How to Increase Gastrodia elata Yield? The Three-Switch Measures Are Key

Gastrodia elata is a fine medicinal herb and has been selling well in the market in recent years. The farmers of Chalu Village, Baoshan Town, Fengcheng City, Liaoning Province, regard developing Gastrodia elata production as an important path to wealth; more than 40 households in the village grow Gastrodia elata and earn considerable income every year. Li Jingrong, a retired cadre of the village, has grown Gastrodia elata for 14 consecutive years and accumulated rich experience. He found that the yield of artificially cultivated Gastrodia elata tends to decline year by year. There are mainly 3 reasons: first, because self-bred and self-propagated tuber seeds are used year after year, the degeneration is severe; second, because self-bred and self-propagated fungal strains are used year after year, the strains age, the mycelium is not vigorous, and vitality weakens, so Gastrodia elata receives insufficient nutrition; third, long-term use of the same plot of land easily breeds diseases and affects the growth of Gastrodia elata. To solve the above problems, Li Jingrong and experienced local Gastrodia elata growers studied together and decided to adopt the "three-switch" measures:

First, switch seeds. Change artificial cultivated seeds to replacing with a new batch of wild tuber seeds every two or three years, to solve the problem of tuber seed degeneration.

Second, switch strains. That is, change self-bred and self-propagated fungal strains to replacing with a new wild fungal strain every two or three years, to solve the problem of strain degeneration.

Third, switch land. That is, change using the same plot of land year after year to changing to a new plot for planting every one or two years. Last spring, 20 Gastrodia elata-growing households in the village adopted the "three-switch" measures and all achieved obvious results.