How much profit is there from planting 1 mu of prickly ash trees?
Prickly ash is a deciduous small tree of the genus Zanthoxylum in the rue family, widely distributed in China, from southern Northeast China in the north, to the northern slopes of the Five Ridges in the south, to the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the southeast, and to southeastern Tibet in the southwest. Its cultivation value is extremely high: the peel can be used as a seasoning and to extract aromatic oil, and can also be used as medicine; the seeds can be eaten and can also be processed into soap. Let us take a look below at how much profit 1 mu of prickly ash trees brings!
How much profit is there per mu from prickly ash trees?
Generally speaking, the profit per mu from prickly ash cultivation is four to five times the income from growing corn, and an income of around 5,000 yuan per mu is no problem. About 70 prickly ash trees are planted per mu; they bear fruit after two years; after three years each tree can yield more than 1 jin of dried prickly ash; after five years each tree yields an average of 2 jin of dried prickly ash; and after eight years each tree yields an average of about 4 jin of dried prickly ash. According to general market prices, each jin of dried prickly ash is around 36 yuan. After three years the income per mu is at least 2,600 yuan; after five years the income per mu is 4,000 yuan; and after eight years the income per mu is 5,000 to 6,000 yuan.
What advantages are there to planting prickly ash trees?
1. Prickly ash trees are especially drought-tolerant and can grow as long as rainfall exceeds 400 millimeters.
2. Prickly ash trees have low soil requirements and can grow even on hills and mountainous land with relatively poor soil conditions.
3. Prickly ash trees have relatively few pests and diseases, so they do not require overly meticulous management.
High-yield cultivation techniques for prickly ash trees
1. Seed collection: Select middle-aged trees that are robust, free of pests and diseases, high-yielding and without the phenomenon of bearing fruit only in alternate years as mother trees for seed collection, and in August to September, after the fruit is fully mature, pick by hand with the help of scissors. After harvesting, place the seeds in a ventilated and dry place to dry naturally in the shade; never expose them to the sun, so as not to affect the germination rate. Collect them after the peel splits and the seeds fall out on their own.
2. Raising seedlings: Before sowing, prickly ash seeds are treated to promote germination, generally by soaking them in 1% laundry detergent for 2 days or in concentrated sulfuric acid for a moment, then removing them and rubbing them clean with clean water before sowing. For the seedling nursery, sandy soil or loam in a well-drained, wind-sheltered, sunny place is best. Prickly ash seeds must not be sown deeply; generally 2 to 3 cm is enough. After sowing, cover with decomposed organic fertilizer and water once every 1 to 2 days to help preserve soil moisture, prevent crusting and increase the emergence rate.
3. Field planting: Planting can be done in both spring and autumn, and holes need to be dug for planting, with the size of the hole suitable for spreading out the root system. The soil put into the hole is best weathered and matured by wind and sun, then mixed with fertilizer and filled into the hole. Prickly ash should be planted sparsely rather than densely; in dry and semi-arid areas the density after maturity should be within the range of 100 to 120 trees per mu, while in areas with deep soil layers, good soil quality and moderate rainfall the mature density is about 60 trees per mu.
4. Fertilizer and water: Prickly ash has a well-developed root system and a strong ability to conserve soil and water, so in arid areas there should be measures to preserve soil moisture, and supplementing with necessary base fertilizer and a small amount of foliar fertilizer is enough to meet the fertilizer and water needs of prickly ash. Generally, after autumn and during spring plowing, apply organic fertilizers such as barnyard manure and compost once each. The amount of fertilizer applied depends on tree age and the amount of fruit borne, generally more than 20 kg per tree. Foliar topdressing starts from the flowering period, about once a month, sprayed in the early morning or evening, for a total of 2 to 3 sprays.
5. Pruning: Prickly ash trees like light and sprout branches quickly; reasonable shaping and pruning can make the tree framework firm and the branches robust, giving high and stable yields year after year. Pruning is best done in late autumn, removing excess branches at the base, keeping 3 to 5 main branches, completing shaping over 4 to 5 years, and finally removing the central branch to open up the center. For middle-aged trees, remove diseased and pest-infested branches, crossing branches and water sprouts within the crown; when pruning senescent trees around 25 years old, remove large branches, weak branches and diseased branches.
6. Disease prevention
① Brown spot disease: At the beginning of the disease, pale yellow chlorotic spots appear on the leaf surface, then gradually expand into irregular large brown spots. In severe cases it can cause leaves to wither and fall. Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim and the like can be sprayed in the early stage of the disease for control.
② Dry rot: Strengthening fertilizer and water management and pruning reasonably to enhance tree vigor can reduce the occurrence of this disease. After onset, use a sterilized knife to cut the bark down to the xylem, and apply Bordeaux mixture or thiophanate-methyl to effectively prevent the spread of the lesions.
③ Aphids: Aphids often gather in large numbers on young shoots and leaves to suck sap and cause damage, affecting photosynthesis and making leaves turn yellow and curl. In severe cases they can cause premature leaf drop in prickly ash. Spraying phoxim, fenvalerate and the like can be used for control.
④ Prickly ash swallowtail butterfly: The larvae feed on young parts such as buds and leaves, and in severe cases can eat all the leaves of the whole tree. Removing overwintering pupae by hand in winter and spring can reduce the pest population density the following year. When damage occurs, trichlorfon or dichlorvos can be sprayed for control.
⑤ Longhorn beetles: Adult longhorn beetles have the habit of resting quietly on branches at noon and can be shaken off and killed, or larvae can be hooked out with wire, or aluminum phosphide (1/8 to 1/4 of a 0.6 g tablet) can be inserted into the insect hole and then sealed tightly with clay, and dichlorvos or trichlorfon can also be sprayed for control.