Where is licorice produced? A detailed explanation of the distribution of its main producing areas

Licorice is a tonic Chinese herbal medicine. It mostly grows in arid and semi-arid sandy soil, desert edges and loess hilly areas, and it also reproduces easily in fields and riverside flats in the Yellow River irrigation districts. It has strong adaptability and strong stress resistance. Below, the editor will introduce the distribution of the production areas of licorice.

I. Licorice production areas

Cultivated licorice is mainly produced in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, the Hexi Corridor of Gansu, the surrounding areas of Longxi, and parts of Ningxia. Wild licorice is mainly distributed in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Shuozhou in Shanxi, and elsewhere. In addition, it is distributed in other countries in Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas (and most of them have traditional medicinal and other uses).

II. Cultivation techniques for licorice

1. Soil selection

For cultivating licorice, it is better to choose sandy soil with a groundwater level below 1.50 m, good drainage conditions, a soil layer more than 2 m thick, no hardpan layer within it, a pH of around 8, and convenient irrigation. It is best to plow in autumn; if there is not enough time for autumn plowing, spring plowing is also acceptable, but soil moisture must be ensured, clods broken up and the ground leveled, otherwise it will affect full stands and strong seedlings.

2. Seed treatment

Good seed is the internal factor for achieving high licorice yields. In our county, Ural licorice and inflated licorice are generally used as the main varieties. For those using seeds as sowing material, before sowing the seeds are ground with an electric rice mill, or the seeds are weighed and placed in a ceramic jar, and mixed with 30 mL of 80% concentrated sulfuric acid per 1 kg of seeds, stirred repeatedly with a smooth wooden stick, left to steep at 20°C for 7 hours, then rinsed several times with clean water and dried for later use; the germination rate can reach more than 90%.

3. Sowing

Licorice can be sown in spring, summer and autumn, among which sowing in May in summer is best, as the temperature is higher at this time, seedlings emerge quickly, and there is still a longer growth period before winter. Before sowing, apply 4000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure per mu and 35 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu as base fertilizer. If sowing with seeds, drilling or hole sowing is better; the sowing rate is 2-2.50 kg per mu, with a row spacing of 30-40 cm, a plant spacing of 15 cm, and a sowing depth of 2.50-3 cm, with 3-5 seeds per hole. After sowing, cover with soil and harrow to preserve soil moisture.

3. Field management

(1) Fertilization: in the 2nd and 3rd years, before the seedlings sprout each spring, apply a topdressing of 25 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu. Open a furrow and apply it 10 cm deep at the side of the rows, with a furrow depth of 15 cm, then cover with soil after fertilization.

(2) Irrigation: in the year of sowing, irrigate 3-4 times, with each irrigation amount generally 85 cubic meters per mu. The 1st irrigation is carried out about 1 month after emergence, and thereafter irrigate once every 1 month. In mid-October, irrigate with overwintering water. In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, the number of irrigations can be gradually reduced.

(3) Thinning: when licorice seedlings grow to 15 cm high, thinning can be carried out, with a plant spacing of 15 cm, keeping about 20,000 seedlings per mu.

(4) Cultivation and weeding: in the year of sowing, generally cultivate 3-4 times, and afterward the number of cultivations can be appropriately reduced. In combination with cultivation, mainly eliminate field weeds such as dodder.

5. Pest and disease control

In licorice production, cutworms and wireworms are the most commonly seen insect pests, and powdery mildew is the most commonly seen disease. The two are the main causes of yield reduction. The control methods have been described above and are emphasized here for attention. Other pests and diseases can be controlled according to symptoms.

6. Seed collection

If artificial planting and cultivation are used, seeds must be collected every year. During the flowering and pod-setting period, remove the flowers and fruits near the tips of the branches, and large, plump seeds can then be obtained. Seed collection should be done when the seeds inside the pods change from green to brown, that is, best at the middle stage of fixed filling, when the hard seed rate is low, handling is simple, and the emergence rate is high. Seed collection should not be too early, otherwise it will affect the germination rate of the seeds after sowing and cause missing seedlings and broken rows.

Because licorice is suitable for growing in a dry, ventilated environment, its production areas are mostly distributed in the relatively arid zones of our country with little rainfall.