Detailed Explanation of Key Points for High-Yield Cultivation Techniques of Ginseng

Ginseng, also known as bangchui. Its underground root is used as medicine, mainly to treat critical conditions such as qi deficiency with impending collapse, shortness of breath, and faint pulse about to cease, as well as deficiency cough with panting, dizziness, impotence, diabetes, and women's metrorrhagia and metrostaxis. It is mainly produced in Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang and other provinces and regions.

Morphological characteristics: It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Araliaceae family. Plant height 10-60 cm. The main root is cylindrical or spindle-shaped, fleshy, mostly branched at the lower end, only 0.5-3 cm in diameter, with a pale yellowish-white outer skin. The rhizome is very short, generally adding one node each year, commonly known as the ginseng rhizome head. Generally, two-year-old seedlings have stems; the stem is upright, cylindrical, smooth and hairless, green. Palmate compound leaves are whorled at the top of the stem, and their number varies with plant age; petioles are long; leaflets generally emerge in 5 palmate divisions, the lowest pair of leaflets is the smallest, and the upper 3 leaflets are nearly equal in size; leaf blades are elliptic to oblong-elliptic, apex acuminate, base cuneate, margin finely sharply serrate, umbel terminal, base of pedicel with green bracts; calyx campanulate, pale green; 5-toothed, petals 5, ovate, apex obtuse, white around the periphery, pale green in the center; stamens 5, filaments short, anthers oblong, white, dorsifixed; pistil 1, styles united at the base and separate above, stigma 2-lobed, ovary inferior, 2-locular. Drupe, oblate, green, bright red when mature, containing 2 round seeds; seeds short kidney-shaped, about 4-5 mm in diameter, pale yellowish-white, with wrinkles of varying depth, texture

I. Growth habits. Ginseng prefers a cool, moist environment. It is cold-tolerant, afraid of high temperatures, avoids direct sunlight, and is afraid of drought. It likes slanting or scattered light. It has strict soil requirements and is suitable for growing in deep, loose, fertile, neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam rich in organic matter; clay soil and saline-alkali land are both unsuitable for planting.

II. Land preparation and fertilization. Choose a warm slope sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, and with good drainage. The previous crop is best corn, sorghum, or soybean. Carry out intensive cultivation, and in conjunction with land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer: per mu apply 5000 kg of farmyard manure, 15 kg of urea, and 50 kg of phosphate and potassium fertilizer. Then make beds 1.2 m wide {in a turtle-back shape} and wait for sowing.

III. Sowing. Ginseng is propagated by seed. It is carried out in three steps: germination promotion, seedling raising, and transplanting. Sowing periods are divided into spring sowing, summer sowing, and autumn sowing. Germination promotion. Ginseng seeds have an after-ripening period, and germination takes a long time; therefore, ginseng seeds must be subjected to germination promotion. When promoting germination, first soak the ginseng seeds in a 500-fold dilution of 25% carbendazim for 20 minutes, take them out and mix evenly with two portions of moist, clean fine river sand, put them into a suitable wooden box, and place it indoors for germination promotion. Keep room temperature between 5—20℃, check frequently, and after about two months the seeds can crack, then sow the next spring. After the ginseng seeds crack, they still need to be kept at a low temperature of 0—5 degrees for about two months before physiological after-ripening is completed, dormancy is broken, and normal germination occurs. At present, treatment with hormone {K}, auxin benzyladenine (BA), and gibberellin at 50——100 PPm for 24 hours followed by sand storage can replace low-temperature treatment, with remarkable results. Seedling raising. Evenly broadcast the germination-treated ginseng seeds on the prepared bed surface. Loosen the soil layer so that soil covers the seeds. Then cover the bed surface with a layer of weeds or crop straw to preserve moisture and help seedling emergence. After ginseng seedlings emerge uniformly, strengthen field management, and transplant after 1—3 years of growth. Use 30 g of germinated seeds or 40 g of fresh seeds per square meter. Transplanting. Ginseng is mostly transplanted in autumn. That is, after the aboveground stems and leaves of ginseng wither and yellow in autumn, dig out the underground ginseng seedlings and plant them on the prepared bed surface at a row spacing of 25×12 cm. Water to preserve soil moisture and promote survival.

IV. Field management. Because ginseng is afraid of direct sunlight and likes scattered light, a shed must be built for shade. At present, the method commonly used is a small plastic arched shed with a thin straw curtain laid over the arch. This not only maintains the warm and moist conditions inside the shed and the microclimate such as light, humidity, and wind speed, but also allows manual adjustment. After ginseng seedlings emerge uniformly, attention should be paid to intertillage and weeding. Water promptly in dry weather, and pay attention to drainage in rainy weather. Because ginseng grows for a long time, topdress once around the Beginning of Autumn each year: apply 10 kg of urea and 10 kg of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per mu. In winter, spread a layer of farmyard manure on the bed surface. After ginseng buds, all flower buds should be removed except for plants retained for seed, to prevent nutrient consumption.

V. Pest and disease control. The main ginseng diseases include damping-off disease, spot disease, phytophthora blight, and sclerotinia disease. Integrated control measures are often used: 1. Soil disinfection: during land preparation, use 3—5 kg of 75% quintozene powder per mu for soil disinfection treatment. 2. Seed disinfection: soak ginseng seeds in a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim for 1—3 hours for sterilization treatment. 3. Before disease onset, spray 1:1:120 Bordeaux mixture for prevention. Or in the early stage of disease onset, spray a 500—1000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim for control. Once a week, for three consecutive times. For underground pests, use phoxim with poisoned bait for trapping and killing.

VI. Harvesting and processing. Ginseng is generally harvested after 6 years of growth. When the aboveground stems and leaves wither and yellow in autumn, dig out the underground rhizome of ginseng, remove its stems and leaves, clean off the soil, and fumigate with sulfur for 10—12 hours. Sun-dry or oven-dry, and it becomes sun-dried ginseng. It can also be processed into red ginseng or sugar ginseng for sale. Yield per mu is 250 kg.