Cultivation method for growing Pinellia ternata in three crops a year

The Chinese medicinal herb Pinellia ternata can be grown in three crops a year. Planted in April, harvested in July; planted in July, harvested in October; planted in October, harvested in April of the following year. Three crops of Pinellia ternata can bring in more than 5,000 yuan per mu.

Site selection and land preparation: For planting Pinellia ternata, loose and fertile soil is best. In combination with land preparation, apply 3,000-5,000 kg of farmyard manure, 25-30 kg of superphosphate, and 1,000 kg of plant ash per mu; ammonium bicarbonate must not be applied. After deep ploughing and fine harrowing, make beds 1.3 m wide and 17 cm high, with ditches 30 cm wide. In the ditches, crops such as wheat, corn, sweet potato, and sorghum can be intercropped.

Sowing method: Select tubers that are white in color and free of disease as seed material; generally 40 kg of seed is used per mu. Open furrows at a row spacing of 18 cm and sow, with a plant spacing of 10-15 cm; after sowing, cover with soil and press firm. In case of drought, open the furrows and water along them, then sow.

Field management: Hoe weeds frequently and earth up the soil. About one and a half months after Pinellia ternata begins growing, when bulbils appear on the leaf stalks, begin earthing up. In combination with earthing up, apply phosphate fertilizer and plant ash as a top dressing, or apply potassium dihydrogen phosphate. In case of drought, water frequently in small amounts, and cultivate the soil after watering. In the later stage of Pinellia ternata growth, cut off the flower stalks to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting tuber growth.

Pest and disease control: For viral disease, spray a 1,500-fold dilution of Zhibingling; for leaf spot disease and root rot, spray a 1,800-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder; for thrips and hawkmoth larvae, spray a 1,000-fold dilution of 50% phoxim.

Harvesting and processing: At harvest, plough and turn the soil, then carefully pick out the tubers; the large ones are used for medicine, and the small ones are kept as seed. Those used for medicine are first piled indoors for 4-5 days to "sweat," making the skins easier to remove. Then they are put into gunny sacks, placed on wooden boards or stone slabs, and rubbed while sprinkling water to remove the skins. The peeled tubers are poured into a sieve, immersed in water to rinse away the skin residue, and sold after being sun-dried.