A Complete Guide to High-Quality, High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Chinese Torreya

    Chinese torreya (Torreya grandis) is a rare dried fruit in our country, with a cultivation history of more than 1,300 years. It is famous at home and abroad for the "Fengqiao Chinese torreya" abundantly produced in Zhuji, the hometown of Chinese torreya in China. Chinese torreya has a long lifespan and high economic returns, and is called a "money tree" by the people. There is a saying that goes, "When Chinese torreya ripens, food and clothing are assured." It is the main source of economic income and livelihood for the people in torreya-producing areas, and many farming households have become wealthy by growing and cultivating Chinese torreya seedlings. To ensure the flavor and quality of Fengqiao Chinese torreya, standardized cultivation for high quality and high yield is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the "Forest Food Standard for Chinese Torreya."
　　
　　I. Strengthen tending and management to make torreya trees grow robustly and flower and fruit normally

    1. Loosen the soil and remove weeds. In winter from December to January, in conjunction with fertilization, deeply turn over the soil around the torreya trees once and bury fallen leaves into the soil. Intercrop legumes, green manure crops and other crops in the woodland to improve soil aeration and increase returns. In July and August, shallowly turn the soil once, and cut weeds and tender branches to cover the root zone of the torreya trees, so as to help lower temperature, retain moisture and facilitate harvest.
　　
2. Apply heavy fertilizer. Fertilize 2-3 times each year, mainly with organic fertilizer and with little chemical fertilizer. Fertilizer must be applied deeply. The first application is in December to January, applied together with deep soil turning; for adult torreya trees (which can produce 50-100 kg of torreya cones), apply 100-200 kg of decomposed barnyard manure per tree, or 5-10 kg of cake fertilizer per tree. The second application is in early to mid-May, applying 3-5 kg of phosphorus-potassium fruit-preserving fertilizer (compound fertilizer). The third application is in mid to late September after the Chinese torreya harvest, applying an appropriate amount of quick-acting fertilizer to speed up the recovery of tree vigor and lay the foundation for flowering and fruiting the following year. Insufficient organic fertilizer is the main cause of alternate bearing in Chinese torreya.
　　
3. Build retaining walls and preserve soil. For woodland with relatively steep slopes where soil and water are prone to erosion, retaining walls and soil mounding should be built around the torreya trees to do a good job of soil and water conservation.
　　
　　II. Strengthen the management of male trees and carry out artificial supplementary pollination
　　
1. By planting and grafting male torreya trees, reach the number of male trees required to satisfy natural pollination. Also strengthen tending and management measures such as loosening soil, weed removal and fertilization for male torreya trees, do a good job of protection, and make them grow vigorously and produce more male flowers.
　　
2. Carry out artificial supplementary pollination at the right time and in the right amount. Within 5-7 days after the female flowers open, choose the dusting method or the spray method (add 500 g of water per gram of pollen) to carry out artificial supplementary pollination on sunny days after the dew has dried. But be sure to avoid excessive pollination, which would cause artificial alternate bearing.
　　
　 III. Spray the pesticide "Aiduoshou" to prevent fruit drop and increase yield
　　
"Aiduoshou" 1.8% aqueous solution is a low-toxicity plant growth regulator. When used on torreya trees that have long suffered severe flower and fruit drop and bore no fruit at all, it can significantly improve fertilization and fruit set, reduce flower and fruit drop, and increase yield.
　　
Method of use: Spray the whole tree with a 5,000-fold concentration of the solution, until the branches, leaves and fruits are moistened.
　　
Timing of use: The first spray is in early April before flowering, and the second is in early to mid-May.
　　
　　IV. Pest and disease control
　　
1. Chinese torreya small leaf roller. It has 2 generations per year, and the larvae damage new shoots and leaves from April to November. Generally, it enters the soil to pupate in May and late November. Control methods: For the first generation, from late March to early April, when the leaves of new shoots and fruiting branches have not yet fully unfolded, spray with a 2,500-fold solution of 10% imidacloprid wettable powder or a 1,000-1,200-fold solution of chlorpyrifos emulsion to kill the pest; for the second generation, begin control from early June.
　　
2. Eriophyid mites. Symptoms are: the branches and leaves of Chinese torreya lose green color, lose luster, droop, and rust-colored band-like matter forms on both sides of the leaf margin on the underside. Control method: Spray with a 3,000-fold solution of saomangjing (kemanda, pyrethroid pesticides), focusing on spraying the underside of leaves, and spray again after 7-10 days. Spraying after 3 p.m. is more suitable, and the concentration used should be correctly controlled.
　　
3. Rust mites. After damage, the edges of torreya leaves lose green color and turn yellow-brown, resembling iron rust. Control method: Spray with 1.8% abamectin EC at 2,000-fold; or spray with 15% pyridaben EC at 3,000-fold.