How to plant Atractylodes lancea

Atractylodes lancea , a perennial herb belonging to the genus Atractylodes of the Asteraceae family, has its rhizomes widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has many trade names for medicinal materials, such as Han Atractylodes and Mao Shu, which can be roughly divided into two categories: northern Atractylodes produced in the north and southern Atractylodes produced in the south. Let’s learn the planting method of Atractylodes lancea below.

1. Site selection, land preparation and fertilization

Choose loam, sandy loam or humus loam with deep soil, good drainage, looseness, fertility and plenty of sunlight as the planting site. Apply 2,000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. The large ridge raised bed technology is adopted, the bed width is 130-140 cm, the length is determined according to needs, the bed height is 10-12 cm, and the bed spacing is 30 cm.

2. Reproduction method

Division: When the buds are just about to sprout in mid-to-late May, dig out the old seedlings with their roots, remove the soil, cut the rhizomes into several small pieces, each with 1-3 buds, and then plant them in the field.

Rhizome: When harvesting, dig out the rhizomes, cut off the rhizomes with buds, and use the rest for medicinal purposes. After the incisions are dry, dig holes for planting at a row spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm, plant one piece in each hole, and cover with soil and compact it.

Seeds: Raise seedlings in late April, choose sunny land as the seedbed, apply base fertilizer before sowing and then cultivate the land, harrow and level it, make a 1-meter-wide bed, and sow in rows or broadcast. When sowing in rows, dig horizontal furrows on the bed surface with a distance of 20-25 cm and a depth of 3 cm. Sow the seeds evenly and cover with soil. Broadcasting is to evenly sow seeds directly on the bed surface and cover with 2-3 cm of soil. Use 3-4 kg of seeds per mu. Cover with straw after sowing to keep moisture. Remove the straw after the seedlings grow out. Thin out the seedlings when they are about 3 cm tall, and transplant them out when they are about 10 cm tall. The spacing between rows and plants should be 15 cm x 30 cm. After planting, cover the soil, compact it, and water it. It is easy to survive if planted on rainy days or in the afternoon.

3. Field management

Intertillage and weeding: Weed and loosen the soil frequently during the seedling stage, and pay attention to intertillage and weeding after planting. Watering should be done in time during drought, and it can be combined with topdressing.

Top dressing: Apply top dressing three times a year and combine with soil cultivation to prevent lodging. The first top dressing is in May with clear manure water, about 1000 kg per mu; the second top dressing is in June when the seedlings are at their peak of growth, with human manure and urine, about 1250 kg per mu, or 5 kg of ammonium sulfate fertilizer per mu; the third top dressing is in August before flowering, with 1000-1500 kg of human manure and urine per mu, plus an appropriate amount of wood ash and superphosphate.

Irrigation and drainage: Water promptly during drought to keep the soil moist; drain promptly during the rainy season to prevent waterlogging, so as to avoid root rot and seedling death, and reduce yield and quality.

Bud removal: During the budding period from July to August, the buds of Atractylodes lancea plants that are not kept for planting should be removed in time to facilitate the growth of the underground part.

4. Harvesting and processing

Atractylodes lancea can be harvested after growing for 2 years. Atractylodes lancea can be harvested in spring and autumn, but the quality is best when it is harvested from late autumn to early spring of the following year before the seedlings emerge from the ground. After digging out, the stems, leaves and soil are removed, and when they are 50% dry, they are put into baskets and some of the fibrous roots are knocked off, and the skin turns dark brown. When they are 60% to 70% dry, they are knocked once more to remove all the old skin. When they are completely dry, they are knocked one last time to make the skin turn yellow brown, and it is ready for commercial use. The best ones are those that are big, solid, have many cinnabar spots on the cross section and have a strong aroma.

5. Disease and pest control of Atractylodes lancea

(1) Root rot

Harm: The disease occurs in May and June, causing root rot, weakened ability to absorb water and nutrients, and eventually death of the entire plant.

Prevention and control: Pay attention to digging ditches for drainage, remove diseased plants immediately when found, water with 1000 times diluted 50% wettable powder of thiophanate-methyl, or 1% lime water , or spray with 800 times diluted 50% thiophanate-methyl.

(2) Aphids

Harm: It affects leaves and tender shoots, especially in spring and summer.

Prevention and control: Spray with 1000 times diluted 50% cypermethrin emulsion, 3000 times diluted 50% cypermethrin wettable powder, or 3000 times diluted 2.5% metsulfuron emulsion, or use 1:1:10 tobacco lime water for prevention and control.

(3) Cutworms

Harm: Young larvae feed on cotyledons and young leaves, while middle-aged and old larvae feed on the tender stems of plants near the soil surface, causing the plants to wither and die.

Prevention and control: Use 80% DDT or 50% chlorpyrifos mixed with water for root irrigation, or mix 50% chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate with fine sand and spread it.

The above is an introduction to the key points of planting Atractylodes lancea. Atractylodes lancea has a good prospect, but it requires choosing a suitable environment for planting.