Schisandra cultivation offers considerable economic benefits, with promising prospects
In recent years, the price of Schisandra, a genuine medicinal herb from Northeast China, has been rising year after year. From just over ten yuan per 1 kg, it rose to 100 yuan per 1 kg this autumn. And there is still an upward trend in the coming years.
Schisandra cultivation experience:
Seed selection. In late September, when the fruit is fully ripe, select fresh fruit with large clusters and tight berries, soak in clean water, rub off the shriveled grains, drain, mix with 2-3 times the volume of wet sand, and before the ground freezes, bury it outdoors in a high, dry spot.
Site selection. For the seedling nursery, loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil is best, preferably with irrigation available.
Sowing. After Qingming Festival, check the seeds for cracking. When 70% of the seeds have cracked, they can be sown. In the northern Liaoning area, sowing time is generally from mid-April to late May. Based on years of experience, the author believes the earlier the sowing, the better. Prepare the soil, make beds 1.2 m wide running north-south, open furrows horizontally with a row spacing of 20 cm, and sow in drills. Cover with soil 1.5-2.5 cm deep and press down lightly. Cover the bed surface with pine needles, rice straw, etc. to retain moisture. Water in dry weather. Use 10-15 jin of seed per mu.
Management. Seedlings emerge successively 15-20 days after sowing. Seedlings are vulnerable to strong light; when 70% have emerged, remove the shade net, with 50% light transmission being best. When seedlings reach 5-6 cm in height, remove the shade net, then apply a topdressing of compound fertilizer at 10 kg per mu. Weed promptly during the seedling stage. Water in dry weather. After August, when seedlings grow to over 20 cm, pinch off the growing tips to promote lignification.
Diseases. During the seedling stage of Schisandra, root rot, powdery mildew, leaf blight, and brown spot are the main diseases. Root rot mostly occurs when seedlings have 1-2 true leaves; focus on prevention, and in combination with watering, drench the roots with fungicides such as carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl. Powdery mildew mostly occurs between July and August; promptly remove diseased leaves and combine with chemical treatment. Guo Junfeng