Atractylodes macrocephala planting technology and methods

Atractylodes macrocephala, as a traditional Chinese medicinal material , is famous for its rhizome parts for medicinal purposes. It is a perennial herb with red flowers. It occupies an important position in the nationwide Chinese medicinal materials market and is one of the commonly used medicinal materials with high demand. Over the years, Atractylodes macrocephala has always maintained good market sales. Its uniqueness makes it an important variety that cannot be replaced by other medicinal materials and it has an unshakable position in the market. Let’s learn about the planting techniques and methods of Atractylodes macrocephala below.

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Choose sandy loam with medium fertility, good drainage, ventilation and slightly acidic as the nursery ground, apply 2000 kg of farmyard manure for every 667 square meters, deep plow the land, harrow it and make 1.2-meter-wide ridges. For planting, the field should be fertile, ventilated, cool and well-drained sandy loam that has not been planted with Atractylodes within five years. It is suitable to be used as a gramineous crop before harvest. After harvest, apply 3000 kg of farmyard manure and 50 kg of superphosphate as base fertilizer per 667 square meters, deep plow the land to 20 cm, and make 1-1.5 meter wide ridges.

2. Reproduction Technology

Propagation is by seeds, mainly through seedling transplanting method.

1. Seedling cultivation

From late March to early April, select new seeds with full grains and no diseases or insect pests. Soak them in 30℃ warm water for one day and then germinate them before sowing. You can choose to sow in rows or broadcast. When sowing in rows, dig 4-6 cm deep furrows with a row spacing of 15 cm, sow seeds after watering, cover the soil and press lightly, cover the bed surface with grass to keep warm and moist, and water again. The sowing rate is 5-7 kg per 667 square meters. After 7-10 days when seedlings emerge, remove the covering grass and strengthen field management. Before winter transplanting, 400-600 kg of fresh sophora japonica plants can be cultivated per 667 square meters.

2. Transplantation

Transplantation is carried out from winter of the current year to spring of the following year. Choose plants that have not yet produced leaves and flowers, have strong main buds, small and neat rhizomes, and large apricot kernels. When transplanting, cut off the fibrous roots, dig 10 cm deep trenches with 25 cm row spacing, and plant at a spacing of about 15 cm, with the tips of the thorns facing up and level with the ground. Lightly press both sides after planting and water after planting. Generally, 80-100 kg of fresh Atractylodes macrocephala is required per 667 square meters.

3. Field Management

1. Management of planting sites

Weed the seedlings immediately after they emerge from the soil, and thin out the seedlings at a spacing of 4-6 cm. During drought, weed between plants to reduce water evaporation. Areas with conditions can water in the morning and evening to resist drought. If bolting is found in the late growth stage, it should be removed in time.

2. Field management

① Intertillage and weeding: From the emergence of seedlings to May, there are many weeds in the field and weeding is required frequently. The first few times of intertillage can be deep, and then shallow hoeing can be used. After mid-May, the plants grow vigorously and generally no inter-cultivation is required. The weeds between the plants are pulled out by hand.

② Fertilization: Before and after budding, apply 20 kg of urea and 30 kg of compound fertilizer in the inter-row furrows for every 667 square meters, cover with soil and water after application. One week after picking the buds, you can apply fertilizer again.

③ Irrigation and drainage: Atractylodes macrocephala needs sufficient water during its growth period, especially during the period of rhizome expansion. Water it in time during drought and drain the accumulated water in time after rain.

④ Bud picking: The plant starts to bud in mid-June, and the buds are usually picked in batches from early to mid-July after budding to before flowering. Picking buds is beneficial to improving the yield and quality of Atractylodes rhizomes. Field operations should be carried out after the dew has dried.

⑤ Cover with grass: In the hot season of July, you can spread a layer of leaves, wheat bran, etc. on the ground to regulate the ground temperature and help Atractylodes macrocephala safely survive the summer.

3. Pest and disease control

Common diseases and pests include damping-off, leaf blight, white rot (rhizome rot), root rot, rust, seed borer, sclerotinia, mosaic disease, armyworm, aphids, root-knot nematodes, cutworms, and southern dodder .

4. Pest and disease control

(1 Damping-off disease: It is prone to occur in low temperature and high humidity, and often occurs in the field where the artemisia is planted, harming the rhizomes. Prevention and control methods : reduce the humidity in the field; in the early stage of the disease, irrigate with 1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim.

(2) Iron leaf disease: also known as leaf blight. It starts in April and is particularly severe from June to August, damaging the leaves. Prevention and control methods: Remove diseased plants; use 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture in the early stage of the disease, and spray with 50% thiophanate or 1000 times diluted carbendazim in the later stage.

(3) White rot: also known as rhizome rot. The disease period is the same as above, and it harms the rhizomes. Prevention and control methods: Rotate crops with gramineous crops; remove diseased plants and disinfect diseased holes with quicklime powder; disinfect the soil with Trichoderma harzianum before planting.

(4) Root rot: also known as root rot. The disease period is the same as above, and it is especially severe when the humidity is high, damaging the roots. Prevention and control methods: Breed disease-resistant varieties; rotate crops with gramineous crops, or rotate crops from wetland to dryland; soak seeds in 1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim for 5-10 minutes before planting; irrigate the diseased area with 1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim or 50% thiophanate-methyl in the early stage of the disease. In areas where underground pests are seriously infested, you can use 1000-1500 times diluted dimethoate or 800 times diluted trichlorfon for irrigation.

(5) Rust: It starts in May and damages the leaves. Prevention and control methods: Clean the fields; spray with 1000 times diluted 25% oxycarboxin in the early stage of the disease.

(6) Seedworm: It starts to appear at the beginning of flowering and damages seeds. Prevention and control methods: deep plowing and freezing; rotation of water and land; spraying with 800 times diluted 80% DDT in the early stage of flowering.

In addition, there are also pests such as sclerotinia disease, mosaic disease, aphids, root-knot nematodes, southern dodder, and small cutworms.

5. Harvesting and Processing

In the planting year, the appropriate time to harvest is from late October to mid-November when the stems and leaves of Atractylodes begin to wither. When harvesting, the rhizomes are dug out, the stems are cut off, and the fruits are transported back for processing. When drying, use high heat at first and control the temperature between 90-100℃. When water vapor appears, cool it down to 60-70℃. Turn it over every 2-3 hours. When the fibrous roots are dry, take them out and pile them to "sweat" for 7-10 days, then bake them until they are completely dry, and rub off the remaining stems and fibrous roots. The best products are those with large and thick flesh, no tall stems, no hairy roots, firm and not hollow, yellow-white cross-section, and strong aroma. Generally, 300-400 kg of dry goods are produced per 667 square meters, with a dry rate of 30%.

The above is an overview of the planting techniques and methods of Atractylodes macrocephala. I hope it will be helpful for planting. If you have better Atractylodes macrocephala planting techniques, please feel free to share and discuss.