How to grow Astragalus for high yields? Keep this cultivation technique handy
Astragalus is a leguminous plant. Both Astragalus mongholicus and the locally grown film-podded Astragalus in Anguo City are authentic Astragalus. Its roots are dried for medicinal use, and the tender leaves can be stir-fried to make herbal tea.
1. Biological characteristics
Astragalus is a deep-rooted plant, suitable for growing in deep, fertile, loose, well-drained sandy loam. It prefers a cool climate, is drought-resistant, cold-tolerant, heat-sensitive, and afraid of waterlogging and standing water. Excessive temperatures often inhibit leaf growth, and overly wet soil causes root rot. Seed germination does not like high temperatures. When sown at a soil temperature of 7-8°C with the soil kept at a certain moisture level, seedlings generally emerge in 10-15 days; the optimum germination temperature is 14-15°C. It should not be planted after continuous cropping of the same crop. It is not suitable for continuous cropping with potato, chrysanthemum or Atractylodes macrocephala.
2. Cultivation methods
(1) Site selection and land preparation. Choose sandy soil on high, dry terrain with good drainage. Apply plenty of base fertilizer: more than 4000 kg of high-quality barnyard manure per 667 sq m, 30 kg of diammonium phosphate, and if conditions permit, 50 kg of soybean cake as well. Plough 30-45 cm deep, turn the fertilizer into the soil, level and harrow fine, then make beds. Generally the ridge spacing is 15-20 cm and the bed width is 1.2 m.
(2) Sowing and seed treatment. Sowing can be done in spring, summer or autumn. In the Anguo area, sowing is done from the Spring Equinox to Qingming, and some sow before the soil freezes so that seedlings emerge the following spring. The seeding rate is 1-1.5 kg per 667 sq m. For winter sowing, the seeds need no treatment; for spring sowing, the seeds must be treated. Select brown, plump, glossy seeds, rub them with sand to slightly damage the seed coat, then put the seeds into 30-40°C water and soak for 2-4 hours. Once the seeds swell, take them out and sow immediately. When sowing, open a 3 cm deep sowing furrow on the bed with a row spacing of 15-20 cm. Mix the seeds with fine sand, scatter them evenly into the furrow, cover with 1-1.5 cm of soil, and press down lightly.
3. Field management
(1) Watering and drainage. From sowing until emergence, the bed is fairly moist, so watering is generally not needed. Around the time of thinning and before the seedlings exceed 9 cm in height, watering is generally not needed; keep the soil slightly dry and loose to encourage the roots to extend downward. In summer, watering should be done in the early morning or evening. If there is a sudden clearing after heavy rain at noon, drain the water promptly and water to lower the soil temperature. At the same time, prevent root rot and seedling death.
(2) Weeding and thinning. After watering or rain, loosen the soil to conserve moisture and keep the soil in the bed loose and free of weeds. Chemical herbicides such as sethoxydim and trifluralin can also be used; they are safe for Astragalus. When the seedlings are 9-12 cm tall, thin them to a plant spacing of 10 cm. When the seedlings are 15-18 cm tall, apply top dressing: 1000-2000 kg of decomposed human manure per 667 sq m, or 50 kg of cake fertilizer. If chemical fertilizer is used, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should predominate, applied at 40-50 kg per 667 sq m. Open a furrow, apply the fertilizer, cover firmly with soil, and water immediately.
4. Harvesting and processing
Astragalus is generally harvested once a year. Some harvest once every two years. Harvest around the Beginning of Winter. When harvesting, first cut off all the above-ground parts, open a furrow along one side of the bed and dig out the roots. After drying in the sun, trim off the root hairs and tie into small bundles; the roots can also be cut into slices for medicinal use. Generally, 200-250 kg of dried Astragalus roots are produced per 667 sq m, giving considerable economic returns.