Oranges and medicinal herbs: winning duo boosts farm incomes

By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio

In the mountainous part of Dianjun District, medicinal herbs are growing in the orange groves.


Not much land
With a limited amount of arable land, the villagers in Maojiadian Village have until recently relied on growing citrus fruit. But now Chinese medicinal herbs thrive beneath the citrus trees.

This synergistic ecosystem is bringing prosperity to the village.

The herb is Acorus tatarinowii Schott, otherwise known as Shi Chang Pu (SCP) or A. tatarinowii. Renowned in traditional Chinese medicine, it is used for conditions such as stroke, dementia, depression, seizures, and mental disorders.


Yang Dejin, the head of a medicinal herb cooperative in Dianjun District, reveals the financial impact of the innovative strategy: "Citrus fruit yield about 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per mu,” he says (there are 15 mu to a hectare). “However, if you combine the citrus with A. tatarinowii, you can boost that figure to 20,000 to 30,000 yuan (US$ 2800-4000) per mu."

What’s more, this innovative strategy is carried out without the use of pesticides.

A marriage made in heaven
The citrus trees thrive in the sunshine while casting protective shade over the A. tatarinowii plants. The herbs respond in kind. Thriving in the shade offered by the orange trees, they act as a natural weed deterrent.

In this synergistic system, fertilization is simplified, labor streamlined and costs reduced.

Yang emphasizes the importance of attention to detail when planting: "Citrus trees and A. tatarinowii plants need to be at least 1.5 meters apart to avoid competition for nutrients. A. tatarinowii grows horizontally so keep a 60 centimeter space between your rows and 60 centimeters between plants. If there isn’t sufficient space between plants, growth will be affected."


A promising future
So far, villagers have planted more than 380 mu (25 hectares) of Acorus tatarinowii Schott and two medicinal herb cooperatives have been established.

The cooperatives provide farmers with standardized seedlings and technical support, oversee the planting process, and manage the purchasing process.

The village aims to further promote this innovative approach, targeting a planting area of 1,000 mu (70 hectares) in the near future.