Shiqiang Polygonum capitatum

Shiqiang Polygonum capitatum

Shiqiang Polygonum capitatum is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　A perennial creeping herbaceous plant. The stems grow in clusters, with woody bases at the lower part, rooting at the nodes. The internodes are shorter than the leaves, and the plant is richly branched with sparse glandular hairs or nearly hairless. The annual branches are nearly erect, with longitudinal ridges and sparse glandular hairs. The leaves are ovate or elliptic, pointed at the apex, wedge-shaped at the base, measuring 1.5–3 cm in length and 1–2.5 cm in width. The margins are entire with glandular hairs along the edges, and both surfaces are sparsely covered with glandular hairs. Sometimes, there are blackish-brown crescent-shaped spots on the upper surface.

　　The GAP-standardized planting and experimental demonstration base for Miao medicinal Polygonum capitatum was established in 2001 in Niudachang Town, Shibing County, Guizhou Province. It is located on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Wuyang River, part of the Qingshui River system, at an altitude of 980 meters. The area features a subtropical monsoon climate with abundant sunshine, annual precipitation of 1000–1200 mm, an average annual temperature of 14.6°C, an average July temperature of 24.2°C, and an average January temperature of 3.9°C. The area receives 1200–1500 hours of annual sunlight, with an annual accumulated temperature exceeding 3000°C, and a frost-free period of over 270 days. The soil type is yellow loam, slightly acidic, deep, fertile, and loose. The base is far from residential areas and main traffic routes, with no pollution sources nearby, offering fresh air and a beautiful environment.

　　Inspections (and monitoring) have confirmed that the environmental quality of the Shibing Polygonum capitatum base — including air, soil, and irrigation water — meets the national GAP requirements for Chinese medicinal materials. As the “first workshop” in the Polygonum capitatum industrial chain, and with the support of local governments at all levels, Guizhou Weimen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., in collaboration with research institutions within and outside the province, began conducting surveys on wild resources, studying biological characteristics, wild-to-cultivated domestication, standardized planting, and the construction of a GAP base for Polygonum capitatum starting in 1998. Based on this, the company developed standardized cultivation techniques (SOP) for Polygonum capitatum and obtained three national patents: “A Method for Planting Polygonum Capitatum,” “Polygonum Capitatum Extract and Its Preparation Method and Uses,” and “Polygonum Capitatum Extract and Compositions Thereof.” To ensure the company’s sustainable development and meet the demand for raw medicinal materials, the company initiated industrial-scale cultivation of Polygonum capitatum. In accordance with national GAP requirements, site selection, land planning, and environmental testing of soil and irrigation water were carried out. The base was also equipped with professional technical management personnel, comprehensive management regulations, and standardized planting operation procedures, along with a robust quality management system. The current Shibing Polygonum capitatum GAP experimental demonstration base includes infrastructure such as temperature-controlled seedling greenhouses, pumping stations, water storage towers, automated sprinkler systems, meteorological monitoring stations, pest control facilities, base management offices, initial processing workshops and warehouses for Polygonum capitatum herbs, and quality inspection laboratories.