Astragalus cultivation

Scutellaria baicalensis, also known as Yuanqi and Beiqi, is a perennial leguminous herb with deep rhizomes. It mostly grows in drought-stricken barren hills or on the edge of forests, between bushes, and in sandy soil with thick soil. During the entire planting process, avoid high temperatures and repeated crops, and it is not suitable for rotation with potatoes. Habits: likes cool climate, resistant to drought, low temperature, and afraid of waterlogging. The roots have medicinal value and have the effects of replenishing qi and blood, strengthening qi, supporting sores and removing toxins. Today, the editor will talk to you about the cultivation techniques of Scutellaria baicalensis.

1. Tillage and fertilization

Scutellaria baicalensis is a deep-rooted green plant. It is best planted in silt or sandy loam land with thick soil and good drainage. It is not suitable for planting in tidal land or heavy saline-alkali land, otherwise it will easily cause root rot and affect growth and development. The previous crop should be leguminous plants or sedge crops, and the soil should be slightly acidic or neutral.

Generally, 1000-4005kg of organic fertilizer, 15kg of diamine, 45kg of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and 5kg of microbial potassium fertilizer are applied per mu, and they are evenly topdressed. Then deep plowing is carried out, and sub-filming is carried out one week before planting. Sub-filming is beneficial to warming up the soil temperature and is convenient for seed germination.

2. Sowing date and planting method

Generally, planting is carried out in mid-to-late April. Choose dark brown, round and shiny seeds. Rub with gravel to minimize damage to the seed coat. Before planting, soak the seeds in 50% potassium permanganate solution for 2-4 hours to sterilize them. After the seeds swell, pick them up at any time for planting. The seed rate per mu is 2-2.3 kg. When the full film covering technology is used for planting, the spacing between planting rows is maintained at about 15-20 cm, and the planting depth is about 2 cm.

3. Thinning and finalizing seedlings

When the seedlings are 3-5cm tall, they should be planted manually, and those that are too dense should be thinned out, removing the weak and keeping the strong, and missing seedlings should be supplemented immediately.

4. Fertilization and watering

Scutellaria baicalensis should be fertilized once when the plant height is around 15 cm or during the best growth and development period. Rotate tillage and fertilize beside the ridges, apply 6-8 kg of urea solution per mu, and spray 60-80 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate. In summer, watering should be done in the morning, noon and evening. Do not water when it rains. In case of flooding, the drainage pipes should be drained immediately. Also, root rot and seedling death should be prevented.

5. Pest control

In the early stage of downy mildew, sprayers such as mancozeb, triadimefon, triadimefon, oxathiapiprolin, and ethersporin should be used once every 10 days for 2-3 times; purple feather disease damages the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis, causing root rot, yellowing and wilt of the main stem from top to bottom, and eventually the whole plant dies. The diseased plants should be pulled out and the diseased holes should be disinfected and sterilized with quicklime powder. Drugs such as carbendazim and propiconazole can be used for prevention. The use of hazardous chemicals and high-residue fertilizers is strictly prohibited; budworms can be prevented with drugs such as acetamiprid, acetamiprid, and pymetrozine, and pod borers can be prevented with emamectin benzoate, avermectin, and pyrethroids. Apply once a week for 2-3 consecutive preventions.

6. Obtain production and processing

Scutellaria baicalensis is harvested once a year, or once every two or three years. It is harvested in early to mid-October. When harvesting, part of the ground is cut off first, and then excavated with an excavator, which can save costs and labor. The harvested Scutellaria baicalensis roots are dried in the sun, the root hairs are trimmed, divided and tied into several bundles, and placed in a ventilated and cool place for sale.

Health education knowledge: Scutellaria baicalensis has always been considered to be able to replenish qi and strengthen the exterior, especially good at replenishing qi and blood. Appropriate consumption can warm and replenish qi and blood, strengthen the spleen and stomach and generate yang, which is beneficial to enhance immunity. It is suitable for people with weak constitution, prone to colds, and fear of cold.