Detailed Explanation of Sophora flavescens Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Sophora flavescens, also called shanhuai root, is a perennial semi-woody plant of the Fabaceae family, with the rhizome used medicinally; it has the effects of clearing heat and drying dampness, promoting diuresis, and dispelling wind and killing parasites. It originally grew wild throughout the country, with relatively large yields in Shanxi, Hubei, Henan, and Hebei. It prefers a warm and humid environment, is cold-resistant, and can overwinter in the field. It can grow beside ditches, along roadsides, in forests, and in wild fields, and grows well in sandy or semi-sandy soil. Because of its notable medicinal effects and lack of side effects, its usage is increasing, while wild resources are being dug up less and less. Sophora flavescens can be planted in spring and summer, in the same way as planting beans. Use 2 kg of seed per mu; the seed can be sown dry, or before sowing the seed can first be soaked for 10-12 hours, taken out, mixed with sand, and sown after 1-2 days, which gives fast and uniform emergence. The plant height is about 1 m, the stem is upright, and there are no pests or diseases. In the first year the rhizome is relatively small; in the second spring, phosphate and potassium fertilizer or organic fertilizer should be applied as a topdressing to make the roots develop well. Sophora flavescens is harvested after 2-3 years of growth; by late autumn or early spring, remove the stems and leaves, dig out the roots, and dry them in the sun to obtain the medicinal material. The current market price is 15-18 yuan/kg. It can be planted in spring, summer, and autumn, and is very suitable for planting in the mountainous areas of Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and elsewhere.
This variety is mainly distributed in Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Gansu, Shanxi, and Shaanxi, and is mostly wild product. Cultivated Sophora flavescens is mainly distributed in Yuzhong, Gansu; Lushi, Henan; and Luonan, Shaanxi. Because wild resources are being dug up less and less, and labor costs are rising, the quantity of commodity Sophora flavescens available is very limited. Cultivated production started relatively late and has not yet formed a commodity supply. Affected by many factors, the market price of Sophora flavescens has been rising year by year. According to surveys, most medicinal materials rose in price this year, and Sophora flavescens is no exception. At present, the purchase price of fresh individual roots of Sophora flavescens in the Shangluo production area is 3 yuan/kg, and the number of buyers seeking goods is increasing. The author believes that the price increase of Sophora flavescens has only just begun, and the future market will perform unusually well.
In Hebei, Sophora flavescens is in the new harvest period from the end of May to early June. Many merchants are coming to buy goods, farmers are not active in harvesting, and this year's dug quantity is still not large; fresh goods are currently about 3 yuan/jin. Most are purchased by local slice-processing merchants. This product is a wild resource, with little cultivated production, and the future market is viewed favorably.
Sophora flavescens is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family, using the dried root and rhizome as medicine. It is also known as shanhuaizi, dihuai, and kugu. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain, killing parasites, promoting diuresis, strengthening the stomach, and relieving constipation, and is often used to treat sore and swollen throat, itchy skin, and other ailments. In agricultural production it is a relatively good insecticide and is a raw material for developing biological pesticides. Its main chemical components are matrine and oxymatrine.
[Growth Habits] It mostly grows on hillside grasslands, plains, hills, and riverbanks. It is not very strict about soil requirements, and can grow fairly well in all types of soil. Its root system is developed, its water requirements are not very high, and its light requirements are not strict either; the strength of light has little effect on its growth, but plants growing in moist, fertile, deep, and naturally fertile soil are tall and robust.
The plant is more than 150 cm tall, with many branches on the upper part. The main root is thick and cylindrical, with a bitter taste. The petals are yellow or yellowish-white. The pod is cylindrical, and the seeds are brownish-yellow or brownish-brown and do not split open after maturity. The flowering period is June to July, and the fruit ripening period is September to October. The withering period is early October, and the annual growth period is 150-160 days.
The 1000-seed weight is about 50 g; the storage life under natural conditions is 3 years; the suitable germination temperature is 15-30°C. The germination rate of untreated seed is not high; at 30°C for 5 days, the germination rate is only 20%. In production, the seed must undergo mechanical treatment before sowing.
[Sowing Methods]
(1) Site selection and land preparation: Sophora flavescens is a deep-rooted plant. Choose deep soil layers, fertile, well-drained sandy loam and clay loam. Apply compound fertilizer, plow and turn 20—25 cm, break up the soil finely and level it, and make beds 1.5 m wide.
(2) Sowing time
Both spring sowing and autumn sowing are acceptable. After autumn sowing, coverage is needed; otherwise the soil surface tends to crust, which is unfavorable for emergence in spring. Autumn sowing should be early rather than late; sowing can be done as soon as the seeds mature, and at the latest it must be completed before the soil freezes. Spring sowing should be done around Qingming, when soil moisture is relatively good, which is favorable for emergence.
(3) Sowing
Drilling or hole sowing. From the perspective of field management, hole sowing is better. Seedling raising and transplanting are also used, but transplanting is rather cumbersome. First rake the bed surface repeatedly, then dig holes at a row spacing of 40-50 cm and a plant spacing of 30 cm, with holes about 3 cm deep, sow 6-8 seeds per hole, cover flat, and press lightly. The sowing rate is 2 kg per mu. For drilling, the row spacing is 30 cm, the plant spacing is 20 cm, and 4 kg of seed is used per mu.
[Field Management]
Under normal conditions, seedlings emerge about 7 days after sowing. Because weeds grow quickly, they should be removed in time, and the soil should be loosened appropriately. In early May, apply topdressing at the roots, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, to promote early vegetative growth of the young seedlings; in early May, apply topdressing once more, mainly phosphorus and potassium, to strengthen rejuvenation, promote the accumulation of nutrients in the roots, and promote the differentiation of overwintering buds; in mid-to-late August, cultivate soil once to promote the formation and protection of overwintering buds. Cultivate 4-5 times. In northern regions, drought easily occurs in spring, so irrigation should be carried out in time to ensure normal growth of the young seedlings. Because the seed coat does not easily absorb water, untreated seeds and seeds covered too deeply at sowing may emerge in the second or even the third year.
In the same year, the plant height can grow to about 60-70 cm and basically does not flower. After the plants wither in autumn, clear away the dead branches and cover with decomposed livestock manure: first, to protect the overwintering buds, and second, to serve as topdressing for the next year's growth.
Before harvesting, repeat the previous year's management work each year, and at the same time remove the flower clusters and pinch the tops, to ensure the accumulation of nutrients in the roots so as to obtain high-yield and high-quality medicinal material.
[Harvesting and Processing] Sophora flavescens uses the root as medicine. After 2-3 years of planting, dig it in spring and autumn, with autumn harvesting being better. After digging out the roots, remove the root heads and fibrous roots, wash clean of mud and sand, and dry in the sun. Fresh roots sliced and dried in the sun are called Sophora flavescens slices.
Generally, the yield is 500-700 kg per mu.