The Latest Technical Methods and Tutorial for Betel Nut Cultivation

Betel nut has been cultivated in our country for 1500 years. It has a uniquely distinctive cultural value; it is not only a love token fruit, but also a fruit that brings wealth. It has strong resistance, wide adaptability, and relatively high economic value. In addition, betel nut also has medicinal value; it is one of the four major southern medicines of our country. The betel nut tree has an upright and tall posture, making it an excellent landscape tree species. In some regions, people also like to chew fresh betel nuts, and there are also many betel nut processed snack foods. Betel nut is cultivated in China's Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Taiwan and other provinces. In this episode of the program, viewers and friends will be introduced to the morphological characteristics of betel nut, its growth habits, environmental adaptation, seedling-raising techniques, young tree management, management of trees in initial fruiting, and management of high-yielding trees. It is hoped that by watching this episode, the broad masses of farmer friends can understand betel nut, learn solid and practical techniques, and gain some benefits.

Betel Nut Propagation Techniques

Betel nut is mainly propagated through seed raising of seedlings.

1. Seed selection before raising seedlings: According to reports, there are currently 36 known betel nut varieties in the world, but the one that can be used medicinally is the one we cultivate. Judging from betel nut grown in Hainan, there are many different fruit shapes: round, elliptical, ovate, obovate, heart-shaped, and oblong. Surveys of the relationship between different fruit shapes and yield in betel nut show that fruit shape has a great relationship with yield, so seed selection is very important.

① Plant selection: Seed collection mother trees should be selected from those 20 to 30 years old, with normal fruiting, stable yield, disease-free plants, no fewer than 300 fruits per plant, no fewer than 3 fruit stalks, more than 8 leaves that are dark green and drooping, and stems uniform in size from top to bottom, with relatively dense internodes on the upper sections being preferable.

② Stalk selection (fruit stalk): Betel nut generally begins to bear fruit 7 to 8 years after planting, but only after 10 years do fruit stalks number more than 3, sometimes 5, and in individual cases as many as 7. Because the first stalk's fruits mature early and unevenly, are mostly oblong and small, and have thin, not plump kernels, they cannot be used as seed. Therefore, it is advisable to select fruits from the second and third stalks as seed; these fruit stalks generally mature in May to June.

③ Individual fruit selection: According to the experience of medicinal farmers, ovate and elliptical seeds are preferable. Choose those that are large, plump, free of disease spots, without cracks, or with inconspicuous cracks, and when fully mature, those whose peel is golden yellow are best for selection.

2. Seed germination: In order to increase the seed germination rate and avoid unevenness and inconvenient management caused by differing germination times, after the fruits are harvested, they should be exposed to the sun for 1 to 2 days to let the seeds evaporate part of their water and the peel shrink. They can also absorb a certain amount of heat, which is beneficial for seed ripening and differentiation, after which germination treatment can be carried out. There are the following two methods:

① Heap germination method: Spread the betel nut fruits under a large tree close to a water source and able to provide shade, lay a layer of river sand about 2 cm on the ground, pile the seeds to a height of no more than 20 cm, with no limit on length, but it should be convenient for watering, and cover with rice straw; do not cover with cogongrass (because cogongrass after absorbing moisture easily induces termites). The thickness should be such that the fruits are not visible. Water once a day. After about 7 to 10 days, the outer peel begins to ferment and rot, and they can be taken out and washed clean with water, then sun-dried again for 1 to 2 days. During drying, be careful to turn them so the temperature is even, then continue to pile them up, cover again with rice straw, and water. After about 20 days, the fruit stalk should be split open for inspection; fruits with small white bud points should be promptly taken out for sowing and seedling raising. If the bud point (radicle) that grows out is too long, it is easily broken during sowing, affecting the seedling emergence rate. Therefore, sow as many as have germinated. This method takes about 25 days from piling to completion of sowing. Medicinal farmers in production areas habitually use this method.

② Basket germination method: If there are not many seeds, the fruits can be placed in a basket, sealed and covered with rice straw, and kept indoors for warmth and watering. After the peel ferments and rots, wash and scrub the basket together with the fruits clean in a river ditch, then place them indoors as in the above method. When white bud points appear, they can be sown.

3. Raising betel nut seedlings

The nursery site should be chosen on sloping land close to a water source, with some tree shade, facing the sun, and sheltered from wind, with fertile, loose sandy loam or loam that drains well. After deep plowing and fine harrowing, make beds 1 m wide and 30 cm high. Then open small holes at a plant-to-row spacing of 30×30 cm, apply a certain amount of base fertilizer, sow one germinated and white-sprouted seed per hole, cover with soil 2 to 3 cm, press lightly, water until moist, and cover with grass. After about one month, the small seedlings will successively emerge from the soil surface. After 1 to 2 years of cultivation, when the seedlings are 50 to 60 cm tall and have more than 6 leaves, they can be transplanted to the field. Generally, 3500 to 4000 seedlings can be raised per mu. At present, production mostly uses nutrient bag seedling raising, that is, placing seeds that have been germinated and have white sprouts into plastic bags filled with nutrient soil, one seed per bag. The nutrient bags have a diameter of 25 cm and a bag height of 30 cm, and 2 to 3 holes should be punched in the bottom of the bag to facilitate aeration and drainage. Nutrient bag seedling raising has many advantages: it is convenient for transplanting, reduces root damage, and can increase the survival rate.

The nutrient soil is made by mixing surface soil and fertile mud with decomposed pig and cattle pen manure at 1:1, mixing evenly and composting. When raising seedlings, first fill 3/5 of the nutrient soil, then place the germinated and white-sprouted seed flat, one per bag, cover with about one cm of soil, and then place small pieces of pond mud on top to prevent crusting.

4. Field cultivation and management

① Covering with grass and watering: In order to avoid direct sunlight on the bed surface, rice straw can be used as cover for natural shading, and a shade shed also needs to be set up. In dry weather, be careful to water and keep the seedbed moist, but there must not be too much water, otherwise the seeds will rot.

② Fertilization: When the first true leaf unfolds, fertilization should begin, and thereafter topdressing should be applied about every 20 days. If conditions permit, it is best to fertilize before the top arrow leaf unfolds. Farmyard manure should be the main type; if chemical fertilizer is applied, it should be applied when the soil is moist, and absolutely must not be applied during drought. The method is to dig trenches (holes) on both sides beside the small seedlings, apply 2 to 4 grams of ammonium sulfate per plant (urea halved), or an appropriate amount of 1:10 human and animal urine water, then cover with soil after application. When the seedlings grow to 4 to 5 leaves, fertilizer can be applied around the seedlings, with increased concentration and amount, 5 to 6 grams or 7 to 8 grams of chemical fertilizer. Absolutely do not scatter chemical fertilizer on the heart leaves, so as to avoid burning them.

③ Weeding: Before fertilizing, it is best to first loosen the soil and weed, but it should be shallow rather than deep. Cover the weeds around the seedlings; after rotting they become fertilizer.

Betel Nut Cultivation Techniques

1. Selection of planting site: For planting betel nut, it is advisable to choose forest cut-over land below 300 m in altitude, preferably south-facing slopes, southeast-facing slopes, valleys, and both sides of river ditches that are sheltered from wind and face the sun, as well as the rural “five-side” land. When planting on hillsides, the slope should not be too steep; generally a gentle slope within 15 degrees is suitable, and the maximum must not exceed 25 degrees.

2. Forest land preparation: For barren hills and slopes, first cut, then burn, then dig and turn, to a depth of 30 to 40 cm, and dig out the tree roots completely. If the slope exceeds 15 degrees, it should be formed into contour terraces or terraced fields, inclined inward 10 to 15 degrees, with a water-storage and water-conservation ditch 25 to 30 cm deep and wide dug on the inner side. Then dig holes at a plant spacing of 2 m, with specifications of 60×60×40 to 30 cm, return fertile mud and surface soil to the holes, and apply 15 kg of base fertilizer per hole.

3. Planting techniques: In places with better fertilizer and water conditions and convenient irrigation, spring planting in March to April is preferable. In Hainan, planting during the rainy season in July to August is preferable. When planting, it is best to choose cloudy and rainy days. When digging up seedlings, it is best to choose seedlings whose arrow leaves have not yet emerged or unfolded, as they are easier to survive. When digging, carry more native soil to reduce root damage. The lower old leaves may be pruned as appropriate. When planting, it should not be too deep; plant upright, firm the soil, water, and cover with rice straw or insert shade branches to reduce evaporation. For plastic bag seedlings, the nutrient bag must be removed at planting. Generally, 100 to 120 plants per mu is suitable.

4. Post-planting cultivation and management

① Shading: In the three or four years after planting, the root system is shallow and the buds are tender. In order to protect the seedlings from direct sun exposure and reduce surface water evaporation, crops can be planted between the betel nut rows. According to the experience of the Hainan Tunchang Medicinal Materials Farm, planting Chromolaena odorata around the betel nut, or Tephrosia candida, or other cash crops, or herbaceous medicinal materials, can provide shade and protection, prevent soil erosion, maintain moisture, and also be turned in and buried as green manure, increasing income as well. But root crops (sweet potato, cassava) are not suitable.

② Weeding and earthing up: During the young stage of betel nut, weeds must be removed frequently, 3 to 4 times a year, keeping the area around the plants free of weeds and loosening the soil, increasing aeration, and promoting growth. Combined with weeding, earthing up should be carried out to bury the fleshy roots exposed above the soil surface into the soil, enhancing the root system's absorption of water and nutrients. The removed weeds should also be covered around the plants; after rotting they increase soil organic matter.

③ Fertilization: After betel nut is planted, fertilizer should be applied 3 to 4 times a year, which can be done after weeding. The first time, apply 250 to 500 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu; the second time, apply 500 to 1000 kg per mu, and a small amount of chemical fertilizer may also be applied together. Fertilization method: open holes or half-moon-shaped shallow trenches on the outer periphery of the betel nut stem base, apply the fertilizer, and cover firmly with soil. Fruiting trees are fertilized twice a year. The first time is before the flower buds open, applying 5 to IO kg of human and animal urine water per plant, or ioo grams of ammonium sulfate. The second time is during the green fruit stage, applying 15 kg of green manure or barnyard manure per plant, and adding IOO grams of superphosphate, or 5 kg of burnt soil, to promote the growth of young fruits. According to many years of experience at the Tunchang Medicinal Materials Farm, in autumn and winter it is necessary to prevent cold and keep warm, and applying soil miscellaneous fertilizer and large amounts of burnt soil, plus adding some fish fertilizer, has a very good effect. According to foreign materials, mixing and applying peanut bran, ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and superphosphate once every three years can increase unit yield.

④ Irrigation and drainage: Betel nut has relatively strict and high requirements for water. In seasons with less rain, where conditions permit, irrigation should be strengthened to ensure normal plant growth. But waterlogging must be strictly avoided, so in the rainy season, ditches should be cleared in time to avoid water accumulation, so as to prevent infection by diseases.