Technical Regulations for Pollution-Free Field Production of Cowherb Seed
On December 24, 2014, the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision issued the "Technical Regulations for Pollution-Free Field Production of Cowherb Seed" as a Hebei provincial local standard (DB13/T2117.3-2014). This standard was proposed by the Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences.
I. Scope of Technology
This standard specifies the environmental conditions of the production site, production management, pest and disease control, and harvesting measures for pollution-free field production of cowherb seed.
This standard applies to the pollution-free field production process of open-field cowherb seed in Hebei Province.
II. Production Site Environment
The production base shall be selected in an agricultural production area with a good ecological environment, far from pollution sources, and with sustainable production capacity. The air quality of the production site shall comply with the Grade II standard of GB3095, the irrigation water quality shall comply with the GB5084 standard, and the soil quality shall comply with the Grade II standard of GB15618.
III. Production Management
1. Site selection and land preparation. Select a plot with loose, fertile soil and good drainage. During land preparation, apply 2500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, then work the soil fine and rake it level.
2. Sowing. Select dry mature seeds of Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert, a plant of the family Caryophyllaceae as specified in the "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China", with a germination rate above 70%. From mid-to-late September to early October, for manual sowing, open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 25-30 cm and a furrow depth of about 3 cm, evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, and after sowing cover with fine soil 1.5-2 cm deep; for mechanical sowing, sow at a row spacing of 25-30 cm and a depth of 1-2 cm. The seeding rate is about 1.5 kg per mu.
3. Cultivation and weeding. When the seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, carry out the first cultivation and weeding, loosen the soil shallowly, and pull out weeds by hand. At the same time, carry out thinning and gap filling; for drill sowing, thin the seedlings to a plant spacing of 15 cm, and if there are missing plants, use the robust seedlings removed during thinning to fill the gaps. Carry out the second cultivation in the spring of the following year, in March to April, together with final thinning. Thereafter, proceed according to the weed situation, keeping the soil loose and the field free of weeds.
4. Watering and drainage. Water appropriately during the early spring sprouting period and in early winter, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season.
5. Topdressing. Generally carry out 2-3 times; for the first time, when the seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, apply 15 kg of urea per mu after cultivation and weeding. In the spring of the following year, after cultivation and weeding, apply 30 kg of compound fertilizer per mu.
6. Pest and disease control.
Basic principles: Implement the plant protection policy of "prevention first, integrated control". Select resistant varieties, cultivate robust seedlings, strengthen cultivation management, fertilize scientifically, comprehensively adopt agricultural, physical, and biological control measures, and combine them with scientific and rational chemical control, so as to keep the harm of harmful organisms within the allowable range. The pre-harvest interval for safe use of pesticides shall follow GB/T8321.1-7; for pesticide varieties not specified therein, stop use 30 days before harvest; for pesticide mixtures, implement the pre-harvest interval of the active ingredient with the greatest persistence.
(1) Black spot disease. Agricultural control: Remove diseased branches and fallen leaves, drain accumulated water promptly, apply more organic fertilizer, and enhance the disease resistance of the plants. Chemical control: Before sowing, dress seeds with 70% thiophanate-methyl at 0.2% of the seed amount, or with 25% carbendazim at 0.3% of the seed amount. In the early stage of the disease, spray for control with 70% thiophanate-methyl 1000-fold solution, or 50% carbendazim 600-fold solution, or 50% Kanguling (copper ammonium complex - zinc) 1000-fold solution, or 58% metalaxyl-mancozeb 500-fold solution, or 50% procymidone (iprodione) 1000-fold solution, or 75% mancozeb complex 800-fold solution, or 30% kresoxim-methyl 1500-fold solution, etc., generally once about every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times. Avoid the midday high temperature when spraying.
(2) Aphids. Physical control: In the early stage of winged aphid occurrence, promptly hang 5 cm-wide silver-gray plastic film strips in the field for repellence; when winged aphids occur, promptly use yellow boards in the field for trapping and killing; commercial yellow boards sold on the market may be used, or rectangular cardboard or wooden boards of 60 cm x 40 cm, etc., coated with yellow paint and then a layer of machine oil, hung between rows and between plants, with 30-40 boards per mu. When the yellow boards are covered with aphids, apply another layer of machine oil. The placement height of the yellow boards shall be about 30 cm above the crop canopy. Biological control: When aphids are few in the early stage, protect and utilize natural enemies such as ladybeetles for natural control. In the early stage of wingless aphid occurrence, spray for control with botanical agents such as 0.3% matrine emulsion 800-1000-fold, or natural pyrethrin 2000-fold solution, or 1% osthole 500-fold solution, or 10% nicotine EC insecticide 500-1000-fold solution, etc. Chemical control: In the early stage of aphid occurrence, use 10% imidacloprid wettable powder 1000-fold solution, or 3% acetamiprid EC 1500-fold solution, or 2.5% bifenthrin EC 3000-fold solution, or 4.5% beta-cypermethrin EC 1500-fold solution, or 50% pirimicarb 2000-3000-fold solution, or 50% pymetrozine 2000-fold solution, or 25% thiamethoxam 5000-fold solution, or 50% nitenpyram 4000-fold solution, or other effective agents, alternating sprays for control.
(3) Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and cotton looper (Anomis flava). Physical control: During the adult occurrence period, use black light lamps, Jiaduo insect-killing lamps, solar insect-killing lamps, etc. in the field for trapping and killing. Biological control: At the peak of egg hatching, spray for control with 10 billion viable spores/g Bacillus thuringiensis wettable powder 600-fold solution, or with flufenoxuron (5% Cascade) or 25% diflubenzuron suspension 2500-fold solution, or 25% diflubenzuron suspension 3000-fold solution, or flufenoxuron (5% Cascade) EC 2500-3000-fold solution, or in the young larval stage with 0.36% matrine aqueous solution 800-fold solution, or natural pyrethrum (5% pyrethrin EC) 1000-1500-fold solution, or with nicotine (1.1% Green Wave) 1000-fold solution, or with spinosad (2.5% Success suspension) 3000-fold solution, or with tebufenozide (24% Mimic) 1000-1500-fold solution. Spray once every 7 days, for 2-3 treatments. Chemical control: From the late peak of larval hatching to before the 3rd instar, spray for control with 1.8% abamectin EC 3000-fold solution, or 1% emamectin benzoate EC 3000-fold solution, or 4.5% beta-cypermethrin 1000-fold solution, or bifenthrin (10% Uranus EC) 1000-fold solution, or 20% chlorantraniliprole 4000-fold solution, or 50% phoxim EC 1000-fold solution. Spray once every 7 days, generally for 2-4 consecutive treatments. Use alternately.
7. Harvesting. From late May to early June of the second year after autumn sowing, when the calyx tube turns yellow and the seeds turn black, harvest the aboveground parts, dry them in the sun, and thresh.
Institute of Cash Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences; Neiqiu County Science and Technology Bureau
Wen Chunxiu, Liu Ming, Xie Xiaoliang, Liu Lingdi
Yang Taixin, Yang Yanjie, Tian Wei, Zhang Fashui
Guo Baoyu, Han Lushen