Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.) alias Xiong? . It is a perennial herb of Umbelliferae. It is a famous authentic medicinal material in Sichuan Province, mainly produced in Guanxian and Chongqing counties, with a cultivation history of more than 400 years. The rest of Sichuan province and many provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China also have cultivation. Use rhizome as medicine. It contains ferulic acid, Ligusticum wallichii, 4- hydroxy -3- butyl camphene, chrysophanol, salvianic acid, Ligusticum wallichii, etc. Pharmacological experiments have the effects of inhibiting central nervous system, lowering blood pressure and resisting smooth muscle spasm. Pungent in taste and warm in nature. It has the functions of promoting blood circulation and qi circulation, dispelling wind and relieving pain. Treat menoxenia, amenorrhea, abdominal pain, chest pain, cold, dizziness, headache, rheumatism, angina pectoris and coronary heart disease.

I. Morphological characteristics

30-70cm high. The rhizome is an irregular fist-shaped lump, often with obvious wheel-shaped nodules, yellow-brown skin, yellow-white section and dense fibrous roots on the surface. Stems erect and cylindrical; Hollow, with longitudinal grooves on the surface; The upper branches, the middle and base nodes expand like disks, and the base nodes often have aerial roots. Leaves alternate, and the base of petiole expands into a sheath-like stalk; 2-3 odd pinnate compound leaves, 3-5 pairs of leaflets, irregularly pinnately divided or deeply divided, small lobes, hairless on both sides, only pubescent on veins. Compound umbels are terminal, and the pedicels and bracts are pubescent; Flowers small, white, calyx teeth 5; Petals 5, oval, with short tips protruding inward; Stamens 5; Ovary inferior, style 2, stigma capitate. The bilberry is oval with narrow wings (Figure14-22).

Fig.14-22 morphological diagram of Ligusticum chuanxiong hort.

1. Flowers 2. Roots 3. Flowers 4. Fruits

Second, biological characteristics

(1) Growth characteristics

In Guanxian County, Sichuan Province, the growing period of Chuanxiong is 280-290 days. 1 month, the overground part should be torn off during intertillage, which is called "winter medicine", which can be used as a boundary to divide the growth period into early and late stages. Sichuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine has taken samples by stages and observed the growth characteristics of Chuanxiong in the early and late stages (Figure14-23, 24).

Fig. 14—23 Changes of the aboveground growth of Ligusticum chuanxiong hort.

Fig. 14—24 changes of dry matter accumulation and rhizome volume expansion of Ligusticum chuanxiong hort.

1. prophase

After planting in August, the axillary buds on the stem nodes germinated immediately and the young leaves were pulled out. Growth is slow one month after planting. From mid-September to 1 1 mid-month, the aboveground parts grew vigorously, and the dry matter in leaves gradually increased, with the fastest increase in 1 1 early month. 1 1 mid-month, the plant height, plant width and leaf number are basically fixed, and the accumulation rate of dry matter in leaves is gradually slow; After1mid-February, the dry matter decreased slightly because some leaves withered and fell. Most of the early plants are basal foliage, and only some plants have1-2 short young stems.

New rhizome formation can be seen about one month after planting. During the vigorous growth period of shoot before the middle of 1 1 month, the dry matter accumulation of rhizome was not much, and the volume expanded faster than the material accumulation; After the overground growth slowed down, the rhizome grew rapidly and enriched, and the material accumulation rate gradually exceeded the volume expansion rate, and the accumulation was the fastest in1early February. About two months before the "winter medicine", the substances accumulated in the rhizome accounted for more than 80% of the previous period or more than 40% of the whole growth period.

2. Late stage

Some leaves were still green when the winter medicine was used, and they were unearthed one after another after a week of tearing off the aboveground parts. After mid-February, stems were widely plucked, and then the growth of stems and leaves increased rapidly with the increase of temperature. The number of stems and leaves was basically stable in late March, and the growth gradually slowed down after late April. The aboveground dry matter has been increasing in the later stage, and the accumulation speed is getting faster and faster, which is the fastest from the end of April to the beginning of May, and then slows down when it is close to harvest.

The dry weight of rhizome increased slightly one month after "Xiedong Medicine". Then about one and a half months later, because the stored nutrients were consumed by growing stems and leaves, although the volume was still growing, the dry matter was decreasing, and the dry matter rate decreased significantly. At the end of March, the dry weight of rhizome dropped to the lowest point in the later period. Since then, the rhizome has grown rapidly and enriched, the material accumulation has been accelerated day by day, and the accumulation speed has gradually caught up with and exceeded the volume expansion speed. About one and a half months before harvest, the dry matter accumulation of rhizome is almost half of the whole or nearly half of the whole growth period in the later period.

(2) Requirements for environmental conditions

Chuanxiong enjoys mild climate, and is mostly planted in Pingba area or hills at an altitude of 500-1000 m in Sichuan. Pingba area where Chuanxiong is planted in Guanxian County is about 700m above sea level. According to the meteorological records of1954-1980, the annual average temperature is 15.2℃, the extreme maximum temperature is 34℃, and the extreme minimum temperature is-5℃. The planting period is early August, with an average temperature of 25.0℃, and the harvesting period is late May, with an average temperature of 20.9℃. The number of days with annual average daily temperature ≥5℃ is 3 10. 1 day, and the accumulated temperature is 5315.7℃. It snowed for 5.5 days, frosted for 26.0 days and frosted for 96.6 days. The cultivation area should have sufficient sunshine; However, avoid exposure to the hot sun at the seedling emergence stage, and cover with grass for shade, otherwise the seedlings will die easily. In autumn and spring, the weather with clear daytime, dew in the morning and large temperature difference between day and night is the most favorable for the growth of Chuanxiong. The propagation materials of Ligusticum chuanxiong are often cultivated in mountainous areas with an altitude of 900-1500m. The climate in mountainous areas with higher altitude is colder, so the sunny place can be selected; Low mountains should be selected in semi-cloudy and semi-sunny places. If the sunshine is too strong and the temperature is too high, pests are often prone to occur.

Chuanxiong should grow in a humid environment with abundant rainfall. The annual precipitation in Guanxian County is 1243.7mm, and the average relative humidity is 8 1%. Seedlings need enough water when unearthed. If the topsoil is too dry, it is easy to lack seedlings. If there is too much rain in high temperature season, water will accumulate in the ground, and tubers will easily get sick and rot.

Chuanxiong cannot be continuously cultivated, otherwise the diseases and insect pests will be serious. The sandy loam with deep soil layer, loose and fertile soil, good drainage, rich organic matter content and neutral or slightly acidic soil should be selected in Pingba area. Cold sandy soil with sand is not easy to retain water and fertilizer, and yellow mud, white eel mud and wet fields with too heavy viscosity are not suitable for planting because of poor permeability and poor drainage. It is best to choose wasteland for breeding materials in mountainous areas, or you can use mature soil that has been fallow for 2-3 years, and the soil quality can be slightly sticky.

The root system of Ligusticum chuanxiong is mostly distributed in the topsoil, which requires that the topsoil can supply sufficient nutrients. Therefore, topdressing should be applied in time and frequently in the early stage of growth, so that the plants can grow into healthy green parts earlier, so that the roots can accumulate more assimilates in the same year and lay a material foundation for good growth in the next year. Chuanxiong likes organic fertilizer and is very sensitive to nitrogen fertilizer. On the basis of applying general farm fertilizer, adding nitrogen fertilizer can significantly increase production. Combined application of phosphorus and potassium can improve fertilizer efficiency and yield (table14-39).

Table 14—39 Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilizer on the Yield of Chuanxiong

Note: Fertilizer consumption per mu: farm manure-pig manure 3750kg, plant ash 100kg, soil manure1000kg; N-ammonium sulfate 25kg, P-calcium superphosphate 40kg, K-potassium sulfate 10kg.

Third, cultivation techniques

(1) Soil preparation

Breeding materials are cultivated in mountainous areas, weeds are removed after land selection, and the ground is burned with ash as base fertilizer. The cultivated land is about 25cm deep, thin and flat, and the border with a width of1.7-1.8m is made according to the topography and drainage conditions. Most of the crops before cultivation in Pingba area are early rice, and it is best to use green manure such as vetch and Chinese milk vetch in the previous crop. Drain the field water after the early rice is grouted, shovel the rice piles after harvesting, and furrow the border with a width of about 1.6m, a width of 33cm and a depth of about 25cm. Dig up the topsoil and make it into a fish back shape. It is best to spread compost or manure on the border first, and mix it with the topsoil when digging.

(2) Breeding method

Chuanxiong is propagated asexually, and the propagation material is aboveground stem nodes with internodes, which are commonly called "Lingzi". The main producing areas have always been cultivated in mountainous areas.

1. Cultivate "Lingzi"

From the end of 1 February to the middle of1month, part of the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong (called "Fuxiong") was dug in Pingba area, and the fibrous root soil was removed and transported to the mountainous area. The planting period should not be later than early February. When planting, open holes in the border, with the row spacing of 24-27 cm square and the hole depth of 6-7 cm. One Fuxiong can be planted in each hole, and two Fuxiong can be planted in small holes. The buds should be planted firmly upward, and compost or animal manure should be applied in the holes, and the soil should be covered and filled.

Emerge in early March. From the end of March to the beginning of April, when the seedling height is10-13 cm, the seedlings are thinned, the hole soil is leveled, the top of the rhizome is exposed, and 8-12 overground stems with uniform thickness and good growth are selected, and the rest are cut off from the base. After thinning the seedlings and weeding once in each intertillage in late April, topdressing was applied at the same time, and the holes were watered with the mixture of livestock manure and decomposed cake fertilizer.

In the middle and late July, when the stem nodes are obviously enlarged and slightly purple-brown, it is suitable for harvesting. It should be done on cloudy or sunny days after dew is dried. When harvesting, dig up the whole plant, remove the pests and rotten roots, leave healthy plants, remove leaves, and cut off the roots (dried for medicinal use). Bundle the stalks into small bundles, transport them to a cool cave or room, spread a layer of thatch on the ground, and put the stalks layer by layer, and cover them with thatch or brown mats. Turn up and down once a week; If the temperature in the pile or the storage place rises above 30℃, the pile should be turned over immediately to prevent rot.

In the first ten days of August, the stalks were taken out and cut into short sections with a disc in the middle, which were 3-4 cm long, and became the breeding Lingzi. According to the thickness of the culm and the location where it is planted, the polyporus are usually divided into four types: Dadangdang, Dashan, Zhengshan, Xianshan, Fibrous, Soft-top and Tulingzi (Figure14-25). Among them, the zhengshan system and Dashan system are better, and the seedlings are neat and grow well after planting; Soft tips and fibers are the nodes on the upper part of the culm, which are slender, the nodes are not prominent, and the stored nutrients are few, so it is best not to use them.

Figure 14—25 Ligusticum chuanxiong and Lingzi

1. Dadangdang 2. Dashan system 3. Zhengzheng system 4. Fine mountain system 5. Fiber 6. Soft top 7. Tulingzi is cultivated at an altitude of 1000m or near a new production area without mountains, and it is propagated by using Honda Lingzi. Breeding with Honda Lingzi, bright and sparse seedlings in early spring; The harvest period is extended to the end of June or the first and middle days of July; The stalks need to be stored for1-2 months, and if stored properly, good polyporus can be obtained. There is a close relationship between the overground and underground growth of Ligusticum chuanxiong. According to the measurement at harvest, the dry weight of stem and leaf is positively correlated with the dry weight of rhizome, and the correlation coefficient is r = 0.916 0.076. The cultivation of Lingzi by Honda will inevitably affect the growth of rhizomes; The storage period of stems is long, the nutrient consumption in stems is high, and they are vulnerable to insect pests. After years of continuous use of Honda Lingzi as seed, it is also prone to degeneration such as rhizome deformation; Therefore, as long as conditions permit, Chuanxiong Lingzi should still be cultivated in mountainous areas.

Step 2 plant

The first and middle days of August are suitable for planting, not later than the end of August. If the planting is too late and the growth period is short in the current year, the material accumulation of rhizomes will be reduced before winter. Before planting, carefully select Lingzi, and eliminate the ones that are infested, have no buds or have sprouted. When planting, shallow furrows were cut across the border, with a row spacing of about 33cm and a depth of 2-3 cm. Planting 8 polyporus in each row, with a spacing of about 20cm; Two kinds of Lingzi were planted at both ends of the row, and one row of Lingzi was densely planted every 6-10 row for replanting. Lingzi should be planted shallowly, and should be placed flat in the ditch, and the buds should be pressed upward into the soil, so that it is in close contact with the soil and some nodes are exposed from the soil surface. After planting, cover Lingzi with sifted compost or soil manure, and cover the section plate. Spread a layer of rice piles or straw on the border to reduce the influence of strong sunlight or heavy rain.

In recent years, some drug farmers take mid-season rice as the previous crop of Ligusticum chuanxiong, and adopt the method of seedling raising and transplanting; In early August, Lingzi was densely planted in the seedbed prepared in advance, allowing it to take root and emerge, and transplanted in Honda with soil after the middle rice was harvested, and the effect was also good.

(3) Field management

If it doesn't rain even after planting, water can be diverted into the furrow for irrigation to keep the topsoil moist. After half a month or so, the seedlings come out together, the grass is uncovered, and then intertillage and weed once, and then intertillage and weed once every 20 days. Only shallow topsoil can be loosened during intertillage to avoid damaging roots. In the first two intertillages, the missing seedlings should be supplemented at the same time, and the seedlings densely planted between rows should be dug and transplanted with soil. 1 month, when some leaves turn yellow, apply winter medicine, first remove the aboveground parts, then intertillage and weed, and row the soil between rows.

After the first three times of intertillage and weeding, topdressing was applied once each, and mixed with livestock manure water and decomposed cake fertilizer or nitrogen fertilizer; After the third application of water and fertilizer, soil manure, plant ash and decomposed cake fertilizer should be mixed evenly and applied to the base of the plant. The third topdressing should be applied within two months after planting, so as to meet the needs of the overground growth in time. In the first ten days of March of the following year, spring fertilizer can be applied once, and a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer is added to the points with livestock manure water. Sichuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine once conducted a spring fertilizer experiment, in which 750kg of pig manure, 7.5kg of ammonium sulfate and 2.5kg of potassium sulfate were applied per mu, and the yield of dry rhizome increased by 17.4%.

Fertilizer is applied to Ligusticum chuanxiong in the main producing areas, with special emphasis on cake fertilizer, and there is even a saying that "one catty of cake fertilizer can increase the yield of Ligusticum chuanxiong". The experiment conducted by Sichuan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine shows that when cake fertilizer is scarce, similar or even higher yield can be obtained by replacing cake fertilizer with chemical fertilizer in whole or in part (Table14-40).

Table 14—40 Yield of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. in fertilizer efficiency test of cake fertilizer and chemical fertilizer

Note: The farmyard manure is the same as that in Table14-39, the cake manure is rapeseed cake per mu 100kg, and the chemical fertilizer is the same as that in Table14-39.

(4) Pests and diseases and their prevention and control

1. Root rot

（Fusarium sp.）

Commonly known as "water melon". It is easy to happen when using rotten roots as seeds, or when the soil is too wet due to too much rain and poor drainage; Usually it happens more near harvest, which has a great influence on yield. The infected tubers are rotten inside, yellow-brown paste-like, with a special smell, and the aboveground parts are yellow and withered. Prevention and treatment methods: strictly select when digging Fuxiong and harvesting Linggan, and eliminate those who have been infected; The diseased plants found in the field were immediately pulled out and burned centrally; Rotation with Gramineae crops.

2. Powdery mildew

（Erysiphe polygoni DC.）

It happens more in summer and autumn. The leaf back and petiole are densely covered with white powder, and the leaves gradually turn yellow and die. It can be controlled by sulfur mixture or thiophanate methyl or triamcinolone acetonide.

3. Leaf blight

（Septoria sp.）

It often happens in May-July. Irregular brown spots appear on the leaves, and the leaves are scorched in severe cases. It can be controlled by spraying 25% triadimefon 1000 times solution.

4. Ligusticum chuanxiong stem knot moth

（Epinotia leucantha Meyrick.）

The native name "smelly drum worm" is the main pest in the main producing areas. Four generations occur every year in Guanxian county, Sichuan province, and the fourth generation overwinters in the pupa state between the remnant plants of Ligusticum chuanxiong or the fallen leaves on the ground. The damage is the most serious in the stage of cultivating Lingzi in mountainous areas. Larvae eat into the stem from the heart leaves or leaf sheaths, and bite the nodes, which makes Lingzi unable to be planted. In pingba area, it caused damage and seedling shortage. Control method: 80% trichlorfon100-150 times water solution can be sprayed in the rearing stage, and attention should be paid to the control of the first generation of second-instar larvae; Before planting in Pingba area, strictly select Lingzi, and soak Lingzi100 with 5: 5:100 tobacco bars, Pterocarya stenoptera leaves (willow leaves) and water for a few days, and then soak Lingzi12-24 hours.

5. grubs

September-10 month. Bite the base of the seedling. Paddy field cultivation is not common, and dry land cultivation sometimes happens more.

Others are Puccinia ligusticola Miyake, etc.

Fourth, harvesting and processing

(1) harvesting

Harvest from late May to early June of the second year after planting. Harvest too early, the rhizome is not full enough, and the yield is low; If it is too late, the temperature will increase, and if it rains for a long time, the disease will often spread. When harvesting, pick up the whole plant on a sunny day, shake off the soil, remove the stems and leaves, and transport the roots back after drying them in the field.

(2) Processing

After the rhizome is transported back, it should be dried in time, and the kang is generally baked with firewood. When kang, the firepower should not be too large, so as not to scorch the surface of kang; Turn over the kang once a day to make it evenly heated. After 2-3 days, the rhizome gradually dries and hardens, giving off a strong aroma, that is, it is taken out and put into bamboo, shaken back and forth, and the soil and fibrous roots are removed, and the finished product is selected. When continuing the kang, put fresh roots in the lower layer and semi-dry ones in the upper layer, and turn over the kang day by day until all the kang is dry. The drying rate of kang is 30-35%. The yield of dry rhizome per mu is100-150kg, and the high yield can reach 250kg.