Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for High-Yield Cultivation of Cat's Claw Root

Cat's Claw Root, also known as Lesser Celandine, Sansan Cao, etc. Its underground tuberous roots are used medicinally and have the effect of detoxifying and dispersing masses. It is mainly used to treat scrofula, pulmonary tuberculosis, lymph node tuberculosis, pharyngitis, cancerous tumors and other conditions. It is mainly produced in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan, Guangxi and other provinces and regions.

Morphological Characteristics: It is a perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family. It has several tuberous roots, nearly spindle-shaped. Numerous fibrous roots and spindle-shaped tuberous roots grow underground; the tuberous roots are shaped like cat's claws, hence the name "Cat's Claw Root." The stems are slender and weak, 5-17 cm tall, sparsely covered with short downy hairs, gradually becoming hairless. The basal leaves are clustered, with long petioles, ternately compound leaves, or simple leaves, 3-lobed to 3-parted, with leaf blades 0.5-1.7 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide; the leaflets are sessile, round or obovate, with the middle leaflet larger, the apex dentately shallowly lobed, the base wedge-shaped, sometimes the basal leaflets' primary lobes shallowly lobed or finely divided into linear lobes; the cauline leaves are sessile, smaller, usually 3-parted into linear lobes. The flowers are yellow, 1-1.5 cm in diameter; the sepals are up to 3 mm long, with sparse pubescence on the outside; the petals are usually 5, sometimes 6-8, obovate or elliptic, with sac-like nectaries at the base. The achenes are ovoid, with a short and slightly curved beak, about 1 mm in diameter. The flowering period is March to April.

I. Growth Habits: Cat's Claw Root prefers a warm climate and a moist, semi-shaded environment. It is slightly cold-tolerant and tolerant of poor soil. It is not demanding about soil, but sandy loam with deep, loose, fertile soil rich in organic matter is best for cultivation.

II. Land Preparation and Fertilization: For fields planted with Cat's Claw Root, carry out intensive and careful cultivation. In combination with land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 5000 kg of farmyard manure, 50 kg of cake fertilizer, 20 kg of urea, and 50 kg of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer per mu. Then make raised beds 1.3 m wide and wait for sowing.

III. Sowing: Cat's Claw Root is propagated by seeds, carried out in two steps: seedling raising and transplanting. It can also be propagated by tubers. The sowing period is divided into spring sowing and autumn sowing. Spring sowing is around Qingming, and autumn sowing is before the ground freezes. Seedling raising: first open shallow furrows on the prepared bed surface, then evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, cover with soil, water, preserve moisture, and cover with grass to facilitate emergence. Strengthen management, and after 1 year of growth, they can be transplanted to the field. The sowing rate is 2 kg per mu. Transplanting: choose cloudy and rainy weather, and plant Cat's Claw Root on the prepared bed surface at a row spacing of 15×10 cm, water and preserve moisture to facilitate survival. Tuber propagation: select 1-year-old Cat's Claw Root tubers as propagation material, and plant them on the prepared bed surface at a row spacing of 20×10 cm. Water and preserve moisture to facilitate survival.

IV. Field Management: After Cat's Claw Root seedlings emerge uniformly, pay attention to intertillage and weeding. Water promptly in dry weather, and pay attention to drainage in rainy weather. Topdress once around the Beginning of Autumn: apply 5 kg of urea and 10 kg of monopotassium phosphate per mu. Cat's Claw Root has a summer dormancy period from early May to late September; to improve land utilization, fast-growing vegetables and other crops may be appropriately intercropped to increase income.

V. Pest and Disease Control: Cat's Claw Root has few pests and diseases. If pests or diseases are found, they can be controlled by conventional methods.

VI. Harvesting and Processing: Cat's Claw Root propagated by tubers can be harvested after 1 year of growth. Those propagated by seeds must be dug after 2—3 years of growth. The digging time is mainly in spring and autumn. Clean the soil and fibrous roots from the dug underground tubers of Cat's Claw Root, and dry them in the sun before selling them for medicinal use. The yield is 100 kg per mu. The highest reaches 150 kg.