Introduction to the Characteristics and Planting Key Points of the Nine-Leaf Green Sichuan Pepper Variety

The nine-leaf green Sichuan pepper is named for having nine small leaflets on its petiole. It is a first-generation superior variety carefully bred by scientific and technical personnel in Jiangjin City, with the characteristics of fragrant fruit and pure numbing flavor. All its indicators are superior to currently known Sichuan pepper varieties, and its market price is 2--3 times that of other Sichuan pepper varieties. At present, Chongqing Municipality uses the nine-leaf green Sichuan pepper as the preferred tree species for returning farmland to forest.

The nine-leaf green Sichuan pepper is a warmth-loving tree species and generally suffers cold damage at around -20°C. It is drought-tolerant and usually grows well in areas with annual precipitation of 600 millimeters; it is barren-tolerant and suitable for various soils, especially sloping land; it grows fast, and a one-year-old seedling can reach 1.2 m; it bears fruit early, testing flowering and fruiting in the second year; it has high yield, with a single plant producing 1 kg of fresh pepper in the second year and 3--5 kg of fresh pepper in the third year; it requires little investment, with input per 667 sq m (1 mu) within 400 yuan; it takes effect quickly, and generally the cost can be recovered in the second year after orchard establishment; it is easy to manage, and the nine-leaf green Sichuan pepper has the advantages of extensive management, few pests and diseases, and not being gnawed by cattle and sheep. It is suitable both for large-scale planting and for scattered household planting, and is truly a good project for rural areas in western China to escape poverty and become prosperous.