Cultivation Techniques of Hedyotis diffusa

Hedyotis diffusa is a whole herbal medicinal plant,which has the functions of clearing away heat and detoxification,diuresis,reducing swelling,promoting blood circulation and relieving pain.In recent years, it has been proved by medicine that it has anti-cancer and liver-protecting effects.Due to the decrease of wild resources, there is a gap in its market,and the price keeps rising, so the prospect of artificial planting is good.

Land preparation:

Hedyotis diffusa should be planted in loose and fertile loam soil with low terrain,sufficient sunlight,convenient drainage and irrigation. Apply 500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure or 50 kg of compound fertilizer and 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu as the base fertilizer.Spread the base fertilizer evenly into the soil,plow and rake shallowly,and make furrows with a furrow width of 1 meter and a furrow depth of 25 cm. The furrow surface is turtle-shaped for irrigation and drainage. 

1.Sowing

Sowing time and seeding rate.The sowing time of Hedyotis diffusa can be divided into spring sowing and autumn sowing.Spring sowing can be used for commercial products,and autumn sowing can be used for both commercial products and reserved seeds. Spring sowing is suitable for rice cultivation areas in the south.It is best from late March to early May.It can be continuously sown in situ,or it can be cultivated by leaving roots to germinate.Autumn sowing is carried out in mid-to-late August.One acre of land needs 1 kg of seeds.

2.Pre-sowing treatment of seeds.Because the seeds of Hedyotis diffusa are small and contained in the fruit, in order to increase the emergence rate,the seeds should be treated before sowing.The specific method is: put the fruit of Hedyotis diffusa on the concrete floor, and use a wooden stick wrapped in rubber or cloth Gently rub to remove the waxy skin and seeds,and then mix the small seeds with fine soil several times to facilitate even sowing.

3.Sowing method.There are two types of sowing of Hedyotis diffusa:drill sowing and sowing.The row spacing of drill sowing is 30 cm; for sowing, sow the seeds with fine soil evenly on the furrow surface,press slightly or pat lightly with a bamboo broom,cover with a thin layer of straw after sowing,shade during the day, uncover at night,until the seedlings emerge Until 4 leaves grow, or after sowing, use a pigsty to cover the border with a thin layer of fat and leave space, which not only shades,but also loosens the soil, which is conducive to seedling emergence.Spray water once in the morning and evening to keep the border moist,but not waterlogged.Autumn sowing borders should be covered with straw to prevent exposure to the sun and affect seedling emergence.When the seedlings have 4 leaves,remove the covering straw.If the roots are left for reproduction in autumn, no shade is needed. Moisture is better

4.Field management

Thinning and weeding. After the seedlings are unearthed,they should be loosened and weeded, and the seedlings should be thinned. When the height of the seedlings is 8-10 cm, the seedlings should be fixed at a distance of about 10 cm.Weeding is no longer done after the plants grow up, so as not to damage the plants by hoeing.

5.Drainage and irrigation.The soil should be kept moist after sowing,but water in the plot should be avoided, and the accumulated water should be removed in time after the rain; during high temperature periods,water should be poured into the ditch to cool down and prevent plant burns. During plant growth, water management is the key.It is necessary to prevent drought and waterlogging, and irrigation can be stopped during the fruiting period.

6.Top dressing. Hedyotis diffusa has a short growth period, so it needs to reapply base fertilizer, mainly farm manure.Practice has proved that human and animal manure can not only loosen the soil, but also promote plant growth.Therefore, when the seedling height is about 10 cm, use 500 kilograms of human and animal manure per mu, add 5 times of water, and topdress human and animal manure from time to time according to the growth of the plant in the medium term.Water, because Hedyotis diffusa seedlings are tender, the concentration should be mastered when topdressing to prevent burning.In addition, if you harvest twice, after the first harvest, apply 15 kg of thin human and livestock manure or urea twice per mu,and then apply appropriate amount of human and livestock manure water when the seedlings are about 10 cm high can add manure once more.

7.Harvesting and processing.

 Hedyotis diffusa can be harvested twice a year according to the sowing time.The harvest period of spring sowing is in the middle and late August,and the harvest period of autumn sowing is in the first and middle ten days of November.When the fruit is ripe,the aboveground part is harvested from the ground,impurities and soil are removed,and it is dried in the sun to become a commodity. Generally, 300-350 kg of dry product can be collected per mu of land.