What is the cultivation prospect for scouring rush? The latest interpretation

Scouring rush is a perennial whole herb of the genus Equisetum in the family Equisetaceae, growing in places with abundant water sources, seen everywhere in rural areas, and regarded by people as a nameless weed. But in fact, as early as the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen recorded it in the pharmacopoeia. It has the effects of dispelling wind and dissipating heat, and relieving muscles and reducing fever, and is an important Chinese medicinal herb. In recent years, artificial cultivation has also begun to appear, so is artificial cultivation of scouring rush feasible, and does it have economic benefits?

I. Market demand

At present, the amount of artificially cultivated scouring rush is not large, and most of it is wild. But it is precisely because it is wild that its vitality is extremely tenacious, it can adapt to most regions, and it is easy to plant. It can also be promoted on a large scale. It has important value in traditional Chinese medicine treatment and clinical treatment. At present, the market price is generally around ten-plus yuan per jin of dried herb, with little price fluctuation.

II. Planting methods and costs

Generally, excellent, healthy plants with good growth can be selected directly as seed sources, and then large-scale sowing and cutting propagation can be carried out. The propagation seedling land can be directly propagated in the open field, and there is no need to build greenhouses or other facilities. After the seedbed is prepared and properly disinfected, cut the scouring rush into about 10 cm pieces, soak them in rooting powder for half an hour, and then insert them into the moist seedbed at a spacing of 3 cm, about 5 cm deep. It can also be directly soaked and then sown to raise seedlings, with the same care. Afterward, just cover with a shade net to protect from the sun and water every day until the root system is fully grown, and then it can be transplanted. Only some base fertilizer needs to be applied before planting, and no additional fertilizer is needed at other times. The whole plant is toxic, so generally no insects will harm it. Proper attention can be paid to whether any diseases occur.

It can thus be seen that in the entire process of planting scouring rush, the cost is much lower than that of other medicinal plants. Basically, only a certain amount of labor management cost is needed, plus a small amount of fertilizer and pesticide expenses. There is also no facility construction cost needed, and even the seedlings can be collected by oneself or retained for propagation.

III. Current planting situation

At present, there are many species of wild scouring rush, distributed throughout the country, with the main planting production areas in the Inner Mongolia region. For example, Hinggan League, Jirem League, Chifeng City, Yikezhao League, and Alxa League have the highest yields. It even grows in the Tibet region. At present, the most common planting is still in the southern region of our country. As wild resources are gradually reduced by harvesting, and there is a large population needing the medicine, people have begun artificial cultivation and promoted planting.