What are the key field management techniques for astragalus?
Astragalus, also known as cotton astragalus, is a very common Chinese medicinal herb in our country, mainly distributed in the northwest and northeast regions. Astragalus can enhance the human immune function and has effects such as protecting the liver, promoting diuresis, anti-aging and lowering blood pressure. However, because wild astragalus has been heavily dug up by people, its numbers have dropped sharply. Therefore, artificial cultivation has now begun, with a wide planting area. So how should astragalus be managed when growing it? Let's take a look together below!
1. Thinning and final thinning of seedlings
After sowing, once the seedlings emerge uniformly, thinning work should be done well, and it should be carried out as early as possible to prevent the seedlings from affecting each other's growth and competing for nutrients and water. During the seedling stage, thinning should be done at least twice: the first time when the seedlings have grown to about 6 cm tall, and then another thinning when the seedlings are about 11 cm tall. Pay attention to observing the growth of the seedlings. When final thinning is done, good work should be done to fill gaps where seedlings are missing at the holes, filling them with healthy seedlings of the same growth. Do not fill seedlings on rainy days, and water promptly after planting. If too many seedlings are missing, it is best to sow again.
2. Intertillage and weeding
The seedlings of astragalus grow very slowly. After the seedlings emerge, weeds usually grow faster. If they are not managed in time, it can very easily lead to weed overgrowth. Therefore, intertillage and weeding should be done in time. Intertillage can not only effectively remove weeds, but also improve soil looseness, break the soil capillaries, avoid excessive water evaporation, and improve the soil's ability to retain fertilizer and water. Generally, weeding is needed about 3 times a year, depending on the growth of weeds in the field. When intertilling, pay attention to the depth; it must not be too deep, to prevent damaging seedlings and roots.
3. Timely topdressing
Astragalus has a very large demand for nutrients. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer before planting, during the first two years of astragalus growth, topdressing should be done at least 3 times a year. Ensure that the nutritional needs of astragalus at different growth stages are met. Each topdressing can be carried out together with intertillage and weeding. However, fertilization is not suitable during the first intertillage, to avoid fertilizer damage to the seedlings. Each fertilizer application should mainly be decomposed farmyard manure, and special attention should be paid to applying wintering fertilizer well to improve the plant's cold resistance. After fertilizing, pay attention to hilling soil to avoid freezing damage to the plants during winter.
4. Reasonable watering
At different growth stages, astragalus does not have very high water requirements. During the seedling stage, its water demand is relatively low. In order to promote the downward growth of astragalus roots, enhance root growth ability, and increase yield, under conditions of sufficient soil moisture, watering may be omitted. However, if the soil moisture is poor, then appropriate small drip irrigation should be used, and too much water must not be applied at one time. During the fruiting stage, if in a high-temperature and drought environment, watering should also be done in time. Ensure seed maturity and improve seed quality. When there is too much soil moisture, attention should also be paid to drainage work to reduce humidity and prevent root rot of astragalus, which affects growth.
Flowering in astragalus also consumes a certain amount of nutrients. If seeds are not to be kept, we can remove the flower buds and flowers to promote root development. Flower bud inhibitors can be appropriately sprayed to control flower growth, concentrate nutrients in the roots, and improve the quality of astragalus. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.