Chinese medicine plantation methods explored at demo bases

Yuzhong Chinese Medicinal Herb Specialized Cooperative and Jiang's Grease Co Ltd were selected as model Chinese medicinal crop plantation bases on Feb 26 by the Nanyang government.

The two organizations in Tongbai county earned the highest scores from among many similar businesses citywide in an evaluation program launched by the local traditional Chinese medicine management bureau. The bureau aims to develop plantation demonstration units for Chinese medicine.

Plantation experts from the Nanyang Institute of Technology and Nanyang Medical College were invited to give training sessions discussing early plantation stages. Agriculture and forestry professionals also participated and were asked to evaluate crop growing environments and management systems.

The Yuzhong cooperative and Jiang's Grease Co were able to outperform competitors due to their strength in growing selfheal and balloon flower root, respectively. The two standouts will provide an exemplary model for improving cultivation methods.

There were four other notable candidates who were commended in their cultivation of dogwood, salvia miltiorrhiza, honeysuckle, the stem of noble dendrobium (Dendrobium nobile), wormwood, and rhizoma bletillae.

Nanyang, located in the southern part of Henan province, is rich in TCM resources, currently storing medicine derived from more than 2,000 herb varieties. The city seeks to promote the TCM industry through the annual Zhang Zhongjing Medicine Culture Festival, which has been held since 2002. Zhang is a famous medical scientist native to Nanyang born during the East Han Dynasty (AD 25–220).