(Lai Ting Chi)

Lysimachia foenum-graecum Hance is also known as zero-ling incense and vanilla. It is a perennial herb in the family of primrose. Mainly produced in Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, secondary production in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Taiwan and other provinces. The whole herb is used as medicine. The whole grass contains similar coumarin, aromatic oil, in recent times in the industrial refining flavor ingredients, high-grade spices, beverages, toothpaste, soap, etc., and is the custody of clothing and books of good insect prevention. Taste sweet, flat, non-toxic. It has the functions of dispelling wind and cold, avoiding plague, promoting qi and relieving pain, and driving away insects. Treatment of cold and headache, toothache, sore throat, chest fullness and abdominal distension, roundworms and other diseases.

I. Morphological Characteristics

The plant is 20-40cm tall, erect or creeping. Stolons bearing adventitious roots. Stem glabrous, angular or narrowly winged. Leaves alternate, ovate or elliptic, 2-5cm long, 1.2-3cm wide, entire, gray-green, base decurrent, petiole 0.5-1.2cm long, the surface of the leaves and stems are densely covered with small brown glandular dots, the aroma is not significant when fresh, but the aroma is strong after drying. Flowers solitary in leaf axils, pedicels slender, sepals 5, lanceolate, 7-8 cm; corolla yellow, 5-parted, lobes obovate, ca. l-5 cm, 5 stamens, inserted at mouth of corolla tube, detached, opposite petals, filaments very short, ovary superior, styles elevated above stamens, capsule globose, gray-white, with persistent calyx and styles; seeds tiny, black-brown (Figs 16 The seeds are tiny, black-brown (Figs. 16-16).

Figure 16-16 Morphological diagram of Lingzhuanzhuang

Two, biological characteristics

Preferring cool and humid climate, Lingzhuanzhuangzhuang distribution area of the Dayao Mountains in Guangxi, grows in the deep forests of the mountains and valleys above the elevation of 1200m shaded wetland areas, with an average annual temperature of 14.9 ℃, an annual rainfall of 1500mm -2000mm, when the average daily temperature of 1500mm -2000mm, the average daily temperature of 1500mm -2000mm. The average annual temperature is 14.9℃, the annual rainfall is 1500-2000mm, when the average daily temperature is 9-10℃, the young buds start to sprout. Monthly average temperature of 13-19 ℃, relative humidity in more than 85%, shade degree of 75%, soil layer deep conditions, plant height growth every 5 days can increase 1cm or so. The cool climate of spring and fall in Dayao Mountain, due to forest cover and stable relative humidity, provides a good growing environment for Lingzhuanzhao, therefore, two obvious growth peaks are formed in its annual growth week: period (Table 16-16).

Table 16-16 Influence of climatic conditions on the growth of Spirit Vanilla in different seasons

Location, Dayao Mountain, Guangxi, 1983-1984 data.

Temperature is a limiting factor in the distribution of Lingzhuan, Lingzhuan does not tolerate high temperature, although the humidity is suitable, but the temperature is too high in the area should not be planted, after planting the growth is slow, the leaves are yellow until the whole plant dies, in the summer and fall high temperature season the average daily temperature is not more than 30 ℃ is preferred, but it can tolerate the low temperature of -2 ℃.

Three, cultivation techniques

(a) varieties

Current cultivars are divided into large-leafed, medium-leafed, small-leafed three varieties of stems and branches have three-angled or four-angled. There are two kinds of red flowers and yellow flowers in terms of flower color. The flowering period is about 25 days. Large-leafed species, stem thick leaves grow fast, but fewer plants, low yield, poor disease resistance; medium-leafed species, stem and leaves are smaller than large-leafed species, but more plants, fast growth, high yield, strong disease resistance; small-leafed species stem and leaves are smaller than medium-leafed species, slow growth, more plants, low yield, strong disease resistance. At present, large-scale production, promote the cultivation of medium-leafed species.

(2) Selection and land preparation

Select the deep mountains cool and moist, with deciduous layer and rich in humus and well-drained mixed woodland. In particular, it is preferable to the loose raw barren land. After thinning to make the shade under the forest in about 75%, and then the weeds, dead leaves, grass roots, etc. removed, per acre into the 70-100kg phosphate fertilizer, 1000-1500kg turf ash as a base fertilizer. Deep plowing, broken soil and harrowing, made 90cm wide raised beds.

(C) propagation methods

1. Seed propagation

Spring sowing late March to early April, fall sowing in early September. Strip sowing or sowing, rows of plants 20cm apart, when sowing, first mix the seeds with fine soil, evenly sown, thinly covered with fine soil or grass ash, at 18-20 ℃, 15-20 days seedling. Because of the long cultivation cycle with seed propagation, generally less use of this method.

2. cuttings propagation

Annually in April-May, select the thick, disease-free current year plants, cut about 4-5cm long plug, each plug with 1-2 leaves, according to the rows of plant spacing 6 × 5cm cuttings, the insertion of the depth of the soil into the 3/4 appropriate, then press the soil tightly, watering, and so on. Then press the soil tightly, water, keep the soil moist. Generally use about 75kg of seedlings per mu.

(D) field management

1. Weeding

To be planted after the survival of the plant, weeding twice a year, and at the same time remove the dead leaves. The first time before flowering (February-March). The second time in October-November. Shortly after planting, in case of heavy rain plugs will be overturned by the rain, after the rain to check the replacement plugs.

2. Fertilization

Because of the Lingxiang grassland is a wild plant, the masses traditionally have planting habits, but the yield is very low. The average mu yield is about 30kg. In recent years, due to the expansion of the planting area, a reasonable fertilization to improve the yield per unit area. Fertilization and no fertilization on the yield of lingzhuanzhao has a great impact, where the fertilization are more than the control has obvious yield effect, which is treated with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium yield effect is the largest, the average mu yield of 125.2kg, than the control yield increase of 27%. Followed by nitrogen-phosphorus treatment of 21% yield increase over the control (Table 16-17).

Table 16-17 Effects of fertilization on the yield of Lingzhi Vanilla

Note: (1) The information is quoted from: Guangxi Jinxiu Foreign Trade Bureau, Scientific and Technological Information, 1988, the first issue.

(2) The control is no fertilizer, N centistokes 5.0kg of urea per mu per year, P 15kg of calcium and magnesium phosphorus per mu per year, and K 7.5kg of potassium sulphate per mu per year.

On the same environment and soil fertility of the same land, the individual development of the plants without fertilization showed light green leaves, weak stalks, and slow growth; after fertilizer application, the plants grew rapidly, with thick dark-green leaves and thick stalks. After fertilization, the plant grows rapidly, the leaf blades are deep green and thick, the stalks are thick and robust, there are fewer diseases, the flowering and fruiting are normal, and the effect of yield increase is obvious.

(E) Disease cellar and its prevention and control

1. Bacterial soft rot

(Erwinia carotovora var. carotovora Y.X.Chen)

is a destructive disease, is also the main disease of lingzhuanzhi, it can occur throughout the year, with the fastest speed of popularity around the time of blossoming, is the peak of the disease. It is the peak of the disease, mainly affecting the leaves, stalks, flowers and other parts of the plant, resulting in leaf rot and top rot.

2. Paiwan spotted wilt

(Sepioria lysimachiae Westend)

Disease spots can cause defoliation, and there are often mixed with soft rot bacteria, and exacerbate the damage of soft rot. Prevention and control methods: (1) pharmaceutical control, field leaf rate of 1-2% or rotting top rate of 0.1%, the field has not yet formed a clear center of the disease for the application of the key period, the available agro-streptomycin 200 ppm + 75% Chlorothalonil wettable powder 500 times liquid, or agro-streptomycin 200 ppm + 25% carbendazim wettable powder 250 times liquid. Spray, the above two pathogens of the compound infection, the control effect of 80-90% or more, the residual period is generally about a month. Therefore, in order to improve the effectiveness of prevention, should not apply nitrogen fertilizer before spraying, and should stop using drugs one month before harvesting, to avoid residual toxicity, affecting the quality of Lingzhuan grass; (2) winter clearing and treatment and burning of residues to reduce the source of overwintering disease. Planting of disease-free seedlings or seedling disinfection; (3) timely removal of weeds in the field and avoid mechanical damage.

Four, harvesting and processing

(a) Harvesting

Ling Vanilla can be harvested all year round, but winter harvesting is good, its yield is high and the quality is good. Pull up the whole plant and remove the mud and sand. In order not to affect the area and yield of the following year, to achieve less seed and more harvest, only the above ground part of the harvest, do not get rid of the root, especially the soil is fertile, less disease, the growth of the site, it should be more so, the advantages are: 1. pick 1 acre to retain 1 acre of area, can be a medicine saving 65-70kg of primrose seed. 2. save labor. 3. leave the root than the new planting of the planting of the division of the plant more, fast growth, high yield. 4. The method of harvesting the stems and leaves while leaving the roots is to harvest from the roots at 4-5cm for regeneration. After harvesting in a timely manner to remove the weeds and dead leaves and branches in the ground, and then use 100kg of phosphorus fertilizer and 2.5kg of nitrogen fertilizer mixed with 150-200kg of soil, applying cover the roots of lingzhang grass.

(II) Processing

In order to facilitate transportation, it can be dried on the mountain with an open fire. However, the spirit of the herb is flammable, especially in the drying to seventy to eighty percent, we must be especially careful to watch the fire, otherwise once the fire will be all burned out, can not be salvaged.

Product quality requirements: the stem and leaves are tender, gray-green, dry, fragrant, no sediment impurities is good. In order to achieve this, baking with charcoal fire or roasting room. If baked with firewood to prevent excessive smoke, resulting in lingzhi vanilla odor smoke or black.