How to grow Scrophularia ningpoensis? A detailed guide to cultivation techniques and management methods for Scrophularia ningpoensis
Scrophularia ningpoensis, also known as Yuanshen, Heishen, Zhejiang Scrophularia and so on, is a native Chinese plant. It is a tall herbaceous plant of the genus Scrophularia in the family Scrophulariaceae, mainly produced in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hubei, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and other places. Its medicinal value is very high, with effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and reducing fire, and detoxifying and dispersing nodules. Let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for Scrophularia ningpoensis!
Growth habits of Scrophularia ningpoensis
Scrophularia ningpoensis has strong adaptability and prefers a warm and humid climate. It is relatively cold-tolerant and drought-tolerant and can be planted anywhere with good drainage. It prefers fertile humus soil and sandy loam. Clay soil and low-lying land are not suitable for planting. Continuous cropping is taboo; Scrophularia ningpoensis can only be planted again after an interval of 3 to 4 years. Wild Scrophularia ningpoensis is mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Guangxi, Anhui and other places, while cultivated Scrophularia ningpoensis is mainly distributed in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi and other places.
Propagation techniques for Scrophularia ningpoensis
1. Land selection and preparation: Choose deep sandy loam soil, and plant on sunny slopes of barren hills. The previous crops should preferably be legumes or grasses. The roots of Scrophularia ningpoensis go very deep into the soil and have strong fertilizer absorption capacity, so deep ploughing is needed and sufficient base fertilizer should be applied, 75000 kg/hectare. After fine harrowing and leveling, make high ridges 25 cm high, 45 to 60 cm wide at the bottom and about 30 cm wide at the top. Bed cultivation is adopted, with beds about 120 cm wide, and the length depending on the terrain and the amount of planting material.
2. Propagation methods: In production, Scrophularia ningpoensis is generally propagated by daughter buds. At harvest, choose disease-free, robust, white daughter buds. In the south, winter planting is adopted, planting from mid to late December to early to mid January of the following year. Dig holes at a row spacing of 40 to 50 cm and a plant spacing of 34 to 40 cm, with a hole depth of 8 to 10 cm. Place 1 daughter bud in each hole with the bud pointing upward. In the north, spring planting is mainly used, from late February to early April.
Field management of Scrophularia ningpoensis
1. Intertillage and weeding: When Scrophularia ningpoensis emerges, pull out weeds whenever they appear. When weeding, loosen the soil but not too deep, to avoid damaging the root tubers. After June, when the plants have grown larger, there is no need to loosen the soil again; just pull out weeds as they appear.
2. Timely topdressing: Before the rows close, topdress Scrophularia ningpoensis 1 to 2 times mainly with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and also apply some barnyard manure or compost. Apply it in small holes or furrows beside the plants, cover with soil and firm it, and earth up around the roots.
3. Reasonable thinning: In the second year after planting, Scrophularia ningpoensis will grow many seedlings from the roots, causing the root part to expand and increasing yield. Promptly pull out the excess shoots, leaving only 2 to 3.
4. Timely topping: When Scrophularia ningpoensis grows to a certain extent, it will bolt and produce flower stems. If the Scrophularia ningpoensis is harvested for commercial use and not for seed, promptly remove the flower stems when they emerge, so that nutrients are concentrated in the root tubers.
5. Watering and drainage: Scrophularia ningpoensis is relatively drought-tolerant and not waterlogging-tolerant. When drought is especially severe, water appropriately to keep the soil moist, but do not allow heavy flooding. In the rainy season, when there is much rain and water accumulates, drain it promptly.
Pest and disease control of Scrophularia ningpoensis
1. Leaf spot disease
[Damage] It is more serious in the rainy season and commonly occurs throughout the north and south. In the early stage of the disease, small purplish-brown spots appear on the leaf surface, slightly sunken in the center, and later the lesions expand into polygonal, round or irregular shapes. Large lesions are grayish-brown, separated by leaf veins into a net-like pattern, surrounded by a broad ring with purplish-brown angular protrusions, and many small black spots are scattered on the lesions. In severe cases, the leaves wither and die.
[Control] ① After harvest, clean the garden and eliminate diseased and residual plants. ② Strengthen field management, paying attention to drainage and ventilation. ③ Before the onset of the disease and in the early stage, spray 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture or 65% zineb 500-fold solution, once every 7 to 10 days, for several consecutive applications.
2. Southern blight
[Damage] It damages the roots and rhizomes. The south is prone to this disease, which occurs from June to September and is severe when there is a lot of rain. The roots rot, and the diseased roots and rhizosphere soil are covered with white silky mycelium, on which light yellow to tea-brown rapeseed-like small sclerotia form. The mycelium and small sclerotia can spread to the main stem. Diseased plants quickly wilt and die.
[Control] ① Rotate with grass crops; continuous cropping is taboo. ② Strengthen field management, paying attention to drainage and ventilation and light transmission. In rainy areas, high-bed planting should be adopted. ③ Promptly pull out diseased plants, remove the soil from diseased holes, and spread lime to seal the diseased holes. ④ Before planting, soak the planting material in 50% thiram 1000-fold solution for 5 minutes, then dry it and plant.
3. Cutworm
[Damage] It damages the rhizomes and young buds of Scrophularia ningpoensis.
[Control] Use 100 g of 2% methomyl emulsifiable concentrate, add 1 kg of water to dilute it, then spray it on 100 kg of fresh grass or chopped vegetables (about 16 cm long), mix into poison bait, and pile it in the field in the evening. At regular intervals, make small piles 30 to 40 cm in diameter and 15 cm high. Use 25 kg of poison bait per mu to trap and kill cutworms.