Detailed Explanation of the Key Cultivation Techniques for the Chinese Medicinal Herb Fritillaria cirrhosa
Cultivation techniques:
(1) Site selection and land preparation
1. Site selection
Fritillaria cirrhosaprefers a cool climate. Based on the environmental requirements of Fritillaria cirrhosa, it is best to select an area at an altitude of 2000-3000 m, with an annual average temperature of 0-6 degrees C, the hottest month not exceeding 15 degrees C, the coldest month not lower than degrees C, and annual precipitation of no less than 700 mm. Considering that Chinese medicinal herbs place great importance on genuine producing areas, introducing high-quality local Fritillaria cirrhosa from nearby areas is likely to succeed. It is best to choose a wind-sheltered shady slope or semi-shady slope, and keep away from wheat crops to prevent rust infection. Deep, loose, humus-rich loam or oily sandy soil is preferred. On virgin land, one season of hemp may be planted to clean up weeds, mature the land, improve soil structure, and increase organic matter.
2. Land preparation
Prepare the land before freezing. Clear the weeds from the ground, plow deep and harrow fine, and make beds 1.3 m wide. Apply 1500 kg of compost and barnyard manure, 50 kg of superphosphate, and 100 kg of oil cake per mu. After composting and decomposing, spread them on the bed surface, turn them in shallowly, and shape the bed surface into an arched form.
(2) Planting methods
1. Seed cultivation and treatment
Fritillaria cirrhosa is mainly propagated by seed. (1) Seed cultivation: When digging fritillary bulbs in June-July, select disease-free, undamaged bulbs with a diameter of more than 1 cm as seed bulbs. Plant the bulbs separately by large, medium, and small sizes, and plant them as they are dug. Use 100 kg of bulbs per mu. Hole planting may also be used. From the second year after planting, spray zhencaoning before emergence each March, and after emergence in early April, remove weeds promptly. Also apply dilute human and livestock manure water. From late April to early May, apply another topdressing. In July-August, when the fruits are plump and swollen, and the fruit shells are yellow-brown or brown, and the seeds have dried in the sap, cut off the fruits, and either thresh them fresh or carry out after-ripening treatment with the fruit shells still on. (2) Seed after-ripening treatment: For seeds with shells, use sifted fine humus soil with a moisture content below 10%, place one layer of fruits and one layer of soil in a ventilated wooden box, and keep it in a cool, moist place. For threshed seeds, mix them with humus soil at a ratio of 1:4 (seeds:humus soil) and store the mixture indoors or in a ventilated wooden box. During storage, keep the soil moist. The fruit coat (seed coat) swells, and after about 40 days, the embryo length exceeds 2/3 of the longitudinal axis of the seed, and the tip of the embryo becomes curved. After completing morphological after-ripening of the embryo, sowing can be carried out.
2. Sowing Sow before snowfall in September-October. Drilling, broadcasting, or point sowing by separating capsule valves may all be used.
Drilling: Open horizontal furrows on the bed surface, 1.5-2 cm deep; evenly scatter seeds mixed with fine soil or plant ash into the furrows. Cover with 3 cm of sifted fine humus soil, and cover the bed surface with mountain grass or leafless branches. Use 2-2.5 kg of seeds per mu.
Broadcasting: Evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface, preferably at 3 000-5 000 seeds per sq m. Cover as in drilling.
Point sowing: Carry out while the fruits are not yet dry. Divide the undried fruits into 3 valves, open holes on the bed surface at a spacing of 5-6 cm between plants and rows, place 1 valve in each hole, and cover with 3 cm of soil. This method requires more labor, but has a high emergence rate.
(3) Field management
1. Building shade frames
Fritillaria cirrhosa needs appropriate shading during its growth period. After sowing, before emergence in spring, remove the covering on the bed surface and build shade frames separately by bed. For low frames, 15-20 cm high, the shading degree is 50-70% in the first year. It decreases to 50% in the second year, 30% in the third year, and no shading is used in the harvest year. For high frames, about 1 m high, the shading degree is 50%. It is best to shade on sunny days, and expose the frames on cloudy and rainy days to harden the seedlings.
2. Weeding Fritillaria cirrhosa seedlings are delicate and weak, so weeds should be removed frequently without injuring the seedlings. Small fritillary bulbs that are brought out should be immediately replanted into the soil. Each year, before emergence in spring and after the plants die back in autumn, use zhencaoning to weed once each time.
3. Topdressing After the plants die back in autumn, mix humus soil and farmyard manure with 25 kg of superphosphate per mu, cover the bed surface with a 3 cm thick layer, and then cover the bed surface with shade-frame branches, bamboo tips, and the like to protect the fritillary bulbs through winter. If conditions permit, apply topdressing 3 times each year.
4. Drainage and irrigation
One- and two-year-old fritillary bulbs are most afraid of drought, especially during long clear and rainless periods in spring, so water should be sprinkled promptly to keep the soil moist. After prolonged rain or rainstorms, attention should be paid to drainage and waterlogging prevention. In hail-prone areas, hail prevention measures should also be taken to avoid breaking flower stems and fruits.