How to Grow Trichosanthes Root? Detailed High-Yield Cultivation Techniques

  Trichosanthes root, also called pollen, Trichosanthes kirilowii root, or Mongolian snakegourd root, is a precious Chinese medicinal herb whose dried root is harvested when mature in autumn and winter, washed, peeled, cut into sections, and dried. Below is an introduction to high-yield cultivation techniques for Trichosanthes root.

  I. Morphological Characteristics

  A perennial climbing vine, with vines 5 m to 6 m long. The tuberous root is thick and fleshy, cylindrical, slightly twisted; this product is irregularly cylindrical, spindle-shaped, or lobed. In fertile soil it reaches 50-80 cm long and up to 5.5 cm in diameter. The outer skin is pale grayish-yellow, and the cut surface is white. It is dioecious; male plants have thick, strong root systems and are used for producing Trichosanthes root; female plants bear fruit, and in production a small number of male plants are intercropped to produce Mongolian snakegourd fruit. The flowering period is July to August, and the fruiting period is September to October.

  II. Growth Habits

  Trichosanthes root prefers a warm, humid, sunny environment. It is drought-tolerant but afraid of long-term waterlogging. The suitable pH is between 6.2 and 7.5, and saline-alkali land is not suitable for planting. Its roots have a strong tendency to seek fertilizer and it likes and tolerates fertilizer. It can grow well wherever the lowest temperature is not below -15°C and the frost-free period is around 200 days.

  III. Cultivation Techniques

  Trichosanthes root is a cross-pollinated plant, with wild species and cultivated species. Cultivated species can be divided into kernel Mongolian snakegourd and sugar Mongolian snakegourd. Kernel Mongolian snakegourd is the superior variety. In addition, there are also Trichosanthes rosthornii, Trichosanthes crenulata, southern Mongolian snakegourd, and others.

  (1) Site Selection and Land Preparation

  Trichosanthes root is suitable for planting in white sandy soil or sandy loam. Trichosanthes root is a deep-rooted plant, so it is best to choose sandy loam with deep, fertile soil, loose texture, good water permeability and aeration, and good drainage and irrigation. When planted in this kind of soil, the roots are thick and short, the skin is fine and smooth, and harvesting is easy, saving labor and effort.

  Before the ground freezes in the previous year, plow the land deeply, rotary-till to a depth of more than 80 cm, and dry the turned-up soil thoroughly so that the soil is fully weathered and matured. In the following spring, level it, harrow it fine, and make beds ready for sowing. Along with sun-drying and filling the soil, apply per mu 2500-3000 kg of decomposed high-quality farmyard manure, 30-50 kg of superphosphate or calcium magnesium phosphate, 20 kg of potash fertilizer or 1000 kg of plant ash, and 0.5 kg of boron fertilizer.

  (2) Propagation Methods

  Seed propagation, vine layering propagation, and root division propagation can be used; in production, root division propagation is the main method.

  1. Seed propagation

  From Qingming to Guyu, select plump seeds free of pests and diseases, soak them in warm water at 40 C-50 C for 24 hours, take them out and let them cool slightly, mix them evenly with 3 times their volume of wet sand, and place them at 20 C-30 C to promote germination. When most seeds have split open, sow them in holes at a row spacing of 20*12, with holes about 4 cm deep, 2-3 seeds per hole, cover with 3 cm-4 cm of soil, and water to keep the soil moist; seedlings emerge in 15-20 days.

  2. Vine layering propagation.

  Because Mongolian snakegourd has the characteristic of growing adventitious roots, in summer when rain is plentiful and the temperature is high, pull vigorous vines down to the ground and cover the leaf bases with soil. After roots form, cut off the stems and branches to form new plants. However, this method grows slowly and is generally used only for filling in gaps.

  3. Root division propagation

  In the north, carry this out from March to April; in the south, from October to late December. Dig up high-quality male plants' roots of Trichosanthes kirilowii with a diameter of 3 cm-5 cm and a fresh white cut surface, cut them into small sections 6 cm-10 cm long, and plant them in holes at a plant spacing of 20 cm and row spacing of 35 cm, with holes 10 cm-12 cm deep. Place one section of seed root in each hole, cover with 4 cm-5 cm of soil, press firmly by hand, then earth up 10 cm-15 cm to form a small mound to help preserve soil moisture. About 20 days after planting, when sprouting begins, remove the moisture-preserving soil on top. Each mu requires 100 kg-150 kg of seed roots. When using this method, note that seed roots should mostly be selected from male plants; old roots with yellow fibrous strands in the cut surface are not easy to survive and sprout, and are not suitable as seed roots.

  (3) Field Management

  1. Seedling-stage management: After planting, water promptly to keep the ground moist. After the seedlings emerge completely, cultivate and weed promptly and water. In dry weather, water frequently to keep the soil in the holes moist and promote rapid emergence of seedlings.

  2. Topdressing and irrigation: During the growing period of Trichosanthes root, because the stems and vines cover the ground, fertilizer cannot be applied many times. After the seedlings emerge completely and when the stems and vines grow to 30 cm, along with weeding, open a ditch at the side of the field and apply 100 kg of compound fertilizer, then cover with soil and water. Around the Great Heat solar term, which is exactly the tuberous root swelling stage, apply 15 kg of urea per mu along with watering.

  3. Build trellises and guide vines: When the stems and vines grow to 30 cm in spring, build a shed or insert poles as supports, about 1.5 m high, and also manually assist in guiding the vines onto the trellis;

  4. Pruning and removing side shoots: While building the trellis and guiding the vines, remove excess stems and vines, leaving only 2-3 vigorous vines per plant. When the main vine grows to 2 m-3 m, pinch off the terminal bud to encourage more lateral branches. The stems and vines on the trellis should be arranged promptly so that they are evenly distributed.

  5. Removing flower buds: For those aiming to harvest the tuberous root Trichosanthes root, promptly remove the small flower buds of the early reproductive organs during the bud stage in July to August, to prevent or reduce nutrient consumption during the flowering period of the reproductive organs, thereby promoting the growth of the vegetative tuberous root and increasing the yield of Trichosanthes root.

  (4) Pest and Disease Control

  Pest and disease control should follow the environmental protection policy of protecting the environment and maintaining ecological balance, and the principle of comprehensive control with prevention first, adopting a combination of biological control and chemical control, prohibiting the use of pesticides banned by the state, and fully considering the safety of intercropped crops. Through winter garden cleaning, the overwintering pest and disease base can be greatly reduced, lowering the occurrence of pests and diseases in the coming year.

  Diseases: root-knot nematode disease, powdery mildew, gummy stem blight, anthracnose, root rot, etc.

  Pests: mainly aphids, yellow squash beetle, black squash beetle, melon webworm, clearwing moth, etc.

  (5) Harvesting and Processing

  If fertility is sufficient and management is proper, male plants of kernel Mongolian snakegourd can also be harvested in the same year. If the growth period is too long, the powdery content decreases and quality is poor. For those kept as planting stock, dig up the tuberous roots in early spring from March to April before the root seedlings emerge. For commercial Trichosanthes root, after the aboveground stems and leaves are frosted in late autumn, dig out all the rhizomes, and the same day while fresh, brush and wash the Trichosanthes root crosswise in water, quickly removing the outer skin by brushing and washing until it is white. Remove the reed head completely; cut large roots into 3-4 sections or first split them lengthwise and then cut into pieces, and dry them directly in the sun or by artificial drying. When drying, prevent soaking by rain, frost, or snow, otherwise it is prone to discoloration.

  The processed product of Trichosanthes root is considered high quality when it is fully dry, thick and sturdy in strips, clean and smooth, white in color with sufficient powder, and free of insects and mold. Commercial goods are divided into three grades: Grade 1: strip length 15 cm, middle circumference more than 14 cm; Grade 2: strip length 15 cm, middle circumference more than 10 cm; Grade 3: strip length 7 cm, middle circumference more than 7 cm.

  The annual demand for Trichosanthes root is 2000 tons. Planting Trichosanthes root requires deep sandy loam soil. Because the roots go deep and manual harvesting is laborious, and because it must be washed and peeled before drying, in recent years the price of Trichosanthes root has ranged from 12-24, and the planting benefit is relatively high, making it suitable for professional growers to develop cultivation!

High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit

  Mongolian snakegourd fruit generally refers to Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (Latin scientific name: Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.), also known as diaogua (Wenzhou Wencheng) and laoyagua (Wenzhou). Its root (Chinese medicinal name Tianhuafen), fruit (Chinese medicinal name Gualoushi), fruit peel (Chinese medicinal name Gualoupi), and seeds (Chinese medicinal name Gualouren) belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, genus Trichosanthes, a perennial climbing herb reaching up to 10 m long. The rhizome is thick and fleshy, cylindrical, with yellow outer skin. The stems are much branched and hairless; leaves are alternate, nearly round or heart-shaped; it is dioecious; male flowers are several in racemes, rarely solitary, with corolla lobes obovate; female flowers are solitary, with an oval ovary; the fruit is nearly spherical, orange-red when ripe; the flowering and fruiting period is July to November.

  Trichosanthes kirilowii has effects such as reducing fever and quenching thirst, promoting urination, and relieving cough and phlegm. The seeds contain fatty oil; the fruit contains triterpenoid saponins, organic acids, resins, sugars, and pigments; the root contains proteins, saponins, and acids. It is distributed in most areas of China.

How to Cultivate Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit for High Yield

When it comes to Mongolian snakegourd fruit, perhaps many people are not particularly familiar with it and think it is an edible fruit, but Mongolian snakegourd fruit also has certain medicinal effects. Its market share is not particularly widespread because many people still do not know much about it.

What Is Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit

Trichosanthes kirilowii, also known as bitter gourd (Yueqing), diaogua (Wenzhou Wencheng), and laoyagua (Wenzhou). Its root (Chinese medicinal name Tianhuafen), fruit (Chinese medicinal name Gualoushi), fruit peel (Chinese medicinal name Gualoupi), and seeds (Chinese medicinal name Gualouren) belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, genus Trichosanthes, a perennial climbing herb reaching up to 10 m long. The rhizome is thick and fleshy, cylindrical, with yellow outer skin. The stems are much branched and hairless; leaves are alternate, nearly round or heart-shaped; it is dioecious; male flowers are several in racemes, rarely solitary, with corolla lobes obovate; female flowers are solitary, with an oval ovary; the fruit is nearly spherical, orange-red when ripe; the flowering and fruiting period is July to November. So if Mongolian snakegourd fruit is to be high-yielding, how should it be cultivated?

How to Cultivate Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit for High Yield

1. Land Preparation and Fertilization

Choose a field with high terrain and good drainage, plow and harrow carefully, and while preparing the land, apply sufficient base fertilizer: per mu apply 3000 kg of farmyard manure, 20 kg of urea, and 50 kg of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Then make high beds 1.5 m wide. Wait for sowing.

2. Sowing

In production, Trichosanthes kirilowii mostly uses seed and tuberous root propagation. The sowing period is spring sowing. For seed propagation, first carry out germination treatment on the seeds. After the seeds show white, sow them in holes at a row and plant spacing of 150×30 cm on the prepared bed surface. Place 5 seeds per hole. Water to preserve soil moisture to help emergence. This method is mostly used when the goal is to harvest Trichosanthes root.

3. Tuber Propagation

Select excellent plants that have borne fruit for 3~5 years, dig out the underground tubers, and cut them into middle sections 5~7 cm long. After the wounds heal, plant the seed sections on the prepared bed surface at a row and plant spacing of 150×30 cm. To facilitate pollination and fruiting of Trichosanthes kirilowii, 10—15 male plants per mu are often included at planting. If plastic film mulching is used, it can increase yield.

4. Field Management

After the Trichosanthes kirilowii seedlings emerge completely, pay attention to cultivation and weeding. Water immediately in dry weather; drain promptly in rainy weather. Topdress once around the Beginning of Autumn each year: apply 10 kg of urea and 5 kg of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per mu. In winter, apply 3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. To facilitate ventilation and light penetration, some tall crops such as corn and sorghum may be appropriately intercropped to let the stems and vines climb.

Comprehensive Pest and Disease Control Measures

Pest and disease control: Trichosanthes kirilowii has relatively few diseases, and if found, they can be controlled by conventional methods. The main pest and disease include root-knot nematode, and comprehensive control measures can be adopted:

1. When preparing the land, apply per mu 10 kg of 5% fosthiazate granules or 5 kg of 3% carbofuran evenly into the soil for control.

2. Soak the Trichosanthes kirilowii seed sections in an 800-fold solution of 4% isofenphos-methyl for 15 minutes to kill nematodes on the seed sections, then let them dry slightly before planting. Yellow squash beetle can be killed with a 1000-fold solution of 90% trichlorfon. Aphids can be killed with dimethoate.

Efficacy and Effects of Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit Peel

1. Effects on the Cardiovascular System

The water decoction of Mongolian snakegourd fruit peel has a certain inhibitory effect on drug-induced arrhythmias. Experiments show that intraperitoneal injection of the water decoction of Mongolian snakegourd fruit peel in advance can prevent calcium chloride-induced ventricular fibrillation in rats; it can also significantly increase the threshold dose of ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia in guinea pigs; it can prolong the latency of aconitine-induced arrhythmia in rats, but there is no statistically significant difference; intraperitoneal injection of the water decoction of Mongolian snakegourd fruit peel into normal anesthetized rats can significantly prolong the P-R, Q-T, and R-R intervals of the electrocardiogram.

2. Effects on the Digestive System

Mongolian snakegourd fruit contains purgative substances and has a purgative effect on the human body. The purgative effect of Gualoupi is relatively weak; the fatty oil contained in Gualouren has a relatively strong purgative effect, while the purgative effect of Gualoushuang is relatively mild.

The ethanol extract of Mongolian snakegourd fruit has an inhibitory effect on gastric mucosal injury caused by pyloric ligation, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and hydrochloric acid-ethanol. The ethanol extract of Mongolian snakegourd fruit has a significant inhibitory effect on acetylcholine-induced contraction of mouse ileum.

3. Antibacterial Effects

In vitro tests prove that the decoction or infusion of Mongolian snakegourd fruit has inhibitory effects on Gram-negative enteric pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, and on Staphylococcus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, and others. In addition, it also has inhibitory effects on skin-pathogenic fungi such as Microsporum audouinii and Nocardia asteroides.

4. Antitumor Effects

In vitro experiments prove that the decoction of Mongolian snakegourd fruit and the extracts of Gualoupi and Gualouren have killing effects on mouse ascites cancer cells. The in vitro anticancer effect of Gualoupi is better than that of Gualouren, and the 60% ethanol extract has the strongest effect. The off-white amorphous powder obtained from the ether extract of Gualoupi also has in vitro anticancer effects, while the seed shell and fatty oil are ineffective. Animal experiments show that Mongolian snakegourd fruit has a certain inhibitory effect on sarcoma, but its effect on ascites cancer is not obvious.

5. Other Effects

Experiments prove that Mongolian snakegourd fruit injection can very obviously inhibit ADP- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation and TXA2 synthesis, and the strength of its effect is related to dosage.

Intraperitoneal injection of Mongolian snakegourd fruit injection can also significantly reduce the maximum platelet aggregation rate and maximum platelet aggregation speed after 1 hour of coronary artery ligation and 23 hours of reperfusion. The active component of Mongolian snakegourd fruit, trichosanic acid, has a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on collagen-, adenosine diphosphate-, and epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. The inhibition of platelet aggregation by Mongolian snakegourd fruit may be related to inhibiting platelet cyclooxygenase activity and reducing TXA2 formation.

As people's living standards continue to improve and their knowledge continues to expand, the effects and value of Mongolian snakegourd fruit have gradually become known to more people. Therefore, the market prospects for planting Mongolian snakegourd fruit are still quite good, and its market development potential is still huge.