The eighth largest desert in China has successfully inoculated Atriplex quadriptera with Cistanche deserticola, a ＂desert ginseng＂.

　　On the 13th, the reporter learned from the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology Bureau of Dengkou County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that after three years of planting experiments, Atriplex quadriptera was successfully inoculated with "desert ginseng" cistanche deserticola in Wulanbuhe Desert, the eighth largest desert in China, with a planting benefit of about 6,000 yuan per mu and broad development prospects.

　　This is cistanche tetrawinged atriplex planted in Ulan Buh desert. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yunping photo

　　Wulanbuhe Desert covers a total area of more than 15 million mu, of which 4.3 million mu on the eastern edge is located in Dengkou County, Bayannaoer City. Over the years, Dengkou County has cultivated Haloxylon ammodendron, a native tree species, to control Wulanbuhe desert, and later introduced technology to inoculate cistanche deserticola in the roots of Haloxylon ammodendron to develop sand industry.

　　According to Shi Xuefeng, deputy director of Dengkou Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology Bureau, Atriplex quadriptera is a perennial semi-evergreen shrub, which can be used as forage grass and is the preferred plant in desert control. In Dengkou County, Atriplex quadriptera was planted in 2020, and its roots were inoculated with Cistanche deserticola, with a trial planting area of 11 mu. On May 11th this year, the staff of agriculture, animal husbandry, science and technology bureau of Dengkou County conducted a yield measurement, and determined that the yield of Cistanche deserticola was more than 300 kg per mu, which indicated that the variety was successfully planted in Wulanbu and desert.

　　This is cistanche tetrawinged atriplex planted in Ulan Buh desert. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yunping photo

　　The reporter saw in the trial planting base of Atriplex quadriptera cistanche, that one plant of Atriplex quadriptera is green and ying ying, and rows of cistanche growing at its roots break through the ground, with more than 40 cistanche plants growing at most, and colorful cistanche flowers competing to open, becoming a beautiful landscape.

　　Wei Jun, the person in charge of the trial planting base of Cistanche quadriptera, told the reporter that Cistanche quadriptera has good taste, moderate yield and high content of effective components such as amino acids and vitamins. According to the estimate of 300 kilograms of fresh cistanche deserticola per mu of real estate and the market price of 20 yuan per kilogram, the output value of cistanche deserticola per mu can reach 6,000 yuan, with considerable ecological and economic benefits.

　　At present, the area of Haloxylon ammodendron plantation in Dengkou County is 500,000 mu, and the area of Cistanche deserticola inoculation is more than 140,000 mu. (Reporter Li Yunping)