Detailed Explanation of the Key Technical Points for Jasmine Cultivation and Management

Jasmine is a perennial, nearly vine-like evergreen small shrub of the genus Jasminum in the family Oleaceae. Fresh jasmine flowers are one of the important raw materials for extracting fragrances and scenting scented tea. From April 1998 to December 1999, Yuanjiang County introduced 10,833 hm2 of double-petal jasmine from Hengxian, Guangxi for trials and demonstrations. After two years of self-propagation of seedlings, by October 2001 it had expanded to 5,008 hm2 (of which 11,877 hm2 of jasmine was planted in 2001), with 38,203 hm2 already in production, accounting for 7,628% of the planted area. Over three years, the cumulative total output of fresh flowers reached 268,45 t. The total output value of fresh flowers was 1,739,56 million yuan. Five scented tea processing factories have been built, processing 3,745 t of scented tea, with an enterprise @#@136@#@ output value of 21,956 million yuan, 400,000 yuan in special agricultural product tax, and 10,978 million yuan in scented tea tax revenue.

In March 1999, 0,14 hm2 of double-petal jasmine was planted in the contracted field of Dao Qiaoxing's household in Lijiang Town for a follow-up high-yield cultivation trial. Planted on March 5, 1999, that year the yield of fresh flowers per hectare was 2,400 kg, with an output value of 14,450.4 yuan; in 2000 the yield of fresh flowers per hectare was 172,959 kg, with an output value of 1,037,754 yuan; in 2001 the yield of fresh flowers per hectare was 19,905 kg, with an output value of 1,365,579 yuan; the 2001 yield per hectare was 15.06% higher than in 2000 and 725.86% higher than in 1999. The 2001 output value per hectare increased by 31.5% over 2000 and by 845.5% over 1999. The cultivation technical measures are summarized below.

1 Land selection, land preparation, and planting

Choose a site with a low groundwater table, facing the sun, convenient drainage and irrigation, deep and loose soil, medium fertility, and slightly acidic sandy loam or light clay. Deep plow, sun the soil clods, and harrow until broken up. Prepare beds at a specification of 110 cm bed width, 30 cm furrow width, and 25 cm furrow depth, with two rows planted per bed. Before planting, apply 15 t of farmyard manure per hectare as base fertilizer, with a plant-to-row spacing of 25 cm x 50 cm. Plant 60,000 plants per hectare. Before planting, soak the roots in a 1,000-fold dilution of 25% Shibaoke emulsifiable concentrate for 5 minutes. In Yuanjiang County, it can be cultivated in all four seasons, but spring and autumn are best.

2 Strengthen water and fertilizer management

(1) Water management

(1) After planting, immediately water thoroughly to settle the roots, then spray 2,250-3,000 ml of Du'a mixture herbicide per hectare to prevent weeds. Note: the chemical must not be sprayed on the jasmine seedlings; it may only be sprayed on the furrow surface and between the rows.

(2) When the plants survive after planting and sprout new shoots, pay attention to timely irrigation, topdressing, weeding, and earthing up. Topdressing is mainly urea, applied frequently and lightly. Do not water if the flower field is not dry. If the weather is continuously dry and the soil on the bed surface turns white, irrigate or sprinkle water.

(3) Pay attention to drainage. During the flower-picking season, excessive moisture can cause root rot and yellow leaves; drought can cause leaves to wilt and flowers to shrivel, so special attention must be paid to drainage and irrigation.

(2) Fertilization

(1) Apply fertilizer to the root zone in spring, summer, and autumn. Spring fertilizer is applied every January; combined with intertillage and weeding, apply 15 t of farmyard manure and 375 kg of compound fertilizer containing potassium sulfate per hectare, applied in shallow furrows on sunny days and combined with earthing up; summer fertilizer in May-June and autumn fertilizer in August-September, applied once a month, in furrows after each flower flush, combining nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The annual fertilization amount per hectare is 915 kg of urea, 1,020 kg of ordinary calcium superphosphate, and 1,005 kg of compound fertilizer containing potassium sulfate. Apply in furrows at a ratio of 50% spring fertilizer, 30% summer fertilizer, and 20% autumn fertilizer, and earth up.

(2) Foliar topdressing. During the flower-picking period, after picking flowers in the afternoon, combine with spraying pesticides to control pests and diseases, add 0.2% urea and potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer to the pesticide and spray as a mixture, generally once every 7 days.

3 Pruning and cutting back

For jasmine that has survived planting and sprouted new shoots, appropriately remove the main branches, the tips of branch shoots, and flower buds, leaving 3-4 pairs of leaves when pinching. Winter pruning is carried out from December each year to early January of the following year, first heavy pruning, then light pruning. That is, cut off the upper branches about 20 cm above the ground (in subsequent years, the position of heavy pruning moves up 3 cm from the previous year's pruning position), then gather the cut dead branches and fallen leaves at the field edge and burn them; use thick strong branches for propagation, and combine with intertillage, weeding, and earthing up. Cutting back is done every February, before flower buds appear, by cutting back the terminal shoots and leggy shoots at the top of the jasmine plant, retaining 2-3 pairs of leaves. Thereafter, cutting back can be carried out after each cluster of flowers is picked, requiring that the branches do not lodge. After shaping, a wave-like canopy is formed, so that every part of the canopy receives sufficient light, which is conducive to flower bud formation, forms three-dimensional flowering in the canopy, and increases yield.

4 Pest and disease control

At present, the main pests and diseases found on jasmine are southern blight, jasmine bud borer (flower heart worm), leaf mites, cotton bollworm, and thrips. Based on the principle of prevention first and prevention being more important than treatment, choose pesticides with high efficiency, low toxicity, and low residue. To prevent southern blight, spray the stem base 1-2 times with an 800-1,500-fold dilution of 40% JUNHEJING and a 1,000-fold dilution of 25% Shibaoke emulsifiable concentrate. To control jasmine bud borer, leaf mites, cotton bollworm, etc., spray with a 2,500-3,000-fold dilution of 18% Abadin emulsifiable concentrate or a 1,000-fold dilution of 40% Lesben emulsifiable concentrate, once every 7 days for 3 consecutive sprays. After heavy pruning each year, spray a 1,000-fold dilution of 50% sulfur suspension concentrate to protect the wounds.

5 Harvesting, storage, and transportation of jasmine

(1) Harvesting standard for jasmine: fresh buds that are white and plump, ready to bloom, and able to open and release fragrance that same evening. Harvest each jasmine flower as it matures; the harvested fresh flowers are required to have flower buds and flower stalks, with no diseased or insect-damaged buds, no yellow or green buds, and no stems, leaves, or other debris.

(2) Storage and transportation: When picking fresh jasmine flowers, use ventilated bamboo baskets and nylon mesh bags. Avoid exposure to sunlight, store in a cool place, and sell promptly after picking.