Detailed Explanation of Gastrodia elata Cultivation Techniques and Processing Methods

Gastrodia elata is a herbaceous plant, with its underground tubers used as medicine. It mainly treats high blood pressure, dizziness, headache, facial paralysis, limb numbness, infantile convulsions, hemiplegia and other conditions. It is also used for pilots' brain health care and Alzheimer's disease, etc., and is an ideal medicine for brain and nerve health.

1. Propagation of Gastrodia elata

1.1 Sexual propagation

When a few Gastrodia elata plants send up aboveground stems and bloom, the sandy soil should be kept moist, the flowering stems fixed with bamboo poles, and direct sunlight shaded. After the flower buds take shape, the flowers open from bottom to top, one to several per day. If pollinating insects are lacking, @#@255@#@ can be kept nearby or artificial pollination can be carried out: use tweezers to open the corolla, remove the anther cap, take out the pollen mass, and place it on the stigma. Pollination should be done between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If pollination is successful, the ovary swells, the corolla withers, and the ovary suture becomes obvious. Once it splits, a large number of seeds will be released. When one fruit splits, cut off 3-5 adjacent fruits and place them in a container to take the seeds after they split naturally. The seeds scattered in the container should be sown immediately and must not be left standing. Lift up the cultured fungal material of the prepared fungal bed, spread broadleaf tree leaves about 1 cm thick underneath, scatter the seeds among the leaf layer, sowing the seeds of 10-20 fruits per square meter, then restore the fungal material to its original state, scatter a layer of leaves, cover with fill, and let it grow strong Gastrodia elata, becoming a high-yielding hybrid seed tuber. When planting Gastrodia elata, make several more fungal beds, do not put in seed tubers, and prepare them for use in sexual propagation of Gastrodia elata.

1.2 Asexual propagation

In October-November, when the ground temperature is 5-6°C, Armillaria mellea can grow, while Gastrodia elata needs about 10°C to sprout. Therefore, Gastrodia elata planted in autumn and winter needs a relatively long time for the soil, Armillaria mellea and seed tubers to combine, so that when Gastrodia elata begins to sprout the following year it can receive sufficient nutrient supply. Therefore, autumn planting is the best season. The method is as follows:

(1) Site selection and pit digging Use black humus sandy loam, on mountain land that can filter water and retain warmth, or dig a pit in the courtyard, 25-30 cm deep, 50-60 cm wide, and the length depending on the site. The bottom of the pit should have a 10°-15° slope along the mountain direction to facilitate water drainage.

(2) Prepare backfill soil Use black, loose soil from broadleaf forests on the mountain (old firewood bottom layer) as backfill soil; alternatively, choose fertile black mud on flat ground plus sawdust, or soil plus rice hulls, or the debris screened out after screening soybeans when threshing soybeans. The undersize material is bagged for later use, and the oversize material is crushed for later use. When harvesting sweet potatoes, cut the vines into inch-long pieces, dry them, crush them with a feed machine, transport them to the planting site, and mix them with sandy soil. The ratio of sawdust to sandy soil is 3:1 (volume ratio); leaves (uncrushed and broken) plus muddy sandy soil, ratio 4:1; rice hulls (or salted bean vines, mountain jasmine vine powder material) plus sand, ratio 2:1; then cover with a layer of fine sand, and cover well with dead grass and fallen leaves.

To promote the growth and development of Armillaria mellea, phosphate fertilizer can be applied once when culturing fungal sticks, that is, a 0.5%-1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, or a layer of superphosphate powder, with 20-30 g per pit. Weigh the amount well and prepare to broadcast it.

(3) Arrangement of fungal sticks First spread mixed mud 5-6 cm deep on the bottom of the pit, then scatter a layer of half-rotted broadleaf tree leaves (not too thick), just enough to cover the soil. Place the lower layer first, arranging 3-4 fungal sticks along the mountain slope direction, with a distance of 2-3 cm between sticks. Place 3-4 seed tubers tightly against the sticks between two sticks, with the growth points at both ends facing outward when placing. Place 2 seed tubers at each end of the fungal sticks. After placing, cover with mixed soil up to the level of the sticks, then place another layer of fungal sticks and seed tubers, filling the gaps with soil. When arranging, the upper and lower sticks should be staggered. After the first layer is arranged, place 5 cm of mixed soil, then arrange the second layer of fungal sticks and seed tubers. Cover with a layer of leaves, and finally cover with soil 7-10 cm to level with the ground.

(4) Fungal stick plus firewood cultivation method This can enable Gastrodia elata to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with Armillaria mellea, and can also provide rich nutrients for Armillaria mellea. When cultivating, fungal wood and firewood alternate, seed tubers should be placed tightly against the fungal sticks, scatter leaves and fill with soil.

(5) Fungal bed cultivation method In May-June, when rural areas are idle, dig the pit well and put in fungal branch wood and firewood sticks. When planting, dig open the fungal bed, first dig out the upper layer of fungal sticks, do not move the lower layer of sticks, only use a small shovel to make a small hole in the middle of the lower layer of sticks, put in seed tubers, then put the upper layer of sticks back in their original place (do not disturb the original sticks), place the seed tubers tightly against the fungal sticks, scatter 20 g of superphosphate, fill the gaps with soil and cover with soil to level with the ground. This method connects fungal blocks, has a high fungal connection rate, and also high yield.

(6) Three-way simultaneous cultivation method This means using artificially cultured pure Armillaria mellea together with sterile fresh sticks and seed tubers placed into the pit at the same time. Generally, the amount of fungal culture used is 8-9 clumps per square meter, and seed tubers 1.5 kg (3 pits per square meter).

2. Management after cultivation

Seed tubers are placed into the pit in October-November. The following April-May, weed once, and prevent trampling by people and livestock.

(1) Drought prevention In spring, Gastrodia elata has just begun to develop and grow and needs little water. June-August is its peak growth period. In case of drought, pay attention to watering to protect the buds, because young tender buds cannot adapt to adverse conditions and are likely to dry up and die. At the upper end of the pit, use a hoe to gently dig a small hole, then water so it seeps in, and after watering restore it to its original state. On flat ground, water around the pit so it seeps in, and at the same time set up trellises and plant melons and fruits to let the branches and vines provide shade.

(2) Waterlogging prevention Dig drainage ditches well.

(3) Frost prevention Cover with weeds or a thick layer of leaves.

3. Prevention and control of pests and diseases

(1) Mole cricket, locally called lalagu, can dig crisscrossing tunnels under the surface soil of the Gastrodia elata pit and gnaw on the tubers. Use 0.5 kg of 50% chlordane, 25 kg of wheat bran (fried until fragrant), add 7.5 kg of water, mix well, and scatter it on the surface of the pit in the evening as poison bait.

(2) White grubs, locally called earth silkworms (larvae of scarab beetles), bore and eat Gastrodia elata inside the pit, making it hollow. Use trichlorfon crushed and mixed with honey on a plate to trap and kill them; poisoned sweet potatoes can also be used. The method is: cut sweet potatoes into matchbox-sized pieces, soak them in 0.2% of a 20% dimethoate solution, soak for 12-14 h, stir once, then soak for another 10 h, take them out and dry them in the sun, then place 3 pieces per pit. The effective period is 7 days. If they are not all killed at once, place them several more times. More sweet potatoes can be cut, soaked in pesticide, and dried for later use. Remember that both when drying and when placing them, prevent children from eating them by mistake.

(3) Ant damage can also be controlled by using ant-killing powder. At the same time, pork skin, meat, chicken, and fish bones can be buried near the ant-damaged Gastrodia elata. Check the next day; when ants gather, pour hot water to kill them (a temporary stove can be set up to boil hot water and pour it). During the flowering period, aphids may cause damage, and a 0.05% solution of 40% dimethoate emulsion can be sprayed.

(4) Rat damage Use rat poison to kill them.

4. Harvesting and processing of Gastrodia elata

(1) Harvest Harvest in October-November. First dig up the fungal sticks, take out the arrow tubers, white tubers and Gastrodia elata, handle, place and transport them gently to avoid human mechanical damage and prevent rotting after harvest.

(2) Grading Grade them promptly during harvest. A single tuber weighing more than 150 g is grade 1; 75-150 g is grade 2; below 74 g and large ones broken during digging are grade 3.

(3) Cleaning Wash the graded Gastrodia elata separately with clean water. Do not rub off the mud; only gently wipe off the muddy liquid with your hands. Wash and process on the same day; do not wash those that cannot be processed in time.

(4) Peeling Gastrodia elata processed after peeling is called snow Gastrodia. Now, because artificial cultivation is large in volume, except for export, the rest is not peeled.

(5) Steaming and boiling After the water boils, steam and boil Gastrodia elata of different grades separately, adding a small amount of alum. For 5 kg of Gastrodia elata, add 100 g of alum. For single tubers weighing more than 150 g, boil for 10-15 min; 100-150 kg, boil for 7-10 min; below 100 g, boil for 5-8 min; substandard ones, boil for about 4 min. In short, the criterion is that it is boiled through to the center.

(6) Drying Do not use too strong a fire when drying. The temperature on the heated bed should initially be 50-60°C. When 70% dry, press the large ones all over by hand, do not press the small ones, then dry again; at this time, a temperature of 70°C is suitable. Sun-drying is also acceptable. After fully dry, take them out, grade and package, and they can be sold.