High-Quality, High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for the Herbaceous Huai Achyranthes
Huai AchyranthesAs one of the four major Huai medicines, it is an annual herbaceous plant. Its roots, stems and leaves can all be used medicinally, but the root is the main part. The “Tujing Bencao” states: “Achyranthes grows in the river valleys of Henei and in Linqu. It is now found in Jianghuai, Minyue and Guanzhong, but none is as genuine as that from Huaizhou.” In terms of its functions and indications, Huai Achyranthes has its own unique medical functions. It is not only a principal drug for invigorating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, but also a guiding drug, and a specific effective remedy for treating certain difficult and complicated diseases.
1. Site Selection
For the selection of a plot for Huai Achyranthes, it is necessary to stay away from densely populated areas such as cities, industrial and mining enterprises, villages and highways.
1.1 Heavy metals and toxic elements in the soil should conform to the standards stipulated by the state: cadmium content ≤0.3 mg/kg, mercury content ≤0.3 mg/kg,, arsenic content ≤30 mg/kg,, lead content ≤300 mg/kg, chromium content ≤200 mg/kg, copper content ≤100 mg/kg.
1.2 The hourly values of the main air pollutants sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and TSP should all not exceed the secondary standard of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB3095—1996).
1.3 The indicators of irrigation water should conform to the water quality standard for farmland irrigation: groundwater pH 6.90—6.85, total hardness (CaCO3) 274—352 mg/L, chloride (Cl) 69.9—75.4 mg/L, potassium permanganate index 1.86—2.64 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen 0.9—0.10 mg/L, nitrate 0.08—0.09 mg/L, hexavalent chromium 0.002—0.003 mg/L.
1.4 The soil type should preferably be two-mixed soil or sandy loam. It requires deep soil layers, high nutrient content, relatively strong water and fertilizer retention capacity, and good drainage and irrigation conditions. The groundwater level should be below 2 m, and the soil pH should preferably be 6.8-7.2. The previous crop should avoid crops such as yam, beans and oil crops.
2. Land Preparation
2.1 After the plot is selected, fertilization and plowing should be completed before mid-June. Generally, 100 kg of ternary compound fertilizer, 10 kg of cake fertilizer (sesame oil cake is best), and 3000-5000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure are applied per mu. For continuous cropping land, the base fertilizer should be increased, and nitrate nitrogen fertilizer, urban domestic waste, industrial waste, hospital waste and excrement are prohibited.
2.2 The plowing depth should be 50-60 cm. First dig a deep trench no less than 50 cm wide. Starting from the second trench, as digging proceeds, fill the soil into the previous trench, and evenly spread the base fertilizer in layers, distributing it reasonably with less on top and more below, until plowing is completed.
2.3 Six to eight days before sowing, level the sun-dried clods, irrigate to settle the soil moisture, then build ridges and make beds ready for planting.
3. Seed Selection and Sowing
3.1 The main cultivated varieties are Huai Achyranthes No. 1 (Walnut Pattern) and Huai Achyranthes No. 2 (Kite Plant); either one may be chosen.
3.2 Before sowing, sun the seeds for 1-2 days, or soak the seeds in warm water at 20°C for about 24 hours, remove and drain them, then mix with fine sand and sow.
3.3 The best sowing period is early to mid-July.
3.4 For the drill sowing method, first mark rows at a spacing of 15—20 cm, make furrows 1.5 cm deep, evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, cover with soil and press firmly, with a sowing rate of 0.7 kg/mu. For the broadcast sowing method, evenly scatter the seeds at 1 kg/mu, shallowly harrow once, mix into the soil, press lightly, keep moist, and after 3 days water once with a small amount of water; if sprinkler irrigation conditions are available, sprinkler irrigation is best.
4 Field Management
4.1 When the seedlings are 5-8 cm tall, thin them in combination with loosening the soil and weeding, at a plant spacing of about 6-7 cm. When the seedlings are 12-15 cm tall, final thinning should be carried out at a plant spacing of 14-15 cm. Because of disease and insect damage, thinning should not be done too early. During thinning, attention should be paid to removing seedlings that are too tall, too short, or diseased.
4.2 Before and after final thinning, carry out intertillage and weeding 1-2 times. In combination with shallow hoeing and loosening the soil, cut off the lateral roots in the surface soil, which helps the main root grow.
4.3 Topdressing is generally carried out in two applications: seedling fertilizer 15-20 kg/mu in the early stage, and root fertilizer 30-40 kg/mu in the later stage, mainly applying urea. If the base fertilizer is sufficient, topdressing may be omitted.
4.4 Irrigation should be chosen at the proper time according to the growth of Achyranthes; generally, excessive irrigation is not advisable.
4.5 Around September 6, when the flowering stage begins, cut off the flower spikes in time, and cut them off once more in mid-September to avoid wasting nutrients in vain.
5. Pest and Disease Control
In the process of pest and disease control for Huai Achyranthes, the principle of producing pollution-free green food should be followed, so as to achieve the goal of improving economic, ecological and social benefits.
5.1 White rust: Control methods: a. Eliminate the source of inoculum, collect diseased and residual plants and fallen leaves in the field, and burn them in a centralized manner; b. Rational crop rotation, which can be with gramineous crops, but not with Amaranthaceae plants; c. Chemical control by spraying 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 600 times solution 2-3 times, or spraying with 80% fosetyl-aluminum wettable powder 300-400 times solution, or carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl wettable powder, spraying once every 7 days, for 1-2 consecutive sprays.
5.2 Leaf spot: Control methods: in the early stage of disease, spray equal-amount Bordeaux mixture 120 times or 65% wettable zineb 500 times solution, spraying once every 10 days, for 1-2 consecutive sprays.
5.3 Root rot: The agricultural control method is to drain field water in time. It can also be controlled by spraying 0.3—0.5 degree Baume lime-sulfur mixture, spraying once every 7—10 days, for 1-2 consecutive sprays.
5.4 Underground pests: Control methods: a. Manual capture and killing; b. Poison bait control: cut fresh grass into small sections and mix with 0.5 kg of 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate to make poison bait for trapping and killing; or place paulownia leaves soaked in trichlorfon solution in the field in the evening to trap and kill; 100 g of 80% trichlorfon wettable powder can be used, add a small amount of water and mix with 5 kg of roasted bran, and scatter it in the evening; mix 100 mL of 40—50% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate with 5 kg of water and then mix with 50 kg of bait roasted until fragrant (wheat bran, soybean cake or crushed corn kernels, etc.), dig a bowl-sized pit every 2—3 m, place a pinch of poison bait, then cover with soil, using 1.5—2 kg of bait per mu, with a safety interval of 7—10 days.
5.5 Silver-striped noctuid: Before the larvae reach the 3rd instar, spray 90% trichlorfon 800-1000 times solution or 50% phoxim 1000 times solution.
6. Harvesting and Processing
6.1 From “Start of Winter” to “Minor Snow” (that is, from the end of the first ten days to the beginning of the last ten days of November) is the harvest and collection time.
6.2 First cut off the stems and leaves, leaving 10-15 cm of stems and leaves. When digging the roots, dig deep and dig completely, and do not break them. When harvesting, start from one end of the field and then dig in sequence to ensure that the Achyranthes is intact and undamaged. Machine digging may also be used, using a dovetail plow to loosen the soil and pull them out, so as to speed up the harvesting progress.