The plant for big picture thinker: Old soil sowing seeds of hope

Bo Chinh ginseng and its nemesis

Tran Minh Tam, a pioneer in Binh Dinh, has a successful start-up with Bo Chinh ginseng - a unfamaliar plant to the locals. Bo Chinh ginseng has a sweet flavor, a high nutritional content, and is regarded as a precious herb.

When it comes to Bo Chinh ginseng production, tilling is the first step to prevent pathogens and earthworms from harming the plants, which means that the fewer medications used to cure illness, the higher the quality of food safety the ginseng tubers attain.

"Caring for the Bo Chinh ginseng is simple. All it required is the removal of grass to avoid grass "swamping" the ginseng plant, and frequent watering. Being a delicate herb, Bo Chinh ginseng needs a steady supply of fertilizer to guarantee that no chemical residues remain after harvesting. Other elements, on the other hand, are the watering environment, since the seedling Bo Chinh ginseng requires humidity. During the growth season, it is necessary to conduct regular checks in order to discover and deal with leaf-eating caterpillars and other hazardous insects as soon as possible," Tam said.

Tam struggled with caring for the Bo Chinh ginseng at first. The ginseng's biggest enemy is the Sung earthworm (the larvae of the bettle Holotrichia sauteri). The worm is normally born within the soil, particularly in areas where peanut, maize, and okra are grown. After harvesting the crop, these larvaes remain hidden in the soil, waiting to obstruct the growth of new plants.

The planthopper is another threat to Bo Chinh ginseng. It attacks aggressively, owing to the ginseng's high nutritional content. Biological medications must be used to eliminate these pests. And the next opponent must be the rot disease.

Every year, October 23 (lunar calendar) is considered the best time to seed Bo Chinh ginseng, and it is feasible to sow after the rainy season. The mild weather is ideal for the plants to grow swiftly. if the Lunar New Year has passed, farmers can plant Bo Chinh ginseng in January and February of the lunar calendar. Tam has amassed knowledge and established his own technical technique suited for the sort of crop that is yet new to Binh Dinh farmers.

Propagation of 'the ginseng offered to the king'

Because of the efficacy of Tran Minh Tam's Bo Chinh ginseng growing model, many farmer households in Binh Dinh are presently experimenting with it in order to enhance economic efficiency on the same piece of land, resulting in an increase in demand for ginseng seeds.

According to Tam, growing ginseng is not difficult, but it does require the proper procedure. While ginseng is a herbaceous plant, it can only be propagated by planting seeds. If the seeds are of good quality, the germination rate will be more than 90%. There are two basic methods for spreading ginseng seeds: directly into the soil and in pots.

Seeds sown directly into the soil must be soaked in warm water or germination stimulants for 24 hours to enhance moisture and germination rate. Sowing soil should be fresh and permeable, with beds 20 - 30 cm high, 1 - 1.2 m broad, and the distance between each row is approximately 0.5 m. Disinfecting 1,000 m² of ginseng growing area requires 25 - 40 kg of lime powder, then farmers can fertilize with manure.

The beds must be coated with agricultural mulch film to prevent grass growth and reduce grass removal expenses. Agricultural mulch also reduces hazardous illnesses because insects cannot penetrate, and it also maintains manure for plants and increases soil moisture.

As for sowing ginseng seeds in pots, the soil is put in cylindrical plastic bags, the size of each pot should be 4 - 6 cm high and 3 - 4 cm wide. The soil is mixed with rice husk ash and manure. In each gourd, put 1-2 ginseng seeds in the middle of the pot, place the pot in a cool place, avoid direct light, water periodically every 2 - 3 days. After 4 - 7 days, ginseng seeds will germinate. Every 1 week, farmers should water the plants and spray pesticides to prevent thrips, leafhoppers, leafhoppers. 3 - 4 weeks later, the seedling will grow to 10 - 15 cm in height with 3-4 leaves, then it can be brought out to the field and planted.

"There are four Bo Chinh ginseng lines in Vietnam. The superior line has red flowers and leaves with a short, long duckweed shape; the second line has red-pink leaves that are oval and small; the third line has gourd-shaped leaves but a wider, light pink leaf sheath; and the worst strain has gourd leaves but a smaller, lotus-pink leaf sheath.

"While it is the same Bo Chinh ginseng, if the grower selects the right seeds of the superior line, production will be more effective since the medicinal characteristics in this type's ginseng roots are higher than in other lines, allowing it to be sold at a higher price," Tran Minh Tam said.