Detailed Explanation of Amomum villosum Planting Techniques and Management Key Points

Alternative names: Shaguo, Yangchun Amomum, Yangchun Sharen, etc.

The fruit and seeds of Yangchun Amomum (Amomum villosum), green-shell Amomum (Amomum villosum var. xanthioides), or Hainan Amomum (Amomum villosum var. nanai), all plants of the Zingiberaceae family, are used as medicine, and the flowers are also used medicinally. It has the effects of warming the spleen, strengthening the stomach, promoting the flow of qi and regulating the middle burner, aiding digestion, and preventing miscarriage. It mainly treats abdominal distension and fullness, undigested food accumulation, severe nausea and vomiting, diarrhea due to deficiency-cold, and restless fetus, among other conditions.

Main growing and cultivation regions of Amomum villosum: Currently, the Amomum villosum products on the market are mainly: one is Yangchun Amomum, mainly produced in Yangchun, Xinyi, Gaozhou and other counties in Guangdong Province. Another is green-shell Amomum, mainly produced in southern Yunnan. Yet another is imported Amomum villosum, whose original plant is identical to green-shell Amomum, mainly produced in Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries. Hainan Amomum is mainly produced in Hainan Island.

Domestic Yangchun Amomum has significant medicinal efficacy and excellent quality, and enjoys a high reputation in the international market. In the main production area of Yangchun and other places in Guangdong Province, it has a long cultivation history, and local farmers have accumulated rich cultivation experience. At present, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Sichuan and other provinces and regions have introduced and cultivated it.

[Amomum villosum Planting Techniques]

1. Site selection and land preparation: For Yangchun Amomum, it is best to choose sandy loam or light clay loam that is fertile, loose, and has strong water and fertilizer retention capacity. Broad-leaved evergreen forest land with high humidity and water sources, as well as hillsides, valleys, and flat land with convenient irrigation and drainage, can all be used for planting. Sandy soil and heavy clay soil should not be selected. For planting in mountainous areas, before planting, clear the land, remove all weeds and cut down excessive shade trees; where shade trees are insufficient, attention should be paid to replanting them. While clearing the land, dig ring-shaped irrigation and drainage ditches around the mountain to prevent drought and drain waterlogging. Plant more fruit trees near the Amomum villosum land to expand nectar sources and attract more pollinating insects. For planting in plain areas, ditches should be opened and beds made, with bed width 2.6-3 m, length 24-30 m, ditch width 35 cm, and depth 1.5-35 cm. The bed surface should be shaped like a turtle's back to prevent water accumulation, and attention should also be paid to creating shade trees. First plant fast-growing crops such as banana and mountain hairy indigo as temporary shade, then plant tall white mealy tree, Chinese albizia, and fruit trees as permanent shade trees.

2. Propagation methods: There are two types, seed propagation and division propagation.

(1) Seed propagation:

Select plump and robust fruits, sun-dry the fruits twice before sowing, then ferment the fruits after sun-drying, maintaining the fermentation temperature (between 30-35 degrees C) and a certain humidity; after 3-4 days, wash and rub off the fruit skin, dry in the shade, and set aside for sowing. The nursery land for raising seedlings should be chosen in a place sheltered from the wind with convenient irrigation and drainage, deep-plowed and finely harrowed to make beds, with bed height 15 cm and width 1-1.2 m. Apply sufficient base fertilizer; per mu apply 15-25 kg of superphosphate, mixed with 1000-1500 kg of organic fertilizer fermented with cow dung or compost. Sow in spring in March, or in autumn from late August to early September, by drilling in furrows or dibbling. Before sowing, first set up a shed frame; when seedlings begin to emerge, immediately add shade covering, with a shade degree of 80%-90% being appropriate. When there are 7-8 leaves, the shade can be appropriately reduced, but the shade degree must not be lower than 70%.

Fertilization should follow the principle of light and frequent application. The first application is when the seedlings have 2 leaves, using 1.5-2 kg of ammonium sulfate nitrogen fertilizer per mu diluted in 1500 kg of water. The second application is when the seedlings have 5 leaves, using 3 kg of nitrogen fertilizer per mu diluted in 1500 kg of water. The third application is when the seedlings have 8-10 leaves; after 10 leaves, apply topdressing once every half month or every month, using 3 kg of nitrogen fertilizer per mu diluted in 1000 kg of water. Water frequently to keep the soil moist. In winter and early spring, additional decomposed cow dung and plant ash can be applied to enhance the cold resistance of the seedlings. When a cold wave comes, set up windbreaks on the north side of the beds and burn smoke at the field edge to prevent cold damage. Thin the seedlings when they are 10-15 cm tall; when the seedlings are 50 cm tall, they can be lifted from the nursery and transplanted.

(2) Division propagation: Select robustly growing plants, and take seedlings with 1-2 or more buds and strong seedlings as planting material. Plant in spring from late March to early April, or in autumn in September; spring planting is preferable, and choose overcast and rainy days for it. Spacing is 65 cm x 65 cm or 1.3 m x 1.5 m. After planting, cover with soil, water, and then cover with grass; thereafter water frequently and manage carefully.

3. Field management

(1) Before newly planted Yangchun Amomum reaches the age of flowering and fruiting, it requires a relatively high shade degree, preferably maintained at 70%-80%. Weeding must be done 5-8 times per year; once a month during the rainy season. In addition to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, nitrogen fertilizer should be appropriately increased, applying fertilizer 3-4 times per year from February to October. Always pay attention to watering to keep the soil moist.

(2) After Yangchun Amomum enters the age of flowering and fruiting, during the flower bud differentiation stage, it needs more sunlight, and maintaining an average shade degree of 50%-60% is more appropriate. However, in sandy soil with poor water retention capacity, or in Yangchun Amomum fields lacking water sources and unable to be irrigated, a shade degree of about 70% should be maintained. Weeding is mainly done twice a year.

The first time is in February, removing all weeds and dead branches and fallen leaves inside and outside the Yangchun Amomum field, cutting away dead, weak, diseased, and damaged seedlings and clearing them out of the garden for composting into fertilizer, while appropriately thinning out some Yangchun Amomum seedlings in places where they are too dense.

The second time is after fruit harvest in August-September, removing all weeds, spreading easily rotted weeds over the creeping stems to retain moisture and warmth and increase soil organic matter. The remaining weeds are cleared out of the garden and gathered for composting into fertilizer. Fertilization is mainly organic fertilizer, supplemented by chemical fertilizer. Each year in February, mainly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, with appropriate nitrogen fertilizer; per mu apply 25-40 kg of superphosphate (mixed with soil and fermented until mature), and 2-3 kg of urea or potassium sulfate fertilizer, and 700-1000 kg of organic fertilizer. Around "Start of Winter" (November), apply about 1000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu. Also appropriately earth up, but not so much as to cover the creeping stems.

Yangchun Amomum has different water requirements at different growth and development stages: after autumn fertilization, in order to promote the growth of autumn seedlings and restore vigor, more water is required; during the winter-spring flower bud differentiation stage, less water is required; during the flowering stage and young fruit formation stage, the soil is required to be moist; during the fruiting stage and fruit ripening stage, the soil water content is required to be somewhat lower.

(3) Because the flower structure of Yangchun Amomum is special, both self-pollination and cross-pollination are difficult, and it is also unsuitable for wind pollination; in places with few pollinating insects, the natural fruit-setting rate is very low. Therefore, it is necessary to vigorously promote artificial supplementary pollination to increase the fruit-setting rate.

Artificial pollination methods include:

1) Smearing method:

First hold the male flower with one hand, use the other hand to hold a small bamboo strip, lift up the stamen of the flower, then insert the index finger or thumb of the hand holding the flower into the petals, smear the pollen from the stamen onto the stigma opening, then wipe diagonally downward so that a large amount of pollen is inserted into the stigma opening, thus completing the pollination of one flower.

2) Push-pull method:

Use the middle finger and thumb of one hand to hold the large petal and stamen, and use the thumb to first gently push the stamen downward, then pull it upward, placing the force on the head of the stigma; one push and one pull can insert a large amount of pollen into the stigma opening. You can also use the middle finger and thumb to hold the large petal and stamen horizontally and repeatedly push and pull to complete pollination. Generally, when there is a lot of pollen, the push-pull method is used; when there is little pollen, the smearing method is better. Practice has proved that artificial pollination of Yangchun Amomum is an effective measure to increase yield, but it is not an ideal pollination method. For example, in mountainous areas with large areas and uneven terrain, operation is inconvenient; moreover, this method requires a great deal of manpower and time. In the future, it is still necessary to breed insects such as colored band bees, reed bees, bumblebees, ants, and thrips. Better solutions to the pollination problem, such as in areas with many pollinating insects, can achieve a natural fruit-setting rate of more than 50%-60% for Amomum villosum.