Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods for Fritillaria unibracteata

Perennial herb, 15-20 cm tall, bulb spherical or conical. Stem erect, hairless, green or dark purple. Leaves, except the lowest pair which are opposite, are alternate or nearly opposite, sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate. Flowers solitary at the top of the stem, dark purple, with slightly yellowish-brown small checkered patterns, with 1 leaf-like bract, 6 tepals, the outer 3 nearly oblong, the inner 3 obovate-oblong, nectary pit inconspicuous; capsule oblong, 6-angled, with narrow wings about 1 mm wide on the angles. Fritillaria unibracteata grows wild at an altitude of 3200-4500 m, on sunny grasslands with rich humus and loose soil. Distributed in western Sichuan, southern Qinghai and southern Gansu. Mainly produced in the Aba region of Sichuan, it is the main source of the commercial “Chuanbei”. Mainly sold to East China and South China and exported. 

I. Land Preparation: Choose a flat hillside plot facing the sun or with late sun exposure, with deep black foam soil or oil sandy soil being preferable. Prepare the land in late summer and early autumn before the weed seeds mature. Apply 3000-4000 kg of wood ash fertilizer and 25 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu, mix and apply, plow 15 cm deep, harrow and open furrows to make beds, bed surface width 1 m, inter-furrow depth 10 m.

II. Seed Propagation: Because Fritillaria cirrhosa seeds grow in different natural environments, they mature at different times, so harvest according to the degree of fruit maturity. It is best to harvest when the Fritillaria fruit is plump and fully turned loquat yellow without remaining green, or when it is grass-white and semi-translucent. On the day of seed collection, it is best to cover them in layers with moss-type plants, put them in bamboo baskets, keep them ventilated and not dry, to promote the differentiation of the mother seed embryo and advance the time of embryo formation.

1. Sowing: Sow immediately after harvesting the fruit, sowing into the soil in mid-August to September. There are 2 methods: drill sowing and broadcast sowing. a. Drill sowing method: open furrows at a row spacing of 10 cm, furrow width 10 cm, depth 2 cm. Rub the seeds out of the fruit, mix well with an appropriate amount of sandy soil, and scatter into the furrows; about 20000 seeds are needed per mu. b. Broadcast sowing method: mix the seeds well with sandy soil and scatter directly on the bed surface; about 20000 seeds are needed per mu. After sowing, cover with 2 cm of sifted humus soil, then cover with small branches, bamboo tips, etc., to shade, preserve moisture and keep warm. If the soil is relatively dry when sowing, sprinkle an appropriate amount of water after sowing to maintain soil moisture until the soil freezes.

After the soil thaws the next year, also pay attention to whether the soil is short of water, water timely, and prevent spring drought.

2. Field management for seed propagation: After the thaw the next spring, remove the covering branches, build a low shade shed, with a shed height of about 20 cm, or appropriately remove some branches, maintain a shade level of about 50%-70%, and pay attention that the seedbed soil must not dry out or accumulate water. After the seedlings wither in summer, remove the shade material, cover with 3 cm of a mixed decomposed fertilizer of humus soil and farmyard manure, then cover with branches and bamboo tips to prepare for overwintering. In the next spring, reduce the shade material by half, and keep the seedbed from drought and free of weeds. The field management in the 2nd and 3rd years is the same as in the 1st year, except that in the 3rd year the shade level is 30%, and in the 4th year there is no shade.

Fritillaria unibracteata

III. Bulb Propagation: When harvesting from July to September, select bulbs without wounds or disease spots as seeds, use the drill planting method, open furrows at a row spacing of 20 cm, with a plant spacing of 3-4 cm, and cover with soil 5-6 cm after planting. Alternatively, when planting, divide the cloves so that they are uniform in size. Division should be done vertically, not horizontally, and must not damage the inner or outer epidermis. Plant immediately after dividing, plant obliquely in the holes, cover with about 3-5 cm thick fine soil and ash fertilizer, press firmly and level.

IV. Field Management: Weed at any time, no intertillage is needed. Generally fertilize 3 times; the 1st time is before planting, applying decomposed farmyard manure. Other management methods are the same as for seed propagation.

V. Pest and Disease Control: When 1-year-old seedlings are easily damaged by ants, use 0.5% trichlorfon solution with a little brown sugar added, soak paper pieces or corn cob pieces, and place them around the seedling plot to attract and poison them. When rats and wild birds cause damage, use conventional methods to trap or poison them. Diseases are often rust disease, which can be controlled with lime sulfur mixture, zineb, thiophanate, disodium edetate, etc.

VI. Harvesting and Processing: Generally harvested 4 years after sowing. In July-August, on sunny days when soil moisture is not high, dig out the bulbs, remove the soil, dry or bake until the surface is powdery white, then put them in gunny bags, gently knock off the soil adhering to the outside, then dry until completely dry, sift clean of dust and soil, and it is ready.