Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of the Gastrodia Scroll-Rod Sowing Technique

The Gastrodia scroll-rod sowing technique is the innovation of Wang Minghui, section chief of the Agriculture Section of the Western Mountainous Area Construction Committee of the People's Government of Chencang District, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. The Gastrodia scroll-rod sowing technique can greatly increase the germination and survival rate of Gastrodia seeds and greatly increase the yield and quality of Gastrodia, and its economic benefit is more than 2 times that of the traditional Gastrodia sowing method.

With the traditional Gastrodia sowing method, after the Gastrodia seeds germinate, more than 60% of the germinated seeds gradually age and starve to death because they cannot establish a parasitic feeding relationship with Armillaria mellea in time. The Gastrodia scroll-rod sowing technique can make the Gastrodia seeds closely surround the fungus rods, and the Armillaria mellea rhizomorphs spread and grow everywhere in the leaves around the fungus rods, so they can closely combine with every germinated seed to establish a parasitic feeding relationship, thereby increasing the survival rate of Gastrodia seeds and at the same time increasing the yield and quality of Gastrodia. When harvesting the 0-generation Gastrodia seed by scroll-rod sowing, it is only necessary to take out the entire scroll rod, open the fungus rod, and take out the small white Gastrodia and medium white Gastrodia for use as 0-generation Gastrodia seed, while the remaining small rice Gastrodia are left untouched, still closely connected with the Armillaria mellea rhizomorphs, and rolled up again for cultivation. Because their parasitic feeding relationship has not been destroyed, the rice Gastrodia can quickly resume growth. There is no loss at all, and at the same time it also avoids the major loss caused by the traditional sowing of Gastrodia when harvesting Gastrodia, because the rice Gastrodia are too small in volume and often cannot be picked out.

Cultivate Armillaria mellea in August each year, and sow Gastrodia from May to June of the following year. For each square meter, prepare 18 broadleaf tree hard fresh wooden rods with a diameter of 3 cm to 8 cm and a length of 50 cm to 60 cm (about 30 kg), cut a fish-scale notch every 7 cm to 10 cm, cutting 1 to 3 sides, 0.25 cm3 of medium-coarse unpolluted sand; the sand is best washed once with water 6 hours before use, and 2 kg of broadleaf tree fallen leaves. They need to be washed in clean water for 4 to 6 hours, drained of water, and set aside for use. 18 pieces of 50 cm x 40 cm shade netting. 2 bottles of germination fungus cultivation strain (500 grams per bottle), and 18 Gastrodia capsules.

The sowing time for Gastrodia is generally from May to June, when the Gastrodia capsules mature one after another. When sowing, first tear the germination fungus into pieces and put them into a clean basin. Take 18 Gastrodia capsules, crush them and mix them into the germination fungus (enough to sow 1 sq m), and stir evenly. Take one piece of shade netting, lay it flat on the ground, spread a layer of moist broadleaf tree fallen leaves, spread a layer of germination fungus mixed with Gastrodia seeds (one bottle of germination fungus can roll 9 fungus rods), take one already cultivated fungus rod fully covered with Armillaria mellea rhizomorphs, lay it flat at one end of the shade netting, grab the shade netting with both hands, and roll it together with the leaves, germination fungus, and Gastrodia seed fungus rod into a fungus rod. Then spread medium-coarse sand with a humidity of 60% on the ground where Gastrodia is to be sown to a thickness of 5 cm, and then place the scroll rods one by one at intervals of 5 cm. Cover with sand to a thickness of 5 cm and pat flat. If sowing Gastrodia in areas with little rain and drought all year round, it is best to cover the sand with another layer of moist leaves or wheat straw or rice straw.

After sowing Gastrodia, use a 1:1000 potassium permanganate solution per square meter and evenly spray it on the surface of the Gastrodia sowing bed for surface disinfection and sterilization. After 25 days, water appropriately once according to the drought conditions, just keeping the bed surface moist, and absolutely avoid flood irrigation. When the temperature exceeds 27 degrees C, set up a shade shed for shading, and spray cool water into the air at noon to lower the temperature. If there is continuous rain, cover the shade shed with plastic film to block the rain. Dig drainage ditches well to drain waterlogging, and strictly prevent trampling by people and livestock.

When the temperature drops below 10 degrees C, generally at the end of October and the beginning of November in places such as Shandong and Shaanxi, or in March of the following year, in short, it must be during the dormancy period of Gastrodia that the 0-generation Gastrodia seed is harvested, transplanted, or @#@136@#@. When harvesting, first remove the leaves on the bed surface, gently scrape away the sand, then grab both ends of the scroll rod with both hands and take it out, gently uncover the leaves and shade netting from the fungus rod, and collect the white Gastrodia for separate planting or sale. Roll up the remaining rice Gastrodia together with the shade netting and leaves as before, cultivate them separately, and grow them for another year; if there are too many rice Gastrodia in the original scroll rod, they can also be taken out together with the leaves and rice Gastrodia and rolled into separate rods for cultivation.