Abstract:

To elucidate the primary soil factors influencing the yield and quality of Radix Ardisia, 24 populations of Ardisia crenata and A. crenata var. bicolor(medicinal materials of Radix Ardisia) in Guizhou Province of China were selceted as the research subjects. Their medicinal yield, moisture content, total ash content, acid-insoluble ash content, water-soluble extractives content, and bengenin content were determined, as well as soil parameters, such as pH value, total nitrogen content, ammonium nitrogen content, total phosphorus content, available phosphorus content, total potassium content, available potassium content, and organic matter content. The partial least squares method was employed to calculate the variable importance in projection (VIP) values, thereby identifying the key soil factors impacting the yield and quality of the collected samples. To realize high yield and superior quality, an optimization strategy for soil factors was developed by using the linear programming method. It is shown that there was significant (p<0.05) difference in the yield and quality of the collected samples. The quality of some samples fails to meet the requirements stipulated in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China(2020 Edition). The contents of soil available phosphorus, available potassium, ammonium nitrogen, and soil pH value significantly influence the yield and quality of the medicinal materials of Radix Ardisia. To achieve high quality and yield, the ideal soil physical and chemical properties are as follows: pH value of 4.82 to 6.92, total nitrogen content of 9.56 g·kg^-1, ammonium nitrogen content of 2.26-8.24 mg·kg^-1, total phosphorus content of 627 mg·kg^-1, available phosphorus content of 24.42-33.60 mg·kg^-1, total potassium content of 1.45%-2.64%, available potassium content of 139-1 128 mg·kg^-1, and organic matter content of 57.83 mg·kg^-1. Under these conditions, the yield per plant is 45 g, with a moisture content of 11.77%, total ash content of 3.78%, acid-insoluble ash content of 0.81%, water-soluble extractives content of 37.46%, and bengenin content of 1.54%.

Key words: Radix Ardisia, yield, quality, soil factor, correlation analysis, regression analysis