What are the prospects for growing prickly ash trees? Cost and economic benefit analysis

Prickly ash (Sichuan pepper) is a deciduous small tree of the genus Zanthoxylum in the family Rutaceae. It is 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 fruit peel can be used as a seasoning and to extract aromatic oil, and it can also be used as medicine. The seeds can be eaten and can also be processed into soap. Now let us take a look at how much profit one mu of prickly ash trees can bring!

How much profit can one mu of prickly ash trees bring?

Generally speaking, the profit per mu from growing prickly ash is four to five times that of 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. 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; after eight years, the income per mu is 5,000-6,000 yuan.

What advantages does planting prickly ash trees have?

1. Prickly ash trees are especially drought-tolerant; they can grow as long as rainfall exceeds 400 mm.

2. Prickly ash trees have low requirements for soil quality and can grow 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 vigorous, free of pests and diseases, high-yielding, and without alternate-year bearing as mother trees for seed collection. In August-September, after the fruit is fully ripe, pick by hand with scissors. Place the harvested seeds in a ventilated, dry place to dry naturally in the shade. Never expose them to the sun, as this may affect the germination rate. Collect them after the fruit peel cracks and the seeds fall out on their own.

2. Raising seedlings: Before sowing, prickly ash seeds are treated to promote germination. Generally, soak them in 1% laundry detergent for 2 days or in concentrated sulfuric acid for a moment, then remove them and rub them clean with clean water before sowing. For the nursery, sandy soil or loam in a well-drained, wind-sheltered, sunny location is best. Prickly ash seeds must not be sown deeply; generally 2-3 cm is enough. After sowing, cover with decomposed organic fertilizer and water once every 1-2 days to help preserve soil moisture, prevent crusting, and improve the seedling emergence rate.

3. Field planting: Planting can be done in both spring and autumn, and pits need to be dug for planting, with the pit size suited to allowing the root system to spread out. The soil put into the pit is best weathered by wind and sun, then mixed with fertilizer and filled into the pit. Prickly ash should be planted sparsely rather than densely. In arid and semi-arid areas, the density after trees reach maturity should be within the range of 100-120 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 developed root system and a strong ability to conserve soil and water, so in arid areas there should be moisture-preserving measures, supplemented by necessary base fertilizer and a small amount of foliar fertilizer 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 depends on tree age and fruit load, 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 2-3 times.

5. Pruning: Prickly ash trees like light and branch quickly. Reasonable shaping and pruning can make the tree framework firm, the branches robust, and ensure high and stable yields year after year. Pruning is best done in late autumn. Remove excess branches at the base, keep 3-5 main branches, complete shaping after 4-5 years, and finally remove the central branch to open up the center. For middle-aged trees, thin out diseased and pest-infested branches, crossing branches, and water sprouts within the crown. For aging trees around 25 years old, remove large branches, weak branches, and diseased branches during pruning.

6. Disease prevention

① Brown spot disease: At the beginning of the disease, light 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 off. Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim, and similar treatments can be sprayed in the early stages of the disease for control.

② Dry rot: Strengthen fertilizer and water management and prune reasonably to enhance tree vigor, which can reduce the occurrence of this disease. After onset, use a sterilized knife to cut the bark to the xylem, then apply Bordeaux mixture or thiophanate-methyl to effectively prevent the spread of the lesions.

③ Aphids: Aphids often gather in large numbers on tender shoots and leaves to suck sap and cause damage, affecting photosynthesis, making leaves turn yellow and curl, and in severe cases causing premature leaf drop in prickly ash. Phoxim, fenvalerate, and similar insecticides can be sprayed for control.

④ Prickly ash swallowtail butterfly: Its larvae feed on buds, leaves, and other tender parts, and in severe cases can strip all the leaves from the whole tree. Manually removing overwintering pupae 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, so they can be shaken off and killed. Larvae can also be hooked out and killed with wire, or aluminum phosphide (1/8-1/4 of a 0.6 g tablet) can be inserted into the insect holes and the openings sealed tightly with sticky mud. Dichlorvos or trichlorfon can also be sprayed for control.

How is prickly ash cultivation? What are the prospects for prickly ash cultivation?

The prickly ash tree is a very good economic tree species and is suitable for planting in most areas of China. At present, the price of prickly ash on the market is relatively stable, and the market situation is also good, so it is a project worth choosing.

First, prickly ash trees are especially drought-tolerant; they can grow as long as rainfall exceeds 400 mm.

Second, they have low requirements for soil quality and can grow on hills and mountainous land with relatively poor soil conditions.

Third, prickly ash trees have relatively few pests and diseases, so they do not require overly meticulous management.

In addition to the advantages above, the main economic benefits of prickly ash trees lie in the following aspects:

1. China's market is huge, with a large population, and coupled with the improvement in people's living standards, the price of prickly ash as a seasoning will rise;

2. Prickly ash can also undergo deep processing to make prickly ash oil, and the market demand for this is still very large;

3. Prickly ash is also a very good industrial raw material and can be made into soap. As long as we make use of this aspect, its prospects are still considerable;

4. Prickly ash has high medicinal value. It has an insecticidal effect. It can also be used in maintenance and care. It can be said that every part of the prickly ash is useful;

5. From the perspective of foreign countries, there is also a large market for product exports. China's prickly ash is mainly exported to Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia, because prickly ash is unique to China. Therefore, from the international market perspective, the potential is very great, so the selection of prickly ash varieties is also very important;

6. Deep processing of prickly ash can further develop its uses in various aspects, such as making prickly ash essential oil and so on.

A brief introduction to cultivation techniques for the seasoning prickly ash

A brief introduction to cultivation techniques for the seasoning prickly ash

[Common questions] What are the technical requirements for prickly ash cultivation?

[Expert answer]

Prickly ash grows quickly and bears fruit early. One-year-old seedlings can reach up to 1 m in height. Two years after planting, they bloom and bear fruit. After 3 years, they bear fruit heavily. The bearing period lasts 15—20 years, and the lifespan is 30—40 years. After aging, they can be renewed by sprouting.

I. Site selection conditions and planting requirements

Prickly ash forest land should be selected on sunny or semi-sunny slopes in the lower part of hillsides. The best soil is loose, well-drained sandy loam, though it can also be planted sporadically around homes. It is not suitable for planting on hilltops or low-lying, waterlogged places and heavy clay. Before afforestation, the land must be carefully prepared. On hillsides, contour strip preparation should be carried out, with a strip width of 1 m and a spacing of 2 m between strips, and an interception dike built every 5 m to prevent erosion.

For prickly ash seedling afforestation, planting in winter or spring is better. Winter planting is around "Start of Winter," while spring planting should be when the buds of the prickly ash seedlings begin to sprout. First fill the holes with moist soil and water if conditions permit. When transplanting prickly ash, the requirement is large holes with flat bottoms, deep digging and shallow planting, heavy application of base fertilizer, and filling the holes with fertilized soil. Be sure not to pound or tamp the soil. For contiguous prickly ash afforestation, the row spacing is 2 m, the plant spacing is 1.5 m, and the holes are 0.5 m deep, long, and wide, with 222 trees per mu. In addition, using prickly ash to grow living hedges around nurseries, orchards, institutions, schools, and parks can prevent livestock damage, beautify the environment, and bring income.

In the year of afforestation, weeding and loosening the soil should be done twice. In dry weather, irrigate promptly. Beans and green manure crops can also be intercropped, and the young forest can be tended along with the intercropped crops. After prickly ash begins bearing fruit, loosen the soil, weed, fertilize, and prevent pests and diseases every year.

II. Shaping and pruning

Shaping is one of the main techniques for obtaining high yield and high quality in prickly ash. Reasonable shaping and pruning can make the framework firm, the layers distinct, the branches robust, and the proportions reasonable, with sufficient light and good ventilation, which can both increase yield and extend the tree's lifespan. The main characteristics of prickly ash are that it likes light, branches strongly, and strong branches set fruit well. Because there are many branches, nutrients are too dispersed, the fruiting branches grow thin and weak, and the fruiting ability is correspondingly reduced, making the fruit clusters small and light. If there are too many branches, the crown becomes dense, the inner canopy has poor light, and small branches die. Only through pruning can the contradiction between growth and development and nutritional conditions be resolved to achieve the goal of high yields year after year.

1. Pruning time: It can be done from after harvest to before germination the following spring, with the prickly ash harvest season being best.

2. Tree shapes: Generally, three types are used: natural open-center form, clump form, and round-headed form. Cultivation method for the natural open-center form: after planting, head the tree at 30 cm and keep one side branch, complete shaping in 4—5 years, and finally remove the central branch to open the center. The cultivation method for the clump form is to cut back the trunk after planting, allowing more branches to grow from the root crown, or plant 2—3 plants per hole, and let them grow naturally after all survive. The round-headed form has an obvious trunk, with many main branches naturally distributed on the trunk and relatively dense small branches.

3. Pruning methods: Prickly ash responds well to pruning. Corresponding pruning methods should be adopted according to different growth stages.

Young trees: Follow the principle of giving equal importance to shaping and fruiting. In the first year after planting, cut at the required height above the ground. In the second year before germination, remove branches from 30—50 cm at the base of the trunk, and evenly retain 5—7 main branches for short cutting. Do not short-cut the remaining branches; thin out crowded branches, competing branches, thin and weak branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches, and leave strong branches unpruned.

Fruiting trees: Thin out excess large branches. For branches within the crown, thinning should be the main approach. Thin out diseased and pest-infested branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, densely growing branches, and water sprouts to create good conditions for ventilation and light penetration within the crown.

Old branches: Thinning should be the main approach. Remove large branches, remove weak branches, retain large buds, promptly renew and rejuvenate fruiting branch groups, remove old growth and keep young growth, thin out weak growth and retain strong growth, and select strong branches, strong buds, and strong leaders to restore tree vigor.

Editor's summary:Prickly ash is a common type of major seasoning, so prickly ash has very good economic benefits and cultivation prospects. Today the editor mainly explains the cultivation techniques of prickly ash, hoping it will be helpful to everyone.