Detailed Explanation of the Value and Cultivation Techniques of Goji Berry
Goji berry is a deciduous shrub of the genus Lycium in the Solanaceae family. It is an excellent tree species for soil and water conservation, and also an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Every part of it is valuable - the leaves, fruits, and bark can all be used as medicine. The fruit is called goji berry (Lycium barbarum fruit); the root bark is called Digupi (Lycium root bark); its tender stems and leaves can be used as vegetables. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that goji berry is "named so because its thorns are like those of the citron and its stems are like the branches of the willow." It is distributed throughout our country, mostly in the wild. Our country has 2 cultivated species: one is Ningxia goji (Lycium barbarum), which is grown for its fruit for food or medicinal use, mainly distributed in Gansu, Ningxia, the Hexi Corridor, as well as North China, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan and other places; the other species is goji (Lycium chinense), which is grown for its tender stems and leaves as a vegetable, also known as goji vegetable, goji head, goji tip, niujili, etc., mainly distributed in Guangxi and Guangdong.
1 Characteristics and Traits of Goji Berry
1.1 Botanical characteristics. The horizontal roots of the goji berry plant are very well developed, while the taproot is weak; 1-2a-old cuttings have no main root, with many fibrous roots that are shallow. Mature plants are generally 1.5-2m tall, with branches that are solitary-drooping, straight-drooping or spreading, bearing thorns, and with short internodes. Leaf shapes include lanceolate, long lanceolate, broad leaf needle-shaped or ovate, entire, simple, alternate, with short petioles. Varieties grown for fruit have narrower leaves, while leaf varieties have larger leaves. Leaf varieties are further divided into fine-leaf and large-leaf types; fine-leaf varieties have thicker leaf flesh, richer flavor and superior quality; large-leaf varieties have thinner leaf flesh and milder flavor, but higher yield. The flowers are complete, axillary, generally 2-8 in clusters, sometimes solitary. The corolla is purplish-red, tubular. The fruit is a berry. When mature it is bright red, sometimes orange-red or orange-yellow. Goji berry grown for fruit can flower and bear fruit in the same year of planting, and can continue for as long as 50a. Leaf goji is propagated by cuttings every year and generally does not flower or fruit.
1.2 Growth habits. It is light-loving, drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and alkali-tolerant, and can grow on loess cliffs and sandy wasteland edges. It is mainly distributed on hills, slopes, roadsides, ditch edges or field ridges, and is suitable for cultivation in various soils. In our country, from south of Liaoning to north of Yunnan, from Taiwan in the east to Gansu in the west, it is a tree species with an extremely wide distribution, and is most famously cultivated in the Zhongning area of Ningxia, with a relatively long history.
2 Utilization Value of Goji Berry
2.1 Soil and water conservation effect. Goji berry is an excellent soil and water conservation shrub on arid steep banks and steep slopes. Its aboveground part grows rapidly, with dense branches and leaves at the upper end of the plant and interlaced dead branches at the lower end, clinging closely to the slope wall, which helps slow down surface runoff. Its underground root system is strong, with the main root reaching more than 10 m deep, well-developed lateral roots densely concentrated at 1 m depth in the soil layer, and horizontal root spread reaching 6 m, providing a great soil-fixing effect and effectively preventing slope collapse.
2.2 Medicinal value. Goji berry is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The root bark (Digupi) is an antipyretic and antitussive medicine, and can relieve tuberculous damp-heat syndrome. The fruit (goji berry) is a tonic and strengthening medicine, tonifying the liver and nourishing the blood, benefiting essence and supporting yang, moistening the lungs and stopping cough, and has the effects of treating diabetes, tuberculosis, weakness and emaciation, and improving eyesight.
2.3 Rich nutritional value. It can be used as food, vegetable or feed. Goji berry is sweet and bitter in nature and flavor, with a distinctive taste. According to measurements, goji berry contains 14 kinds of amino acids and large amounts of carotene, alkaloids, physalin, and linoleic acid. It also contains betaine, nicotinic acid, taurine, vitamin B, vitamin C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron and other substances. There are many ways to consume goji berries: they can be chewed directly, brewed as tea, soaked in liquor, or used in porridge, soup, etc. Goji leaves are edible and can replace vegetables in early spring. The methods of preparing goji leaves as dishes are both simple and diverse: they can be stir-fried, served cold with dressing, made into soup, and are especially suitable for hot pot. They are an ideal ingredient for winter hot pot. As forage, their nutritional value is higher than that of sweet clover.
2.4 Beauty and health care effects. Regularly eating goji berries can beautify the skin, because goji berries tonify the kidney, and the kidney is the foundation of innate constitution and the source of life for the human body. Only when kidney function is good can all parts of the body operate normally, and the complexion become rosy and fair. In addition, goji berries can improve the skin's ability to absorb nutrients and play a whitening and beautifying role. For modern people with a fast pace of life and high competitive pressure, the most practical effect of goji berries is to enhance human immunity, resist fatigue and lower blood pressure. In addition, goji berries can protect the liver, lower blood sugar, soften blood vessels, reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, and have a certain therapeutic effect on fatty liver and diabetes patients. According to clinical medical verification, goji berries can also treat chronic renal failure.
2.5 Oil extraction. Goji seeds can be pressed for oil. The oil is semi-drying and can be used as a raw material for lubricating oil.
3 Key Points of Cultivation Techniques
3.1 Propagation methods. Use seeds, branch cuttings or root division for propagation. Cutting propagation is the simplest.
3.1.1 Cutting propagation. After April each year, goji berry enters a slow growth stage and is no longer harvested, and is kept for seed production. After all the leaves of the seed plants have fallen, tie up the branches, stop fertilizing and watering, and inhibit growth through the summer. Growth begins again after August. At this time, select robust 1a-old branches, cut them into 10-15cm long cuttings with 3-5 buds, cut the lower end into a slanted surface, and insert them into soil or substrate, with the insertion depth about 2/3 of the cutting. Roots can form in about 10d. After surviving, transplant them, with a planting spacing of 15-20cm between plants and rows.
3.1.2 Root division propagation. In northern regions of our country, in November or mid-March of the following year, dig out the seedlings sprouting near the mother plant together with their roots, heel them in trenches, and plant them in early April, with 1-3 seedlings per hole, at a spacing of 40cm x (50-60)cm. After planting, firm the soil in the hole and water thoroughly.
3.1.3 Seed propagation. Goji berry easily sets seed and has a very high yield, but open harvesting will result in natural hybridization and variation, so isolation is necessary. After harvesting mature fruits, dry them in the shade, store them in a dry, cold room, and by mid-February of the following year, crush the fruits, wash away the fruit skins with water, select the seeds, mix them evenly with 2 times their volume of fine sand, pile them in a cold room, turn them frequently and keep them moist. Seed propagation is mainly used for long-distance introduction when carrying cuttings is inconvenient. Two methods can be used: drilling or hole sowing. Sow in spring after the soil thaws, from late March to April, the earlier the better. Sowing depth is 1-3cm. At the seedling stage, the aboveground part of goji berry is low and easily gnawed by livestock and pulled up by the roots, so grazing must be prohibited after sowing.
3.1.4 Seedling raising and transplanting. Seedlings can be raised in all four seasons, but spring and autumn are best.
3.2 Key points of cultivation management. Goji berry cultivation is relatively easy, with simple planting methods, easy management, and low susceptibility to pests and diseases. It can be directly cut into cultivation beds, or cuttings can first be raised and then transplanted. This can reduce production costs. During cultivation, generally 667m2 should be applied with no less than 2500kg of organic fertilizer and 50kg of compound fertilizer.
3.2.1 Cultivation depth. Due to different soil conditions, in poor-quality soil it can be 1.5-3m, and in flat land with fertile soil it can be 2-3m.
3.2.2 Soil and water-fertilizer management
Like other fruit trees, deep plowing can loosen the soil and allow deep soil layers to be well aerated. The period from 2-5a after planting goji berry is the early fruiting stage. Deep plowing can cut off the main root of goji berry, which is beneficial for the sprouting of new branches. Carry out timely intertillage and weeding to prevent weeds from growing densely, competing with the plants for nutrients and spreading pests and diseases. Goji berry must be fertilized 2 times a year. The fertilization time should be grasped as follows: apply base fertilizer after leaf fall and before germination, and apply topdressing during the flowering and fruit-setting period. When conditions permit, it is best to combine fertilization with irrigation. Goji berry dislikes excessive moisture and poor drainage, but excessive drought also affects its growth and development, so drainage and irrigation should be carried out promptly according to local conditions.
3.2.3 Shaping and pruning. Goji berry enters the full fruiting stage from the 5th year, so its shaping must be completed before the 4a after planting. In the year of planting, shorten all branches, leaving 4-5 well-developed buds on each branch. In the 2nd and 3rd years, thin and shorten the side branches and extension branches, so that the branches develop thickly, densely and evenly, with good ventilation and light transmission. Pruning is very important for increasing yield and cultivating large-fruited goji berries. Pruning should follow the following principles: (1) Cultivate and maintain 15-20 main branches in the plant cluster, maintain good light conditions within the cluster, and cut out overly dense branches. (2) For basal branches, cut off 1/3-1/2 of their total length and train them into main branches; for extension branches and new shoots on main branches, cut off the top 3-5 buds according to the strength of growth vigor. (3) In order to cultivate long-lived and strong main branches, basal branches must be controlled, so during pruning their basal buds should be removed, but buds reserved for renewal should be retained. (4) Branches with pests, injuries or weak branches should be removed early, while new branches should be retained to supplement them.
3.2.4 Pest and disease control. Anthracnose: damages fruits and leaves. Diseased fruits turn black, become mummified and fall early. Leaf lesions have small black spots, and some rupture and perforate. The disease is severe in July-August under high temperature and high humidity. Goji gray leaf spot: damages leaves; diseased leaves show round lesions that are gray-white in the center and brown at the edges, and later pale black toxic-looking substances appear on the underside of the leaves. Goji root rot: damages the root collar; at first the fibrous roots turn brown and rot, then it spreads to the main root, which turns black and rots; in severe cases the outer bark rots and peels off, leaving only the xylem, and finally the whole plant dies. Goji leaf beetle, also known as golden flower beetle or meat egg insect, is a small beetle with a black head and thorax and a pair of yellow-brown elytra. Both adults and larvae damage leaves, causing them to be riddled with holes; in severe cases the leaf flesh is entirely eaten, leaving only the veins. Corresponding pesticides can be used to control pests and diseases according to the symptoms.
4 Harvesting and Processing
4.1 Harvesting and processing of goji berries. Goji berries should be harvested between Grain in Ear and Autumn Equinox. When the fruits are dark red or orange-red, soft and juicy, and the fruit stalk is relatively loose, harvest them in batches and spread them out to air. Dry them in the shade or sun-dry them; do not expose them to strong sunlight, to avoid excessive drying, and be careful not to rub them with your hands, otherwise they will turn black and affect quality. Sun-dry until the fruit skin is dry and the fruit flesh is soft. When the moisture content drops to 12%, collect and seal them for storage. If conditions permit, they can also be dried by machine, with better results. The drying ratio of fresh fruit is 3-4:1, and each 667m2 yields about 300kg of dried fruit. Commercial goji berries are best when the grains are large, the flesh is thick, the color is bright red, the taste is sweet, and the texture is soft.
4.2 Processing of Digupi. When the beginning of spring thaws, dig the roots and take the bark; at this time the quality is good and the bark is easy to peel. After Pure Brightness, the quality of Digupi is poorer. After the root bark is peeled off, sun-dry it or cut it fresh and then sun-dry it. Commercial Digupi is best when the pieces are large, the aroma is strong, and there is no woody core.