Selection of Seed Rhizomes and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Polygonatum cyrtonema
Huangjing, also known as tiger ginger, wild mountain ginger, famine-relief grass, chicken-head ginseng, etc., is the dried rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum, Polygonatum cyrtonema, or Polygonatum kingianum of the Liliaceae family. Based on differences in the original plant and the medicinal material's characteristics, Huangjing is divided into three types: chicken-head Huangjing, ginger-shaped Huangjing, and large Huangjing.
1 Overview of the Experimental Site
Jingning She Autonomous County in Zhejiang Province is located in the central part of the mountainous region of southern Zhejiang, with complex terrain dominated by mountainous landforms. It lies in a subtropical monsoon zone with abundant rainfall and relatively rich heat resources, and considerable vertical climatic variation, making it relatively suitable for cultivating Polygonatum cyrtonema.
2 Selection of Seed Rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema
2.1 Grading Standards and Selection of Huangjing Rhizomes by Different Weights
Nowadays, people usually propagate Huangjing by rhizome propagation and seed propagation. This article analyzes the selection of seed rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema by selecting and cutting Huangjing and observing the emergence and growth status. The experiment selected 1000 Huangjing rhizomes with apical buds by weight, classified as 0-20 grams, 21-40 grams, 41-60 grams, 61-80 grams, 81-100 grams, and so on. After a certain period, the emergence rate of these Huangjing all reached over 88%, and then analysis began. Among them, rhizomes weighing more than 140 grams had the highest emergence rate, but there was no significant difference from the emergence rate of 40-140 grams; therefore, considering economic benefits, growers should choose 41-80 gram Huangjing rhizomes
2.2 Emergence Status of 41-80 Gram Huangjing Rhizomes with Different Numbers of Nodes and Different Bud Positions To ensure the sprouting rate of 41-80 gram Huangjing rhizomes, the experiment further divided undamaged and mold-free Huangjing rhizomes into categories such as no apical bud, only one apical bud, two apical buds, with one node of apical bud, two nodes, three nodes, one node of lateral bud, two nodes, three nodes, etc., and observed the emergence status. Through actual observation, after Huangjing rhizomes emerged in large numbers, the emergence rate of Huangjing rhizomes without buds was extremely low, while the emergence rates of the others were all above 82%. Among them, those with an apical bud and two nodes of rhizome reached an emergence rate above 90%. Therefore, when growers select seed rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema, comprehensively considering the sprouting rate and economic benefits, they should choose rhizomes weighing 40-80 grams with two nodes and one apical bud for autumn sowing.
3 Planting Method Under Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese fir) Forests
By analyzing plant height, weight, and polysaccharide content at different slope gradients, it can be concluded that when the slope is 25-30 degrees, the weight is the greatest, the crop height also reaches 116 cm, and the polysaccharide content of Huangjing is also the highest; when the slope is 10-20 degrees and 5-9 degrees, the weight, height, and polysaccharide content show a decreasing trend. Therefore, when the slope of the Chinese fir forest is 25-30 degrees, it is most favorable for planting. The reason for this phenomenon is that Huangjing does not like water; if the slope is too small, water accumulation will affect plant growth.
In addition, through analysis of the effect of canopy density on Huangjing quality, it can be concluded that when the canopy density is 0.4-0.5, the rhizome weight is 197 grams, the plant height is 121 cm, and the polysaccharide content of Huangjing is 9 grams, which is the highest value in the experiment. When the canopy density increases to 0.6-0.7 or greater than 0.8, its weight, height, and polysaccharide content gradually decrease. Although Polygonatum cyrtonema prefers shade and coolness and is not suitable for strong light exposure, if the canopy density exceeds the scientific range, making the light conditions inside the fir forest too low, it will cause slow growth of Polygonatum cyrtonema. Since Polygonatum cyrtonema is suited to a cool and humid environment and can only complete nutrient accumulation through photosynthesis, Polygonatum cyrtonema is also related to the number of Chinese fir trees retained per hectare. When the number of Chinese fir plants per hectare is 600, the fresh weight of Polygonatum cyrtonema is 1709 kg per hectare; when the number of plants increases, the fresh weight of Polygonatum cyrtonema gradually decreases. Therefore, the yield is highest when the number of Chinese fir plants per hectare is 600-900.
4 Conclusion
In summary, the seed rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema should be selected as rhizomes weighing 40-80 grams with two nodes and one apical bud; for the Chinese fir forest environment, a location with a slope of 25-30 degrees and a canopy density of 0.4-0.5 should be chosen. Through analysis, it can be concluded that the selection of seed rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema and the Chinese fir forest environment plays an important role in increasing the sprouting rate, increasing plant weight, height, and polysaccharide content, and improving growers' economic benefits. Therefore, the cultivation of Polygonatum cyrtonema should adopt the above methods and improve the planting methods.
New Techniques for Huangjing Cultivation
Many people may not know what Huangjing is, and it is hard to tell what it is just from its name. In fact, it is a relatively common traditional Chinese medicinal material, and it has many uses in daily life and many medicinal effects on the human body.
What Is Huangjing
Huangjing (scientific name: Polygonatum sibiricum), also known as: chicken-head Huangjing, yellow chicken vegetable, pen-holder vegetable, claw ginseng, tiger ginger, chicken-claw ginseng. It is a plant of the genus Polygonatum, with horizontal rhizomes, cylindrical, and enlarged nodes. Leaves are whorled, sessile. It is a medicinal plant with the effects of tonifying the spleen and moistening the lungs to promote fluid production. Huangjing is a plant of the Liliaceae family and is the dried rhizome of Polygonatum cyrtonema or Polygonatum kingianum. It is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and has functions such as tonifying the spleen and moistening the lungs, nourishing yin and supplementing qi. It mainly treats weakness of the spleen and stomach, fatigue and lack of strength, palpitations and shortness of breath, diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions. Its liquid extract can be used to treat foot tinea. Huangjing is distributed in the northern provinces and regions of our country as well as Anhui, Zhejiang, and Gansu. Polygonatum cyrtonema is mainly distributed in Shaanxi, Gansu, and the southern part of the Northeast region. Polygonatum kingianum is distributed in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, and other places.
Site Selection and Land Preparation for Huangjing
For planting Huangjing, choose relatively moist and fertile forest land or mountain land, with forest-edge land being most suitable. It requires no water accumulation and no saline-alkali influence, and sandy soil that is fertile, loose, and rich in humus is best. Thin soil, dry land, and sandy land are not suitable for planting. Land preparation requires deep plowing of the soil to more than 30 cm, then leveling and raking fine before making beds. The bed surface width is 120 cm, and the bed height is 10-15 cm. Apply sufficient base fertilizer within the bed, with high-quality decomposed farmyard manure at 4000 kg/mu, evenly applied into the bed soil, then deep plow 30 cm so that the fertilizer and soil are fully mixed, then level and rake fine before sowing.
Propagation Methods of Huangjing
In the seed preservation field, select robust plants free of pests and diseases, dig up rhizomes in autumn or early spring. If dug in autumn, they need to be properly stored; if dug in early spring, directly cut small sections 5-7 cm long, cutting each section with 2-3 nodes, then treat the wounds with plant ash, and after drying and allowing the sap to settle, plant immediately. Spring planting is in early April, and autumn planting is in early September to October. On the prepared bed surface, open horizontal furrows at a row spacing of 25 cm and a furrow depth of 6-8 cm, place the seed rhizomes with bud eyes facing upward along the furrow, placing one section flat every 10-12 cm, cover with fine soil 5-6 cm thick, and press firm. For fields with poor soil moisture, water thoroughly once after planting. For autumn planting, cover the bed surface with a layer of manure or compost before the soil freezes.
Field Management of Huangjing
Each intertillage and weeding should be shallow hoeing to avoid damaging the roots. Each year, combine intertillage with topdressing, applying high-quality human and livestock manure at 1000-1500 kg/mu each time. Before winter each year, apply high-quality farmyard manure again at 1200-1500 kg/mu, mixed with 50 kg of superphosphate and 50 kg of cake fertilizer, mix evenly, apply in furrows, then water. In dry weather, water promptly; in the rainy season, prevent water accumulation and drain promptly. Remove flower buds promptly before flower bud formation. The main disease is leaf spot disease, and the main pests are cutworms and grubs.
Harvesting and Processing of Huangjing
Harvesting in autumn is preferable. For rhizome propagation, harvest 2-3 years after planting; for seed propagation, harvest 3-4 years after planting. After digging up the rhizomes, remove the stems and leaves, shake off the soil, cut off the fibrous roots, wash clean with water, place in a steamer and steam for 10-20 minutes. After steaming until thoroughly penetrated, take out and sun-dry while kneading until completely dry, and it becomes a commercial product. Generally, the yield is 400-500 kg per mu, and high yield can reach 600 kg. The qualified product is characterized by being sweet and not bitter, with no white center, no fibrous roots, no mold, no insect damage, no pesticides, and residues not exceeding standards. Large pieces, plump and moist with a yellow color, and a semi-transparent cross-section are considered superior.
Regarding Huangjing cultivation, judging from the current market situation in our country, its cultivation is still not very widespread. Our country is a major country of traditional Chinese medicine culture, and the culture of traditional Chinese medicine has continued for many years from ancient times to the present. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine is deeply rooted in our country, so the cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine is still relatively common in our country.
How to Cultivate Huangjing for High Yield
Actually, in our planting industry, the issues everyone cares about most are nothing more than how to increase its survival rate, how to obtain high yield, and so on. In the final analysis, it is how to reduce costs and obtain the greatest profit margin. This is a issue that every planting friend pays more attention to.
What Is Huangjing
Huangjing (scientific name: Polygonatum sibiricum), also known as: chicken-head Huangjing, yellow chicken vegetable, pen-holder vegetable, claw ginseng, tiger ginger, chicken-claw ginseng. It is a plant of the genus Polygonatum, with horizontal rhizomes, cylindrical, and enlarged nodes. Leaves are whorled, sessile. It is a medicinal plant with the effects of tonifying the spleen and moistening the lungs to promote fluid production.
Huangjing is a perennial herb with horizontal, fleshy, light yellow rhizomes, sometimes protruding at the tip like a chicken head. The stem is erect, 50-90 cm tall. Leaves are whorled, 4-6 per whorl, linear-lanceolate, 8-15 cm long, 0.4-1.6 cm wide, with curled tips. Flowers are axillary, usually 2-4 small flowers, drooping, with a total peduncle 1-2 cm long; the perianth is tubular, white to pale yellow, 0.9-1.2 cm long, with 6 shallow lobes at the tip, 6 stamens, filaments relatively short, 0.5-1 mm long, style length 1.5-2 times that of the ovary, berry spherical, black when mature. Flowering period is May-June, and fruiting period is July-September.
1. The main characteristics of Polygonatum cyrtonema are: stem height 40-100 cm, leaves alternate, elliptical, ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, with 3-5 veins. Pedicels bear 2-7 (-14) flowers, arranged in an umbel on the total peduncle; perianth yellow-green, 1.8-2.5 cm long; filaments have small papillae or fine hairs, enlarged at the tip to form sac-like protrusions.
2. The main characteristics of Polygonatum kingianum are: stem height 1-3 m, often twining at the top, leaves whorled, 4-8 per whorl, leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 6-20 cm long, 0.3-3 cm wide, apex acuminate and twining. Pedicels bear 2-3 flowers, not umbellate; perianth pink, 1.8-2.5 cm long, berries red when mature.
Cultivation Techniques of Huangjing
1. Site selection: Choose sandy loam or clay loam with deep, fertile soil, with shaded conditions and drainage conditions, but with sufficient upper-layer light transmission, in open areas under forests or plots with artificial shading conditions for cultivation. When planting in farmland, for crop rotation it is best if the previous crop is rice, green manure, or a fallow plot. If intercropping with asparagus fern and corn, it is best to use rice and rapeseed as the previous crops.
2. Base fertilizer: Apply fully decomposed farmyard manure before transplanting, and combined with land preparation apply organic fertilizer at 3000 kg/mu, and add 20 kg of superphosphate.
3. Land preparation: After clearing the previous crop in late autumn, carry out deep plowing promptly, then rake level and fine, and make beds 1.2 m wide and 0.25-0.30 m high, with a bed ditch width of 0.5 m. At the same time, open smooth ditches around the plot for drainage and waterlogging prevention.
4. Transplanting: Transplant in early March in spring or late October in autumn. On the prepared plot, dig holes 10-15 cm deep, loosen and level the bottom of the holes, apply 1 kg of farmyard manure, plant one Huangjing seedling per hole, cover with soil and press firm, water thoroughly to settle the roots, then cover with soil level with the bed surface, and water once more one week after transplanting.
5. Quality of Huangjing seedlings: Select 1-2 year old robust plants free of pests and diseases, dig up rhizomes at harvest time, select the young tender parts at the tip, cut into several sections, each section must have 2-3 nodes. After the cut surfaces are slightly dried and the sap has settled, plant immediately. The standard for selecting Huangjing seedlings is to use rhizome sections with apical buds as seed material, cut the seed rhizome into sections of 2 nodes, with the length of the seed rhizome preferably 8-10 cm, with 10 cm being best.
6. Planting density: The most suitable row and plant spacing for Huangjing is 27 cm x 13 cm and 27 cm x 10 cm.
Field Management of Huangjing
I. Intertillage and Weeding
The early growth stage is the seedling stage, when weeds grow relatively fast, and it is the rainy season in the Tongren area, so the soil tends to become compacted. Timely intertillage and weeding are required, once each in April, June, July, August, and November every year, and the specific weeding time can be chosen as appropriate. While frequently hoeing and loosening the soil, note that it should be shallow rather than deep to avoid damaging the roots. During the growth process, soil should also be frequently hilled up, and the mud in the furrows can be banked around the roots of Huangjing. While accelerating the decomposition of organic fertilizer, it can also prevent the rhizomes from being exposed to wind or light.
II. Regular Fertilization
Topdressing: farmyard manure or human (animal) manure and urine at 1500 kg/mu, or compound fertilizer at 45-60 kg/mu. Fertilization should be combined with intertillage and weeding. Huangjing requires more fertilizer in the early growth stage. In April, May, June, and July, ensure that Huangjing has sufficient nutrient uptake during the vegetative growth stage. According to growth conditions, the application of human manure and urine water per mu can be controlled between 1000 kg and 2000 kg. In November, apply heavy winter fertilizer, applying farmyard manure at 1000-1500 kg per mu, and mix evenly with 50 kg of superphosphate and 50 kg of cake fertilizer, then in low-temperature, cloudy weather, preferably before rain, apply the fertilizer in small furrows between rows or plants, and immediately earth up along the rows to cover the fertilizer.
III. Shading
In late March, Huangjing is about to emerge. If there are no shaded conditions, a shade shed needs to be built. The shade shed is 2 m high, ventilated on all sides. Around mid-October, when the "autumn tiger" heat has basically subsided, remove the shade shed. Intercropping Huangjing under forests has a good shading effect, followed by shade nets; artificial shade sheds are also acceptable. Adjusting the light transmittance to 30% is optimal.
IV. Pruning and Topping
The flowering period of Huangjing is from early May to mid-July, and the fruiting period begins to bear fruit from late May to early June. Many umbels and fruits grow in the leaf axils of stems and branches, and the fruits do not begin to mature until November. The long reproductive growth stage consumes a large amount of nutrients, so for Huangjing harvested for its underground rhizomes, the flower buds should be removed in time before flower bud formation, so as to promote blocking the accumulation of nutrients toward reproductive organs and allow nutrients to accumulate in the underground rhizomes. Generally, the flower buds of Huangjing can be cut off in early May.
V. Reasonable Irrigation
After transplanting and establishing the plants, water thoroughly to settle the roots (if transplanting after light rain, it is best, and watering can be omitted or reduced), keeping the soil moist to facilitate survival. In addition, before the rainy season, prepare in advance for clearing ditches and drainage to avoid water accumulation causing rot of Huangjing stems.
Pest and Disease Control of Huangjing
I. Disease Control
1. Occurrence pattern of diseases The main disease of Huangjing is leaf spot disease, which begins to occur in April-May. It mostly occurs in summer and autumn, and is more serious in the rainy season. The pathogen is a type of imperfect fungus among fungi. On affected leaves, elliptical or irregular lesions first appear from the leaf tip, with a brown outer edge and a pale white center, spreading downward from the lesion, causing the leaves to wither and die.
2. Disease control methods
① After harvest, clean the field, gather and burn dead branches and diseased residues to eliminate overwintering pathogens.
② Before and in the early stage of disease occurrence, spray 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture, or 50% Tuzet 1000-fold solution, once every 7-10 days, spraying 3-4 times consecutively, or spray 65% zineb wettable powder 500-600-fold solution, once every 7-10 days, 2-3 times consecutively.
II. Pest Control
1. Occurrence pattern of pests During the seedling stage of Huangjing, the main pests are mostly cutworms and grubs, which mainly bite the young tender rhizomes of Huangjing, cut off the rhizomes, and damage the seedlings, and their destructiveness should not be underestimated. From about mid-May to July, Huangjing is at the beginning stage of reproductive growth, and the flower organs and young fruits of Huangjing will be damaged by planthoppers, which can reduce the seed-setting rate. In particular, Huangjing intercropped under forests suffers relatively severe damage.
2. Pest control methods
① Use 2-2.5 kg of 2.5% trichlorfon powder per mu, mix evenly with 75 kg of fine soil, then open furrows along the Huangjing rows and broadcast to control grubs.
② For cutworms, the same method above can be used, but increase the dosage to 2-2.5 kg and mix with 20 kg of fine soil.
③ Trichlorfon can be mixed into aromatic bait and placed in small piles every 1 meter in the field in the evening to trap and kill them.
Through the above introduction by the editor, everyone probably has a general understanding of cultivating Huangjing. Actually, what the editor has said are also just theoretical principles. It is still up to growers to carry out actual operations during the cultivation process. Moreover, many strange problems will certainly be encountered during cultivation, which requires growers to summarize and study on their own.