With the growing awareness of health and wellness, Houttuynia cordata has gradually gained popularity as a pollution-free, nutritious vegetable with promising market potential. Recently, researchers from the Institute of Botany at Hanzhong Institute of Science and Technology have successfully experimented with cultivating Houttuynia in orchards, intercropping it between fruit trees such as pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and grapes. By using appropriate spacing, this method has generated significant economic returns. Orchards that integrate Houttuynia not only improve land use efficiency but also support more intensive farming practices. Additionally, it helps suppress weeds, enriches soil fertility, enhances the overall environment, and promotes better growth for fruit trees. Farmers have reported that one mu (approximately 667 square meters) of Houttuynia can yield up to 2,000–3,000 yuan, making it a highly profitable crop. This technique has been quickly adopted by local farmers in the surrounding areas, who now view it as an excellent intercropping option.
Houttuynia, commonly known as "fish mint" due to its distinct fish-like odor, is rich in nutrients. It contains crude protein (2%), crude fat (0.4%), polysaccharides (6%), calcium (0.7%), phosphorus (0.053%), and volatile oils (0.12–0.15%). It also includes amaranthine, which contributes to its medicinal properties. Houttuynia has detoxifying, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and digestive benefits, making it effective for treating various ailments. It can be consumed as a fresh vegetable or processed into tea, wine, and health drinks, offering great potential for development.
Houttuynia thrives in warm and humid environments, tolerates cold down to -15°C, and regenerates each year. It flowers from April to May, produces fruits in June to July, and goes dormant in late November before regreening in March. It grows naturally in valleys, hills, grasslands, and near water bodies. While it prefers fertile soils and avoids drought, it adapts well to different conditions. Cultivated yields can exceed 1,000 kg per acre, and it is widely suitable for planting across southern, northern, and northwestern regions of the Yangtze River.
To successfully intercrop Houttuynia in orchards, several key techniques should be followed:
1. **Propagation Methods**: Houttuynia can be propagated through runners, cuttings, or rhizomes. In late March to early April, runners are transplanted onto sand beds or directly planted. Rhizome propagation occurs in early March, where rhizomes are cut into 10–12 cm sections with 2–3 nodes and fibrous roots. These are placed in shallow trenches spaced 15 cm apart and covered with 6–10 cm of soil. Cuttings are taken during summer, using thick stems cut into 3–4 node sections. They are placed in beds with partial shade, kept at 25–30°C and high humidity. After rooting, they are transplanted into the field.
2. **Site Preparation**: Choose flat, well-drained orchard plots with good water access and fertile soil. Leave a 1-meter-wide path for orchard operations. Remove weeds and cultivate the soil thoroughly. Apply 4,000–5,000 kg of farmyard manure and 150–200 kg of wood ash or potassium sulfate per acre. Plow to a depth of 25–30 cm, mixing the fertilizer into the soil. Create planting beds 1.5–2 m wide based on tree spacing.
3. **Planting Technique**: Dig trenches 12–14 cm wide and 10 cm deep, spaced 20–30 cm apart. Place seedlings every 5 cm, cover with soil, and water thoroughly. Ensure the soil remains moist to promote germination and growth.
4. **Field Management**: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during the early stages. Weed 2–3 times before the plants establish, then avoid further weeding. Fertilize with nitrogen-rich materials like human urine or urea (1,000–1,500 kg/acre or 15–25 kg/acre). After the first harvest, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Use 0.4% KH₂PO₄ solution every 7 days for 4–5 times. Cultivate the soil when plants reach 10 cm in height to encourage tender underground stems. Pests and diseases are rare, and no pesticides are typically needed. If root rot occurs, treat with a 70% thiophanate-methyl solution diluted 1,000 times.
5. **Harvesting**: Harvest from April to October, multiple times throughout the season. Wash and bundle the harvested plants. Maintain cleanliness and hygiene during storage and transport to meet GB18406.1-2001 and pollution-free vegetable standards. This sustainable and profitable practice has become a valuable addition to modern orchard management.
Sterilization Container
The purpose of the sterilization box is to store the equipment in the process of packaging, sterilization, transfer, storage and so on. These orthopeadic instruments working mode is suitable for high pressure steam sterilization, not suitable for dry heat sterilization, ethylene oxide sterilization, ultraviolet sterilization, microwave sterilization and formaldehyde sterilization. The sterilization instrument box is divided into two parts,the cover and the body. The central area of the box cover is the filter system of the disinfection box, which is composed of quick filter system clasps and filter paper. The clasps need to be fixed by double keys, and the fixed sound can be heard during operation, which can effectively avoid the accidental loss of filter paper. Filter paper can be reused for 1 000 times, has chemical resistance, its chemical properties will not change with time, and its hardness exceeds steel. There is also a safety fit for the filtration system around the box cover, namely a silicone washer and a tension retaining ring. On both sides of the box there are handles, locks and sockets for indicating signs.
Sterilization Container,Sterile Containers,Medical Sterile Container,Sterile Basket
Jiangsu Aomed Ortho Medical Technology Co.,Ltd , https://www.aomedortho.com