Gastrodia cultivation prospects look promising, experts say so

According to Associate Professor Wang Kangcai from the Chinese Medicinal Materials Research Laboratory of the College of Horticulture at Nanjing Agricultural University, Gastrodia elata is a precious Chinese medicinal herb. Due to a large gap between market supply and demand, Gastrodia cultivation is particularly booming. Based on current market conditions, the price of dried Gastrodia is 150-200 yuan per kg, with a profit of about 200 yuan per sq m, and the prospects for Gastrodia cultivation look promising.

Gastrodia growth does not require light, only suitable temperature, humidity and other environmental conditions. In most parts of the country, wherever there are broadleaf tree resources and slightly acidic or neutral sandy soil, it can be grown using barren slopes, courtyards, indoors, greenhouses, vineyards, chestnut orchards, open fields and so on. The planting season for Gastrodia depends on the cultivation method. Gastrodia cultivation is divided into sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction includes the "pre-cultured bacterial bed method" and the "two fungi and one seed mixed planting method." In the former, from March to April each year, Armillaria mushroom spawn is used to cultivate new fungal wood, from May to June, germination fungus spawn is mixed with Gastrodia fruit and sown, in November the sexual seed corms are harvested, and in November of the following year the commercial Gastrodia is harvested; in the latter, from May to June each year, Armillaria mushroom spawn, fungal wood or branches, Gastrodia fruit, and germination fungus spawn are sown all at once, in November the sexual seed corms are harvested, and in November of the following year the commercial Gastrodia is harvested. Asexual reproduction includes the "fixed bacterial bed method" and the "three-in-one pit method." In the former, trees are felled from May to September each year, high-quality Armillaria mushroom spawn is used to cultivate fungal wood, from October to March of the following year Gastrodia seeds are added and sown, and in October of the following year they are harvested; in the latter, from October of the first year to February of the following year, Armillaria mushroom spawn, freshly felled fungal wood, and Gastrodia seeds are placed together in pits for cultivation, and in October of the following year the commercial Gastrodia can be harvested. Although the cultivation time for Gastrodia is not fixed and can be long or short, it takes about 3 years for Gastrodia to truly complete one growth cycle. The basic growth process is: from November to February of the following year, arrow corms are planted; in late June, Gastrodia seeds mature and are sown within one week; in November of that year, they can grow into seed corms; after 8-12 months of expansion and growth, the seed corms become arrow corms in October-November of the following year; in the spring and summer of the third year, the arrow corms bolt, flower, and after pollination form seeds again, thus completing one growth cycle.