Under full-light cultivation of Schisandra chinensis, Welsh onion or Schisandra chinensis seedlings can be intercropped

To make full use of the land between the rows of cultivated Schisandra chinensis, before the Schisandra chinensis plants reach fruit-bearing at 4 years of age, intercropping Welsh onion or Schisandra chinensis seedlings can yield certain economic benefits to offset the costs of cultivating Schisandra chinensis.

I. Planning

1. When Schisandra chinensis is cultivated with a row spacing of 1.5 m and a plant spacing of 0.5 m, the available inter-row land area per mu (667 sq m) of Schisandra chinensis orchard is as follows: for each mu (667 sq m) of land, estimated by a long side of 33 m and a short side of 20 m (660 sq m), with a row spacing of 1.5 m, 22 rows can be laid out, each 20 m long; at the early stage of cultivation, the horizontal spread of the Schisandra chinensis root system is not large, so the width of the Schisandra chinensis seedling belt can be kept at 80 cm (40 cm on each side), the usable inter-row width is 70 cm, leaving a ditch width of 10 cm on each side, and one ridge 50 cm wide can be formed, on which 2 rows of Welsh onion are planted, with a row spacing of 10-15 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm. Based on this calculation, each inter-row space can plant 10 sq m of Welsh onion, and each mu of Schisandra chinensis orchard can plant 22 rows of Welsh onion, requiring 9,680 Welsh onion sets; each Welsh onion set is 1.5-2 cm in diameter, about 80 per jin, so about 120 jin of Welsh onion sets are needed, and the plantable Welsh onion area is 220 sq m.

2. When Schisandra chinensis is cultivated with a row spacing of 2 m and a plant spacing of 0.5 m, per mu (667 sq m), still estimated by a long side of 33 m and a short side of 20 m, 16 rows can be planted, each 20 m long, with a seedling belt width of 80 cm and a usable inter-row width of 1.2 m; 2 ridges each 45 cm wide can be formed, and Welsh onion can be planted with a row spacing of 10-15 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm, so 4 rows of Welsh onion can be planted, with 220 Welsh onion sets per row, totaling 880; each mu of Schisandra chinensis cultivation orchard can plant 16 rows of Welsh onion, requiring a total of 14,080 Welsh onion sets; each Welsh onion set is 1.5-2 cm in diameter, about 80 per jin, so a total of about 176 jin of Welsh onion seed sets is needed, and the plantable Welsh onion area is about 320 sq m.

3. Schisandra chinensis can also be sown in seedbeds between the rows to grow one-year-old bare-root seedlings. With a row spacing of 1.5 m in each mu of Schisandra chinensis orchard, a seedbed area of 220 sq m can be made; with a row spacing of 2 m, a seedbed area of 320 sq m can be made.

II. Food and medicinal value of Welsh onion

According to reference materials, Welsh onion contains at least six components with anti-cancer, anti-aging and lipid-lowering effects, and has good therapeutic effects on brain tumors, breast, prostate and other diseases, especially with even better effects on softening blood vessels. The Welsh onion juice (oil) obtained after special processing of Welsh onion can block colon, oral, lung, liver, pancreatic, esophageal, cervical, skin and other cancers, all with obvious therapeutic effects, and also has significant effects on human sexual function and lowering cholesterol; in addition, it can be eaten fresh or stir-fried.

III. Planting methods for Welsh onion

1. Seed selection: It is best to choose the Tu'erhong variety. This variety has purple skin, strong disease resistance and a short growth period. It should be well matured, firm, with more fibrous roots, and not yet sprouted. A diameter of 1.5-2 cm is suitable, and it can be planted as a single bulb. If the diameter exceeds 2 cm, it can be cut lengthwise through the middle and planted separately, but each cut section of Welsh onion must retain fibrous roots to favor survival.

2. Land preparation and fertilization: Apply decomposed farmyard manure, 2-4 cartloads per mu (four-wheel tractor), spread evenly between the rows, then rotary till and form ridges. Topdress in a timely manner during the growth period.

3. Planting method: Plant double rows on each ridge, with a row spacing of 10-15 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm. Open furrows on the ridge surface. Then apply fully decomposed farmyard manure, place the sets by hand with the fibrous roots facing down, and cover with 1-2 cm of soil.

4. Planting time: Plant at the appropriate time after Qingming Festival (April 5-April 15).

5. Management and care: Welsh onion is cold-tolerant, shallow-rooted, light-loving and fertilizer-loving, and afraid of drought and waterlogging, so it should be watered at the appropriate time, weeded and loosened in time, and the soil kept moist to favor growth and development. In addition, attention should be paid to preventing diseases, insects and other pests.

6. Harvest: In mid-July, when the Welsh onion leaves wither and the bulbs mature, they can be harvested. The harvested Welsh onions must be dried together with the leaves, then placed in a shed for ventilated dry storage; after the leaves are thoroughly dry, cut off the bulbs, grade them and place them in a shaded, dry place.

IV. Estimated benefits

1. Planting Welsh onion, calculated by cultivated area, can produce at least 3 jin of Welsh onion per sq m. With a Schisandra chinensis row spacing of 1.5 m, each mu of Schisandra chinensis orchard can plant 220 sq m of Welsh onion, producing about 660 jin of Welsh onion; at the current average market price of 2 yuan per jin, this amounts to 1,320 yuan; after deducting various costs of 500 yuan, the net profit is about 800 yuan. With a Schisandra chinensis row spacing of 2 m, each mu of Schisandra chinensis orchard can plant 320 sq m of Welsh onion, producing 960 jin of Welsh onion, with income of 1,900 yuan; after deducting various costs of 800 yuan, the net profit is about 1,100 yuan.

2. Sowing Schisandra chinensis. Sowing Schisandra chinensis between the rows of a Schisandra chinensis orchard to produce one-year-old bare-root Schisandra chinensis seedlings is also very good. Comrade Zhao Gang of Tieli Farm, in 2007, used 10,000 sq m of Schisandra chinensis orchard established that year, with a row spacing of 2 m, made seedbeds 90 cm wide between the rows, and sowed a total of 100 jin of pre-germinated wet seed, producing 300,000 seedlings; sold at 0.35 yuan each, and after deducting various costs, the profit was about 30,000 yuan.

V. Market prospects

1. Welsh onion: In order to capture domestic and international markets, it must be planted on a scale, and during cultivation it should be carried out according to green food requirements; its products can sell well in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other places, and can also be exported to Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Russia and other countries.

2. At present, the cultivation of Schisandra chinensis is in a development stage of improving quality. As long as improved varieties are selected in artificially cultivated orchards and high-quality strong seedlings are then cultivated, @#@136@#@ it is still quite good. Overall, one seedling can yield a profit of 0.1-0.2 yuan.