Abstract:

In order to explore the effect of water management on the growth characteristics of roots and crowns of Atractylodes chinensis and the yield and quality of medicinal materials, four-year-old A. chinensis was used as the test material, and the average rainfall from June to September in the Tongliao region 2011-2020 was used as a reference. Under the conditions of a field with a movable rain shelter, five irrigation treatments were set up as 4500 m³/hm²(T₁), 4000 m³/hm²(T₂), 3500 m³/hm²(T₃), 3000 m³/hm²(T₄), 2500 m³/hm²(T₅), to analyze the growth characteristics, material accumulation and transportation, yield and quality of A. chinensis under water regulation. The results indicated that as the irrigation amount decreased, the plant height, stem diameter, and rhizome volume of A. chinensis all showed a decreasing trend at each stage. Under the T₅ treatment during the flowering and fruiting stages, the plant height, stem diameter, and rhizome volume were significantly lower than those of other treatments. The root length, root surface area, and root volume of T₃ treatment from flowering to fruiting stage were significantly higher than those of other treatments, and the specific root length and specific surface area were also significantly increased. Different irrigation amounts affected the distribution pattern of dry matter in various organs of A. chinensis. During the fruiting period, the distribution of dry matter in A. chinensis shifted towards the roots and rhizomes. Under T₁, T₂, and T₃ treatments, the accumulation of dry matter in rhizomes significantly increased. The yield of A. chinensis decreased with the decrease of irrigation amount, and the yield of T₁ treatment reached 7486.83 kg/hm². Under T₃ and T₄ treatment, the content of A. chinensis extract in the rhizomes of atractyloxide was 0.43% and 0.46%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two and it was much higher than the pharmacopoeia standard. Under T₁ treatment, the content of atractyloxide was 0.27%, which did not meet the pharmacopoeia standard. Considering the formation of yield and quality, the suitable water requirement for planting A. chinensis in Horqin Sandy Land from June to September is 3500-4000 kg/hm².

Key words: Atractylodes chinensis, water management, moisture regulation, growth characteristics, dry matter accumulation, dry matter allocation, yield, quality, atractylenolide