Kudzu root

Kudzu root

　　Kudzu is a vine plant of the legume family, valuable in its entirety with high economic worth. Its powder: a green food product that combines nutrition, medicinal benefits, and culinary uses; its residue: a premium fiber material; its leaves: high-protein, complete feed; its flowers: a precious hangover remedy. Variety characteristics: large root tubers, thick vines, broad leaf surfaces, and short branch spacing. It has wide adaptability and can grow in all kinds of soil, is drought-resistant, and resistant to pests and diseases. It is easy to cultivate, similar to sweet potatoes, and can be propagated by cuttings. The yield is high, with each plant producing 10–20 kilograms of kudzu roots. The powder extraction rate is high, at 25%. Processing is simple, requiring only ordinary tools for crushing, filtering, settling, and sun-drying. Harvesting the roots and stems is convenient, typically done in winter when nutrients concentrate in the roots and the tubers expand. Therefore, you can directly dig away the mud at the base of the plant from the cracked ground surface, exposing the tuber heads, harvesting the larger ones and leaving the smaller ones, then leveling the soil back. Control the quantity for high-yield harvests.

　　II. Growth Period and Crop Rotation Cycle The growth period spans between 1 to 2 years, with year-round growth and no crop rotation constraints.

　　III. Economic Benefits Compared with Conventional Crops Calculating at 600 plants per mu, with each plant yielding 5 kilograms annually (minimum yield), the fresh kudzu yield reaches 3,000 kilograms per mu. At a price of 0.60 yuan per kilogram, the average income from the tubers alone is 1,800 yuan per mu. After deducting seedling, fertilizer, and labor costs of 800 yuan, the net profit per mu is 1,000 yuan. Compared with conventional models such as the oil-rice-rice rotation, the economic returns are higher.

　　IV. Current and Planned Planting Area In 2001, the planting area was 5,000 mu. (Wuxue)