A Detailed Guide to Astragalus Cultivation Techniques and Field Management Methods

Astragalus is a plant in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus. Its root can be used as medicine, with effects such as tonifying qi and securing the exterior, promoting diuresis and expelling pus, and many people grow it. What are Astragalus cultivation techniques like?

Astragalus cultivation techniques

1. Astragalus is a deep-rooted plant. For flatland cultivation, sandy soil that is high and dry, well-drained, loose and fertile should be selected; for mountainous areas, slopes or wasteland with deep soil, good drainage, and shelter from wind facing the sun should be selected for planting.

2. After selecting the land, prepare the soil. Autumn plowing is preferable, generally deep plowing 30-45 cm. Apply base fertilizer together with plowing, applying 2500-3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. When plowing in spring, pay attention to soil moisture conservation, then rake fine and level, and make beds or ridges.

3. First remove seeds with impurities, shriveled seeds, and insect-damaged seeds. Astragalus seed coats are relatively hard and difficult to germinate, so seed treatment is required before sowing. Mostly, coarse sand or a milling machine is used to lightly rub the seed coat, or the seeds can be placed in warm water at 50°C and soaked for 6-12 hours, then removed and put into a cloth bag for germination.

4. It is divided into spring sowing, summer sowing, and autumn sowing. Spring sowing is from mid-April to early May, summer sowing is from late June to early July, and autumn sowing is from late September to early October. For spring sowing, attention should be paid to soil moisture.

5. Sowing methods include hole sowing, drill sowing, and broadcast sowing, but mainly hole sowing and drill sowing. In production, direct sowing is mostly used, which makes field management convenient, saves labor, and gives high yield and good quality. Seedling raising and transplanting not only requires more labor, but also easily damages the main root during transplanting, forming chicken-claw astragalus, which affects medicinal quality.

6. After the seedlings emerge fully in the same year, loosen the soil and remove weeds, generally 2-3 times. When the seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, thin them and set the plants at a spacing of 15-20 cm.

7. Thereafter, each year during the growing period, loosen the soil and remove weeds depending on soil compaction and weed growth. One-to-two-year-old sown Astragalus grows vigorously, and the root develops relatively quickly, so phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can be appropriately applied as a top dressing in combination with intertillage and weeding.

8. During the seedling emergence and green-up stages, more water is needed. If drought occurs, irrigation should be carried out in time. In the rainy season, soil humidity is high, and plots prone to water accumulation should have ditches opened in time for drainage to prevent root rot.

9. During the Astragalus growing period, the main attention should be paid to controlling powdery mildew, root rot, aphids, and bean pod borers.

① Powdery mildew: It can occur from the seedling stage to the mature plant stage, mainly harming leaves, and can also harm pods. Before onset or in the early stage of onset, spray 0.3 degrees Beaumé lime sulfur mixture once every 15 days, or spray with 50% thiophanate 800-1000 times solution once every 10 days, for 2 or 3 consecutive times.

② Root rot: It mainly harms the root, causing root rot. Under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, and heavy clay soil, it is more likely to occur. Control method: The selected planting site should be good, field management should be strengthened, diseased plants should be pulled out in time, and the diseased holes should be disinfected with lime; when preparing the soil, apply 70% per mu.

③ Aphids: They mainly attack the tender stems and leaves in the upper part of the plant, thereby affecting normal growth and development. Control method: Spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1500-2000 times solution and 50% fenitrothion 1000 times solution, once every 7 days.

④ Bean pod borer: This insect lays eggs on tender pods or flower buds, and the hatched larvae damage the seeds. Control method: During the peak emergence period of adults, spray 80% crystalline trichlorfon 1500-000 times solution in the evening, once every 7-10 days, for 3-5 consecutive times, until the seeds are fully mature.

After 3-4 years, the Astragalus root can be harvested. Do not damage its outer skin when digging. Seeds should also be collected as they mature.