How many seedlings are needed per mu for Bletilla striata? Latest usage reference

Bletilla striata, also known as Baiji, Gangen, Zilan, etc., is the tuber of Bletilla striata, a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant of the genus Bletilla in the orchid family. It is widely distributed across the provinces of China's Yangtze River Basin and has extremely high medicinal value. In recent years, its market price has risen year after year, making it a “star” among Chinese medicinal herbs and a good path to wealth. Let's take a look below at how many seedlings are needed per mu for Bletilla striata!

How many seedlings are needed per mu for Bletilla striata?

About 8000 to 10000 seedlings are needed per mu for Bletilla striata. The genuine Bletilla striata is only the purple-flowered three-forked Bletilla striata, which has 2 ecotypes: one is the large type produced in the Hubei and Jiangsu area, and the other is the small type produced in the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan area. Among them, the large type has higher yield, so it is better to choose the large type, 1 to 2-year-old tubers with fibrous roots. Although tissue-cultured seedlings are currently sold, tissue-cultured seedlings lack mycorrhizal fungi, and after transplanting to the field they have poor resistance and a low survival rate.

What is the cost per mu for Bletilla striata?

The planting cost per mu for Bletilla striata varies depending on the choice of seedlings. Generally, if tubers are used for planting, it is about 30000 yuan; domesticated seedlings are about 15000 yuan; bottle seedlings are about 8000 yuan. In addition, each mu requires about 200 yuan per year for fertilizer, and about 2000 yuan per year for management and related costs. Therefore, the cost per mu for Bletilla striata is about 10000 to 32000.

How much Bletilla striata can be harvested per mu?

If Bletilla striata is planted with good management, it can be harvested in 2 years, but the yield from 3 years of planting will be higher. Generally, a high-yield field at 3 years can reach about 500 jin of dried goods, a medium-yield field 300 to 400 jin, and a low-yield field about 250 jin. At present, the price of dried goods is about 150 to 250 yuan per jin. Its market price is related to quality and is divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The better the quality, the higher the price.

What risks are there in planting Bletilla striata?

1. Overheated production: In addition to the traditional Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas, artificial planting of Bletilla striata has now begun from Shaanxi and Henan in the north, to Fujian and Guangxi in the south, to Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the east, and to Gansu in the west. Therefore, overheated production will inevitably create certain risks for Bletilla striata planting.

2. Relatively high cost: Compared with other planting projects, Bletilla striata planting requires a much larger investment cost, and the growth period is 2 to 3 years. Such investment cost and production cycle are simply beyond the capacity of ordinary farmers, and it also increases investment risk.

3. Chaotic varieties: The confusion of Bletilla striata seed sources is notorious among Chinese medicinal materials. Currently, what circulates in the chemical industry is purple-flowered three-forked large Bletilla striata, while what is mainly used medicinally in the pharmacopoeia is purple-flowered three-forked small Bletilla striata. Other yellow-flowered and white-flowered Bletilla striata are customary products and adulterants.

4. Seedling sources: The most common seedling cultivation methods for Bletilla striata include direct seeding, tuber propagation, and tissue-cultured seedlings. Among them, the most reasonable and economical is direct seeding. Tuber propagation has a high survival rate and high yield, but the cost is too high. The lowest survival rate is with tissue-cultured seedlings.

5. Technical risks: Bletilla striata seedlings usually need to go through introducing seed sources, tissue culture, hardening off, and developing well-developed roots before transplanting. However, because rhizome growth requires an environment with symbiotic fungi and transplanting and management are very meticulous, the dead seedling rate can usually reach 50% or even higher.