How to Grow Chuanxiong for High Yield? The Latest Cultivation Technique Tutorial

Chuanxiong, also known as qiongxiong, xiangguo, huqiong and so on, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Ligusticum in the Apiaceae family. It is mainly produced in Pengxian, Sichuan (present-day Pengzhou City; the current genuine-producing area has shifted somewhat), and is cultivated in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and other provinces and regions. Now let us take a look together at the high-yield cultivation techniques for Chuanxiong!

The Growing Environment of Chuanxiong

Chuanxiong prefers a mild climate, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine and a relatively moist environment, but the nursery stage and the storage period require cool climatic conditions. The growing period is 280-290 days. It is best to choose a sandy loam with deep, loose and fertile soil, good drainage, rich organic matter content, and neutral or slightly acidic soil.

Propagation Methods of Chuanxiong

Chuanxiong is propagated using stem nodes as seed. Each year after the aboveground parts wither, the Chuanxiong is dug up and the stem nodes above the roots are cut off, with each node having 1-2 buds. The seeding rate is about 2250 kg per hectare. The larger rhizomes below are processed into commercial product. The seedlings are stored in cellars and planted before the Awakening of Insects the following year. For row planting, the furrow depth is 12-16 cm, and the plant-row spacing is about 20-25*35 cm. Place 1-2 seedling pieces per hole with the bud tips pointing upward, cover with fine soil to 6 cm, and apply 15000-22500 kg of base fertilizer per hectare.

Cultivation Techniques of Chuanxiong

1. Site selection and land preparation: For cultivating Chuanxiong, choose soil that faces the sun, has deep soil layers, good drainage, relatively high fertility, and is neutral or slightly acidic. Overly sandy cold sandy soil, yellow mud, white eel mud, and low-lying wet fields are not suitable for planting. Before planting, remove all weeds, burn the grass into charcoal to use as fertilizer, and after turning the soil, break it up finely and level it. According to the terrain and drainage conditions, make beds 1.6-1.8 m wide.

2. Timely planting: Around early to mid-August, open furrows on the prepared bed surface at a row spacing of 33×20 cm and plant, with a furrow depth of 2-3 cm. At the same time, every 6-10 rows, plant a dense row of lingzi between the rows to prepare for replanting. Lingzi must be planted shallowly, placed flat in the furrow, with buds facing upward and pressed straight into the soil, so that they both contact the soil and have part of the node disk exposed above the soil surface.

3. Intertillage and weeding: After planting Chuanxiong, cover the lingzi with sifted fine compost or soil manure. About half a month after planting, when the seedlings are fully emerged, remove the covering grass, and carry out intertillage and weeding about every 20 days. Where seedlings are missing, combine replanting with intertillage, and carry out the last intertillage and weeding, and earth up around the rhizomes to protect the rhizomes through the winter.

4. Reasonable topdressing: Within 2 months after planting Chuanxiong, apply topdressing 3 times in concentrated fashion, once every 20 days, with the last application required before Frost's Descent. The fertilizer amount per mu is 1.2 tons of farmyard manure, 30 kg of oil cake, 100 kg of plant ash, 25 kg of ammonium sulfate, 40 kg of superphosphate, and 10 kg of potassium sulfate. When the stems and leaves grow rapidly in spring, apply topdressing once more, with the same amount as before.

5. Timely harvesting: The most suitable time for digging is late May of the second year after planting. If dug too early, the underground rhizomes are not yet fully mature and the yield is low. If dug too late, the rhizomes are already fully ripe and rot easily underground. For digging, choose a sunny day, dig up the whole plant, knock off the soil on the rhizomes, remove the stems and leaves, roast over a low fire, then put into a bamboo basket and shake to remove the soil and fibrous roots.

Pest and Disease Control of Chuanxiong

1. Leaf blight: Mostly occurs from May to July. When the disease occurs, brown, irregular spots appear on the leaves, then spread to the whole leaf, causing the leaves of the entire plant to wither and die. In the early stage of the disease, spray 65% zineb 500-fold solution, or 50% tuzet 1000-fold solution, or 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture for control. Once every 10 days, 3-4 times in succession.

2. Powdery mildew: From late June to July, when temperature and humidity are high, the disease is severe. It first occurs on the lower leaves, with gray-white powdery mildew appearing on the leaves and stems, then gradually spreading upward. In the later stage, small black spots appear on the diseased parts, and in severe cases the stems and leaves turn yellow and die. After harvest, clean the garden and burn the remaining diseased plants and leaves in a centralized manner. In the early stage of the disease, spray 25% triadimefon 1500-fold solution, or 50% thiophanate 1000-fold solution, once every 10 days, spraying 2-3 times in succession.

3. Rot disease: The affected rhizomes rot internally to a yellow-brown color, appear water-soaked, have a special foul odor, and become soft-rotted. After the growing period is affected, the aboveground leaves gradually turn yellow and fall off. Once it occurs, immediately pull out the diseased plants and burn them in a centralized manner to prevent spread. Pay attention to drainage, especially in the rainy season; when there is too much rain and drainage is poor, the disease is severe. At harvest and seed selection, remove diseased “fuxiong” and already rotted “lingzi”.

4. Stem node moth: For the Chuanxiong stem node moth, during the lingzi nursery stage, spray with 80% trichlorfon 100-150-fold aqueous solution, and pay attention to focusing on controlling the first-generation larvae before the second instar. In plain areas, beforehand use a mixture of 5:5:100 tobacco stem, Chinese wingnut leaves and water, soak together for several days, then soak the lingzi for 12-24 hours.