Sprinkle oil-tea camellia seed meal before planting red sage for double the nematode-killing effect; crop rotation and water control also matter

Red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is a health crop that has risen in popularity in recent years, with effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis and reducing fat, and its market prospects are promising. However, root-knot nematode disease causes nodules to form on red sage roots, affecting yield and quality. Therefore, the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Council of Agriculture (Hualien DARES) spent three years on research, using oil-tea camellia seed meal produced from oil-tea camellia also grown locally to control red sage root-knot nematode disease. It not only effectively reduces pest damage but also increases yield by 25 percent.