What are the key points for sowing and raising seedlings of the Chinese medicinal herb Atractylodes macrocephala?
Atractylodes macrocephalaFor everyone, this is a very familiar Chinese medicinal herb that many people have used, but how does it grow? Below, the editors of Kangmei Traditional Chinese Medicine Network will take everyone through the sowing and seedling-raising techniques for Atractylodes macrocephala.
1. Seed treatment: Carefully remove all debris from the seeds, then use a 1000-fold solution each of thiophanate-methyl + carbendazim + abamectin (that is, 100 jin of water plus 1 liang of each pesticide), mix the above three pesticides into an aqueous solution, soak the Atractylodes macrocephala seeds in the medicinal solution for 36 hours, then remove them and dry them in the shade (until the outer skin is dry) before sowing.
2. Land selection and preparation: For flat land, choose virgin wasteland or sandy loam that has not grown crops for more than 3 years; for mountainous land, choose sandy soil with deep soil layers and no or few root weeds, and the slope of the land should not be too steep; clay land or heavily alkaline land must not be used for planting. Apply 3000 kg of farmyard manure or soil-ash manure per mu as base fertilizer. If there is no farmyard manure or only a little, you can apply 80 kg of potassium sulfate-type compound fertilizer (do not use chlorine-containing fertilizer) + 50 kg of superphosphate. If there are underground pests in the soil, add insecticidal pesticide before plowing; after fertilizing, plow the soil 20 cm deep, harrow it finely and level it, and make beds 1-1.2 m wide.
3. Sowing time: Depending on the region, generally during the period from Qingming to Guyu, from late March to early May, when the ground temperature at 5 cm is stably above 12°C, this is the best sowing time.
4. Sowing method: Generally use drilling. Open furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 15 cm, with a furrow depth of 3 cm and a furrow width of 5 cm. The furrow bottom should be flat. Evenly scatter the treated Atractylodes macrocephala seeds by hand into the furrows, trying to keep a seed spacing of about 1 cm, and cover with soil just enough to cover the seeds (1-2 cm); according to the soil moisture conditions, if the soil moisture is high, press lightly, and if the soil moisture is low, press more firmly. For large areas, a drill seeder or mechanized sowing can also be used (which can increase sowing speed by 10 times). After sowing, cover with rice straw or leaves to keep the soil moist. When the temperature reaches about 20°C, seedlings will emerge 7-10 days after sowing. The seeding rate is 5-8 kg per mu.
5. Field management: When about 80% of the seedlings have emerged, remove the covering grass. When the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall, do one shallow loosening of the soil together with weed control, and at the same time thin the seedlings to a plant spacing of 3-4 cm (this should not be done after rain or when the dew has not dried). In dry weather, water frequently with a small amount of water. After thinning, apply 25 kg of urea per mu as a top dressing; in June-July, during the middle growth stage, apply 20 kg of urea + 20 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer per mu as a top dressing; in August-September, apply another 30 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer as a top dressing. Water immediately after each fertilization.
6. Pest and disease control:
(1) Damping-off: Drain promptly and prevent soil compaction. Spread 5 kg of gypsum powder per mu to improve soil permeability. In the early stage of the disease, drench the plants with 5% lime water, once every 7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
(2) Iron leaf disease: The disease is most severe from mid-June to early July. When diseased leaves are found, remove them promptly and burn them. Or spray with 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture for control, once every half month, for 3 consecutive sprays. If it rains after spraying, spray once more.
(3) Rust disease: Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to improve disease resistance, or in the early stage of the disease spray with a 400-fold solution of triadimefon or sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate.
(4) Southern blight: It isAtractylodes macrocephalaone of the main diseases, and the affected area can be drenched with a 1000-fold solution of 50% carbendazim.
(5) Root rot: In the early stage of the disease, spray with a 1000-fold solution of 50% thiophanate-methyl and a 1000-fold solution of 50% captan for control.
(6) Atractylodes macrocephala insect pests: They can be controlled with malathion emulsifiable concentrate, dimethoate, and pyrethroid pesticides. Before adults lay eggs, spray with a 300-fold solution of 50% dichlorvos, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.
7. Harvesting and seed reservation:
In the same year, from Frost's Descent to the Beginning of Winter, when the leaves of Atractylodes macrocephala seedlings turn yellow and withered, choose a sunny day, dig up the rhizomes (that is, the planting stock), cut off the stems (leaving 1 cm) and the fine roots at the tail, remove diseased and damaged plants, spread them in a cool, ventilated place for 1-2 days, and store them after the surface of the planting stock turns white.
For storage of the planting stock, choose an indoor mud floor that is cool, dry, and sheltered from sunlight. Spread 5 cm of fine sand with 20% moisture content, place the planting stock 8-12 cm on top, then add another layer of fine sand, pile it up in this way to a height of 30-40 cm, then cover with 4 cm of sand or fine soil. Insert a bundle of straw every 50 cm in the center of the planting stock pile to release moisture and heat. In severe winter, cover with rice straw to prevent freezing. During storage, check once every 20 days, turn the pile over from top to bottom, and promptly remove diseased planting stock. Do not light a fire indoors, and do not sprinkle water on the planting stock pile.
In warmer areas, it may not be dug up; wait until February of the following year before sprouting, then plant while digging.