Three Methods of Treating the Seeds of Astragalus membranaceus

There are three methods of seed treatment of Radix Astragali, one of which can be chosen.

(1) soaking seeds with water temperature change: a few days before sowing, soak the seeds in 40 ℃ warm water during the day, change cold water at night, treat them continuously for 3 days and nights, remove them and put them in a jar, cover them with a wet cloth and put them in a warm place to accelerate germination. After 3 to 4 days, they can germinate and sow. You can also quickly stir the seeds in boiling water for 1 minute, immediately pour into cold water, cool the water temperature to 40 ℃, soak for 2 hours, pour out the water, cover the wet sack for 12 hours, and sow when the seed expands or the outer skin breaks.

(2) Mechanical damage: mix 1 part of fine river sand and 2 parts of seeds evenly, put them on a medium-sized mill, spread them 3-4 cm thick, and grind them until the seed coat burrs. After grinding, the seeds were screened, soaked in 20 ℃ warm water for 1 day, piled in a warm place, germinated in about 5 days, and then sowed. Be careful not to grind the seeds too much, otherwise the seed embryos will be injured, the seeds will be easily infected by germs, there will be more rotten seeds after sowing, and the seedling emergence rate will be reduced.

(3) sulfuric acid treatment: for mature and hard seeds, soak them in 70%-80% sulfuric acid solution for 3-5 minutes, rinse them in running water for 30 minutes, or wash the residual sulfuric acid on the seeds with clean water for 30 minutes, and sow them with slightly dry. the germination rate can reach more than 90%.