Detailed Explanation of the One-Year Three-Harvest Cultivation and Processing Technology for Pinellia (Pinellia ternata)

I. Land Selection and Preparation For planting Pinellia, loose and fertile soil is best. When preparing the land, apply 3000-5000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, 25-30 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 100 kg of plant ash; do not apply ammonium bicarbonate. Plow deeply and harrow finely, with beds 1.3 m wide and 0.17 m high, and ditches 0.3 m wide; tall crops such as wheat, corn, sorghum, or kenaf can be intercropped in the ditches.

II. Sowing Method Usually tuber propagation is used, allowing three plantings and three harvests in one year, namely planting in April and harvesting in July; planting in July and harvesting in October; planting in October and harvesting in April of the following year. The amount of seed tubers used per mu varies with size, generally requiring more than 40 kg of seed per mu. When planting, a seed drill can be used to open furrows, with a row spacing of 18 cm. Select white, disease-free tubers and plant them at a plant spacing of 10-15 cm, then cover with soil and firm it. If dry weather occurs, open the furrows, water along the furrows, then place the tubers and cover with soil.

III. Field Management Mainly carry out weeding and earthing up; weed as soon as weeds appear, first shallowly and then deeply. About 1.5 months into growth, bulbils form on the leaf stalks, and earthing up should begin. Along with earthing up, phosphate fertilizer and plant ash or potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be applied as a top dressing. If earthing up is not done, the bulbils are exposed outside and do not grow into new bulbs; if drought occurs, water frequently in small amounts, and after watering, cultivate and earth up. In the late growth stage of Pinellia, the flower stalks should be cut off to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting tuber growth.

IV. Pest and Disease Control To control viral disease, spray 1500-fold Zhi Bing Ling solution; to control leaf spot and root rot, spray or drench with 1800-fold 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 200-fold 2% Nongkang 120 aqueous solution. To control thrips and hawkmoth larvae, spray 1000-fold 50% phoxim solution.

V. Harvesting and Processing When harvesting, a plow can be used to turn the soil, and the tubers should be carefully picked out; 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 peeling easier. Then they are put into gunny bags or woven bags, placed on wooden boards or stone slabs, and rubbed while dipping in water to peel them; then they are poured into a sieve and immersed in water, and after the skin residue is rinsed off, they can be sold directly to the local medicinal materials purchasing department.