Detailed Explanation of High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Codonopsis pilosula: Master the Key Points for Stable Yield and Increased Income

Codonopsis pilosula, also known as San Ye Cai, Ye Zi Cao, Chou Dang Shen, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous vine of the Campanulaceae family. Its underground rhizome is used as medicine, and it has the effects of tonifying the middle and benefiting qi, and harmonizing the spleen and stomach. It can be used as a substitute for ginseng, but its potency is slightly weaker. It is mainly used to treat shortness of breath and palpitations, fatigue and lack of strength, poor appetite and loose stools, facial and body edema, chronic diarrhea and rectal prolapse, fluid deficiency with dry tongue, thirst, and other symptoms. It is mainly produced in Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Qinghai, Sichuan and other provinces and regions.

Morphological Characteristics 1. Codonopsis pilosula: It is a perennial herb with milky juice and a greasy, oily odor. The root is enlarged, fleshy, spindle-shaped or cylindrical, with fine dense annular rings on the upper 5-10 cm portion, and sparse transversely elongated lenticels on the lower part. The stem base has many tumor-like stem scars; the stem is slender, twining or trailing, and much branched. Leaves are alternate or opposite, with slender petioles bearing sparse short bristles; the leaf blade is ovate or narrowly ovate, with an obtuse or slightly acute apex, and wavy obtuse serrations along the margin; the leaf base is rounded or wedge-shaped, and both surfaces are sparsely or densely covered with appressed long stiff hairs or soft hairs. Flowers are solitary at the branch tips, alternate or nearly opposite to the petioles, and stalked; the calyx has 5 lobes, green, with an acute apex; the corolla is broadly campanulate, pale yellow-green, with purple spots inside, and 5-lobed at the apex; there are 5 stamens with pale yellow anthers, and 1 pistil. The ovary is semi-inferior, and the capsule is conical with a persistent calyx. Seeds are numerous, small, ovate, and brown.

2. Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta: It is a variety of Codonopsis pilosula, similar to Codonopsis pilosula, mainly distinguished by its longer leaves that are nearly smooth and hairless; the calyx lobes are smaller, about 2 times as long as wide; the corolla diameter is 1.7-2 cm, the length is more than 1.5 cm, and it is usually longer than the calyx lobes.

3. Codonopsis tangshen: Herbaceous vine. Both surfaces of the leaves are densely covered with soft hairs; the root is enlarged, fleshy, spindle-cylindrical, and grayish-yellow on the surface. The stem is twining and much branched; leaves are alternate, and the leaves on small branches are nearly opposite; the leaf blade is ovate or narrowly ovate, green above and grayish-green below. Flowers are solitary at the branch tips, and the flowers are stalked; the calyx is deeply 5-lobed; the corolla is campanulate, pale yellow-green, with purple spots inside, and 5 shallow lobes, and the ovary is inferior. The capsule is conical; seeds are numerous and brownish-yellow.

4. Codonopsis tubulosa (Codonopsis tubulosa Kom.) is a herbaceous plant, the root is unbranched or slightly branched below the middle; leaves are opposite or alternate at the stem tip, the petiole is extremely short and covered with soft hairs, the leaf base is wedge-shaped, and covered with relatively dense or relatively sparse short soft hairs; the calyx tube is hemispherical, fused with the lower half of the ovary, and densely covered with long soft hairs; the corolla is tubular.

I. Growth Habits Codonopsis pilosula prefers a warm and cool climate. Seedlings prefer moist and shady conditions, but high temperature and high humidity easily cause root rot and seedling death. Larger seedlings prefer sunlight. It is cold-resistant and drought-resistant. It is suitable for growing in deep, loose, fertile, sandy soil rich in organic matter. Low-lying land, saline-alkali land, and heavy clay soil are not suitable for planting. Avoid continuous cropping.

II. Land Preparation and Fertilization Select a field with high terrain and good drainage and cultivate it finely. Combined with land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 3000 kg of farmyard manure, 20 kg of urea, and 50 kg of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer per mu. Then make beds and wait for sowing.

III. Sowing Codonopsis pilosula is propagated by seeds and cuttings. It is carried out in two steps: raising seedlings and transplanting. The sowing period includes spring sowing and autumn sowing; seedling raising is mostly done in spring, and transplanting is mostly done in autumn. Seedling raising: Around Qingming, evenly scatter Codonopsis pilosula seeds onto the prepared bed surface, loosen the soil layer so that the soil covers the seeds. Water to preserve soil moisture and promote emergence. The sowing rate is 2 kg per mu. Transplanting: Around Frost's Descent in autumn, plant one-year-old Codonopsis pilosula seedlings on the prepared bed surface, water to preserve soil moisture and promote survival. Row spacing and plant spacing are 20×10 cm.

IV. Field Management After the Codonopsis pilosula seedlings emerge fully, water frequently with a small amount of water. Pay attention to weed control. If planting on a large scale, soil treatment with a herbicide for medicinal fields should be carried out before seedling emergence, which can effectively control various weeds. Water promptly in dry weather, and pay attention to drainage in rainy weather. Because Codonopsis pilosula is afraid of high temperatures, after Grain Rain, appropriately intercrop some tall crops such as corn and sorghum for shade. Codonopsis pilosula has a relatively long growth period, so topdress once around the Beginning of Autumn each year: apply 5 kg of urea and 10 kg of monopotassium phosphate per mu. In winter, clean the field, remove the withered aboveground stems and leaves. And spread a layer of farmyard manure on the bed surface.

V. Pest and Disease Control The main disease of Codonopsis pilosula is root rot, and 2 kg of 70% quintozene powder can be applied per mu during land preparation for soil disinfection. And in the early stage of the disease, use 50% thiophanate for control. For rust disease, use sodium m-dinitrobenzene and triadimefon for control. Pests include red spiders and aphids, which can be controlled with San Fang Ling. For underground pests, use phoxim mixed with poison bait to trap and kill them.

VI. Harvesting and Processing Codonopsis pilosula is generally harvested in autumn 2~3 years after sowing, after the aboveground stems and leaves wither. First cut off the aboveground stems and leaves, then dig out the underground rhizome, and remove the soil completely. Dry in the sun or dry by heat before selling as medicine. The yield is 200 kg per mu.