The latest planting techniques and cultivation method tutorial for Densefruit Pittany Root-bark

Densefruit Pittany Root-bark, also known as Baixianpi, Baguniu, Mountain Peony, Sheep Fresh Grass, etc., is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Rutaceae family, mainly produced in Liaoning, Hebei, Sichuan, Jiangsu and other places, growing in earthen slope thickets, mountain thickets and under forests. Its root bark is used as medicine and has the effects of clearing heat and drying dampness, dispelling wind and detoxifying, and fighting cancer. Its cultivation value is relatively high. Now let us take a look at the planting techniques for Densefruit Pittany Root-bark!

Growth Habits

Wild Densefruit Pittany Root-bark mostly grows on sunny mountain slopes, forest edges and low thickets in sandy-stony soil. It has strong adaptability, likes warmth and humidity, likes sunlight, is tolerant of severe cold and drought, and is not tolerant of waterlogging. The seeds are spherical, shiny black, with a 1000-seed weight of 20-21 grams, and the suitable germination temperature is 16-20°C. Under suitable conditions, seedlings emerge 15-18 days after sowing. In the current year the plant height is 10-15 cm, and it can overwinter naturally in winter. Two-year-old plants are more than 20 cm tall, with a main root 15-20 cm long. Three-year-old seedlings begin to flower and set seed. Cultivated Densefruit Pittany Root-bark has a growth period of about 150 days, turning green and emerging in late April, and the aboveground parts begin to wither in late September.

Site Selection and Land Preparation

Densefruit Pittany Root-bark is mainly propagated by seed, first raised intensively in a nursery, then divided and transplanted after growing for 1-2 years. The nursery land should be flat land or gently sloping land with sufficient sunlight, fertile and loose soil, and good drainage, in sandy loam. Low-lying waterlogged land, saline-alkali land or heavy clay land is not suitable, and it is best to have irrigation and drainage conditions. Deeply plow the soil 25-30 cm, and at the same time apply 1500-2000 kg of fully decomposed farmyard manure per mu according to the fertility level. After breaking up the clods, make beds 1-1.2 m wide and 15-20 cm high. For the transplanting land, gently sloping land should be chosen, and attention should be paid to good drainage. In mountainous areas, sunny sloping wasteland, orchards and the inter-row spaces of young artificial plantations can be used for cultivation, and the low thicket spaces of contracted tussah silkworm farms and hazelnut orchards can also be used for cultivation.

Sowing and Transplanting

1. Sowing: After harvesting Densefruit Pittany Root-bark seeds, dry them in the sun for 5-7 days, then store them in a cool and ventilated place. From early October to early November, carry out autumn sowing. If autumn sowing is not possible, place the seeds outdoors for low-temperature freezing and sow from mid-April to early May the following spring. Autumn sowing produces early and uniform seedlings. When sowing, rake the bed surface level, open furrows at a row spacing of 12-15 cm, with a furrow depth of 4-5 cm, press the bottom firmly, sow the seeds together with fine sand into the furrows, cover with soil 3-4 cm, and sow 10-15 grams per square meter. After covering with soil, lightly compact the bed surface. If conditions permit, cover the bed surface with a layer of rice straw to retain moisture, which is beneficial for seedling emergence.

2. Transplanting: Densefruit Pittany Root-bark seedlings grow for 1-2 years, and are transplanted after the aboveground parts wither in autumn or before they turn green the following spring. Dig out all the seedlings in the seedbed, classify them by size, and plant them separately, with a row spacing of 25-30 cm and a plant spacing of 20-25 cm. Open furrows or dig holes according to the length of the seedling root system, place the terminal bud upward in the furrow or hole, and spread the seedling roots out. The covering soil should be 4-5 cm above the terminal bud. After covering, tread it firm. In dry conditions, water thoroughly after planting.

Field Management

1. Nursery field: When seedlings emerge in the Densefruit Pittany Root-bark nursery field, the covering material on the bed surface should be removed gradually. During the growing period, weeds should be removed and the soil loosened frequently, and field drainage should be done well in the rainy season. For 2-year-old seedlings, appropriately apply nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer during the peak growth period, and foliar spraying with 0.3-0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can also be used. After the aboveground parts wither in autumn, remove the remaining stems and leaves and cover the bed surface with 2-3 cm of soil to help the seedlings overwinter.

2. Transplanting field: The Densefruit Pittany Root-bark transplanting field should be loosened and weeded frequently, and after each weeding, soil should be banked up toward the stem base to prevent young roots from being exposed to the ground. In the high-temperature and rainy season from July to August, do a good job of drainage to prevent waterlogging in the field from causing root rot, and at the same time increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. For plants not grown for seed, cut off the flower buds in the early bud stage to benefit root growth. After withering in autumn, cut off the stems and leaves in time, and cover the bed surface with soil or a layer of fully decomposed farmyard manure, commonly known as applying “cover-head manure”, which is beneficial for root overwintering and plant growth the following year.

Harvesting and Seed Saving

1. Harvesting: Densefruit Pittany Root-bark grows for 2-3 years after transplanting. The medicinal roots are harvested after the aboveground parts wither in autumn or before they turn green the following spring, and autumn harvesting is better. First cut off the aboveground stems and leaves, dig out all the roots starting from one end of the seedbed, remove soil and residual stems, and dry them in the sun. When half-dry, remove the fibrous roots, pull out the hard core in the middle of the root (xylem), then dry until completely dry and store for later use. 2.8-3.3 kg of fresh roots can be sun-dried into 1 kg of dried product, and the yield is 300-350 kg of dried product per mu.

2. Seed saving: The seed-saving field should choose robust plants that have grown for more than 4 years. Management should usually be strengthened, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be added during the flowering period, and drainage should be paid attention to in the rainy season. The seeds begin to mature in mid-July and should be collected as they mature to prevent the fruit valves from naturally splitting and letting the seeds fall to the ground. When the green fruit begins to turn yellow and the fruit valves are about to split, they can be collected. Cut off the fruit before 10 a.m. every day while it is moist, place it in the sun to dry, and cover it with a transparent plastic sheet to prevent the seeds from springing elsewhere. After the fruit is completely dried and split, beat it with a wooden stick, remove the fruit skin and impurities, and store the seeds or sow them in autumn.

Disease Control

1. Downy mildew: Downy mildew usually begins to occur in March, mostly on the leaves. Brown spots first appear on the leaves, and gradually a layer of downy mildew-like material is produced on the underside of the leaves, causing the leaves to die. It can be sprayed with 40% fosetyl-aluminum wettable powder 200-fold solution, or 50% ridomil 500-fold solution, or thiophanate-methyl 800-fold solution.

2. Sclerotinia rot: Sclerotinia rot usually occurs in mid-March and damages the stem base. At first, yellow-brown or dark brown water-soaked spindle-shaped lesions appear. In severe cases, the stem base rots, the aboveground parts lodge and wither, and mycelia and sclerotia can be seen on the soil surface. It can be controlled by scattering 3% sclerotium powder or a mixture of 1:3 lime and plant ash onto the bed surface, or by broadcasting 5% chloronitroaniline powder.

3. Rust disease: Rust disease usually occurs in early to mid-March. In the early stage, yellow-green lesions appear on the leaves, then turn yellow-brown. The lesions on the underside of the leaves or on the stems bulge and release rust-colored powder. It can be sprayed with 60% zineb wettable powder 500-fold solution, or 25% triadimefon wettable powder 1000-fold solution.