How to plant Artemisia annua seeds?

Artemisia annua is an annual herb of the genus Asteraceae. The whole growth period is about 120 days. It likes moist, avoid drought, is afraid of waterlogging, requires sufficient light, and has high medicinal value. Its extract artemisinin derivatives can produce many series of drugs, and the crop is rough and easy to manage. The growth period is short, the investment is short, and the income is fast. Let's take a look at how to grow Artemisia annua seeds.

Seed collection and soil preparation

The seeds of Artemisia annua were collected from September to October, and the mature seed plants were cut back to dry and shake off the seeds, and the seed shells and impurities were removed and stored. Sowing in the middle of February, the sunny and moist alluvial soil should be selected before sowing, with an altitude of 600-750 meters above sea level. First, the selected land is applied to the ground with 2000-2500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, and then the land is ploughed, and the bottom fertilizer is turned into the soil for fine leveling, making a 1.3-meter-high border with a height of 20 cm in east-west direction.

Sowing and raising seedlings

Artemisia annua seeds before sowing will be mixed into seed ash, evenly spread border surface, and then cover a thin layer of plant ash, in order to cover the seeds. After emergence, we should pay attention to drought prevention and seedling protection, and it is appropriate to apply light human and animal dung water at the seedling stage, 800kg per mu. When the plant height is 5 to 10 centimeters, it can be transplanted. The amount of seed used per mu is 100g to 150g, and 280000 ~ 300000 transplanting seedlings can be obtained, which can be planted on 2.67ha.

Land preparation and transplanting

Artemisia annua transplanting land per mu with soil fertilizer or cattle and horses manure 2000kg 2500kg, add calcium superphosphate 100kg 150kg, mix well, spread the ground, turn the soil, ploughing fine leveling. Make 1.3 meters high border, ditch depth of 10-15 cm, border north-south direction, can be planted. The holes were dug in the border according to the row spacing of 26.5 × 26.5 cm, and 1 plant was planted in each hole, with 7500 seedlings per mu. If planting in wide and narrow rows, ginger can be planted within rows, corn can also be planted at 0.8 × 1.2 meters, and Artemisia annua can be planted at 40 × 60 cm in wide rows.

Field management

Artemisia annua must be weeded for 2 times from transplanting to harvest, topdressing combined with weeding, and extra-root topdressing can be applied for 2 times. For the first time, a shallow hoe was carried out after the seedlings survived. After hoing, 1000-1500 kg of light human and animal feces, 3-5 kg of urea and 2-3 kg of superphosphate were mixed evenly and applied to the human hole. For the second time, weeding was carried out once before closing the row, and after weeding, 1000-1500 kg of human and animal manure per mu, 10 kg of urea, 30 kg of calcium superphosphate and 10 kg of potassium chloride were evenly applied to the hole. When the artemisia grows to 1 meter high, the tender tip of 0.5 cm at the top is removed to promote multiple lateral branches and increase yield.

Pest control

The main disease of Artemisia annua is powdery mildew, also known as wax gourd powdery mildew, which occurs from June to July. The disease develops from old leaves to new leaves. The disease spreads all over the leaves and is the ascomycete of the pathogen. When the disease occurs, it is sprayed with 0.3 Baomei stone-sulfur mixture for 2 times, or 500 times with wettable powder and 800 times with water. The main pest of Artemisia annua is aphid, which is sprayed with 1000 times of dimethoate EC to control the tender shoots.

Harvest and processing

Artemisia annua can be harvested in the bud stage from July to August of the same year, because the artemisinin content in the bud stage is 0.986%, which is the suitable harvest period. When harvesting, cut off the whole plant and dry it, beat down the dried leaves with a stick or curtain cover, pick up the impurity stems and branches, and store them in a ventilated and dry place. Dried leaves of Artemisia annua can be directly used in the formula of traditional Chinese medicine. If artemisinin is extracted, the dried leaves will be packed immediately and transported to the pharmaceutical factory, and the effective components will be extracted according to a certain technological process.