimethoate plus 200 kg of water to spray the plants. For white grubs, cutworms, mole crickets, and wireworms, irrigate the Codonopsis pilosula field with 700-fold 75% parathion emulsifiable concentrate, or use poisoned bait to trap and kill them.