Key Points of Artificial Cultivation Techniques for Wheat-Scutellaria baicalensis Continuous Cropping

The medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis (Baikal skullcap) is a perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family. Its root is used as medicine and has functions such as clearing heat and drying dampness, detoxifying, and promoting bile flow. In artificial cultivation of Scutellaria baicalensis, adopting a wheat-Scutellaria baicalensis continuous cropping method not only reasonably arranges the crop rotation but also improves economic returns, making it particularly worth planting in mountainous and hilly areas.

I. Growth Habits of Scutellaria baicalensis

Scutellaria baicalensis grows 20-60 cm tall. It prefers a warm and humid climate and is resistant to severe cold; adult plants can withstand low temperatures of -30 degrees. It grows well in sunny, high and dry, well-drained, neutral and slightly alkaline soil or sandy soil. It is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging; in low-lying waterlogged land the roots rot easily, so good drainage should be ensured. Propagation of Scutellaria baicalensis includes seed propagation and seedling cultivation. Seed propagation has three types: spring sowing, summer sowing and autumn sowing. This plan adopts summer sowing of seeds, with harvest in the autumn of the same year.

II. Sowing

After the wheat harvest, promptly prepare the land and make beds. Apply 25 kg of diammonium base fertilizer per mu. After making the beds, draw furrows at 20-25 cm, with a furrow depth of 2-3 cm. Evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows and cover with soil. Stubble sowing can also be used, that is, around the summer solstice, sow on cloudy and rainy days, open furrows 2-3 cm deep, scatter in the seeds, and cover with soil. The seeding rate is one kg per mu.

III. Field Management

After the seedling stage, keep the soil moist. When the seedling roots have penetrated more than 10 cm into the soil layer and have a certain drought resistance, stop watering and carry out seedling hardening to promote root growth. Scutellaria baicalensis seedlings grow slowly. After emergence, thin the seedlings first, and frequently loosen the soil and weed. Generally, cultivate 2-3 times, and stop cultivating after the rows close. When the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall, according to soil fertility, apply 13 kg of pure nitrogen and 15 kg of superphosphate per mu as topdressing. Topdressing can be applied in furrows between rows. Remove flower buds: except in seed-production fields, flower buds should be removed promptly at the bud stage to help nutrients concentrate in the roots.

IV. Pest and Disease Control

Scutellaria baicalensis has relatively few pests and diseases. In rainy seasons, leaf blight and root rot occur easily. Control methods: first, promptly pull out diseased and damaged plants and burn or deep-bury them; second, in the early stage of disease, spray with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. In addition, phoxim can be used to drench the roots to control cutworms and grubs.

V. Harvest

Seed harvesting: Scutellaria baicalensis has a long flowering and fruiting period, with inconsistent maturity, and the seeds fall off very easily. For seed-production fields, harvest as they mature, dry in the shade, and store in a place free from smoke fumigation and peculiar smells. Medicinal material harvesting: harvest can be done 1-3 years after planting. In recent years, harvesting has started one year after planting. In autumn after the aboveground parts wither, or in the following spring before the underground parts sprout, dig out the roots, cut off the remaining stems, shake off the soil, dry the roots until 20-30% dry, remove the coarse bark, and dry in the sun for medicinal use. During drying, avoid moisture and rain, and prevent the roots from turning green or black, which would affect quality.