A Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods of Artemisia selengensis

Artemisia selengensis is a wild vegetable with a fresh fragrance, and its tender stems and leaves can be served cold or stir-fried. In recent years it has become popular in the market, and quite a few farmers have started growing Artemisia selengensis, so what are the cultivation techniques for Artemisia selengensis?

1. Sowing

Artemisia selengensis is generally grown by direct seeding or drilling, usually in early and mid-March. For drilling, the row spacing is about 30 cm. After sowing, cover with soil and water. Seedlings usually emerge in late March. After emergence, thin and even out the seedlings in good time, and transplant seedlings to fill in the gaps where plants are missing.

2. Land preparation

Before sowing, choose a sandy loam soil whose previous crop was not an Asteraceae crop, with good irrigation conditions and fertile soil; this is best. Before planting, plow the soil and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Apply 3000-4000 kg of decomposed pig or cattle manure per mu, or about 150 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer, then prepare the land and make beds. The beds should be 1.5-2 m wide, with deep furrows and high beds. During the growing period, carry out one topdressing in September-October, applying 10 kg of urea per mu, broadcast and combined with watering, to promote the vegetative growth of Artemisia selengensis and prevent premature aging in the later stage.

3. Field management

1. Weeding: After Artemisia selengensis emerges, promptly pull up the weeds at the field edges so that the root system can develop better, which allows Artemisia selengensis to grow more vigorously.

2. Watering: Artemisia selengensis has fairly strong moisture tolerance but is not drought-tolerant. In hot and dry seasons, water frequently to keep the field moist, so that it grows more vigorously.

3. Pest and disease control: During the growing period, Artemisia selengensis is subject to pests and diseases, mainly aphids, gall midges, corn borers, cotton bollworms, slug moths, and the Artemisia selengensis big-bellied weevil and other pests. They can be controlled with high-efficiency, low-residue pesticides such as chlorfluazuron, flufenoxuron, and pyrethroids.

4. Harvesting

Artemisia selengensis can be grown in the open field or under protected cultivation. For protected cultivation of Artemisia selengensis, a variety of different covering methods can be used, with covering done in stages and batches, which can advance the market date, stagger the market period, and ensure a balanced supply. For greenhouse-covered cultivation of Artemisia selengensis, it can generally be harvested 40-45 days after covering, when the plant height is 20-25 cm. For open-field cultivation of Artemisia selengensis, it sprouts on its own as natural temperatures change. When the daily average temperature is 12-18°C, the tender stems grow rapidly, and early to mid-April is the peak market period for open-field Artemisia selengensis.

The tender stems and leaves of Artemisia selengensis can be eaten. They are fresh and delicious with a clear aroma, crisp and tender, and nutritious. It is currently a relatively popular wild vegetable on the market.