Planting methods and conditions of Atractylodes lancea

As a traditional Chinese medicinal material , Atractylodes lancea is the dried rhizome of the Asteraceae plant Atractylodes lancea or Atractylodes macrocephala. Its original name is Atractylodes. In recent years, more and more growers have seen the value of Atractylodes lancea and have planted more and more of them. Let's learn about the planting methods and conditions of Atractylodes lancea.

1. Preparation of planting site

1. Site selection: Choose uncultivated or newly reclaimed land that is well ventilated, cool and moist, well-drained, and has fertile sandy loam.

2. Land preparation: After selecting the land, apply 50 kg of compound fertilizer and 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu, deep plow the land to a depth of 15 to 20 cm, and use machinery to lay 80 cm wide black thickened ground film after leveling, keeping a distance of 30 to 40 cm between the ground films.

Note: Arrange the land according to the terrain characteristics, ensure the drainage system is smooth and there is no water accumulation, and apply sufficient base fertilizer to ensure soil fertility.

2. Preparation of seedlings

1. Seedling selection: Choose healthy Atractylodes tubers planted in the previous year as seeds. They must be free of diseases and insect pests, have abundant tuber buds, and no rotten roots.

2. Seedling cutting: First cut off the excess fibrous roots, and then cut the tubers into small tubers 3 to 4 cm long with 2 to 3 buds and weighing about 15 to 20 grams according to the natural growth nodes. Be careful not to make too many incisions or too large.

Note: Give priority to tubers that are free of pests and diseases and have many buds as seeds. Home-grown Atractylodes should be cut into pieces before use, while wild ones can be broken apart directly.

3. Seedling disinfection: Soak the cut seedlings in 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate-methyl solution diluted to 1000 times for 3 to 5 minutes, or spray directly for disinfection. The sterilized seedlings need to be dried before they can be planted.

Note: The seedlings must be disinfected and properly stored after drying for transplanting.

3. Planting

1. Planting time : The best planting time is sunny days from November to April of the following year. Planting in winter is better than planting in spring, especially before the soil freezes.

2. Soil conditions: The soil should maintain good moisture content but not be too wet. The soil should be of suitable moisture if it can be squeezed into a ball by hand but falls apart when you let go.

3. Film planting method: Plant 3 rows on a 80 cm wide film, with a row spacing of 20 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm. Use a gardening shovel to make holes 8 to 10 cm deep, put the seedlings in, make sure the buds are facing up and the fibrous roots or broken surfaces are facing down, and cover with 3 to 5 cm of soil to avoid covering the holes too thickly.

4. Field Management

1. Weeding: After the Atractylodes lancea seedlings emerge, around April to May, when all the seedlings are out, weeds will also grow and need to be weeded in time. Choose a sunny day to carry out the work, and at the same time loosen the soil, add soil, and clear ditches. Weeding is required several times before the beginning of the dog days. Weeding is not suitable in hot and humid seasons, and weeding should be avoided after rain or when the dew has not dried.

2. Top dressing: Apply top dressing in time according to the growth of Atractylodes lancea to ensure soil fertility.

3. Pest and disease control: Atractylodes lancea is susceptible to diseases such as black spot, white rot and root rot.

Black spot disease: mainly attacks leaves and seriously affects yield.

White rot: mainly attacks underground rhizomes and can cause plant death.

Root rot: It also attacks the rhizomes and can cause the death of the plant.

Prevention and control methods include seed disinfection and chemical control. From May to August, spray fungicides such as carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, mancozeb , etc. every 10 to 15 days. Once plants with root rot or white rot are found, they should be dug up and destroyed immediately to prevent the spread of the disease.

5. Harvest

The harvest is carried out on sunny days from November to March or April of the following year, and care is taken to avoid damaging the rhizomes. After cleaning the above-ground part, it should be dug up and processed in time. Do not use fire when drying and removing soil from the roots.

In general, if you want to grow Atractylodes lancea, in addition to mastering the planting techniques, you must also consider whether the local environmental conditions are suitable for growing Atractylodes lancea.