Planting technology and management methods of Ophiopogon japonicus

Ophiopogon japonicus is a perennial herb belonging to the Liliaceae family. It has a well-developed root system and tough fibrous roots, which often swell into white fleshy tubers at the front or middle part. They have various shapes, including spindle, cylindrical or elliptical. Ophiopogon japonicus prefers a warm and humid climate, requiring sufficient precipitation and a long frost-free period. It has a certain degree of cold resistance and can survive at temperatures as low as -10℃. It can spend the winter outdoors in the southern regions, while in the northern regions it needs covering to maintain soil moisture for safe wintering. Let's learn about the planting techniques and management methods of Ophiopogon japonicus .

1. Reproduction Technology

The propagation of Ophiopogon japonicus is mainly carried out by division. During the harvest season from April to May, select Ophiopogon japonicus plants with dark green leaves, vigorous growth and no diseases or insect pests. After digging them out, remove the soil and cut off the tubers for sale. Next, cut off the nodes at the bottom of the rhizome, leaving about 0.5 cm long of the stem base, and select those with white cross-section and intact leaves as high-quality seedlings. Be careful not to keep the rhizomes too long to prevent the formation of double nodes after planting, commonly known as "tall-legged seedlings", which will result in fewer tubers and lower yields. Then, loosen the rhizomes gently at the base, separate them into individual plants, tie them into small bundles with straw, cut off the leaf tips to reduce water evaporation, and plant them immediately. For seedlings that cannot be planted immediately, the base should be soaked in clean water. After absorbing enough water, they should be buried in loose soil in a cool place for transplanting and watered regularly. However, the storage time should not exceed 5 days to avoid affecting the survival rate.

2. Land preparation and fertilization

Since Ophiopogon japonicus has many roots and they are mainly distributed in the shallow soil layer, about 20 to 25 cm deep, the land needs to be plowed three times to ensure that the soil is sufficiently loose. When preparing the land, apply 2 tons of decomposed compost or manure and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu. Before planting, the land should be plowed again, leveled and raked to make a flat bed 1.2 to 1.3 meters wide, and drainage ditches should be dug around it to prevent water accumulation.

3. Transplanting

The time for transplanting Ophiopogon japonicus is usually around Qingming Festival, and the most suitable period is from the Spring Equinox to Qingming Festival. Choose a sunny or cloudy day for transplanting, and divide the plants while harvesting. On the prepared bed surface, dig horizontal furrows with a row spacing of 15 to 20 cm and a depth of about 5 cm, and then plant 3 seedlings with a plant spacing of 8 to 10 cm. When planting, make sure the seedlings are straight, fill the soil and compact it, and immediately water them to promote the rapid growth of new roots.

4. Field Management

Ophiopogon japonicus seedlings are relatively small, so the first weeding is required half a month after planting. Generally, weeding is required 3 to 4 times to promote the growth of Ophiopogon japonicus seedlings. Ophiopogon japonicus planted in spring can also be intercropped with crops such as corn. Since Ophiopogon japonicus has a long growth period and requires more fertilizer , staged topdressing is a key measure to increase yield, and usually three times of topdressing are required. Between April and May, apply 1.5 tons of human and animal manure or 7.5 to 10 kilograms of ammonium sulfate per mu. The flowering period of Ophiopogon japonicus is from June to July, which is the period of tuber growth. At this time, in combination with weeding, apply compound fertilizer or composted pig and cow manure rich in potassium and phosphorus, wood ash, superphosphate, etc., apply it to the base and cover it with soil. Apply winter fertilizer again in October.

5. Pest and disease control

1. Black spot

The disease usually begins in mid-April and is particularly severe during the rainy season. The affected leaves first turn yellow and brown at the tips, and then gradually spread to the entire plant. In severe cases, green or white water-like spots appear on the leaves, causing large areas of Ophiopogon japonicus to wither and die. Prevention and control methods include selecting healthy and disease-free plants as seed plants, soaking the seedlings in 1:1:100 Bordeaux liquid for 15 minutes before planting, and draining accumulated water in time during the rainy season to reduce field humidity. In the early stage of the disease, spread 100 kg of wood ash per mu. During the disease period, spray Bordeaux mixture or 500 times diluted 65% zinc sulfide, once every 10 days for 3 to 4 times.

2. Root-knot nematode disease

It mainly harms the roots, causing the formation of galls on the roots, shortening of the fibrous roots, and later rupture of the root bark, which turns reddish-brown. There are a large number of milky white shiny balls in the gall, which are female nematodes. Prevention and control methods include crop rotation with gramineous crops or water-land rotation, and avoiding crops such as root vegetables , flue-cured tobacco, beans, sweet potatoes, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Salvia miltiorrhiza. When preparing the land, apply 250 to 300 grams of active ingredient of 20% methyl isothion emulsion or 5% granules per mu, make poisoned soil and spread it on the bed surface and turn it into the soil to control nematodes.

3. Grubs

If it occurs from August to September, it can be killed by spraying 200 times diluted 90% dichlorvos.

6. Harvesting and Processing

①Harvest

Ophiopogon japonicus is usually harvested in early April of the second or third year after planting. Choose a sunny day and first use a plow to plow the soil 25 cm to turn out the Ophiopogon japonicus, shake off the soil, cut off the tubers and fibrous roots, put them in baskets respectively, place them in running water, and rub them with your feet to remove the mud and sand.

②Processing

Spread the washed Ophiopogon japonicus on a drying mat or a drying yard to dry in the sun. After the moisture is dry, rub it lightly with your hands, then dry it in the sun again. Repeat this several times until the roots are rubbed off. Then dry it in the sun until it is completely dry and use a sieve to remove impurities. If it is a rainy day, you can use a 40 to 50℃ slow fire to bake for 15 to 20 hours, take it out and leave it for a few days, then bake it until it is completely dry, sieve out impurities, and it is ready for sale.

③Storage

Due to the high sugar content of Ophiopogon japonicus, it is prone to insects and mold. Special attention must be paid to insect prevention during storage, but sulfur fumigation must not be used and the warehouse must be kept dry.

The above is an introduction to the planting techniques and key points of cultivation management of Ophiopogon japonicus. As a Chinese medicinal plant with great demand, Ophiopogon japonicus has a very good market prospect.