Detailed Explanation of Large-Scale High-Quality and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for the Chinese Medicinal Herb Licorice

1. Intertillage and weeding: After the seedlings emerge completely, intertillage and weeding should be carried out promptly, ensuring no weeds in the field. For ridge planting, three hoeings and three ridgings can be done; for bed planting, weeds on the bed surface should be pulled out. This is the key to high quality and high yield. If conditions permit, closed weeding can be carried out after sowing and before emergence, using chlorimuron-ethyl (20% chlorimuron-ethyl) wettable powder 2 bags per mu mixed with acetochlor 2—4 bottles per mu sprayed over the field. After emergence, herbicides that kill monocotyledons can be sprayed to eliminate weeds.

2. Thinning and final singling: Combined with intertillage and weeding, when seedlings are 3—5 cm tall, thin them to a plant spacing of 6-7 cm; when seedlings are 5—10 cm tall, perform final singling to a plant spacing of 10—15 cm. For bed-raised seedlings, planting can be denser, with a plant spacing of 3-5 cm.

3. Topdressing: Combined with intertillage and weeding, apply 2000 kg of barnyard manure per mu, mixed with 15 kg of superphosphate. Apply into the furrows and ridge onto the ridges. Foliar fertilizer can also be sprayed to increase yield.

4. Irrigation: Although licorice is a deep-rooted drought-resistant plant, its drought resistance is not strong during the seedling stage because the roots are relatively shallow. Therefore, if drought occurs during the seedling stage, irrigation should be carried out promptly to ensure water supply during the seedling period. During the mature plant stage, little watering is needed. Attention should be paid to drainage during the rainy season in July—August, ensuring no standing water in the field to prevent root rot.

5. Bud removal: Plants bloom in 3—4 years. Plots not used as seed fields should have buds removed promptly at the bud stage to prevent nutrient consumption, increase root yield, and improve quality.