A Detailed Guide to Oil Peony Seed Prices, Planting Prospects, Benefits and Effects, and Planting Techniques
Oil peony refers to peony varieties with high seed yield, high oil content and high levels of active compounds. Every part of it is valuable, and it is a resource plant unique to China, holding a special place in the biological world. So how much does a jin of oil peony seeds cost? What are the planting prospects? What benefits and effects does it have? It is understood that one market jin of peony seeds cost about 15 yuan in the past two years. Because peony seeds also have a black outer shell, pressing oil requires at least more than ten jin to produce one jin of oil, and moldy and damaged seeds must be removed in the process. There is also simple manual labor involved; from purchasing onward, manpower is needed. Calculating this way, the cost is estimated to be several hundred yuan.
What are the planting prospects?
1. Emerging crop: Oil peony is an emerging woody oil crop with characteristics such as high seed yield, high oil content, excellent quality and strong resistance. It can be planted on some marginal land and can be intercropped with economic forests and so on. One planting can allow continuous harvest for more than 30 years.
2. Huge market: According to 2016 statistics, China imported 6.884 million tons of finished edible vegetable oils such as palm oil, olive oil, soybean oil and rapeseed oil, and imported 89.529 million tons of edible oilseeds such as soybeans and rapeseed, with total imports exceeding 50 billion US dollars. The external dependence of edible oil had reached 67.7%, already exceeding the international safety warning line. At present, China's per capita consumption of vegetable oil is about 20 kg/year, while per capita consumption in developed European and American countries has reached about 30 kg/year, so China's edible oil market has enormous room for growth.
Complete policies: In 2011 No. 9, the National Health Commission of China issued the "Announcement on Approving Acer truncatum Seed Oil and Peony Seed Oil as New Resource Foods", which solved the market entry problem for peony seed oil; in 2014 No. 68, the General Office of the State Council issued the document "Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Woody Oil Industry", introducing national policies for the development of peony seed oil.
What benefits and effects does oil peony have?
Peony seed oil is not only rich in nutrients but also contains abundant and unique bioactive substances. α-linolenic acid is the most basic and core substance in the evolution of human life and is a major element in synthesizing cell membranes. It can be taken internally or applied externally. It has effects such as promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, reducing inflammation and killing bacteria, promoting cell regeneration, activating peripheral nerves, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids and aiding weight loss. When applied externally, it can beautify and nourish the skin, eliminate pigment deposition, reduce wrinkles, and make the skin delicate, smooth and elastic. External use also has remarkable effects on treating oral ulcers, rhinitis, arthritis and skin diseases (including acne, athlete's foot, peeling hands and feet, heat-induced blisters, eczema, redness and swelling, itching and pain, etc.).
How is oil peony planted?
1. Land selection
For oil peony cultivation, the site should preferably be neutral plots with deep and fertile soil, loose and breathable texture and good drainage (pH6.5-7.5). Sandy loam is best for soil texture. Plots with heavy clay texture, salinity and alkalinity, low-lying areas and continuous cropping are not suitable for planting.
The land should be deeply plowed and sunned about one month in advance, to a depth of about 20-30 cm. Sun exposure promotes soil maturation and kills pathogens and insect eggs. Before plowing, apply 1000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu or 500 kg of peony-specific fertilizer.
2. Seedling treatment
Select high-quality strong seedlings more than 2-3 years old for field planting. Usually before planting, cut off diseased roots and residual roots. After grading the seedlings to a uniform specification, soak the whole plant in 50% thiram 800-fold solution or 50% carbendazim 800-1000-fold solution for 10-15 minutes for disinfection.
3. Timely planting
The field planting time for oil peony is relatively strict. In northern regions, planting in September to October is best, while south of the Yangtze River it can be postponed to November. If transplanted too early, the temperature is relatively high and the survival rate of transplanted seedlings is low; if transplanted too late, it is difficult to form new roots in that year and growth will be weak the following year.
4. Reasonable density
The planting density of oil peony should be managed dynamically. At planting time it is generally about 3000 plants/mu, with a plant spacing and row spacing of 30 cm × 80 cm, or 40 cm × (90+50) cm wide-narrow row transplanting. A high-density cultivation with plant spacing and row spacing of 20 cm × 60 cm can also be chosen, and afterward one row of peonies can be removed every 1-2 years.
5. Planting method
For large-area planting, use a peony planting machine to plant according to plant and row spacing, or use a hole-digging machine to dig holes according to plant and row spacing (25 cm × 30 cm) for planting. When planting, first place the peony seedling into the hole and spread out the root system. After filling the hole with soil, lift the peony seedling upward so that the root crown is about 2 cm below the ground, then press firm so the roots and soil are in close contact. After planting, water with the planting water.