Key points of Panax notoginseng planting technology and cultivation management (Panax notoginseng planting conditions and growth environment)

Panax notoginseng is a plant of the Araliaceae family, the dried root and rhizome of Panax notoginseng. It is mainly produced in Yunnan and Guangxi, and has been introduced and cultivated in Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou and other provinces in recent years. The largest output and the best quality are in Wenshan, Yunnan.

Panax notoginseng is a subtropical alpine Chinese herbal medicine with a narrow ecological range. It prefers a climate with warm winters and cool summers, with a small temperature difference between the four seasons, and can grow in summer temperatures not exceeding 35℃ and winter temperatures not below -5℃.

1. Site selection and land preparation

When planting Panax notoginseng, you should choose sandy loam with neutral to slightly acidic soil, and it should meet the requirements of convenient irrigation and drainage, flat terrain, and pH value of 5.5-7.0. The altitude of the planting site should be between 1000-1800 meters. After selecting a good site, fully crush the soil and spread quicklime for disinfection.

2. Build sheds and make ridges

First, plant stakes in the field at intervals of 1.8×1.8 meters, and then build a shed on top. The shed can be built with a special shade net for Panax notoginseng, or materials such as branches, mountain grass, and crop straw.

Adjust the shading rate of the roof to between 8% and 15%, and finally make a bed that is 1.2-1.4 meters wide and 15 centimeters high.

3. Sowing and Seedling Raising

Because the seeds of Panax notoginseng are post-ripening, they must be stored in wet sand until December to January of the following year before sowing to break their dormancy. Then, a 2-3 cm deep hole is made on the ridge surface, and the seeds are soaked in carbendazim before sowing. After sowing, they are covered with a mixture of fine soil and farmyard manure.

4. Field Management

1. Weeding and soil cultivation

Panax notoginseng is a shallow-rooted plant, with its roots mostly distributed in the 15cm surface layer. Therefore, it is not suitable for tillage to avoid damaging the roots.

After the seedlings emerge from the soil, weeds on the bed surface should be removed in time. While weeding, if rhizomes and roots are found exposed to the ground, soil should be added.

2. Watering and drainage

During the dry season, water the beds frequently to keep them moist. Water should be sprayed instead of poured, otherwise the plants will fall over.

During the rainy season, especially after heavy rain, it is necessary to remove stagnant water in time to prevent root rot and other diseases.

3. Top dressing

The principle of "small amount and multiple times" should be followed for topdressing of Panax notoginseng. Generally, after the seedlings sprout out of the soil, 25-50 kg of wood ash should be spread 2-3 times, per mu, to promote the healthy growth of seedlings.

Apply mixed organic fertilizer (fully decomposed manure that meets harmless hygiene standards: wood ash = 1:2) once in April and May, 500-1000 kg per mu, to promote plant growth.

From June to August, the plant enters the bud formation, flowering and fruiting period. Mixed fertilizer should be applied 2 to 3 times, with 1000 to 1500 kg of mixed fertilizer applied per mu each time, with the same mixing ratio as above, plus about 25 kg of superphosphate.

5. Scaffolding and adjusting light transmittance

Panax notoginseng likes shade, so artificial cultivation requires a shed for shade. The shed should be 1.5 to 1.8 meters high, with side sheds built around it.

The materials for the shed are locally sourced. Generally, prefabricated wood or cement strips are used as shed columns, iron wire is pulled as crossbeams on the roof, and bamboo is woven into grids to lay the roof cover.

The light transmittance of the greenhouse affects the growth and development of Panax notoginseng. If the light transmittance is too little, the plants will be thin and weak, prone to diseases and pests, and will have few flowers and fruits; if the light transmittance is too much, the leaves will turn yellow and will easily wilt early.

Generally, the principle of "sparse at the beginning, dense in the middle, and sparse at the end" should be followed, that is, the light transmittance in spring is 30% to 40%, and in summer it is slightly lower, at 20% to 30%. In autumn, when the weather turns cooler, the light transmittance gradually increases to 40% to 50%. Under normal growth conditions, it is sufficient to maintain a light transmittance of about 30%.

5. Seed saving and threshing

When keeping Panax notoginseng seeds, you should choose plants that are healthy, free of pests and diseases, and have produced full fruits for more than three years. You should strengthen field management and appropriately cut off some of the small flowers on the outer edge of the inflorescence to concentrate the nutrients and promote full fruits.

For two-year-old Panax notoginseng and those not kept for seeds, in order to prevent unnecessary consumption of nutrients and concentrate the supply on the growth of underground roots, all the flower stalks should be removed when they appear in July, which can increase the yield of Panax notoginseng.

The stalk removal should be done on a sunny day. The picked flower stalks can be collected, dried and used as medicine, which is called "Sanqi flowers".