What are the reasons for the low yield of the Chinese medicinal herb Banxia (Pinellia ternata)?

Growers of the Chinese medicinal herb Banxia (Pinellia ternata) customarily call it dry Banxia; it is a herbaceous plant of the Araceae family. According to statistical analysis of market surveys across major medicinal herb markets and production areas nationwide over the past ten years, the supply-demand gap for dry Banxia is fairly large and its trend is strong; it has risen from the original 20-28 yuan/kg to 40-50 yuan/kg. Under the current technical conditions in our country, artificial cultivation yields about 150 kg of commercial product per mu, and the per-mu profit is quite considerable. So, with such high returns, why have growers not expanded the planted area in recent years? Where do the reasons lie that have kept Banxia prices high for many years while the market remains in short supply?

I. High technical content of cultivation

1. Throughout its life, Banxia has inconsistent light requirements. In the early growth stage in spring, because temperatures are relatively low, it needs light; in the mid growth stage in summer, when temperatures are high and sunlight is intense, it can grow normally only under shaded conditions; entering the late growth stage in autumn, because sunlight intensity gradually weakens and there is more rain, and soil and air humidity are high, it again needs light.

2. Banxia cultivation has strict requirements for soil and site selection. It fears both drought and waterlogging, fears both salinity and alkalinity yet cannot tolerate soil that is too acidic, and it likes organic matter yet fears chemical fertilizers. Therefore, low-lying land is unsuitable, and slightly clayey soil is also no good; it must be sandy loam or light loam, and it must drain when waterlogged and be irrigable when dry. Only when these standards are met can it be planted; there can be no ambiguity whatsoever.

3. Banxia requires relatively high investment. Generally, the total investment for seed tubers, fertilizer, labor and so on is about 1500 yuan per mu, which most farmers find daunting, fearing that once they put money in it will be wasted. Add to this a lack of technical knowledge, or hearing and seeing others' failures, and they dare not plant it.

II. The current artificially cultivated area of Banxia is not what it claims to be

Some time ago, during field surveys, quite a few growers asked: “Director Li, why is it that with the Banxia I planted before, however many seed tubers I sowed, I still harvested that many seed tubers, with almost no increase in yield?” This is also one of the most common questions in recent telephone consultations. The reasons are many, but the main one is that some units or individuals whose purpose is to sell seeds deliberately ignore the difficulty of cultivation techniques, creating the illusion for growers that it is easy to plant, easy to manage, highly profitable and a fast way to get rich. Some do not possess high-yield, high-quality cultivation techniques at all, and even have less traditional planting experience than veteran growers, so how can they speak of high-quality, high-yield techniques? Second, there are many wild varieties of Banxia in our country, but few are suitable for artificial cultivation after domestication. Using wild Banxia as seed under artificial cultivation conditions, its ability to adapt to the man-made environment is low, the probability of “seedling dieback” increases, and coupled with improper storage methods, seed tubers suffer more diseases and yields are unstable.

Therefore, as far as artificial cultivation of Banxia in our country is concerned, it is still in the initial stage, and truly large bases of over a hundred mu producing commercial Banxia can be counted on one's fingers; some so-called large-area Banxia cultivation bases generally exist in name only, and their real purpose is to obtain special national support funds for Chinese medicinal herbs. Once that purpose is achieved, the so-called Banxia base changes its name, and this is a fact; the author has by no means fabricated it.

III. Wild resources are gradually decreasing

Banxia grows wild on hillsides, beside streams in damp grassy areas or under sparse woods; in addition, it also grows in farmland. But with deep plowing and intensive cultivation and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides and herbicides, Banxia in farmland has basically disappeared. On hillsides, beside streams and under forests, land reclamation for farming, deforestation and years of disorderly, massive digging have severely damaged Banxia's growing environment, and its resources have gradually decreased. In addition, wild Banxia is rather scattered in distribution, and natural disasters such as drought and flooding are frequent, so it is currently on the verge of exhaustion.

The results of comprehensive analysis from all sides show that the Banxia market cannot be saturated within 3-5 years, prices will rise steadily with some fluctuation, the market outlook is good, and prospects are broad. However, it is precisely because of Banxia's special habits and the difficulty of its cultivation techniques that its market prospects look good. Therefore, it is recommended that first-time growers proceed with caution.