How to Grow Pinellia ternata (Banxia)? A Complete Guide to Cultivation Techniques

Choosing the Planting SitePinellia ternata (Banxia)It prefers a mild and humid climate, tolerates cold and shade, and is suitable for cultivation on hillsides and flat ground. It can be intercropped with fruit trees, and can also be intercropped with tall-stemmed plants such as corn, rapeseed and wheat. Sandy soil is best for planting; heavy clay and low-lying waterlogged plots are not suitable for cultivation.

For planting Pinellia ternata, the suitable sowing period is from November in winter to April of the following spring. Before sowing, in combination with land preparation, apply 2000 kg of barnyard manure or compost and 25 kg of superphosphate per 667 sq m, plow them into the soil as base fertilizer, plow and turn once more at sowing time, then break up the soil finely and rake it level to make beds. Pinellia ternata is mainly propagated by tubers and main buds. When propagating by tubers, it is best to plant them immediately after digging, digging holes at a row spacing of 17-20 cm and a plant spacing of 7-10 cm, planting 2-3 tubers per hole, using 40-50 kg of tubers per 667 sq m; do not cover with too thick a layer of soil, 1-2 cm is appropriate, and if the soil is dry after covering, water promptly. When propagating by bulbils, in summer and autumn when the old leaves are about to wither and the bulbils under the leaf stalks have matured, take the mature bulbils and plant them in rows, with the same row and plant spacing as for tuber propagation.

Field Management

(1) Weeding. Before the seedlings close the rows, weed promptly; the depth of cultivation should not exceed 5 cm so as not to damage the roots. Because the roots of Pinellia ternata grow around the tubers and the root system is concentrated in the 12-15 cm topsoil layer, cultivation should be shallow rather than deep.

(2) Fertilizing. After the seedlings emerge completely, apply 1000 kg of human and livestock manure water at 1:3 per 667 sq m; at the bulbil formation stage, apply 2000 kg of human and livestock manure per 667 sq m. When the daughter Pinellia tubers show new buds and the mother Pinellia tubers shed their shells and grow new roots again, sprinkle and water with manure water at 1:10. Afterward, according to the growth conditions, apply 25 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, 20 kg of superphosphate and 10 kg of urea per 667 sq m.

(3) Pest and disease control. The diseases that Pinellia ternata is relatively prone to are leaf spot and viral disease. For leaf spot, spray with 1:1:120 Bordeaux mixture or 65% zineb 500 times solution, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times. For viral disease, irrigate with 5% lime milk, and promptly pull out diseased plants and burn them in a centralized manner. The main insect pest is the red hawk moth; the control method is spraying with 90% crystalline trichlorfon 800-1000 times solution, once every 5-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.

Harvesting and Processing The growth period of Pinellia ternata is 180-210 days. For tuber propagation, harvesting can be done in the same year or the following year depending on the sowing season. Generally, digging is done in summer and autumn after the stems and leaves wither and the plants fall over; choose a sunny day and carefully dig out the tubers, avoiding damage, shake off the mud and sand, and put them in baskets and cover them well. Do not expose them to strong sun, otherwise peeling will be difficult. During processing, first grade the fresh Pinellia by large, medium and small sizes, then put them separately into gunny sacks, lightly beat them on the ground a few times, then pour them into a vat of clean water and rub repeatedly until the outer skin is completely removed, then take them out and sun-dry until fully dry.