Detailed Explanation of the Three-Harvests-a-Year Cultivation Technique for Pinellia

Pinellia (Pinellia ternata) is a commonly used bulk Chinese medicinal herb harvested year-round. It has wide adaptability, is easy to cultivate, and requires simple management. If high-yield multi-harvest cultivation techniques are adopted, three plantings and three harvests in one year can be achieved, with extremely significant benefits. In particular, when intercropped or relay-cropped with crops such as wheat, corn, and sorghum, the economic benefits are even higher.

The three-crop-per-year cultivation and harvest-processing techniques for pinellia are introduced as follows:

I. Site Selection and Land Preparation

For planting pinellia, loose and fertile soil is best. When preparing the land, apply 3000-5000 kg of farmyard manure, 25-30 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 100 kg of plant ash per mu. Do not apply ammonium bicarbonate. Plow deeply and harrow finely. Make beds 1.3 m wide and 0.17 m high, with ditches 0.3 m wide. In the ditches, tall crops such as wheat, corn, sorghum, or kenaf can be intercropped.

II. Sowing Method

Tuber propagation is usually used for three plantings and three harvests in one year, namely planting in April and harvesting in July; planting in July and harvesting in October; planting in October and harvesting in April of the following year. The amount of seed tubers used per mu varies with size; generally, more than 40 kg of seed is needed per mu. When planting, a seed drill can be used to open furrows, with a row spacing of 18 cm. Select tubers that are white in color and free of disease, plant them at a spacing of 10-15 cm, cover with soil, and press firmly. If dry weather occurs, open the furrows and water along them first, then place the seeds and cover with soil.

III. Field Management

The main tasks are weeding and earthing up. Weed as soon as weeds appear, first shallowly and then deeply. After about 1.5 months of growth, bulbils begin to form on the leaf petioles, and earthing up should begin. Along with earthing up, phosphate fertilizer and plant ash or monopotassium phosphate can be applied as a top dressing. If earthing up is not done, the bulbils are exposed outside and do not grow into new bulbs. If drought occurs, water frequently with a small amount of water, and after watering, carry out intertillage and earthing up. In the late growth stage of pinellia, the flower stalks should be cut off to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting tuber growth.

IV. Pest and Disease Control

To control viral disease, spray a 1500-fold solution of Zhibingling. To control leaf spot disease and root rot, spray or drench with a 1800-fold solution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or a 200-fold solution of 2% Nongkang 120 aqueous solution. To control thrips and hawk moth larvae, spray a 1000-fold solution of 50% phoxim. V. Harvesting and Processing. When harvesting, the field can be plowed with a plow and the tubers carefully picked out; the large ones are used as medicine, and the small ones are kept for seed. The ones used as medicine are first piled indoors for 4-5 days to sweat, making it easier to peel. Then they are put into hemp bags or woven bags, placed on a wooden board or stone slab, and rubbed while sprinkling with water to peel them. Then they are poured into a sieve and immersed in water. After the skin residue is rinsed off, they can be sold directly to the local medicinal herb purchasing department.