What are the key points of cinnamon cultivation techniques?

        Cinnamon, also known as cassia, can produce cassia bark and cassia oil, which are widely used in medicine, food and the light chemical industry. China's cinnamon output accounts for about 50% of the world's output. Besides meeting domestic demand, it is also one of the traditional export commodities for earning foreign exchange. Nowadays, green, safe and pollution-free food has become a common demand of consumers at home and abroad, so pollution-free production of cinnamon is particularly important.  Although cinnamon is grown in mountainous areas where the planting environment is less polluted, the following factors still affect the quality and safety of cinnamon:  1. Use of pesticides and hormones in the production process For a long time, China's cinnamon economic forests have had a low level of tending and management, poor infrastructure and a semi-wild state, and there are many problems in pest and disease control, specifically: chemical pesticides are widely used, and in some places highly toxic, high-residue or even banned highly toxic pesticides are used; the drugs are applied many times and in large doses, which not only kills beneficial natural enemies but also damages the ecological environment. In addition, in flower and fruit retention of cinnamon, improper use of chemical flower-retention agents, fruit-retention agents and other hormone substances can also affect product quality and safety.  2. Secondary pollution during processing In the processing of cinnamon, in order to prevent insects and mold, some use sulfur treatment, and some cinnamon processing sites have poor environmental hygiene conditions, which affects the quality and safety of the products.  3. Pollution caused during storage and transportation After processing, cinnamon products are often subject to mold due to improper storage methods, which not only affects appearance and quality but also harms human health. At the same time, from the processing site to the sales market, if the whole process is not strictly managed, cinnamon products will also be contaminated.  4. Adulteration of cassia oil occurs from time to time Driven by market interests, illegal traders adulterate cassia oil, making the cinnamaldehyde content in cassia oil low, which both deceives consumers and affects the healthy development of the cassia oil processing industry. In response to the above problems, the following pollution-free high-yield techniques are proposed:  1) Choose a good ecological environment for building cinnamon bases For the construction of cinnamon bases, it is best to be far away from urban areas and industrial zones, with a straight-line distance of more than 500 m from major traffic routes. Paying attention to ecological environment construction is very important.  2) Plant improved clonal varieties The three main cinnamon cultivars in China are Chinese cinnamon, South cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. Chinese cinnamon has strong adaptability and a wide distribution, and is currently the main dominant cultivar in China. South cinnamon is a large-leaf variant of Chinese cinnamon. Since 1967, China has repeatedly introduced seeds and seedlings of this species from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, and planted them respectively in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Zhejiang and other provinces (regions). South cinnamon is higher than Chinese cinnamon in both bark thickness and cassia oil content, and its adaptability is stronger than that of Ceylon cinnamon, making it a relatively ideal cultivar for cultivation in China and worth promoting. Ceylon cinnamon originates in Sri Lanka and is a internationally famous high-quality variety. It has been introduced and cultivated in Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi and other places in China, but it is still at the small-scale trial planting stage and has not been planted on a large scale. This variety requires a relatively high heat level, and areas at relatively northern latitudes are not suitable for planting it, so its planting range is limited to a certain extent. For cinnamon planting, improved-variety cuttings and strong seedlings should be selected to develop clonal cinnamon forests.  3) Reasonable planting density In general, it is relatively suitable for young cinnamon trees to reach canopy closure after about 5 years of planting. Too sparse or too dense is inappropriate. For high forest management, with the goal of cultivating large trees to grow high-grade cassia bark, the plant-row spacing is 8×6 m or 2.5×5 m; on gentle land, 3×4 m, 4×4 m or 2.5×5 m can be used, generally planting 40-80 plants per mu. For coppice management, with the goal of producing ordinary cassia bark, cassia leaf oil, etc., the plant-row spacing is 1×1.5-2 m; on gentle land, 1×1 m or 1.3×1.3 m or 0.8ｘ2 m or 1×1.2 m, generally planting 400-700 plants per mu is suitable. Mountainous areas may be denser, flat land should be sparser, and areas prone to wind damage should be denser.  4) Strengthen pruning and shaping Among cinnamon products, cassia bark is the most valuable. High-grade cassia bark must be smooth throughout, without dead knots or lumps. Therefore, carefully carrying out pruning and shaping and keeping the main trunk of the cinnamon tree straight and smooth is a very important task in cinnamon tending and management. The pruning and shaping methods for coppice cinnamon forests and tall cinnamon forests are different. Coppice cinnamon forests are mainly for producing cassia bark, and pruning and shaping should promptly remove lower branches to ensure the growth of the main trunk. Generally, starting from the 2nd year after planting, pruning is carried out once a year in autumn and winter. A sharp knife can be used to cut off branches close to the main trunk, requiring the cut to be smooth and not split, ensuring that the main trunk has 2.5-3 m of smooth, straight section. Tall cinnamon forests are mainly for producing higher-value medicinal cassia bark such as "Qibian cassia" and "Ban cassia", requiring a straight and tall main trunk without dead knots or lumps, and the pruning requirement is "early and smooth". Generally, starting from the 3rd year after planting, pruning should be carried out 1-2 times a year, each time removing only branches within 1/3 of the distance from the ground to the crown. Small branches should be cut flat close to the main trunk with a sharp knife, but the bark of the main trunk must not be damaged; larger branches that cannot be removed with one cut can be sawed, ensuring a smooth cut to facilitate healing. The smaller the branch, the easier the wound heals, so pruning should be carried out in autumn and winter, and earlier is better than later.  5) Strengthen fertilizer management The focus of cinnamon fertilization is in the first 3 years after planting. Generally, fertilization is carried out roughly 3 times a year. The first time is before February-March in spring, mainly applying nitrogen fertilizer, with 0.05-0.1 kg of urea or ammonium bicarbonate per plant, and where conditions permit, adding 2.5-5 kg of organic fertilizer or cake fertilizer. The second time is in July-August, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, applying smoked soil, superphosphate and farmyard manure; alternatively, 40-50 kg of organic fertilizer can be mixed with 0.25-0.5 kg of superphosphate and composted until rotted, applying 5-10 kg per plant, plus 0.25-0.5 kg of compound fertilizer. The third time is in November-December, applying organic fertilizer and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. For example, 50 kg of barnyard manure can be mixed with 1.5-2.5 kg of phosphate rock powder and composted for one month, applying 10-15 kg per plant, plus 0.05-0.15 kg of plant ash or potassium chloride. It is even better if combined with green manure incorporation. Quick-acting fertilizers can be applied by loosening the soil and then pouring into shallow furrows or scattering on the surface. Organic fertilizers and phosphate fertilizers should be applied in ring-shaped furrows 15-20 cm deep, then covered with soil. Fertilizer should be applied at the outer edge of the crown, and the amount should increase with tree age. After applying dry fertilizer, water should be given if there is no rain. In addition, a fertilization plan can be formulated according to the results of cinnamon nutrient diagnosis in order to obtain the best economic benefits. Pollution-free water sources are required, and attention should be paid to the problem of chemical fertilizer residues. 6) Promote mixed forest planting Establish cinnamon mixed forests and vigorously promote and apply mixed models such as cinnamon with star anise, cinnamon with tea, and cinnamon with medicinal materials, to protect natural enemies in the forest and achieve the purpose of biological pest and disease control. This is an effective measure for realizing pollution-free cinnamon production.  7) Fully implement integrated pest and disease management Focus on agricultural measures, manual control, use of natural enemies and increasing tree resistance, use non-toxic plant-source, mineral-source and biological pesticides and pesticide synergists as much as possible, reduce the number of sprayings, and avoid pesticides containing heavy metals, highly toxic pesticides, high-residue pesticides and broad-spectrum pesticides.  8) Strictly prevent pollution during processing, packaging, storage and transportation Cinnamon product operators must firmly establish environmental awareness, actively adopt advanced environmental protection technologies at home and abroad, adopt scientific and reasonable post-harvest processing methods, and carry out strict grading, cleaning, sun-drying (oven-drying), packaging, storage and transportation according to market demand, so as to prevent post-production losses and pollution of cinnamon.  9) Improve the business mode of cinnamon products Vigorously develop green marketing of cinnamon, obtain green certification for cinnamon as soon as possible, carry out trademark registration, sell products under brand names, and ensure high quality at high prices, so as to protect the legitimate interests of producers and consumers and bring China's cinnamon production to a new level as soon as possible.