1. Overview Alias: Salvia miltiorrhiza, blood ginseng root. The root is used as medicine, to invigorate blood and regulate menstruation, for insomnia and palpitations. In modern medical clinical practice it is used to treat coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and other conditions with remarkable efficacy. 2. Biological Characteristics It prefers a warm, humid environment with abundant sunlight. At minus five degrees Celsius the stems and leaves suffer frost damage, while the underground roots are cold-resistant and can overwinter. High temperatures and drought during the seedling stage cause the seedlings to stagnate or even die. It is intolerant of waterlogging, and overly sandy, overly clayey or low-lying soils are unsuitable for planting.
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<p>1. Overview </p><p>Alias: Salvia miltiorrhiza, blood ginseng root. The root is used as medicine, to invigorate blood and regulate menstruation, for insomnia and palpitations. In modern medical clinical practice it is used to treat coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and other conditions with remarkable efficacy. </p><p> </p><p>2. Biological Characteristics </p><p>It prefers a warm, humid environment with abundant sunlight. At minus five degrees Celsius the stems and leaves suffer frost damage, while the underground roots are cold-resistant and can overwinter. High temperatures and drought during the seedling stage cause the seedlings to stagnate or even die. It is intolerant of waterlogging, and overly sandy, overly clayey or low-lying soils are unsuitable for planting. </p><p>3. Cultivation Techniques </p><p>1. Land selection and preparation. (1) Seedling plot: a plot with high terrain and loose soil. Make high beds and apply rotted barnyard manure or compost as base fertilizer. (2) Planting plot: choose a plot with deep soil, loose and fertile, relatively high terrain and good drainage for planting. (3) Mountain land: choose a sunny, low-slope plot. </p><p>2. Seedling raising. In late March, make beds 1.3 m wide, open furrows horizontally at a row spacing of 33 cm, with a furrow depth of 1 cm, mix the seeds with fine sand and scatter them into the furrows, cover with soil only to the extent that the seeds are no longer visible, cover with plastic film after sowing, punch holes in the film to release the seedlings after emergence, thin the seedlings when they are six cm tall, and transplant in late May. </p><p>3. Transplanting. Spring planting is done in mid-May, and autumn planting in late October. Earlier transplanting leads to earlier rooting and earlier greening in the following year. On the bed surface, dig holes at a row and plant spacing of 33× 23 cm, with the hole depth depending on the root length; apply base fertilizer at the bottom of the hole and plant 1~2 seedlings grown from seed (that is, seedling plants) per hole. </p><p>4. Seed propagation Same as seedling raising. </p><p>4. Field Management </p><p>1. Cultivation, weeding and topdressing Cultivate, weed, earth up and apply manure fertilizer three times a year. </p><p>2. Removal of flower buds To concentrate nutrients in the roots, all flower buds are cut off except in seed-production plots. </p><p>3. Drainage and irrigation Drain promptly during the rainy season and carry out furrow irrigation or watering promptly in dry weather. </p><p>5. Pest and Disease Control </p><p>1. Leaf spot disease Dark brown spots appear on the diseased parts, and in severe cases the leaves wither and die. For control, practice crop rotation; spray 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl or zineb. </p><p>2. Root rot disease The lateral roots or fibrous roots turn brown and rot, causing the death of the whole plant. Irrigate with a 800~1000-fold solution of 50% carbendazim or a 1000-fold solution of 50% thiophanate-methyl. </p><p>3. Root-knot nematode disease Due to parasitism by root-knot nematodes, many tumor-like growths form on the roots, causing the plant to develop slowly and eventually the whole plant to wither and die. For control, rotate with cereal crops; apply 3% methyl isothiophos. </p><p>4. Silver-marked noctuid The larvae feed on Salvia miltiorrhiza leaves, and in severe cases the leaves are eaten bare. For control, burn the residual branches and diseased leaves after harvest; spray a 2000~3000-fold solution of 10% fenvalerate; a 1000-fold solution of 40% omethoate; or a 1000-fold solution of 90% trichlorfon to kill them. </p><p>6. Harvesting and Processing </p><p>For vegetatively propagated plants, dig them up in November of the same year or before sprouting in the following spring; for seed-propagated plants, they can be dug up from October to November of the second year to before sprouting in early spring of the third year. After digging them out, sun-dry them in the field, remove the soil and transport them back; do not wash with water. Dry them in the sun until they are fifty percent dry, tie them into small bundles, pile them for 2-3 days to let them sweat, then spread them out again and sun-dry until completely dry, remove the fibrous roots and trim the rhizome, and cut off the fine tail ends to obtain the commercial product.</p>
I. Overview
Also known as Danshen, Xueshen root. The root is used as medicine, to promote blood circulation and regulate menstruation, and for insomnia and palpitations. In modern clinical medicine it is used to treat coronary heart disease and angina pectoris with remarkable efficacy.
II. Biological Characteristics
It prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. At minus five degrees Celsius the stems and leaves suffer frost damage, while the underground roots are cold-resistant and can overwinter. High temperatures and drought during the seedling stage cause the seedlings to stall or even die. It dislikes waterlogging, and overly sandy, overly clayey or low-lying soils are unsuitable for planting.
III. Cultivation Techniques
1. Site selection and land preparation. (1) Seedbed: a plot with high terrain and loose soil. Make raised beds and apply decomposed barnyard manure or compost as base fertilizer. (2) Planting site: choose a plot with deep, loose, fertile soil, relatively high terrain and good drainage for planting. (3) Mountain land: choose a sunny, low-slope site.
2. Raising seedlings. In late March, make beds 1.3 m wide, open furrows crosswise at a row spacing of 33 cm and sow in drills, with the furrows 1 cm deep. Mix the seeds with fine sand and scatter them into the furrows, cover with soil just until the seeds are no longer visible, and cover with plastic film after sowing. After emergence, punch holes in the film to release the seedlings. Thin the seedlings when they are six cm tall, and transplanting can be done in late May.
3. Transplanting. Spring planting is done in mid-May and autumn planting in late October. The earlier the transplanting, the earlier the roots form and the earlier the plants turn green the following year. On the bed surface, dig holes at a row spacing of 33×23 cm; the depth of the holes depends on the root length. Apply base fertilizer at the bottom of the holes and plant 1~2 seedlings grown from seed (that is, seedling plants) per hole.
4. Seed propagation. Same as for raising seedlings.
IV. Field Management
1. Cultivation, weeding and topdressing. Cultivate, weed, earth up and apply manure three times a year.
2. Removing flower buds. To concentrate nutrients in the roots, all flower buds are cut off except in seed-production plots.
3. Drainage and irrigation. Drain promptly during the rainy season and irrigate in furrows or water promptly during dry weather.
V. Pest and Disease Control
1. Leaf spot disease. Dark brown spots appear on the diseased parts, and in severe cases the leaves wither and die. For control, practice crop rotation; spray 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl or zineb.
2. Root rot. Lateral roots or fibrous roots turn brown and rot, causing the whole plant to die. Drench with a 800~1000-fold solution of 50% carbendazim or a 1000-fold solution of 50% thiophanate-methyl.
3. Root-knot nematode disease. Due to parasitism by root-knot nematodes, many gall-like growths form on the roots, causing the plants to develop slowly and eventually the whole plant to wither and die. For control, rotate with cereal crops; apply 3% methyl isothiophos.
4. Silver-striped noctuid. The larvae feed on Danshen leaves, and in severe cases the leaves are eaten bare. For control, burn the residual branches and diseased leaves after harvest; spray a 2000~3000-fold solution of 10% fenvalerate; a 1000-fold solution of 40% omethoate; or a 1000-fold solution of 90% trichlorfon to kill them.
VI. Harvesting and Processing
For vegetatively propagated plants, dig them in November of the same year or before sprouting in the following spring. For seed-propagated plants, digging can be done from October to November of the second year until before early-spring sprouting in the third year. After digging, sun-dry them in the field, remove the soil and transport them back; do not wash with water. When they are five-tenths dry, tie them into small bundles, pile them for 2-3 days to let them sweat, then spread them out again and sun-dry until completely dry. Remove the fibrous roots, trim the rhizome and cut off the fine tails, and they are ready as a commodity.