Imitative wild cultivation technology for Gastrodia elata: efficient and material-saving

Terminology explained:

① Imitative wild

From wild Gastrodia elata dug up over many years, it is not hard to find that the populations with large tubers, dense growth and high yield share a common set of features, summarized as: thick leaf-litter layer with tubers breaking through the ground (exposed above the surface), loose soil so air is not blocked, seven parts shade with little sunlight, and moisture suited to each of the four seasons. The inspiration for artificial imitative wild planting of Gastrodia is shallow beds, thin soil and thick mulch.

② High efficiency

Imitative wild Gastrodia intercropped in the same bed with sweet potato gave a test result in which the total yield of Gastrodia was twice that of sweet potato, hence the couplet "1 fen of Gastrodia equals a hundred pigs, a hundred mu of corn equals 1 mu of Gastrodia" is hung high in the hall.

③ Material saving

Instead of the conventional approach of clearing large trees to grow Gastrodia, changing to 100 jin of branches for 100 jin of Gastrodia saves energy, is environmentally friendly and is an efficient way to grow Gastrodia. Therefore, the Gastrodia expert base of the Yichang Three Gorges Gastrodia Technology Association has planted 5 million sq m of imitative wild Gastrodia across 8 townships and 100 villages, achieving a good benefit of 1 billion yuan in output value. The technical requirements are as follows:

Material preparation and treatment before planting

For each 1 sq m actually planted, the following is needed: ① 15 thick fresh branch sections with a diameter of 4-10 cm and a length of 30 cm, each with two color-scale notches cut on opposite sides; and 5 kg of thin branch sections 10 cm long and 2-4 cm in diameter.

② Leaves

3 kg of fallen leaves, spread out, sprayed with 0.2% carbendazim water for disinfection, piled up and covered with film for two hours, then spread out again, sprayed with a non-residual pesticide, then covered with film and piled to fumigate for two hours to kill insects.

③ Chemicals

1 packet of Fanghailing mixed with 250 g of salt, and 1 packet of Shuangxiaosu powder.

④ Humus sandy soil

Loose virgin soil from 20-30 cm below the surface on sloping land, medium pure sand, weathered stone grains, or deep-mountain humus soil will all do, pH 4-6.5, 1 cubic meter of soil per 20 sq m.

⑤ Fungal spawn

Two bottles of Armillaria mellea spawn.

⑥ Tuber seed

50 Wuhongyou original-generation tubers, or 1-2 kg of conventional tubers.

II. Planting time and site selection

The most suitable altitude is about 600-1800 m; at low altitudes, a dark and damp basement, air-raid shelter, etc. is required. Winter planting and spring planting are carried out from mid-September each year to late April of the following year, and in high-altitude mountain areas this can be extended to late May.

III. Building the beds

On flat ground, bricks or wooden boards can be used to build a pool 80 cm wide, 20 cm high and of unlimited length; on sloping land, build terraced horizontal beds, dug 10 cm deep, with length and width as desired, with 50 cm between beds. Trees and weeds at the bed edges should be kept as much as possible to provide shade and prevent the bed edges or ridges from collapsing. Dig drainage ditches around the perimeter.

IV. Sowing and cultivation

Spread the Fanghailing salt powder on the bottom as the first layer; for the second layer, arrange thick branch sections in a square "field"-shaped frame, and fill the gaps inside the frame with thin branch sections level with the thick branches. Break the glass bottle, carefully peel off the glass shards, take out the fungal spawn, break it into pieces the size of jujubes, first spot-plant it at the cut notches and at both ends of the thick branch sections, then distribute it evenly among the thin branch sections. Then place the Wuhongyou original-generation tuber seeds, first two per thick branch section, then one at each of the four corners inside the square frame, with the buds upright and facing up, close beside the fungal spawn. Pour sandy soil into the branch gaps and then water, until the sandy soil fills the branch sections level with the surface. Mix 2 kg of leaves with sandy soil at a 3-fold volume ratio and cover as the third layer; cover the fourth layer with 5-10 cm of pure sandy soil. For the fifth layer, dry-scatter Shuangxiaosuo powder. Prepare the liquid according to the pesticide instructions at 3 times the dilution water amount, lightly water the bed surface and heavily water around the bed. Cover the sixth layer with 10-20 cm of branches, leaves and weeds.

V. Key management points

1. Temperature:

The suitable growth temperature for Gastrodia is 9-25°C at a depth of 30 cm below the soil surface, and the tolerance limit is -30°C to 33°C outdoors. Within the extreme temperature range, do a good job of frost protection and shading.

2. Moisture:

In disaster years with especially severe drought or waterlogging, protection should be strengthened. During drought, replenish water after sunset when the soil temperature has fallen; during waterlogging, clear and deepen the drainage ditches, preserve soil moisture and drain waterlogged areas, with integrated management. In September, Gastrodia enters the physiological maturation stage, and the bed soil moisture should preferably be dry rather than wet. Wait until October, when the soil temperature drops to about 10°C and Gastrodia enters dormancy, and it can be harvested. Each sq m generally yields 7 kg of fresh Gastrodia and 3 kg of tuber seed, and can be expanded to 6 sq m of cultivation area.

VI. Pest and disease control

For the prevention of Gastrodia diseases, refer to Article (6) of "A device for growing Gastrodia by the one-step method"; the main pest is white ants eating the fungal wood and then producing formic acid that harms Gastrodia.

Control method: regularly scatter chlordane powder and dichlorvos pesticide around the bed to cut off the source of ants around the bed. Once white ants enter the bed, there is no way to treat them.