Detailed Explanation of the Key Technical Points for Vitex Fruit Cultivation and Field Management Methods
Vitex fruit, also known as Vitex seed, Wanjingzi, and Manqingzi, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with a long history of use, and it is the primary drug for treating wind-heat headache. It is mainly produced in Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang, and other places. It has the advantages of a high survival rate, quick results, and large returns, making it an important channel for medicinal herb growers to prosper. Let us take a look below at the cultivation methods for vitex fruit.
1. Land Selection and Preparation
Vitex fruit has low soil requirements and strong adaptability. It can be planted in wind-sheltered, sunny spots such as beaches, lakesides, and riverbanks, and sandy loam soil that is convenient for irrigation and drainage and loose and fertile is suitable. Plow the land in early winter, then plow again in March to April of the following spring, apply 2000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, and after raking fine and leveling, make high beds 120 cm wide.
2. Propagation Methods
Vitex fruit can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, layering, and division, but cutting propagation is mainly used in production. For cutting propagation, cuttings can be taken in both spring and autumn. After March and in September, cut one- to two-year-old healthy branches from vigorously growing plants, take the middle sections, and cut them into 20-30 cm cuttings, requiring each cutting to have 2-3 nodes. Insert the cuttings into the soil at a plant and row spacing of 6×15 cm. After cutting, water frequently to keep the soil moist. Cuttings taken in spring can be planted out in autumn.
3. Field Management
After planting out, water 2-3 times to improve the survival rate. One to two years after transplanting, apply topdressing 2-3 times in combination with cultivating and weeding. The first time is at early spring sprouting, the second time is during the peak growing season, and the third time is before the soil freezes, applying 1000-1500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu each time. Three to four years after transplanting, in order to promote rapid plant growth, quick-acting fertilizer should be applied at this time, also with 2-3 topdressings, each time applying 1000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure and 30 kg of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate or 25 kg of superphosphate.
4. Pests and Diseases
The main diseases of vitex fruit are sooty mold and leaf spot, both of which harm the leaves of vitex fruit, causing the branches and leaves to lose their function, affecting growth and development, and even causing the plants to stop growing. They can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture, zineb, chlorothalonil, procymidone, and other agents. The main pest is the felted scale insect, which has extremely strong reproductive capacity and sucks sap from the stems, branches, and leaves, causing the plants to dehydrate and scorch. It can be controlled by chemical agents, manual capture, natural enemies, and other methods.
The above are the cultivation techniques for vitex fruit. I hope they can help you. To learn more about medicinal herb cultivation knowledge, please follow us.