Detailed Tutorial on the Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods for Peucedanum praeruptorum

Peucedanum praeruptorum is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Peucedanum in the Apiaceae family, divided into two types: white-flowered Peucedanum praeruptorum and purple-flowered Peucedanum praeruptorum, both of which have roots used for medicinal purposes. It is mainly distributed in Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Anhui and other places, mostly wild, with only a small amount cultivated. Therefore, the cultivation potential is great. Let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for Peucedanum praeruptorum together!

Growth Habits of Peucedanum praeruptorum

Peucedanum praeruptorum prefers a cool and humid climate. The best soil is a sandy loam with deep, loose and fertile layers. In flat dam areas with high temperatures lasting for a long time, as well as in places with excessive shade and poor drainage, it grows poorly and is prone to root rot. Heavy clay yellow soil and dry, barren river sand soil are not suitable for planting. Peucedanum praeruptorum is a perennial root plant. The overwintering roots begin to sprout in early March, emerge in mid-March, enter the peak vegetative growth period from April to May, begin bolting and budding in late May, reach full flowering from June to July, and the fruits mature from August to September. The growth period of seedlings propagated in the current year is longer than that of overwintering plants.

Cultivation Techniques of Peucedanum praeruptorum

1. Seed Collection: Peucedanum praeruptorum seeds have a relatively high germination rate and can be propagated by seed, seedling transplanting or direct seeding. The fruits generally mature from September to October. When the fruits turn yellowish-white, cut them off with scissors together with the flower stalks, place them indoors for a period of after-ripening, then rub off the fruits, remove impurities, dry them in the shade and store for later use.

2. Land Selection and Preparation: Choose flat land or sloping land with sufficient sunlight and moist soil that does not accumulate water for planting. It is best to remove the dried residues of the previous crop and weeds from the ground in the winter of the previous year, spread them on the ground and burn them, then plow the land deeply and let it overwinter. In February of the following year, apply decomposed pig and cattle manure, then plow the soil once more, remove weeds, and rake it fine and level.

3. Timely Sowing

① Winter Sowing: The best sowing time is from early November to late January of the following year. Because Peucedanum praeruptorum seeds germinate slowly (under relatively good weather conditions, germination takes more than 30 days), sowing is generally completed before the end of the year. Spread the seeds evenly on the seedbed surface, then gently sweep them level with a bamboo broom so that the seeds fully combine with the soil. The sowing rate for clean seeds without impurities is 3 kg per mu.

② Spring Sowing: Sow in early March. Either hole sowing or drill sowing can be used. Open holes on the seedbed at a spacing of 8 cun square, with a depth of about 1 cun. Mix the seeds with burnt soil ash and evenly scatter them into the holes, then cover with a layer of soil or plant ash until the seeds are no longer visible. Finally, cover with grass to preserve moisture and promote uniform emergence, and remove it when germination occurs. The seeding rate per mu is 2 to 3 kg.

Field Management of Peucedanum praeruptorum

1. Pre-sowing Weed Control: Chemical weed control should mainly focus on applying chemicals to the soil before sowing, striving to ensure that a single application keeps the entire growth period free from weed damage. From 5 to 10 days before sowing, before weeds germinate and emerge, use 80 to 100 ml of 48% trifluralin emulsifiable concentrate per mu mixed with 40 to 50 kg of water to uniformly spray the soil surface.

2. Pre-emergence Weed Control: Peucedanum praeruptorum emerges more than 15 days after sowing. Therefore, when weeds turn green and before Peucedanum praeruptorum has emerged, use 150 to 250 ml of 20% paraquat aqueous solution mixed with 25 to 30 kg of water for field spraying. Alternatively, 150 to 200 ml of 41% Roundup or glyphosate aqueous solution mixed with 30 to 40 kg of water can be used for spraying. After Peucedanum praeruptorum has emerged, the above chemicals must never be used for weed control, so as to avoid killing the medicinal seedlings. According to experimental results, spraying should be done within 14 days.

3. Intertillage and Weed Control: Intertillage and weed control are generally carried out before the rows close. The depth of intertillage depends on the growth of the underground part. During the seedling stage, the medicinal plant is small and weeds are prone to grow, so weeds should be removed frequently. After the plants grow luxuriantly, hoeing should not be used to remove weeds, so as to avoid damaging the plants. Manual weeding can be used, but it is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

4. Rational Fertilization: Peucedanum praeruptorum has a small fertilizer requirement. Apply some pig and cattle manure in the early stage. After the seedlings emerge completely, apply human and animal manure water or urea in combination with intertillage and weed control, and later apply some compound fertilizer. When fertilizing, be careful not to damage the roots or leaves.

5. Pest and Disease Control: Peucedanum praeruptorum is mainly affected by powdery mildew. After the disease occurs, powdery lesions appear on the leaf surface, gradually expand, and the leaves turn yellow and wither. When diseased plants are found, pull them out and burn them promptly, and spray triadimefon for control.

6. Harvesting and Processing: This is carried out in November in autumn. First cut off the withered and residual stems, dig out the whole roots, clean off the soil, and dry them for 2 to 3 days until the roots become soft, then sun-dry them and they are ready. Generally, the yield is 300 to 400 kg per mu, and high-yield fields can reach 500 kg.