Key Technical Points for Standardized Cultivation of the Chinese Medicinal Herb Gentiana

The Chinese medicinal herb Gentiana is a perennial herbaceous plant, mainly used to treat damp-heat jaundice, acute infectious hepatitis, cholecystitis, liver-fire headache, convulsions and mania, and other conditions. It is one of the species under key protection and development in the country. In recent years, output has declined, market demand is strong, supply falls short of demand, and the price has risen year by year, from 30 yuan per kilogram to 40 yuan. Each 667 sq m yields 200-350 kg of dried product. Calculated at the current purchase price of 26-30 yuan, each 667 sq m has an output value of 5,000-7,000 yuan. The product is obtained after 3 years, with an average annual income of more than 2,000 yuan, about 10 times that of ordinary grain crops. It is indeed a good species for farmers to shake off poverty and become prosperous.

1. Growing environment

It has strong adaptability and can grow on hillsides, grasslands, forest land, and wasteland. It prefers sufficient sunlight and a relatively humid climate, and can overwinter. It is mainly distributed in the four northeastern provinces and regions, North China, East China, South China, and other places.

2. Planting techniques

① Site selection. Choose sunny sandy soil with a relatively thick soil layer, drought resistance and moisture conservation, good drainage, and fertility.

② Land preparation: Deeply plow 30-40 cm, level and harrow fine. Apply about 2,000 kg of compost or barnyard manure per 667 sq m, and make flat raised beds 60-90 cm wide. The bed length depends on the site. The bed ridge is best 20 cm wide. Cultivation on 70 cm wide ridges can also be used.

③ Sowing: It can be done in April-May or September. The sowing rate is 3-4 g per sq m. Method: Pat the seedbed firm, the flatter the better. Water the bed thoroughly. Sow after the water has seeped down. Mix the seeds with 10-20 times their volume of fine sand, mix evenly, then gently tap through a 40-mesh sieve and sow evenly on the bed surface. After that, cover with about 1 mm of fine soil, and cover the bed frame with plastic film to increase and maintain temperature and humidity.

④ Seedling-stage management: After sowing, the main tasks are control of temperature, humidity, and light. The suitable temperature for seed germination and seedling growth is 20-25°C. Growth is slow below 15°C. A bed temperature above 30°C is unfavorable to seedling growth. Use ventilation and shading curtains to control temperature and light, and prevent direct strong light. Soil moisture content should be around 40%. During the seed germination stage and seedling stage, avoid heavy irrigation and flooding and rainwater. Water should be supplied by the moistening ditch method to prevent lodging and death. When the seedlings grow two pairs of true leaves, remove the covering to strengthen the seedlings' hardening. When light is strong, cover with curtains for shade.

3. Transplanting methods

Autumn planting is done in September-October, and spring planting in April-May. For transplanting, choose 3-year-old seedlings that are strong, disease-free, and have uninjured roots. Plant them at a row spacing of 20-25 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm. Planting method: Start on one side of the bed, dig sloped transplanting furrows. The depth of the trench depends on the length of the root. Apply 25-30 kg of superphosphate per 667 sq m. The soil cover thickness should be suitable at 3-4 cm above the bud base.

4. Field management

① Weeding: When the seedlings are about 5 cm tall, carry out the first weeding, then once a month afterward.

② Irrigation: Water promptly in dry conditions, mainly by seepage irrigation in the bed ditches or on the bed surface. Avoid heavy irrigation and flooding.

③ Drainage: During continuous rainy days or sudden heavy rainstorms, when water accumulates in the beds, dig drainage ditches to remove it promptly.

④ Autumn management: If seeds are not to be kept, remove the flower buds in August when they form, in order to increase root weight. After the plants wither in late autumn, clear away the residual stems and cover the bed surface with 2 cm of pen manure or fine soil to protect the overwintering buds for safe overwintering.

⑤ Seed production: Select robust plants more than 3 years old for seed collection. The fruit is a capsule, dehiscing by valves, with 2,000-4,000 seeds per fruit. At harvest, cut the plants and tie them into small bundles, stand them upright indoors to allow the seeds to after-ripen. After half a month, invert the bundles and gently beat out the seeds, then select the seeds twice with a 40-mesh sieve and a 60-mesh sieve. Put the seeds in cloth bags and place them in a dry, ventilated place for later use or sale.

5. Pest and disease control

① Leaf spot disease: This is the main disease of Gentiana and causes severe damage. It begins in June and is more severe in July-August. Control method: From late May, spray Jinggangmycin aqueous solution at 50 mg/kg once every 10 days, for 3-5 consecutive sprays; or spray with thiophanate-methyl 600 times solution or Shuangxiaoling 300-500 times solution once every 7-10 days, for 3-5 consecutive times. Remove and burn diseased branches and leaves to reduce overwintering sources of infection.

② Brown spot disease: It occurs in June and is severe in July-August. The control method is the same as above.

③ Flower bud fly: The larvae damage flower buds. Before the buds open, the larvae have already eaten up the pistils, stamens, and other floral organs, causing the damaged flowers to fail to set seed. Control method: Spray omethoate for control.

④ Underground pests: Mainly white grubs, mole crickets, wireworms, and others damage the roots. When preparing land, making beds, or forming ridges, apply 1,000 times zinc-phosphorus toxic soil, or spray and disinfect with 1,000 times zinc-phosphorus solution.

6. Harvesting and processing

① Harvesting: It can be harvested in both spring and autumn. Choose 3-year-old plants, which give high yield and good quality. When harvesting, do not damage the rhizome. Remove the aboveground plants, dig out the underground roots, and remove the soil.

② Processing: Wash the roots and dry them in the sun or in the shade. When about 70% dry, straighten the root strips and tie them into bundles, then dry them in the shade or in the sun until fully dry, but shade drying is better.

7. Storage and preservation

Put the processed commercial medicinal material into cloth bags and place them in a ventilated, dry place. Pay attention to preventing moisture, insect damage, and contamination by oil, smoke, and other substances.