What are the latest growing conditions for Astragalus membranaceus?

Astragalus membranaceus is a famous traditional Chinese medicinal herb in our country and an important export-earning variety. There are more than 200 kinds of Chinese patent medicines made with Astragalus membranaceus as a raw material. As the scope of its medical and health care uses continues to expand, the demand for Astragalus membranaceus keeps increasing, and developing Astragalus membranaceus production has good market prospects. Let's take a look below at the growing conditions and growing returns of Astragalus membranaceus!

Growing Conditions of Astragalus membranaceus

Astragalus membranaceus prefers cool conditions, is cold-resistant and drought-resistant, and fears heat and waterlogging. It is suitable for planting in sandy loam soil with deep soil layers, rich in humus, and strong water permeability. Strongly saline-alkali land is not suitable for planting. In the year of direct sowing, it only grows stems and leaves and does not bloom; only in the second year does it bloom, set seed, and produce seeds. All provinces and regions in Northeast, Northwest, and North China are suitable for growing Astragalus membranaceus.

Astragalus membranaceus is a deep-rooted crop, so neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam soil with deep soil layers, loose and fertile texture, good drainage, and a sunny, high, and dry location should be selected. In sticky, heavy soil, the roots grow slowly and become deformed. In thin soil layers, the roots tend to grow horizontally, with many branches, forming a “chicken-claw shape” and poor quality. Flat land or sunny hillsides can both be used for planting. The previous crop should preferably be a grass-family crop. Continuous cropping should be avoided, and it should not be rotated with potato or flax.

Planting Time of Astragalus membranaceus

1. Seed treatment: Astragalus membranaceus seeds have hard-seed characteristics, so they must be treated before sowing as follows.

① Sulfuric acid treatment: Treating old, mature, hard Astragalus membranaceus seeds with concentrated sulfuric acid gives a germination rate of more than 90%, about 50% higher than without treatment. Use 90% sulfuric acid at 5 milliliters per gram, treat the seeds for 2 minutes at 30°C, then rinse the seeds clean with water.

② Mechanical treatment: Both sand scarification and hot-water seed soaking can increase the germination rate of hard Astragalus membranaceus seeds. In production, hot-water soaking combined with sand scarification is relatively feasible.

2. Sowing time: Astragalus membranaceus can be sown in spring, summer, and autumn. Spring sowing is done around the “Qingming” solar term, no later than “Guyu”; keep the soil moist, and seedlings emerge in about 15 days. Summer sowing is done in June to July, and seedlings emerge in 7 to 8 days after sowing. Autumn sowing is generally done around the “Bailu” solar term, with new seeds given low-temperature treatment, and protection against frost damage in winter.

3. Sowing method: Astragalus membranaceus is usually sown in rows, with a row spacing of about 20 cm and a furrow depth of 3 cm, using 2 to 2.5 kg of seed per mu. When sowing, mix the seeds with methamidophos or pyrethroid pesticides to prevent underground pests. After sowing, cover with soil and press down. Apply 8 to 10 kg of diammonium phosphate and 5 to 7 kg of potassium sulfate per mu as base fertilizer. From sowing to seedling emergence, keep the ground moist or add mulch to promote emergence. Hole sowing and broadcast sowing can also be used.

Growing Returns of Astragalus membranaceus

1. Each mu of land needs 5 kg of good Astragalus membranaceus seedlings. The current market price of good Astragalus membranaceus seedlings is 100 yuan per kg, so 5 kg × 100 yuan = 500 yuan.

2. Locally, the land is mostly mountainous, and plowing one mu of land costs 100 yuan.

3. Planting one mu of land requires one day of planting labor per person, with each person paid 40 yuan, so 3 people × 40 yuan = 120 yuan.

4. During the 9-month growth cycle, weeding requires 5 labor-hours, with each labor-hour costing 40 yuan, so 5 people × 40 yuan = 200 yuan.

5. Each mu requires 1 bag of chemical fertilizer, and each bag costs 120 yuan.

6. For the October autumn harvest, each mu requires 12 people digging for one day, with each person paid 40 yuan, so 12 people × 40 yuan = 480 yuan.

7. The total growing cost for one mu of Astragalus membranaceus is 1520 yuan.

8. At the autumn harvest, Astragalus membranaceus yields an average of 1500 jin of fresh product per mu, and the average selling price of fresh product is 3 yuan per market jin, so 1500 jin × 3 yuan = 4500 yuan.

9. Income minus cost: income 4500 yuan - growing cost 1520 yuan, so the income per mu of Astragalus membranaceus is about 2980 yuan.

10. About 5.5 market jin of fresh Astragalus membranaceus is converted into 1 kg of dried product. After drying, 1500 jin of fresh product becomes about 270 kg of Astragalus membranaceus. At a market selling price of 20 yuan per kg, 270 kg of dried product x 20 yuan per kg - growing cost 1520 yuan = 3880 yuan