How to Grow Chuanxiong for High Yield? Detailed Explanation of Key Cultivation Techniques

Chuanxiong, also known as xiongqiong, xiangguo, huxiong and other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Ligusticum in the Apiaceae family. It is mainly produced in Peng County, Sichuan (now Pengzhou City, and the current genuine-producing area has shifted), and is cultivated in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and other provinces and regions. Below, let us take a look at the high-yield cultivation techniques for Chuanxiong!

The Growing Environment of Chuanxiong

Chuanxiong prefers a mild climate, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine and a relatively moist environment, but the seedling-raising stage and storage period require cool climatic conditions. The growth period is 280 to 290 days. It is best to choose sandy loam soil that is deep, loose and fertile, well-drained, rich in organic matter, and neutral or slightly acidic.

Propagation Methods of Chuanxiong

Chuanxiong is propagated using stem nodes as seed. Each year after the aboveground parts wither, the Chuanxiong is dug up, and the stem nodes on the roots are cut off. Each node has 1 to 2 buds. The seeding rate is about 2250 kg per hectare. The larger rhizomes below are processed into commercial product. The seedlings are stored in cellars and planted before the Awakening of Insects the following year. For row planting, the trench depth is 12 to 16 cm, and the plant and row spacing is about 20 to 25 * 35 cm. Place 1 to 2 seedling pieces per hole with the bud tips facing upward, cover with 6 cm of fine soil, and apply 15000 to 22500 kg of base fertilizer per hectare.

Cultivation Techniques for Chuanxiong

1. Site selection and land preparation: For cultivating Chuanxiong, it is best to choose soil that faces the sun, has deep soil layers, good drainage, relatively high fertility, and is neutral or slightly acidic. Overly sandy cold sandy soil, yellow mud, white eel mud, low-lying wet fields and similar soils are not suitable for planting. Before planting, remove all weeds, burn the grass into charcoal to use as fertilizer, then plow the land and break it up finely and level it. According to the terrain and drainage conditions, make beds 1.6 to 1.8 m wide.

2. Timely planting: Around early to mid-August, open trenches on the prepared bed surface at a row and plant spacing of 33×20 cm for planting, with a trench depth of 2 to 3 cm. At the same time, every 6 to 10 rows, plant one dense row of lingzi between the rows to prepare for replanting missing seedlings. Lingzi must be planted shallowly, placed flat in the trench, with buds facing upward and pressed upright into the soil. This allows them to both contact the soil and have part of the node disk exposed above the soil surface.

3. Intertillage and weeding: After planting Chuanxiong, cover the lingzi with sifted fine compost or soil manure. About half a month after planting, when the seedlings have emerged uniformly, remove the covering grass, and carry out intertillage and weeding once about every 20 days. Where seedlings are missing, combine replanting with intertillage, and carry out the final intertillage and weeding, while earthing up around the rhizomes to protect them through winter.

4. Rational topdressing: Within 2 months after planting Chuanxiong, concentrate topdressing 3 times, once every 20 days, with the final application required before Frost's Descent. The fertilizer amount per mu is 1.2 tons of farmyard manure, 30 kg of oil cake, 100 kg of plant ash, 25 kg of ammonium sulfate, 40 kg of superphosphate, and 10 kg of potassium sulfate. When stems and leaves grow rapidly in spring, apply topdressing once more, with the same fertilizer amount as before.

5. Timely harvesting: The most suitable time for digging is late May of the second year after planting. If dug too early, the underground rhizomes are not yet fully mature and the yield is low. If dug too late, the rhizomes are already fully ripe and easily rot underground. For digging, choose a sunny day, dig up the whole plant, knock off the soil on the rhizomes, remove the stems and leaves, roast over a low fire, then put them into bamboo baskets and shake them to remove soil and fibrous roots.

Pest and Disease Control of Chuanxiong

1. Leaf blight: It mostly occurs from May to July. When the disease occurs, brown, irregular spots appear on the leaves, then spread to the entire leaf, causing the leaves of the whole plant to wither and die. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 65% zineb 500-fold solution, or 50% Tuzet 1000-fold solution, or 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture for control. Apply once every 10 days, for 3 to 4 consecutive times.

2. Powdery mildew: From late June to July, when temperature and humidity are high, the disease is severe. It first affects the lower leaves, and grayish-white powdery mildew appears on the leaves and stems, then gradually spreads upward. In the later stage, small black spots appear on the diseased parts. In severe cases, the stems and leaves turn yellow and die. After harvest, clean up the field and burn the residual plants and diseased leaves in a centralized manner. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 25% triadimefon 1500-fold solution, or 50% thiophanate 1000-fold solution, once every 10 days, spraying 2 to 3 consecutive times.

3. Rot disease: The affected rhizomes rot internally into a yellow-brown color, becoming watery, with a special foul odor, and turn into soft rot. After the growing period is affected, the aboveground leaves gradually turn yellow and fall off. Once it occurs, immediately pull out the diseased plants and burn them in a centralized manner to prevent spread. Pay attention to drainage, especially in the rainy season; when there is too much rain and poor drainage, the disease is severe. At harvest and seed selection, remove diseased "fuxiong" and already rotted "lingzi".

4. Stem node moth: For the Chuanxiong stem node moth, during the seedling-raising stage, spray with 80% trichlorfon 100 to 150-fold aqueous solution, and focus on controlling the first-generation larvae before the second instar. In plain areas, beforehand use a mixture of tobacco stems, Chinese wingnut leaves and water at 5:5:100, soak for several days, then soak the lingzi for 12 to 24 hours.