Detailed Explanation of Artificial Cultivation Techniques for Taxus cuspidata

Taxus cuspidata (Taxus cuspidata sieb. et Zucc.), also known as yew, red cypress pine, zhumu, and rice tree. It is a plant of the genus Taxus in the family Taxaceae. An evergreen tree, a shade-tolerant species. It is distributed in southeastern Jilin Province, eastern Heilongjiang Province, and eastern Liaoning. It is also found in Japan, Korea, and Russia (Far East region). There is a very small distribution in the central Zhongshan plant resource area of Ji'an City. At elevations between 600 m and 1200 m, in forests with good humus and drainage, it often grows mixed with Korean pine, Yeddo spruce, Khingan fir, Asian white birch, and mono maple. Taxine can be extracted from the whole plant and used to treat diabetes. The aril tastes sweet and can be eaten fresh, while the leaves are toxic. It grows relatively slowly and has a beautiful crown shape, making it an excellent choice for garden ornamental planting.

I. Site Selection and Land Preparation

Choose mountain shady slopes and sparse woodland with loose, moist, fertile soil and good drainage sandy loam for planting. Swamps, clay, or dry highlands are not suitable for planting. The seedling-raising site should be close to a water source, with loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam, and land with slight shading is best. On the selected land, apply more than 3000 kg of barnyard manure per mu, deep plow 25-30 cm, then level and harrow fine after plowing, and make beds 1-1.2 m wide, 15 cm high, and 10-15 m long, ready for sowing.

II. Propagation Methods

There are two methods: seed propagation and cutting propagation.

1. Seed propagation. The seeds mature from September to October and must be collected promptly. Rub off the red aril by washing with water, wash clean, soak, and then store with wet sand. The seed after-ripening period is relatively long and has 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 on the seedbed, 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 down lightly. Seedlings can emerge more than 20 days after sowing. During the seedling stage, use a shade net for shading with a light transmittance of 20%-30%. In drought, water thoroughly in time, and weed, loosen the soil, and thin seedlings at the appropriate time.

2. Cutting propagation. Carry out in May-June at the turn of spring and summer. From mother plants more than 4 years old, cut 15 cm long cuttings; using 2-year-old young branches as cuttings gives a higher survival rate. To promote early rooting, soak the base of the cuttings in 100 ppm α-naphthaleneacetic acid or 100 ppm indoleacetic acid solution for 3 hours, then insert them into an open-field cutting bed with the same specifications as the seedling bed. Or insert them into a cutting bed using vermiculite plus weathered sand (1:1) as the substrate. Before insertion, cut off the small branches and needles on the lower part of the cuttings. Insert 3-5 cm deep, with a plant spacing of 8 x 10 cm. After insertion, water thoroughly, cover the cutting bed with an arched film cover to retain moisture, and spray water twice daily. After two weeks, spray water once daily. Use a shade net for shading, and roots develop one and a half months after insertion. After rooting, they can be transplanted once on 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 the soil and weed so that there are no weeds on the bed surface, and appropriately apply inorganic or organic fertilizer, with organic fertilizer being preferable.

3. Field planting and cultivation. After 2-3 years, the seedlings can be planted on shady slopes or flat land at a row spacing of 80 cm and a plant spacing of 70 cm. For flat-land planting, 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 seedling in the pit, covering with soil, and treading firm, irrigate the root zone with one water ladle of 1000-fold diluted "Wotu'an" or other soil agricultural residue degradation agent, then water thoroughly to settle the roots. From 7-10 days after planting, irrigate the root zone with 97% "hymexazol" 3000-fold diluted solution to eliminate soil-borne diseases and prevent root diseases such as damping-off and root rot in seedlings. Do this once every 7-10 days, for two consecutive irrigations.

III. Field Management

After planting, field management should be strengthened.

1. Watering. Within half a year after planting, water frequently to keep the soil moist; otherwise, survival will be affected. During the growing period, water promptly and in a timely manner.

2. Loosening soil and weeding. During the growing period, weed once each in summer and autumn. This can also be combined with intercropping short-stemmed crops so that there are no weeds in the field.

3. Topdressing. Carry out topdressing in combination with loosening the 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 net must be used for shading. In the second year, other shade plants such as corn can be intercropped for shading. After three years of planting, shading is no longer necessary.

IV. Harvesting and Processing

Generally, after growing for more than 5 years, part of the 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, dried in the sun, and used as medicine, or the roots can also be used as medicine. The dry-to-fresh ratio is 40%-50%. Quality standard: free from insect damage and decay.