Astragalus seeds

Scutellaria baicalensis is one of the common Chinese herbal medicines. It grows on the edge of forests, under bushes or sparse forests, and is also commonly found in lawns or grasslands on hillsides. It has the effects of enhancing the body's immune function, protecting the liver, promoting urination, delaying aging, resisting stress, lowering blood pressure and a wide range of antibacterial effects. It has a very high planting value and is widely planted throughout my country. Let's take a look at how much one pound of Astragalus seeds cost!

How much do Astragalus seeds cost?

The market price of Astragalus seeds is about 60 to 80 yuan per catty, and generally 1 to 2 catties of seeds are enough per mu. Scutellaria baicalensis likes warm and cool weather, is resistant to low temperature and drought, but is afraid of cold and waterlogging. It is suitable for planting in sandy loam with a thick soil layer, containing lime and strong water permeability. It is not suitable for planting in highly saline and alkaline land. Avoid repeated cropping and is not suitable for rotation with potatoes and sesame. The seed hardness rate reaches 30-60%. In the first year, only leaves and stems grow without blooming. It will bloom and produce seeds in the second year.

Scutellaria baicalensis seeds solution

1. Seed collection: It is advisable to select authentic, disease-free, and healthy main stems of more than 3 years old as mother plants. Harvest them in autumn when the fruits are loose and yellow and the seeds are brown. After harvesting, thresh, dry and store. Before planting, choose seeds with round particles, dark brown and glossy.

2. Seed treatment: Astragalus seeds are hard, so seed treatment must be carried out before planting to eliminate the opacity of the seeds and increase the germination rate.

Soaking seeds at variable temperatures: Astragalus seeds can be soaked in 40℃ warm water during the day a few days before planting, and then changed to cold water at night. This process should be continued for 3 days and nights. After being picked up, they can be put into a ceramic pot, covered with a wet cloth, and placed in a warm place to promote germination. They will sprout in 3 to 4 days and can be planted.

Blood mechanical damage: Mix 1 part of fine river sand with 2 parts of seeds evenly, put it on a medium-sized roller and grind it until the seed coat is burred. After grinding, sieve the seeds, soak them in 20℃ warm water for 1 day, pile them up and ferment in a warm area, and they can be planted after they sprout in about 5 days.

Solution by adding hydrochloric acid: Mature and hard seeds can be soaked in 70-80% sulfuric acid solution for 3-5 minutes. After removal, quickly place them in running water and wash for 30 minutes or use cold water several times to wash the residual hydrochloric acid on the seeds. They can be planted after they are slightly dry. The germination rate can reach more than 90%.

How to plant Astragalus seeds?

1. Sowing period: Scutellaria baicalensis can be planted in spring, summer and autumn. Spring plowing starts around the Qingming Festival and no later than the Gu Yu Festival. Summer sowing starts in June and July, and autumn sowing generally starts around the Cold Dew Festival. However, the planting time varies depending on the climatic conditions across the country.

2. Planting: The direct seeding room cultivation technology of Scutellaria baicalensis is convenient and is widely used in current production, but it requires a large amount of seeds, causes uneven growth and development, and affects product quality and harvest. Generally, hole sowing or hole sowing is used, but it can also be broadcast.

Blood pressure hole sowing: Dig shallow holes on the surface of the prepared planting bed with a row spacing of 33 and a perimeter of 27 cm. Sow 4 to 5 seeds in each hole and fill the soil to a thickness of 2 cm. The seed rate per mu is about 1 to 1.5 kg.

Blood hole sowing: dig horizontal furrows on the bed surface with a row spacing of 45 cm and a furrow depth of 3 cm. When planting, mix the seeds with grass ash and human feces and urine and evenly spread them into the furrows. Cover with 1 to 2 cm of fine soil after sowing and tamp it slightly. The seed rate per mu is about 2 kg.

3. Seedling prep: In spring, it is best to use a small plastic greenhouse covered with sub-film to increase temperature and consolidate the soil. When the temperature is low, you can cover it with straw thatch for insulation. In summer, after the seedlings emerge, you must build a shed curtain or use a black net to block the light. On rainy days and at night, the shade curtain must be torn off to allow the seedlings to absorb dew.

4. Prosperous seedlings: After the Scutellaria baicalensis seedlings are unearthed, it is necessary to improve the cultivation technology, promptly eliminate weeds, and appropriately pull out the too dense and weak seedlings. When the seedlings are 13 to 15 cm tall and the roots are 15 cm long, they can be planted.

5. Planting: It is best to plant Scutellaria baicalensis in the afternoon and evening on rainy days or sunny days. The survival rate is higher after the rain. First, separate the seedlings of different sizes, then dig holes with a row spacing of 20 to 24 cm and a plant spacing of 12 cm. Transplant 1 to 2 seedlings to each hole. Generally, about 20,000 plants are planted per mu.

6. Weeding: The artificial weeding of Scutellaria baicalensis is the same as that of crops. Herbicides can also be used, that is, 150 grams of fluralin per mu, or 200 grams of laso per mu can be used during or after planting.

7. Fertilization: For Scutellaria baicalensis planting, apply ammonium sulfate in early to mid-May, 5-15KG per mu; in early to mid-June, apply urea solution, 7-10KG per mu; in early to mid-July, apply phosphate fertilizer, 50KG per mu, or 2000KG of farmyard manure.

8. Seed collection: Scutellaria baicalensis can be obtained in the third year of its growth. If harvested too early, the quality will be poor. If not harvested for a long time, it will easily become unhealthy or woody. It usually occurs when the main stem withers in autumn, or before sprouting in the spring of the second year.