Detailed Explanation of Cutting Propagation Techniques for Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)
Recent domestic and international studies have shown that cutting propagation is an effective way to mass-produce Japanese yew seedlings. Cutting propagation materials are abundant, and cutting-grown seedlings generally grow faster. Cutting propagation preserves the complete genotype of the parent plant and can overcome the genetic variation associated with seed propagation. This study investigated the effects of two factors, different cutting types and different cutting substrates, on the survival rate of Japanese yew, conducting research on cutting propagation techniques for Japanese yew, with the aim of establishing a complete set of Japanese yew cutting techniques and providing an important basis for resource conservation and production promotion of Japanese yew.
1 Overview of the Experimental Site
The experimental site was set up at the Experimental Forest Farm of the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Forest Management, located in Caohokou Town, Benxi County, in the eastern forest region of Liaoning Province. The main soil is mountain brown forest soil, the relative temperature is 74%, and the frost-free period is about 150 d.
2 Materials and Methods
2.1 Test Materials
2.1.1 Cuttings
The branches used in the experiment were taken from 10-year-old Japanese yew at the nursery of the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Forest Management. From the upper crown of each individual tree, shoots and lateral branches were selected separately. The shoot ages were 1 and 2 years, and the lateral branch ages were 1, 2, and 3 years. Pest-free, healthy branches were cut, with 750 cuttings for each cutting age.
2.1.2 Cutting Bed and Substrate
The substrates selected were all river sand, all forest soil, river sand mixed with forest soil (1:1), river sand mixed with forest soil (1:2), and river sand mixed with forest soil (2:1). Each substrate was sterilized with 3 g/L potassium permanganate aqueous solution and spread into cutting beds 10 m long, 0.5 m wide, and 20 cm high.
2.2 Experimental Design
Cuttings were uniformly cut to 15 cm in length, with the lower end shaped like a horseshoe, and soaked in ABT No. 6 rooting powder for 2 h. A randomized block design was used, with 3 replications and a total of 75 plots. The plot area was 0.25 sq m, and 50 cuttings were inserted in each plot. After cutting, arch sheds were built on the cutting beds, covered with plastic film to retain moisture, and water was sprayed twice daily. After two weeks, water was sprayed once daily. Shade nets were used for shading.
2.3 Data Processing
EXCEL 2007 software was used to organize, calculate, and plot the raw data. SPSS 18.0 software was used for one-way ANOVA with Duncan's pairwise comparison method.
3 Results and Analysis
3.1 Analysis of Differences Among Cutting Types
In the same substrate (taking river sand mixed with forest soil (1:1) as an example), the survival rates of 5 cutting types were subjected to ANOVA and Duncan's multiple comparison (see Tables 1 and 2).
Table 1 ANOVA of Survival Rates of Different Cutting Types
Table 2 Multiple Comparison of Survival Rates of Different Cutting Types
The results in Table 1 indicate that there are significant differences in survival rates among different cutting types. As can be seen from Table 2, the survival rates of 2- and 3-year-old lateral branch cuttings and 2-year-old shoot cuttings were significantly higher than those of 1-year-old shoot cuttings and 1-year-old lateral branch cuttings. Different types of cuttings produce different tree forms after survival. Shoot cuttings have a vertically growing trunk with whorled lateral branches, giving a graceful tree form. In contrast, seedlings formed from lateral branch cuttings do not grow vertically but grow laterally, resulting in a flattened plant. This indicates that once Japanese yew has differentiated and become fixed in form, it is difficult to change its original state. When cutting sources are sufficient, 2-year-old shoot cuttings should be selected for propagation as much as possible.
3.2 Analysis of Differences Among Different Substrates
For cuttings of the same age (taking 2-year-old shoot cuttings as an example), the survival rates in different substrates were subjected to ANOVA and Duncan's multiple comparison (see Tables 3 and 4).
Table 3 ANOVA of Survival Rates in Different Cutting Substrates
Table 4 Multiple Comparison of Survival Rates in Different Cutting Substrates
The results in Table 3 indicate that there are significant differences in survival rates among different substrates. As can be seen from Table 4, the survival rate of Japanese yew in mixed substrates was significantly higher than in all river sand and all forest soil. The substrate with a river sand to forest soil ratio of 2:1 had the highest cutting survival rate at 86.01%, which was higher than the lowest survival rate of 58.3%.
4 Conclusion and Discussion
(1) There are significant differences in cutting survival rates between lateral branches and main branches and among branches of different ages of Japanese yew, with 2-year-old lateral branch and 2-year-old shoot cuttings having the highest survival rates. Lateral branch cuttings still grow laterally after becoming seedlings; therefore, using 2-year-old shoot branches for cutting gives the best results.
(2) The mixed substrate with a river sand to forest soil ratio of 2:1 had a higher survival rate than other substrates, with the pattern of variation as follows: river sand mixed with forest soil (2:1) > river sand mixed with forest soil (1:1) > river sand mixed with forest soil (1:2) > all forest soil > all river sand.
(3) Based on the above experimental results, it can be concluded that in the propagation of Japanese yew, selecting 2-year-old shoot cuttings and using a mixed substrate with a river sand to forest soil ratio of 2:1 for cutting results in high survival rates and high seedling quality, and is worth promoting.
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Cutting Propagation of Japanese Yew
Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata), also known as purple yew and red cypress pine, is a national first-class protected plant. It is an evergreen coniferous plant belonging to the family Taxaceae and genus Taxus, and is a rare and endangered species left over from the Quaternary glaciation. Its wood is solid and beautiful, with no resin canals or resin cells, making it an excellent timber tree species. It has a graceful tree form and is evergreen year-round. Its peculiar red fruits contrast beautifully with green leaves, giving it an elegant and refined appearance with strong ornamental value. It can release various alkaloid gases that can sterilize and purify the air, providing certain health benefits. It has broad prospects in landscaping, bonsai making, and creating green living spaces. Its bark, needles, and branches contain taxol, which is recognized worldwide today as the broad-spectrum anticancer drug with the strongest activity, especially having special efficacy against uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. It is also effective against lung cancer, head and neck tumors, malignant melanoma, and lymphoma. However, because the taxol content in yew is very low and yew resources are scarce, taxol is expensive, reaching as high as 1000 USD per gram; if made into injections, its price increases several dozen times. Therefore, yew is known as "plant gold." In addition, its leaves and branches have the functions of promoting menstruation and diuresis, and have effects in suppressing diabetes and treating heart disease, making it a precious medicinal tree species.
Yew is a shade-tolerant tree species, distributed naturally and scattered, with no pure stands. However, it can also tolerate strong light and has relatively strong adaptability.
The author began conducting cutting propagation experiments on Japanese yew in 2003 to cultivate Japanese yew seedlings. The situation of the cutting seedlings is summarized as follows.
I. Characteristics of Cutting Propagation
There are two methods for propagating Japanese yew: seed propagation and cutting propagation. Seed propagation has too long a production cycle, so cutting propagation is mostly used. Cutting propagation has the following characteristics.
(1) Early flowering and fruiting
Because cuttings are taken from large trees, they carry the genes of large trees, and the cultivated seedlings have the same components as large trees. They also flower and fruit early; by the fifth year after cutting, some seedlings flower and fruit. They have high value for medicinal use, afforestation, and bonsai.
(2) Fast to leave the nursery
Cuttings are 15 cm long. After survival, the height of the young seedlings can reach 10 cm in the same year. In years 2-4, the maximum growth of the plants can reach 15 cm, and in the fifth year, the maximum growth of the plants can reach 37 cm. Therefore, they leave the nursery quickly.
(3) Diverse tree forms
Cutting seedlings have diverse tree forms and can meet different needs. The fan shape accounts for the majority and is the signature tree form. Clump shape, natural open-center shape, and unique shape account for a minority.
1. Fan shape: lateral branches spread on the main branch in one plane in two directions, shaped like a fan.
2. Clump shape: no main branch; several branches emerge from the root.
3. Natural open-center shape: lateral branches spread on the main branch in all directions.
4. Unique shape: lateral branches spread in one direction, giving a unique tree form.
II. Cutting Methods
(1) In nutrient boxes
Plastic nutrient boxes of 12 cm x 12 cm were used, with a substrate of humus soil mixed with 1/2 river sand. The boxes were arranged 10 per row to form rectangular nutrient box seedling beds.
(2) In flower pots
Flower pots with a diameter of 16 cm were used, with a substrate of humus soil mixed with 1/2 river sand. The pots were arranged 6-8 per row to form rectangular flower pot seedling beds.
(3) Open field
A location rich in humus, well-drained, and convenient for management was selected as the seedling bed. The soil was turned to a depth of 20 cm, debris was removed, and the soil was finely tilled. The upper layer was mixed with 1/2 river sand, with the river sand layer about 10 cm thick. Then the seedling bed was made, with a bed height of 15-20 cm, a path width of 40 cm, and the bed surface leveled.
The substrate was watered thoroughly, and soil disinfection was carried out along with watering by adding carbendazim (5-8 g/sq m) or potassium permanganate. These tasks should be completed 5 days before cutting.
To test the effects of different substrates on cutting survival rates, three zones were set up in the experiment: Zone 1, soil mixed with 1/2 river sand; Zone 2, soil mixed with a small amount of river sand; Zone 3, soil with no river sand mixed in. The survival rates of each zone were: Zone 1, 95%; Zone 2, 60%; Zone 3, 31%. The results showed that the substrate mixed with 1/2 river sand was the best.
After the above tasks were completed, cutting was awaited.
III. Selection and Treatment of Cuttings
Lignified branches 1-3 years old can all be used as cuttings, among which lignified 1-2-year-old branches have the best rooting rate. Main branches, lateral branches, or intermediate branches that have had their top shoots cut can all callus and root. Intermediate branches and perennial reddish-brown branches have low rooting rates after cutting, and after rooting, their growth and development are poor, with 2-3 nearly horizontally spreading lateral branches growing from the top, resulting in poor shape.
When collecting branches before spring cutting, attention should be paid to moisture retention to prevent dehydration from wind and sun. The best cutting time is late May. After the branches are collected, they should be cut into cuttings 8-10 cm long (1-year-old) or 10-15 cm long (2-year-old). Shorter ones are also acceptable, but short ones affect the time to leave the nursery. Remove the leaves 3 cm from the cutting base, tie them into bundles of 50 each. When tying bundles, align the cutting bases and bundle cuttings of equal length together. After bundling, place them into the treatment solution promptly.
Soak the cutting bases in Huannong Chunlu solution, diluted with 7.5 kg of water per unit. The water temperature should not be lower than 5 degrees C. Soak the bundles of cuttings upright, with the soaking depth not exceeding 3 cm, for 12-18 hours.
IV. Cutting Method
Cutting is carried out from late May to early June at the turn of spring and summer, with the insertion depth about 1/3 of the cutting length. Only one cutting is inserted in each nutrient box or flower pot. When cutting in the open field, the plant and row spacing is 5 x 10 cm. Use a knife tip to insert into the soil and pry open a narrow slit, then place the cutting in and press firmly. Cuttings of the same tree age and equal length should be inserted separately in the same bed (nutrient box or flower pot), then watered thoroughly. Note that they should not be inserted too deeply, and there should be no standing water on the seedling bed.
V. Heat Preservation, Moisture Retention, and Shading
Bamboo arch frames were placed on the bed surface, with a distance of 50-60 cm between the top of the arch frame and the bed surface. Plastic film was covered over the arch frames, and 70% shading rate plastic shade netting was used for shading on top of the film, with bricks pressed around the edges. For cutting in nutrient pots or flower pots, if the quantity is very small, branch arches can be inserted in each box or pot, covered with white plastic convenience bags, and placed under tree shade.
VI. Growth and Development of Cuttings
At 15-18 days, the cutting base becomes thicker and root nodules begin to appear. Some cutting bases rot, but root nodules can still grow above the rotted part. At about 28 days, root nodules generally form. At 30-45 days, roots are produced in large numbers; the roots are white and thick, commonly called water roots. At first, only 1-2 roots appear, gradually increasing afterward. Roots grow on the root nodules. Some cuttings produce roots at two locations, with the other at the soil surface. At 70-80 days, some roots reach 50 mm in length, some have just rooted, and a few root only after about 100 days. Some cuttings grow root nodules but do not root. Of the cuttings that do not grow root nodules, some have leaves turn yellow and branches dry up after about 30 days, while some dry up only after 10 months. If managed well, the rooting rate can reach 95%.
After cuttings survive, they basically do not grow in the first year. In years 2-4, the maximum growth of the plants can reach 15 cm, with a maximum of up to 50 cm. In the fifth year, growth is fast, and the maximum growth of the plants can reach 37 cm, with a maximum of up to 76 cm.
Cuttings taken from large trees carry flower buds in the first and second years after cutting but cannot set fruit. In the third and fourth years, no flower buds appear. In the fifth year, some seedlings bear fruit. Japanese yew is dioecious. Male plants flower in spring but do not bear fruit; female plants bear fruit in autumn, and the fruit turns red in August.
VII. Post-Cutting Management
The main management measures are timely and appropriate watering and ventilation to keep the cutting substrate moist. The water flow should not be too strong when watering, to prevent washing out the cuttings. Too much water can
easily cause cutting rot. After cutting, water should be sprayed twice daily; after two weeks, once daily. Water thoroughly every 3-4 days. If tap water is used for irrigation, it must be stored for more than 4 days before use. When the midday temperature remains too high, methods such as uncovering the film to spray water or spraying water outside the film can be used to lower the temperature.
After large numbers of roots have formed, ventilation and hardening should be carried out. First, uncover one end of the film for ventilation and hardening for about 2 hours per day. After 3-4 days, uncover both ends of the film for ventilation and hardening, and gradually extend the hardening time. In late August, the plastic film can be removed. After rooting, watering must not be neglected; if the cutting substrate dries out, the root systems of the young seedlings can easily dry up and die.
VIII. Overwintering Management
In early November, measures for heat preservation and cold protection should be taken. First, water once, then cover with plastic film or straw bag pieces.
IX. Seedling Transplanting
Seedlings grown in the open field are transplanted in the spring of the second year. Remove the cold protection materials 1 week before transplanting, and transplant after 1 week of hardening. During the process of lifting seedlings, try not to damage the roots or damage them as little as possible, and keep the root system moist. After lifting, plant immediately. The transplanting density is 20-30 cm. After planting, water thoroughly so that the soil and root system are naturally and closely combined. On a 1 m wide transplanting bed, build an arched bamboo shade frame 60 cm high, cover with 2 m wide, 50% shading rate plastic shade netting for shade, and then carry out normal management.
X. Management After the 3rd Year
From the 3rd year onward, shading is no longer needed, and normal management is carried out under full light. After 4-5 years of management, seedlings 30-76 cm tall can be cultivated.
Artificial Cultivation Techniques for Japanese Yew: How to Grow Japanese Yew?
Japanese yew, also known as purple yew, is a relatively precious tree species in China. Because of its excellent wood quality, fragrance, and decay resistance, it has been welcomed by many people, and in recent years it has been planted in most areas. So how should Japanese yew be grown? Today let us take a look at the cultivation methods and precautions for Japanese yew.I. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Choose mountain shady slopes, sparse forest land, and sandy loam soil that is loose, moist, fertile, and well-drained for planting. Swamps, clay, or dry highlands are not suitable for planting. The seedling site should be selected near a water source, in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil, and land with slight shade is best. On the selected land, apply more than 3000 kg of barnyard manure per mu, deep plow 25-30 cm, and after plowing, level and rake fine to make beds 1-1.2 m wide, 15 cm high, and 10-15 m long for sowing.
II. Propagation Methods
There are two methods: seed propagation and cutting propagation.
1. Seed propagation: Seeds mature from September to October and should be collected promptly. Rub off the red aril by washing with water, clean them, soak them, and store them in wet sand. The seeds have a long after-ripening period and double dormancy characteristics, requiring two winters and one summer before germination. It is best to collect in autumn and sow in autumn. Spring sowing is carried out in mid-to-late April. Sow and raise seedlings in the seedling bed. Open shallow furrows 5 cm deep across the bed at a row spacing of 20 cm, sow evenly, cover with 2-3 cm of soil, and sow 5-10 g per sq m. After sowing, press lightly. Seedlings can emerge more than 20 days after sowing. During the seedling stage, use shade netting for shade with a light transmittance of 20%-30%. In drought, water thoroughly in a timely manner, and weed, loosen soil, and thin seedlings at the appropriate time.
2. Cutting propagation: Carry out from May to June at the turn of spring and summer. From mother plants more than 4 years old, cut 15 cm long cuttings; 2-year-old young branches used as cuttings have a relatively high survival rate. To promote early rooting, soak the base of the cuttings in 100 ppm alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid or 100 ppm indoleacetic acid solution for 3 hours, then insert into an open-field cutting bed of the same specifications as the seedling bed. Alternatively, insert into a cutting bed using vermiculite plus weathered sand (1:1) as the substrate. Before cutting, remove the small branches and needles from the lower part of the cuttings. Insert 3-5 cm deep, with a plant and row spacing of 8 x 10 cm. After cutting, water thoroughly. Cover the cutting bed with a plastic film arch for moisture retention, and spray water twice daily. After two weeks, spray water once daily. Use shade netting for shade. Roots form one and a half months after cutting. After rooting, transplant once in the seedling bed, with a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 10-15 cm. Water frequently to keep the soil moist, loosen soil and weed so that there are no weeds on the bed surface, and apply appropriate inorganic or organic fertilizer, with organic fertilizer being preferable.
3. Field planting and cultivation: After 2-3 years, seedlings can be planted on shady slopes or flat land at a row spacing of 80 cm and a plant spacing of 70 cm. When planting on flat land, sufficient barnyard manure and an appropriate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium inorganic fertilizer must be applied in the planting pit. Before planting, soak for disinfection with carbendazim solution. After planting the seedlings in the pits, covering with soil, and pressing firmly, irrigate the root zone with one ladle of 1000-fold diluted "Wotu'an" or other soil pesticide residue degradation agent, then water thoroughly to settle the roots. 7-10 days after planting, irrigate the root zone with 97% "hymexazol" 3000-fold solution to eliminate soil-borne diseases and prevent root diseases such as damping-off and root rot of seedlings. Apply once every 7-10 days, for two consecutive applications.
III. Field Management
After field planting, field management should be strengthened.
1. Watering: Water frequently within half a year after planting to keep the soil moist; otherwise, survival will be affected. Water timely and appropriately during the growing season.
2. Loosening soil and weeding: During the growing season, weed once each in summer and autumn. This can also be combined with interplanting short-stem crops to keep the field free of weeds.
3. Topdressing: Topdress in combination with loosening soil and weeding, applying 5-10 kg of barnyard manure per plant. Use ring-shaped fertilization.
4. Shading: In the first year after planting, one layer of shade netting must be used for shade. In the second year, other shade plants such as corn can be interplanted for shade. After three years of planting, shading is no longer necessary.
IV. Harvesting and Processing
Generally, after more than 5 years of growth, some branches and leaves can be harvested for medicinal use, and after more than 9 years, branches and leaves can be harvested in large quantities for medicinal use. After several years of collection, the trunk can be completely cut down, sawed into sections, sun-dried, and used as medicine, or the whole plant including roots can be used as medicine. The dry-to-fresh ratio is 40%-50%. Quality standard: free from insect damage and decay.
Precautions:
Japanese yew has very good medicinal value; its stems, branches, leaves, and roots can all be used as medicine, so during cultivation, care must be taken to avoid the use of chemical agents and fertilizers. In addition, Japanese yew also has very good ornamental value, so during cultivation, attention must be paid to pruning, so that the Japanese yew that grows out will be beautiful.
Summary: The above is an introduction to the artificial cultivation techniques of Japanese yew. We hope it is helpful to everyone.