How to grow Morinda officinalis? Latest cultivation techniques and methods tutorial

Morinda officinalis is the dried root of the Rubiaceae plant Morinda officinalis, also known as bajitian and jichangfeng. It has the functions of tonifying kidney yang, strengthening tendons and bones, and dispelling wind-dampness. It is mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan and other provinces and autonomous regions, both cultivated and wild.

Morphological characteristics of Morinda officinalis

Perennial woody liana. The root is cylindrical, contracted into a bead-like string, resembling chicken intestines. The stem is cylindrical, grayish green or dark brown; the young branches are initially hairy, later becoming rough. Leaves are opposite, oblong; the upper surface is initially hairy, and the lower surface is covered with coarse hairs along the midvein. The inflorescence is an umbel, and the corolla is white. The fruit is nearly spherical, red. Seeds number 1-4, nearly ovate. The flowering period is June-July, and the fruit ripening period is  August—October.

Growth habits of Morinda officinalis

It is native to the humid and moist understory of secondary forests in the southern subtropics and tropics. The suitable growth temperature is 20-25°C. It likes warmth and fears severe cold. For suitable growing climatic conditions, the annual average temperature should be above 20°C. Below 0°C and when encountering low-temperature frost, it often causes leaf drop, and may even cause frostbite or death. The annual average precipitation is l600 mm. Young plants like shade, while mature plants like sunlight. The soil should be deep, fertile, and moist. In fertile paddy soil and soil containing excessive nitrogen, the fleshy roots instead grow very few, and the yield is not high.

It is distributed wild in the valley understory of most mountainous areas of Guangdong Province. Starting in the 1960s, the transition from wild to domestic cultivation and introduction for cultivation were successful.

Propagation methods of Morinda officinalis

Morinda officinalis is commonly propagated by cuttings, tuberous roots, and seeds.

1. Cutting propagation

① Selection and cutting of cuttings: Choose one- or two-year-old robust vines free of pests and diseases. After cutting them from the mother plant, cut them into 5 cm single-node sections, or 10-15 cm branches with 2-3 nodes as cuttings. The internode at the upper end of the cutting should not be left long; cut it flat, and cut the lower end into a slanted opening. When cutting the seedlings, the blade should be sharp, and the cut must not be crushed or split. Keep the leaves on the first upper node, remove the leaves on other nodes, and insert the cuttings immediately. For cuttings that cannot be inserted in time, dip the roots in wood ash and yellow mud slurry and temporarily plant them in a shaded, damp place.

② Cutting season: Generally, it is best around the time of spring rain, when the temperature has already risen and rainfall gradually increases, making it easier for the cuttings to survive after insertion.

③ Cutting method: Open furrows at a row spacing of 15-20 cm, then place the cuttings neatly and flatly in a slanted position in the furrow at a plant spacing of  l-2 cm. After insertion, cover with yellow subsoil or sterilized fine soil, leaving the cuttings slightly exposed above the ground. Generally, roots can form 20 days after insertion, and the survival rate can reach more than 80%. To promote rooting, the cuttings can be treated with growth hormones.

2. Tuberous root propagation

① Selection and cutting of tuberous roots: Select those with plump and uniform rhizomes, unbroken root bark, and no pests or diseases as seedlings, and cut them into small sections 10-15 cm long. Alternatively, when harvesting Morinda officinalis, select from small tuberous roots that cannot be supplied as commercial medicinal material.

② Tuberous root seedling method: On the prepared seedbed, open furrows at a row spacing of 15-20 cm, then place the tuberous roots neatly and flatly in a slanted position in the furrow at a plant spacing of 5 cm, cover with soil and press firmly, leaving the tuberous roots slightly exposed about 1 cm above the soil surface.

3. Seed propagation

Select robust plants free of pests and diseases as seed-bearing mother plants, strengthen management, and ensure more flowering and seed setting. Because seeds are not suitable for long storage, it is best to sow them soon after collection, preferably in October-November. Seeds that have undergone stratified storage are best sown in March-April of the following year.

For sowing, use a plant and row spacing of 3 cm×3 cm, and the broadcast sowing density should not be too high. After sowing, cover with screened yellow subsoil or burnt soil to a depth of about 1 cm. After 1-2 months, the seeds can sprout, and the seedling survival rate can reach about 90%.

Cultivation techniques of Morinda officinalis

1. Site selection and land preparation

It is advisable to choose sparse forest understory with a certain slope, or sunny hilly land in the middle and lower sections with forest cover, with deep, loose soil and sandy loam of a certain fertility. If it is shrub-covered woodland, in winter, clear the trees and weeds and burn them into charcoal for fertilizer, or retain part of the trees for shade. If there are tree roots such as litsea and camphor trees containing volatile substances, which seriously harm the growth of Morinda officinalis, they must be pulled out completely by deep plowing of the soil. Reclaim and turn the soil in winter, and in spring build beds across the slope, making beds 1 m wide and 20 cm high, and apply  1000-1500 kg of burnt soil per mu as base fertilizer.

2. Field management

① Shading: After cutting, set up shade sheds or insert fern shade, and the canopy density can reach more than 70%-80%. As the seedlings take root, survive, and grow, the light transmittance should be gradually increased, and in the later stage of seedling cultivation the canopy density should be controlled at about 30%.

② Cultivation and weeding: In the first 2 years after planting, weed twice each year, that is, once each in May and October. Because the root system of Morinda officinalis is shallow and brittle, using a hoe easily damages the roots and causes the plant to wither and die. Weeds around the base of the plant stems should be pulled by hand, and hilling should be carried out together with weeding so that the roots are not exposed above the soil surface.

③ Fertilization: When the seedlings grow 1-2 pairs of new leaves, fertilization can begin, mainly with organic fertilizer, such as mixed fertilizer of farmyard manure, burnt soil, decomposed superphosphate, plant ash, etc., 1000-2000 kg per mu. Avoid applying ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, pig urine, and cow urine. If the planting site is relatively acidic, lime may be appropriately applied, 50-60 kg per mu.

④ Pruning vines: Morinda officinalis spreads along the ground, and the vines are often too long. Especially for three-year-old plants, overly long stems and leaves can affect root growth and material accumulation. In winter, the overlong parts of the already aged green stems and vines can be cut off, retaining the young tender red-purple stems and vines, to promote plant growth and concentrate nutrients in the roots.