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

American ginseng, also known as flower flag ginseng, foreign ginseng, American ginseng, etc. Its underground rhizome is used medicinally and has effects such as tonifying qi and promoting fluid production, moistening the lungs and clearing heat, nourishing and strengthening the body, and calming the mind and improving intelligence. It mainly treats hypertension, myocardial dystrophy, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, irritability and stuffy heat, thirst, nausea, leukopenia, and other conditions. It is mainly produced in the United States and Canada. It has now been successfully introduced and cultivated in China and promoted for planting in Beijing, Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Hebei, and Shandong. Introduction and cultivation have also succeeded in Anhui, Fujian, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Morphological characteristics The original plant of American ginseng is a perennial upright herb of the Araliaceae family, 15-45 cm tall; the main root is spindle-shaped, sometimes branched, and the stem base has thin and often withered scales. Palmately compound leaves, 3 or 5, whorled at the top of the stem; leaflets usually 5, sometimes 3, thin, oblong-obovate, 7-13 cm long, apex abruptly acute or acuminate, margins coarsely serrate or toothed, with scattered inconspicuous bristles on the veins above. It flowers in summer. The umbel is solitary and terminal, with a very long peduncle, bearing 6-20 flowers; calyx 5-lobed; petals 5, imbricate. The berry is drupe-like, about 12 mm in diameter, bright red when mature.

I. Growth Habits American ginseng prefers a mild climate and an environment with abundant rainfall. It likes shade and moisture, fears strong light, and avoids high temperatures. The suitable high temperature for growth is 18-24°C. It has low requirements for soil and is suitable for planting in loose, fertile, deep, organic-rich acidic loam or sandy soil. Continuous cropping is taboo.

II. Land Preparation and Fertilization Choose a shady gentle slope with a gradient of 5-15 degrees and cultivate it intensively. In combination with land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer: per mu apply 5000 kg of farmyard manure, 10 kg of urea, 50 kg of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, and 100 kg of bone meal. Then make high beds 1.2 m wide and wait for sowing.

III. Sowing American ginseng is propagated by seed. In production, it is carried out in three steps: seed treatment, seedling raising, and transplanting. The sowing period is spring sowing, and transplanting is mostly carried out in autumn. Seed treatment Store the collected American ginseng seeds dry indoors at room temperature for 8-9 months. In May of the following year, take them out and soak them in clean water for 2-3 days. Mix them thoroughly with 3 times their volume of wet sand, put them in a wooden box, and bury the box indoors or in a pit under a tree so that they complete physiological after-ripening. Seedling raising Evenly broadcast the treated American ginseng seeds on the prepared bed surface. Cover with soil, water, and cover with grass to preserve moisture, so as to promote seedling emergence. After the seedlings are fully established, strengthen management, and they can be transplanted after 2 years of cultivation. The sowing rate is 5 kg per mu. Transplanting Dig out the American ginseng seedlings cultivated for 2 years in autumn after the aboveground stems and leaves turn yellow, and plant them on the prepared bed surface at a row spacing of 20×10 cm. Water to preserve moisture, so as to promote survival.

IV. Field Management American ginseng likes shade and fears strong light. After planting, a shed must be built for shading to facilitate the growth of American ginseng. The shapes of the shed include arched shed, single-transparent shed, flat-topped shed, etc. After the American ginseng seedlings are fully established, attention should be paid to intertillage and weeding. Water in dry weather, and drain promptly in rainy weather. American ginseng grows for a relatively long time, so apply topdressing once around the Beginning of Autumn each year: per mu apply 5 kg of urea and 10 kg of potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Every winter, in combination with cold protection, spread a layer of farmyard manure on the American ginseng bed surface. After American ginseng buds, except for plants retained for seed, the flower buds should be removed. This prevents nutrient consumption and promotes the growth of underground rhizomes.

V. Pest and Disease Control The main diseases of American ginseng include damping-off, rust rot, leaf spot, and black spot. Integrated control measures are often used for prevention and control: 1. Soil sterilization Use 5 kg of 50% carbendazim powder per mu. Apply it evenly into the soil during land preparation to kill soil pathogens. 2. Seed treatment Before sowing, soak American ginseng seeds in a 500-fold solution of 50% carbendazim for 3 hours to kill pathogens in the seeds. 3. Before disease onset, use 1:1:400 Bordeaux mixture or mancozeb for prevention. In the early stage of disease onset, use a 500-fold spray of 50% carbendazim for control. Once a week, for three consecutive times. For damping-off, use 60% dazomet 100PPm spray for control, with an antibacterial effect reaching 100%. For underground pests, use phoxim mixed with poisoned bait for trapping and killing.

VI. Harvesting and Processing American ginseng is generally harvested around the Beginning of Winter after 4-5 years of planting. The dug-out underground rhizomes of American ginseng can be dried at a temperature of 30-45°C and then sold for medicinal use. The yield per mu is 200 kg.