Growing Solanum procumbens in the 'medicinal land'

(Baonghean.vn) - From the initial success of growing and producing medicinal products, Con Cuong district (Nghe An) has deployed new planting of 1 hectare of Solanum procumbens using drip irrigation technology.

More than 1 hectare of Solanum procumbens is being planted in Quyet Tien village. Photo: Minh Hanh

On an area of ​​1 hectare, Thanh An Science-Technology-Agriculture Service Joint Stock Company has planted 55,000 Solanum procumbens seedlings. The Company has grown and cared for these seedlings themselves. To compare the effectiveness, the Company has also planted them using two methods: covering with plastic and planting normally.

The application of water-saving drip irrigation technology helps increase productivity, adapt to climate change, and reduce labor. It is expected that the first harvest of Solanum procumbens will be ready after 4 months from planting.

The company incubates the Solanum procumbens seeds in pots, then plants them. Photo: Ba Hau

In fact, in addition to adapting to the climate and soil conditions in Con Cuong district, growing medicinal plants, including Solanum procumbens, has many advantages such as: wide adaptability, easy to grow, easy to care for, and low investment.

For Solanum procumbens, it can be harvested continuously for 3 years, 2 times a year, with a yield of 7 - 10 tons/ha. With a selling price of 70 - 100 thousand VND/kg after preliminary processing, growing Solanum procumbens can bring people around 100 million VND/ha/year.

Solanum procumbens is planted 15cm apart in rows and 15cm apart from plant to plant. Photo: Minh Hanh

From the initial success, the company will soon expand the medicinal plant growing area to 10 hectares, with two main plants being Solanum procumbens and Gymnema sylvestre. It is expected that by 2020, the medicinal plant growing area will grow to about 15-20 hectares.

To fully exploit the available potential, from now until 2020, Con Cuong district is researching and building areas specializing in growing medicinal plants to serve the medicinal and functional food processing industry with plants such as cardamom, cyperus rotundus, smilax glabra, yellow tea, and polyscias fruticosa... contributing to shifting the crop structure and reducing poverty for people in rural and mountainous areas.

Minh Hanh - Ba Hau