How to achieve high yield, high quality and high efficiency in Pinellia ternata cultivation? A detailed explanation of cultivation techniques

Pinellia ternata is a commonly used precious traditional Chinese medicine, and for a long time its commercial supply has mainly relied on collecting wild resources. In recent years, changes in the environment, climate and resources have led to the gradual depletion of wild resources, while artificial cultivation has developed slowly, the market has long been in short supply, and prices have continued to rise. In the winter of 2005 the medicinal herb market price was 55 to 65 yuan per kg, while in the same period of 2004 the price was 45 yuan per kg. With traditional methods, Pinellia ternata cultivation generally yields 500 to 750 kg of fresh tubers per mu, with a drying ratio of 25% to 30%, and a yield of 125 to 200 kg per mu. However, according to high-yield practical experience in producing areas, high-yield fields average 850 to 1500 kg of fresh tubers per unit area, a significant increase in yield, with a per-mu output value of more than 10000 yuan and considerable benefits. In addition to carrying out routine field management work, the following key measures must also be grasped in Pinellia ternata cultivation:

Intercropping and relay cropping. Pinellia ternata likes a warm and humid climate, can tolerate cold and shade, but is not drought-tolerant and fears strong light. Therefore, Pinellia ternata can be planted on gently sloping mountain land with half shade and half sun, or intercropped with @#@245@#@ or in broadleaf fruit tree forests, and can also be intercropped with tall-stemmed plants such as corn, rapeseed, sorghum and beans. In this way, Pinellia ternata is managed at the same time as crops or economic forest fruits are managed, which both rationally uses the land and increases benefits.

Carefully cultivate good varieties. Excellent seeds are an important guarantee for obtaining high yield in Pinellia ternata cultivation. First, select excellent individual plants with pure variety, no pests or diseases, and robust growth as mother plants for seed collection. Second, the mother plants used for seed collection should be cultivated separately and given strengthened water and fertilizer management. Third, to prevent variety mixing, separate harvesting and separate storage should also be carried out. Finally, promptly harvest mature, plump, large and heavy tubers as seed.

Mulching in early spring and raising seedlings in advance. According to experiments, when buds are forced at 20°C to 25°C, and planting is carried out with plastic film mulching when most bud sheaths turn white, seedlings emerge 30 days earlier than when planting is done with neither bud forcing nor film mulching; and 25 days earlier than when no bud forcing is done and only plastic film is used. At the same time, bud forcing plus film mulching increased yield by 52.6% compared with the control, and no bud forcing with only film mulching increased yield by 29.8% compared with the control. Planting after buds have been forced enables Pinellia ternata seed to complete the internal physiological changes before germination in advance, while film mulching raises ground temperature and reaches the temperature required for seedling emergence earlier, so buds quickly grow out of the ground. In addition to preserving soil moisture, increasing temperature and advancing seedling emergence, bud forcing plus film mulching can also loosen the soil, which is beneficial to root growth and development, enables the plants to resist drought and waterlogging, and keeps strong absorption and physiological functions at all times, laying the foundation for high yield in Pinellia ternata.

When mulching, the plastic film should be laid flat and tightly against the bed ridges, compacted with soil, and made tight, flat and strict. When the air temperature stabilizes at 15°C to 18°C and about 50% of seedlings have emerged, remove the plastic film to prevent high temperatures inside the film from scorching the young seedlings. Before removing the film, seedlings should first be hardened. The method is to uncover the two ends of the bed at noon for ventilation and heat dissipation, then seal them again in the evening, and after several consecutive days remove the film completely.

Covering the bed surface during the high-temperature period to delay seedling collapse. After mid-to-late June, the high-temperature season gradually begins. Keeping the bed surface moist and delaying the withering of the aboveground part of Pinellia ternata as much as possible is an important measure to increase its yield. According to experiments, when rice straw and wheat straw (chaff) were respectively used as cover from mid-May to mid-June each year, only 5% of plants collapsed by late July and growth was good, while in the control group the collapse rate was as high as 78%. From this it can be seen that ground covering can correspondingly prolong the growth period of Pinellia ternata, and the photosynthesis period is also relatively prolonged, so more photosynthetic products accumulate in the tubers, and the tubers produced grow larger and the yield higher, increasing yield by 123.78% compared with the control. Moreover, weeds in the covered area were significantly reduced compared with the uncovered area, and the incidence of leaf rot was significantly lowered, which is also an important reason for increased Pinellia ternata yield. If rainfall is heavy and soil moisture is excessive, the wheat straw cover should also be removed in time to prevent rot of underground tubers and yield reduction.

Intertillage and weeding. Pinellia ternata plants are short, so during the growth period the soil should be loosened and weeds removed frequently to avoid weed infestation. The depth of intertillage should not exceed 5 cm to avoid damaging roots. Because the roots of Pinellia ternata grow around the tubers, and its root system is concentrated in the 12 cm to 15 cm surface soil layer, intertillage should be shallow rather than deep, and weeds should be removed early, while small, and completely. When Pinellia ternata is planted in early spring with plastic film mulching, weeds such as green foxtail, crabgrass, goosegrass, lovegrass, nutgrass, amaranth, small bindweed, lamb's quarters and purslane also emerge at the same time as its seedlings, and in large numbers, affecting the yield of Pinellia ternata. Therefore, acetochlor can be selected to control pre-emergence weeds of Pinellia ternata. Spraying herbicide on the ground in early spring before covering with plastic film has a very good control effect on many kinds of weeds (for specific usage, operate according to the provisions in the drug instructions). In addition, in artificial cultivation of Pinellia ternata, different herbicides can be selected according to different seasons. For spring-planted Pinellia ternata, quizalofop is suitable as the herbicide, while for autumn planting either quizalofop or acetochlor can be used.

Spraying chemicals and fertilizers to promote high yield. Practice shows that spraying sodium sulfite solution during the high-temperature and drought period can increase the yield of Pinellia ternata. This is because when the summer temperature remains as high as 30°C, due to high temperature and strong light, the respiration of Pinellia ternata becomes too strong, and the substances consumed exceed those accumulated by photosynthesis, leading to destruction of the protoplasmic structure of cells and "seedling collapse." For Pinellia ternata production, "seedling collapse" shortens the growth period of Pinellia ternata and seriously affects its yield. Therefore, taking measures in production to delay or reduce summer "seedling collapse" of Pinellia ternata is an important condition for achieving high yield and high quality. In cultivation, in addition to taking appropriate shading and sprinkler irrigation to reduce light intensity, air temperature and ground temperature, one can also spray a 0.01% solution of the plant respiration inhibitor sodium sulfite, or spray a mixed solution of 0.01% sodium sulfite, 0.2% urea and 2% superphosphate, to inhibit the respiration of Pinellia ternata and reduce the consumption of photosynthetic products, thereby delaying and reducing "seedling collapse," which can achieve obvious yield-increasing effects.

Implement GAP standardized cultivation. According to GAP requirements, carry out standardized management of the entire process of Pinellia ternata planting, harvesting, processing, packaging, storage and transportation, limit the content of harmful elements and pesticide residues in Pinellia ternata medicinal material, and use advanced cultivation and processing techniques to improve the yield and quality of Pinellia ternata, thereby increasing economic benefits.