How to cultivate Cistanche deserticola artificially? Latest technical method tutorial
Cistanche deserticola is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is a parasitic plant that parasitizes the roots of the desert tree Haloxylon ammodendron. It has extremely high medicinal value, and combined with high demand at home and abroad, massive harvesting has led to a shortage of wild resources. So some people have set their sights on artificial cultivation. So how should it be grown? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction.
1. Site selection
Cistanche deserticola is a psammophyte, so when planting, choose desert hills with sufficient sunlight, little rain, and large temperature differences between day and night. When planting, you can choose natural Haloxylon ammodendron or tamarisk forests, or you can plant artificial forests, but this consumes a large amount of manpower and material resources. Generally, when planting artificial forests, parasitic plants such as Haloxylon ammodendron and tamarisk must be established for 2-3 years before Cistanche deserticola can be inoculated.
2. Inoculation
The inoculation time for Cistanche deserticola is generally carried out when it is cool in spring and autumn. Within 2-4 [years] after inoculation, it emerges, blooms, and sets seed. If it is an artificial forest, inoculation can be carried out at this time. Generally, during afforestation, wrap the seeds in paper and place them at one end of the planting pit, then fill with soil, while the planted host is at the other end, fill with soil and press firmly. In this way, as the host grows, its root system continuously extends until it contacts the plant, completing inoculation. If inoculating existing hosts, then in areas where the root systems of wild hosts are concentrated, dig a pit, place the seeds on the root system, and fill with soil halfway to complete inoculation. For hosts that have never been inoculated, open trenches on both sides of the plant to make beds. Likewise, after inoculation, water frequently to keep the seedbed moist, so that the plant's root system slowly extends over and completes inoculation.
3. Field management
After completing inoculation, the management of artificial forest areas and wild forest areas is not entirely the same. In artificial forest areas, water management should be strengthened. In the early stage, water moderately to ensure the host can grow normally. In addition, nutrient supply should be ensured. When fertilizing, note that chemical fertilizers are prohibited in order to maintain the medicinal properties of Cistanche deserticola. In wild forest areas, because the wind is strong in desert regions, the sandy soil around the host's root system is often blown away, exposing the roots. Therefore, during cultivation, attention should be paid to earthing up and windproof measures to avoid cultivation failure. In addition, keep the seedbed moist and remove other weeds in time so as not to affect the growth of Cistanche deserticola. After flowering, artificial pollination should be carried out to increase the seed-setting rate.
4. Pests and diseases
Cistanche deserticola is a parasitic plant, so it has fewer diseases, but its host can be infected by diseases. The common diseases of the host are powdery mildew and root rot. They affect the growth of the host and, in severe cases, cause root rot and lead to the death of Cistanche deserticola. For powdery mildew, triadimefon can be sprayed for control, while for root rot, carbendazim can be used as a root drench. In addition, during the growth of Cistanche deserticola, it can suffer from damage by seed flies. The larvae of seed flies damage tender stems and underground rhizomes. Trichlorfon or dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate can be used for spraying or root drenching. Also pay attention to sand rats, which gnaw on the host's root system and branches, causing the host to die. They can be controlled by trapping or killing.
The above is the artificial cultivation technology for Cistanche deserticola. I hope it can help you. If you want to learn more about related content, please stay tuned to us.