The Latest Tutorial on the Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods for Dahurian Angelica

Dahurian angelica (Angelica dahurica), also known as Qi Baizhi, Chuan Baizhi, Hang Baizhi, Xiang Baizhi and so on, is a plant of the genus Angelica in the family Apiaceae. Dahurian angelica prefers a mild, humid climate and a sunny environment, and grows poorly in shaded conditions. Its main root is deep and long, and it requires sandy loam soil that is deep, loose, fertile and well-drained. There are many varieties of Dahurian angelica, including the Kuye Baizhi (Chuan Baizhi) mainly produced in Sichuan, and the Hang Baizhi (Xiang Baizhi) mainly produced in Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, China and other provinces.

Dahurian angelica is a perennial herb with tall plants reaching 2-2.5 m. The root is thick and conical. The stem is thick, hollow, with fine longitudinal ridges. It is densely covered with soft hairs near the inflorescence. The leaves are alternate; the lower leaves are large, 2-3 times pinnately divided, with densely arranged sharp double serrations along the edges, and the final lobes are ovate to oblong-ovate, with sharp tips and decurrent bases, and the leaf stalk base expands into a large sheath; the lobes of the upper leaves gradually simplify into sheaths. The compound umbel has 10-27 rays; the florets are yellow-green; there are 5 petals, ovate-lanceolate, with recurved tips; the filaments are slender and extend beyond the corolla.

Site Selection and Land Preparation

Dahurian angelica is best cultivated on flat land. Sandy loam soil that is deep, loose and fertile is preferred. The previous crop is generally rice, corn, sorghum, cotton, etc.

After the previous crop is harvested, apply decomposed compost, or barnyard manure at 3000-5000 kg, cake fertilizer at 100 kg, and phosphate fertilizer at 50 kg per mu as base fertilizer. Then plow again to a depth of about 25-30 cm, level and harrow finely, and make raised beds. Generally the bed width is 1.2-1.5 m and the height is 12-20 cm. In Sichuan production areas, beds are generally not made.

Cultivation Techniques for Dahurian Angelica

1. Seed cultivation. Dahurian angelica is propagated by seed. Seed can be retained by selecting individual plants, transplanting them and keeping them for seed, or by retaining seed in place. In production, the former method is mostly used, generally carried out when harvesting and digging Dahurian angelica. In Sichuan, purple-stemmed Dahurian angelica with an unbranched main root that is robust and disease-free is selected for seed. In Henan and Hebei, robust Dahurian angelica with slender roots, small rhizome heads, no fibrous roots, and fine white skin is selected for seed. Before transplanting, remove the leaves and plant at a row spacing of 50-70 cm. Weeding and fertilizing are carried out in winter and the following spring. From June to July, the seeds mature successively. When the fruit peel turns yellow-green (yellow-white in Henan), harvest them together with the entire infructescence. They can be harvested in batches, then spread out in a ventilated and dry place, air-dried and threshed, and cleaned of impurities for later use.

2. Sowing. The sowing period is divided into autumn sowing and spring sowing, with autumn sowing being better. In Henan, autumn sowing is around White Dew; in Hebei, between End of Heat and White Dew; in Sichuan, between White Dew and Autumn Equinox; and in Zhejiang, 10 days before Cold Dew. In areas with higher temperatures, the period from Autumn Equinox to Cold Dew is suitable. If sown too early, the Dahurian angelica plants grow too vigorously in the current year, and some plants bolt and flower prematurely the next year, and the roots become lignified and unusable for medicine. If sown too late, there is little precipitation in winter and the temperature is lower, so it is not easy for the seeds to germinate after sowing, which affects growth.

Sowing method. Both drilling and dibbling can be used. Zhejiang, Henan, and Hebei use drilling, with row spacing of 13-20-27 cm, furrow depth of 1-1.5 cm, and seed rate of 1-1.5 kg per mu. After sowing, rake the bed surface level, water, and keep the soil moist. Sichuan mostly uses dibbling, with row spacing of 30-33 cm and hole spacing of 23-27 cm, and the bottom of the hole should be flat. The sowing rate is 0.5-0.8 kg per mu. After sowing, do not cover with soil, then immediately apply dilute human and livestock manure water at about 1000 kg per mu, and then cover with plant ash mixed with human and livestock manure water so that the seeds are not exposed. Then press with a wooden board or tread lightly so that the seeds and soil are in close contact to facilitate germination. Seedlings emerge in 15-20 days.

Field Management for Dahurian Angelica Cultivation

1. Thinning. After emergence, thin when the plant height is 4-7 cm, and this can be done 1-2 times. For dibbling, keep 5-8 plants per hole; for drilling, keep 1 plant every 7-10 cm or so. Final thinning is done at a plant spacing of 10-12 cm. When thinning, keep strong seedlings with purple-green leaf stalks or flattened plant bases, and keep them in a triangular or quincunx arrangement to facilitate ventilation and light penetration.

2. Loosening soil and weeding. Weeding is carried out together with thinning. During the seedling stage, weeding should be done by hand pulling or shallow hoeing; later, intertillage and weeding can be carried out to keep the field soil loose and free of weeds, so as to facilitate growth.

3. Fertilization. Generally, topdressing is done 3-4 times. The 1st and 2nd times are both after thinning and intertillage. Each time, apply dilute human and livestock manure water at 1500-2000 kg per mu. The 3rd time is after final thinning, applying human and livestock manure water at 2000-3000 kg per mu, with 3 kg of urea added. Around Qingming, carry out the 4th topdressing, applying human and livestock manure water at 2000-3000 kg per mu, broadcast plant ash at 150 kg, and earth up after application. In Zhejiang, the 1st time is after thinning in March, the 2nd time is after weeding in April, and the 3rd time is before Start of Summer. Generally, pen manure is applied in winter. In fertilization, note that in the current year it is better to apply less to prevent excessive growth and premature bolting and flowering. In the 2nd year, more should be applied, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, to promote thick roots.

4. Drainage and irrigation. If the soil is dry after sowing Dahurian angelica, irrigate in time to keep the soil moist to facilitate emergence. During the growing period, if the weather is dry, water in time to ensure the needs of plant growth. When there is excessive rain or standing water in the field, drain in time to prevent disease or root rot.

Pest and Disease Control for Dahurian Angelica Cultivation

1. Diseases

① Leaf spot disease. Also known as white spot disease or leaf spot disease, it is a type of imperfect fungus. It damages leaves. The spots are initially relatively small and dark green at first, and after expansion become gray-white. In severe cases, the spots merge into large angular patches. In the later stage, small black dots (the pathogen's pycnidia) densely form on the spots of diseased leaves, and the leaves die partially or entirely. It generally occurs in May and lasts until harvest. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer and overly dense plants also make it more likely to occur. Control methods. Select robust, disease-free plants for seed retention. After harvesting Dahurian angelica, remove diseased remnant plants and diseased roots remaining in the soil, and burn them centrally. In the early stage of the disease, remove diseased leaves and spray 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture 1-2 times.

② Violet root rot. It is a fungal pathogen, and purple-red mycelial strands are commonly seen entwining the main root, causing the root epidermis to rot. It occurs severely in poorly drained or moist low-lying land. Control methods. Make raised beds to facilitate drainage; use 70% quintozene powder at 2 kg per mu mixed evenly with 20 kg of plant ash and broadcast into the soil, and carry out land preparation multiple times; alternatively, use 70% dexon wettable powder at 2 kg per mu, diluted in 2000 kg of water, and splash it on the bed surface, then prepare the land again after the soil dries before sowing.

③ Damping-off. It is a type of imperfect fungus, mostly occurring in early spring under rainy, cloudy conditions, with heavy clay soil and poor aeration. In the early stage of the disease, yellow-brown spots appear at the base of the seedlings, after which the base becomes brown, ring-shaped, shriveled and sunken, until the plant dies. Control methods. Choose sandy loam for planting and drain standing water in time; in the early stage of the disease, irrigate with 5% lime water once every 7 days for 3-4 consecutive times, or use 1:25 quintozene fine soil and scatter it around the diseased plants.

④ Black spot disease. Black spots appear on leaves in autumn. Control methods. Remove diseased leaves or spray 1:1:120 Bordeaux mixture 1-2 times.

2. Insect pests

Yellow-winged fennel borer, yellow swallowtail butterfly, aphids, and red spider mites damage the leaves. Control methods. Spray with 90% crystalline trichlorfon at 1000 times dilution or 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution.

① Black snout weevil. It damages the roots. Control methods. Use 25% amidothion emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution to irrigate the soil around the plant roots.

② Fruit borer. It bites and eats the seeds, often causing a complete loss of seed yield. Control methods. Spray with 90% crystalline trichlorfon at 1000 times dilution.

③ Cutworm. It damages young stems of plants. Control methods. Use manual capture or poisoned bait trapping.