The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Chinese Milk Vetch
Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus) is a biennial herb in the Fabaceae family, with relatively tall plants that can reach 35 cm. Chinese milk vetch is mainly distributed in our country, growing in shady and humid areas. Chinese milk vetch is a very important nectar plant, usually planted as green manure and forage. However, the seeds of Chinese milk vetch are a kind of traditional Chinese medicinal material, with effects such as tonifying qi and consolidating essence, and clearing heat and promoting diuresis. It is cultivated in various parts of our country. Today, the editor brings you the cultivation techniques for Chinese milk vetch. Let's take a look together!
1. Seed Treatment
Chinese milk vetch originally had a wide wild population, so it does not have great requirements for soil; soil with sufficient water sources, cool and humid conditions, and high fertility is sufficient. Before sowing, the seeds should be sun-dried for about 4 hours, then the waxy layer on the seed surface should be rubbed off to promote seed water absorption and germination. After treatment, put the seeds into salt water and pick out the useless seeds such as shriveled and diseased seeds that float on the water surface. Then put the healthy seeds into human urine and soak them for 7 hours. After soaking, air-dry them, then mix the seeds with calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, and sow at the appropriate time.
2. Sowing at the Right Time
The sowing time for Chinese milk vetch is usually in the early autumn of each year. At this time, both temperature and humidity are very suitable for seed development, which is conducive to seed germination and seedling emergence. The sowing time has a great influence on the growth of Chinese milk vetch. If sown too early, the symbiotic period with fertilizer is long, and after emergence the seedlings grow weakly and their growth is hindered. If sown too late, the temperature gradually decreases, the seeds enter dormancy, the germination rate declines, and after emergence the seedlings are prone to frost damage, and the overwintering survival rate will also be insufficient. When sowing, pay attention to the sowing density and sow evenly to ensure full emergence.
3. Protecting and Promoting Seedlings
If sowing in rice fields, then when harvesting the rice, avoid muddy fields. Sow in time after harvest, then cover the Chinese milk vetch with rice straw to raise the temperature, strengthen the soil's water retention, and promote seedling growth and branch development. Then do a good job of weeding. Weeds are an important factor affecting seedling growth, and timely weeding is the primary task to ensure full and sufficient seedlings. If weeding is not done well, weeds will snatch the nutrients for seedling growth, causing nutritional deficiency in seedling growth, and in severe cases may cause seedling death. Therefore, in order to ensure the healthy growth of Chinese milk vetch, we must do a good job in protecting and promoting seedlings.
4. Field Management
During its growth period, Chinese milk vetch is afraid of both drought and waterlogging. Especially during the seedling stage, attention should be paid to drainage, because excessive water accumulation can easily cause bud and seedling rot. Improper water management will affect the growth of the plant roots, causing yellow leaves and leaf drop. Therefore, we must control water management well according to factors such as the growth stage of Chinese milk vetch and the weather. Chinese milk vetch has relatively large nutritional needs. After emergence, apply farmyard manure in time to improve seedling resistance. Then in December, apply fertilizers such as farmyard manure and superphosphate to improve the cold resistance of the seedlings and reduce frost damage. After the Beginning of Spring, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, and do a good job of staking and topdressing according to seedling growth to ensure the normal growth of Chinese milk vetch.
The above is a brief introduction to the cultivation techniques of Chinese milk vetch. Generally, the cultivation time of Chinese milk vetch is in autumn, so the overwintering work of the seedlings is very important. If management is poor, seedling death is very serious, the surviving seedlings will also grow very poorly, and the incidence of pests and diseases will also increase significantly. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.