How to Grow Cassia Seeds for High Yield? Latest High-Yield Cultivation Method Tutorial

Cassia seeds are the dried ripe seeds of Cassia obtusifolia, an annual herb in the Fabaceae family, also known as Cassia tora or Semen Cassiae. It is mostly cultivated and produced throughout the country. In the south it is mainly produced in Anhui, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi and Sichuan; in the north the main producing areas are Hebei, Shandong and Henan. The related plant Cassia tora is also produced throughout the country. Its seeds are short cylindrical, relatively small, 3-5mm long and 2-3mm in diameter, with a yellow-green surface and a broad brown band on each side of the ridge line. It has a slight odor and a slightly bitter taste, and can also be used as medicine.

Growth Habits

Cassia seeds prefer warmth, tolerate drought but not cold, and fear frost damage. Seedlings and mature plants are easily killed by frost, which causes leaf drop, and the seeds cannot mature. Cassia seeds are not demanding about soil and can also be planted on idle land, but well-drained, deep, loose and fertile sandy loam is best.

Cultivation Techniques

1. Seed selection: Before sowing, the germination rate of the seeds should be tested. Specific method: divide plump seeds into several portions and number them in order. From each portion, take 125-250g respectively and place them into containers with the corresponding numbers. Soak them in warm water at about 50°C for a day and a night, then pour off the water, rinse once with clean water, and cover with a damp cloth to maintain moisture. After three days they will begin to sprout one after another. Select those with a germination rate of more than 85% as seed.

2. Land preparation: In the selected plot, apply 2000-2500kg of barnyard manure and 25kg of superphosphate per mu, spread them evenly on the ground, plow, harrow finely and level. Generally no beds are made; if beds are made, flat beds 1.2-1.5m wide can be made.

3. Sowing: Soak the superior seeds selected through testing in warm water at 50°C for a day and a night. After they absorb water and swell, remove them and dry the surface, then sow. The sowing period is best from Qingming to Guyu (mid-April), when the temperature is 15-20°C. If too early, the soil temperature is low and the seeds easily rot in the soil; if too late, the seeds cannot mature, affecting yield and quality. Drilling is suitable for sowing, with row spacing of 50-70cm. Open furrows 5-6cm deep, spread the seeds evenly in the furrows, cover with 3cm of soil, press slightly, and seedlings emerge about 10 days after sowing. In the north, where drought is common, irrigate first and then sow; do not water after sowing, so as to avoid surface soil crusting and affecting seedling emergence.

Field Management

1. Loosening soil and weeding: When seedlings are 3-6cm tall, thin them by removing weak or overly dense seedlings; when seedlings are 10-13Cm tall, final thinning is done, with a plant spacing of about 30cm. Loosen the soil and weed at the same time as thinning and final thinning to keep the soil loose. Cassia seeds are relatively drought-tolerant, and normal growth can be maintained at ordinary soil moisture. In dry weather, water appropriately, but during the final thinning period, water less to promote seedling hardening. By Bailu (early September), the fruits tend to mature and watering can be stopped.

2. Topdressing: When plants are about 35cm tall and before the plants close the rows, apply 20kg of superphosphate and 10-15k8 of ammonium sulfate per mu, mixed and applied between the rows, then cultivate and earth up to bury the fertilizer in the soil, which can also prevent lodging.

Pest and Disease Control

Among cassia seed diseases, gray leaf spot is the most common. Its pathogen is a kind of imperfect fungus, mainly harming leaves. At first, slightly pale brown diseased spots appear in the center of the leaves, and then gray mold-like material appears on the spots. Before or in the early stage of the disease, spray 500 times 65% zineb solution or 800-1000 times 50% thiophanate solution for control.

Insect pests mostly occur in late spring and early summer, mainly aphids, which are controlled by spraying a 200-times solution prepared with dimethoate emulsion.

Harvesting, Processing and Storage

Cassia seeds gradually mature around Qiufen (late September). When the pods turn yellowish-brown, begin harvesting. Cut down the whole plant, dry it in the sun, thresh out the seeds, and remove all impurities to obtain the medicinal material. Cassia seeds should be stored in a ventilated, dry and cool place, with attention to moisture-proofing and preventing rodent damage.