Large-leaf parsley

Large-leaf parsley (Spuriopimpinella brachycarpa (Kom.) Kitagawa), also known as mountain parsley, false anise, Mingye vegetable (Anshan), spider fragrant (Jilin), and Channa Muer (Korean transliteration). It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family. It is mainly distributed in northeastern China and the Russian Far East. Its tender stems and leaves are edible, emerald green and juicy, fresh and refreshing in aroma, and rich in nutrients, making it one of the wild vegetables excellent in color, aroma, and taste. According to measurements by the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, every 100 g sample contains 105 mg vitamin A, 45.3 mg vitamin E, 65.88 mg vitamin C, 22.3 mg vitamin B2, 2160 mg protein, 30.6 mg iron, and 1280 mg calcium. It also contains various amino acids and vitamins, and the whole plant and seeds contain volatile oil. Wild large-leaf parsley is now one of China's green products exported in large quantities at the thousand-ton level or above.

I. Characteristics and Traits

Large-leaf parsley plants are 50-100 cm tall; the rhizome is short and thick, the aboveground stem is upright, single, and ridged; the leaves are relatively thin, usually ternate; the compound umbel is terminal, usually single; the flowers have 5 petals and are white; the dark brown schizocarp is nearly round; the flowering period is July-August, and the fruiting period is August-September. Large-leaf parsley is a shade-loving plant under forests, mostly growing in shaded and moist places under coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests and mixed woods. It prefers deep soil, rich in humus, with high water content but no water accumulation, and slightly acidic leaf mold soil. It has strong cold resistance and can overwinter safely through low temperatures of -30 to -25°C.

II. Artificial Cultivation Techniques

In recent years, due to predatory harvesting by humans, wild resources have decreased greatly, and artificial cultivation has begun in many areas.

1. There are two propagation methods: seed propagation and rhizome propagation, with seed propagation as the main method.

(1) Rhizome propagation According to experiments by the Tonghua Horticultural Institute, from early April to mid-May each spring, dig out the mother roots of wild large-leaf parsley and plant them in open ground. Before planting, plow the soil about 30 cm deep, harrow it fine, and apply sufficient base fertilizer (preferably decomposed farmyard manure), with about 8000 kg applied per 667 sq m. Use ridge planting or bed planting. For ridge planting, the plant-row spacing is 5 cm x 30 cm; for bed planting, 5 cm x 10 cm.

(2) Seed propagation In July-August each autumn, collect the seeds of large-leaf parsley and sow them immediately in the seedbed. Before sowing, plow the soil well and harrow it fine, make a seedbed 1 m wide, level it, open furrows 2-3 cm deep, sow the seeds evenly into the soil, cover with about 1 cm of fine soil, and press it firm. At this time, control the field water-holding capacity at about 60%, then cover the seedbed with straw curtains to retain moisture. In March of the following spring, set up a small arched shed. After the seeds germinate, begin transplanting when the seedlings grow to 5 cm with 2-3 true leaves. According to a report by the Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, when using seed propagation to cultivate large-leaf parsley seedlings, if spring sowing is carried out in early April, the seeds need low-temperature storage treatment, and the seedling emergence rate is above 90%.

2. Key cultivation points Cultivation in open ground or protected areas, with artificially raised seedlings. According to experiments by the Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, for open-ground cultivation of large-leaf parsley, choose a place with a canopy density of about 0.6, moist soil, and high air humidity. Transplant and set out seedlings in early to mid-June, planting 3-4 plants per hole, with a plant-row spacing of 5 cm x 10 cm. Under normal management conditions, the yield in the following year can reach 1633-1720 kg. Under protected conditions, after fresh vegetables are harvested and before the seedlings are replanted in June, one more season of spring vegetables can also be produced. Because large-leaf parsley can grow and develop under relatively low temperature conditions, cultivation in protected areas can bring it to market earlier.

3. Pests and diseases and their control The main disease is leaf spot, which occurs from June to July each year. Before the disease occurs, it can be controlled by spraying 500-800 times mancozeb, once every 7-10 days, 3-5 times throughout the year; the main pest is aphids, which can be controlled with 1000 times omethoate.

III. Harvesting and Processing

1. Harvesting Select plants over 20 cm tall and harvest the tender stems and leaves, remove impurities, tie them into small bundles, and avoid rubbing or crushing them.

2. Processing To facilitate storage and transportation and long-term preservation, they can be salted or processed into canned goods.

(1) Salting Sprinkle a layer of salt about 2 cm thick on the bottom of a container (jar, barrel, or pool), then put in a layer of vegetables, then another layer of salt and another layer of vegetables, filling it in this order, then put another layer of salt about 2 cm thick on top, press down with a stone, and cover with a lid. For every 50 kg of fresh vegetables, about 17 kg of salt is used. More salt helps maintain the green color. Generally, after 70 days of salting, remove the brine containing impurities and carry out a second salting. The method is the same as the first, with a slightly smaller amount of salt.

(2) Canning processing Generally, well-salted large-leaf parsley is selected as the raw material, and the following process flow is used: raw material -> cleaning -> desalting -> regreening -> blanching -> cooling -> cutting into sections -> filling into cans -> vacuum sealing -> sterilization -> cooling -> finished product.