What are the methods for selecting Panax notoginseng seeds and raising seedlings?

Panax notoginseng, also called jinbuhuan, has a long history of cultivation in China and is mainly distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi and other places, among which the Panax notoginseng produced in Wenshan, Yunnan is famous at home and abroad. When growing Panax notoginseng, raising seedlings is crucial; if the seedling raising work is not done well, the yield will be affected. So how should Panax notoginseng seeds be selected? What seedling raising methods are there? Let's take a look together below.

1. How should Panax notoginseng seeds be selected?

To grow Panax notoginseng, you must first select good seeds. Choose healthy, fully developed seeds for sowing; plump seeds store more nutrients, have strong germination vigor, produce sturdy seedlings, and have strong disease resistance.

You can gently rub off the peel and rinse the seeds with running tap water to remove the peel, pulp, and sticky substances on the seed surface, while at the same time picking out the floating empty and poorly developed seeds. After rinsing clean, place them in a cool, ventilated place and dry the surface moisture of the seeds.

After the fruit is harvested, the peel and pulp should be removed as soon as possible; otherwise, the seeds will rot and heat up, resulting in a low germination rate, weakened germination vigor, and even loss of viability or rotting.

Panax notoginseng seeds have the characteristics of recalcitrant seeds and easily lose viability after dehydration. Therefore, during the seed drying process, it should be carried out in a cool place, and never expose them to the sun and lose too much water.

2. What seedling raising methods are there for Panax notoginseng?

1. Land selection and land preparation

Choose a cool gentle slope facing away from the sun, with a slope of about 5-10 degrees. If the slope is too steep, soil erosion will be serious; conversely, in plain areas drainage is poor and the root tubers are prone to rotting. For the soil, choose red soil or brown-red soil with good drainage, loose texture, and granular structure; sandy loam that can regain moisture at night is even better, while heavy clay soil easily causes root rot and should not be used.

2. Sow at the right time

After the Panax notoginseng fruit is harvested, the treated seeds can be sown immediately, or stored for 45-60 d before sowing. Generally, late December to January of the following year is the best sowing period.

3. Seedling stage management

After Panax notoginseng is sown, seedlings usually emerge only from March to April. During this period, watering is generally not needed; if the drought lasts a long time, water according to the soil moisture condition, and drain accumulated water promptly after rain. Management after emergence mainly includes irrigation, light transmission, and topdressing. Irrigation at the seedling stage depends on the soil moisture condition; at this time the soil moisture content should be higher than before emergence, keeping the bed surface moist so that the root system can absorb enough water, but never use flood irrigation, and drain promptly after heavy rain to reduce the occurrence and spread of diseases and insect pests.

4. Precautions

Never sow too deep. Panax notoginseng seeds have weak germination ability, so they should not be planted too deep; otherwise, they will not emerge easily, and the problem of missing seedlings is likely to occur.

The above is an introduction to Panax notoginseng, but because Panax notoginseng is not suitable for continuous cropping, the damage from diseases and insect pests in old production areas is becoming increasingly serious, and farmers should pay attention to it.

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