The plant called Duxingcai, also known as Hu Jiao Cao, Jie Qi, and Jia Duxingcai, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Cruciferae family. It is native to Iran and is harvested for its tender stems and leaves, which are rich in nutrients and have a unique fragrance and spicy taste. It contains abundant vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B2, as well as iron and calcium. Its seeds contain fatty oils, glucosinolates, proteins, sugars, alkaloids, flavonoids, and volatile oils, and are commonly used as spices and medicinal crops. Wild Duxingcai resources in China, commonly known as Lalagen and Lalacai, are widely distributed in Northeast, North China, Northwest, Southwest, Shandong, Anhui, Henan, and other places, and can be found in fields, slopes, and wastelands.
1. Botanical Characteristics
Duxingcai has an upright stem with branching above the middle. The basal leaves are rosette-shaped, lanceolate, pinnately or deeply lobed, and have petioles. The leaves on the flowering stem gradually become shorter from bottom to top and change into simple entire linear leaves. It has strong branching ability, and the branches at the top of the stem form a raceme. The flowers are small, white, and have four petals. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from May to July. The fruit is a short-horned fruit, flattened and round, with a slightly concave top and narrow wings on both sides near the top. The seeds are small and light brown, flat-ovate in shape, with a weight of 2.2 grams per 1,000 seeds, and can maintain germination power for 5 years at room temperature.
2. Types and Varieties
There are many types of Duxingcai, including Wedgeleaf Duxingcai, Broadleaf Duxingcai, Stem-embracing Duxingcai, and North American Duxingcai. The main cultivated varieties include:
(1) Common Duxingcai: This variety is domesticated from wild Duxingcai and has a wide distribution. The leaves are larger, dark green, and have a higher yield. It matures early, with a growth period of 40-45 days.
(2) Wrinkled Leaf Duxingcai or Normandy Duxingcai: This variety has more leaves than common Duxingcai, and the pinnate leaves curl inward, making it suitable for garnishing.
(3) Broadleaf Duxingcai: The leaves are wide, elliptical in shape, with irregular shallow lobes on the edges. The leaves are 5 centimeters long and 2.5 centimeters wide, and the petioles are slender and uneven in appearance.
(4) Dwarf Wrinkled Leaf Duxingcai: This variety has spreading leaves with curled and wrinkled edges, similar to the edges of kale leaves. The petioles are relatively short, the plant is compact, it is resistant to cold, and it is not prone to bolting. The growth period is about 60 days.
(5) Australian Duxingcai or Golden Duxingcai: This variety is similar in shape to broadleaf Duxingcai, but the color of its leaves is different, being yellow-green.
3. Cultivation Characteristics
(1) Duxingcai is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable and does not have strict requirements for external environmental conditions. It prefers cool and humid climates.
(2) It germinates quickly and can germinate within 24 hours under conditions of 10-15°C.
(3) When Duxingcai seeds come into contact with water, they immediately form a layer of colloid on the surface, so it is not suitable for soaking the seeds.
(4) Duxingcai grows fast, has a short growth period, strict harvesting period, and is prone to bolting, which affects its marketability.
(5) Duxingcai is commonly cultivated as sprouts and can be harvested in about 10 days.
4. Cultivation Season and Methods
In northern China, Duxingcai can be sown in stages from March to the end of September in open fields. It can be cultivated all year round in protected areas, achieving year-round supply of Duxingcai. However, in summer, shading should be provided to ensure a moist and cool climate, creating favorable conditions for high-quality and high-yield Duxingcai.
5. Cultivation Techniques
(1) Land preparation, bed preparation, and basal fertilization: Choose a plot with few weeds. Apply a suitable amount of basal fertilizer. Do not plow the soil too deeply. The bed surface should be flat and fine, with small soil clods to prevent seeds from falling deep into the soil and uneven emergence. The bed width should be 1.3 meters, suitable for harvesting.
(2) Sowing: Generally, direct sowing, line sowing, or transplanting can be used, with a seeding rate of 1.5-2 kilograms per 667 square meters. After sowing, cover with a thin layer of soil, slightly compact, and water lightly.
(3) Field management: Duxingcai has a short growth period and generally does not require additional fertilization. Pay attention to timely weed removal and keep the soil moist, watering frequently with small amounts of water.
(4) Harvesting: Duxingcai can be harvested by thinning after 20 days of sowing or by harvesting all at once.
(5) Seed production: To cultivate Duxingcai, a separate seed field should be established, ensuring that there are no wild Duxingcai plants. Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers appropriately. Generally, the seed field is sown in early April and a plant selection is conducted in late April to remove weak and inferior plants and any plants that do not meet the characteristics of the variety, maintaining a plant spacing of 10 centimeters. Fertilize once more. Harvest the seeds in late June. About 50 kilograms of seeds can be harvested per 667 square meters.
6. Utilization Value
(1) Edible:
- Used as a seasoning in fish, meat, vegetables, and soup to add a spicy and fragrant taste and stimulate the appetite.
- Used for pickling, it has a sterilizing and preservative effect and can extend the shelf life of food.
- Wrinkled leaf varieties can be used as salad or decorative dishes in Western cuisine.
- Can be blanched in boiling water, drained, cut into sections, and seasoned with salt, MSG, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar for a refreshing taste.
- Can be washed, cut into sections, and stir-fried with meat or sausages.
(2) Medicinal: Duxingcai seeds, known as Tilingzi in traditional Chinese medicine, have a spicy and bitter taste and a cold property. They have the functions of clearing the lungs, eliminating phlegm, stopping coughing, relieving asthma, diuresis, and reducing swelling. They are used for phlegm-dampness cough, facial swelling, and chest and abdominal edema, with a dosage of 5-10 grams. They can also be used to treat chronic lung-origin heart failure. Grinding 3-6 grams of seeds into powder and taking it three times a day can increase urine output, reduce edema, and significantly reduce heart failure after 2-3 weeks. The seeds can also be ground into powder, boiled with water, and used for washing the head to treat childhood alopecia.
