What are the propagation methods for Taxus chinensis seedlings?

Taxus chinensis is a first-class protected rare plant in China. The paclitaxel extracted from its bark or branches and leaves is a specific drug for treating cancer and is expensive. At present, many regions are vigorously establishing Taxus chinensis bases, and Taxus chinensis seedlings are in short supply on the market. Taxus chinensis is mainly propagated by seed. Its seed coat is hard and dense, and its physiological after-ripening time is as long as 1 year. Many seedling growers fail because they do not master the seedling-raising characteristics of Taxus chinensis. Based on practical experience in Taxus chinensis seedling cultivation in recent years, the author proposes the following seedling-raising measures. 1. Correctly master the seed collection time. The flowering period of Taxus chinensis is from May to June, and the seed maturity period is from October to November. At this time, the seeds are morphologically mature, and the fleshy outer seed aril changes from green to yellow-brown, so they can be picked. If picked earlier, the seeds are too tender, which easily causes poor seed development and affects the germination rate. 2. Seed treatment and storage. Sprinkle water on the collected seeds, cover them with plastic film, and pile them for fermentation for 3 days to 5 days, then rub and wash them clean together, and dry them in the shade under ventilated conditions; promptly store the shade-dried seeds mixed with river sand with a moisture content of 5%, with a seed-to-sand ratio of 1:3. After the seeds and sand are mixed, pile them to a thickness of 30 cm to 40 cm, cover the top with sand 3 cm to 4 cm, and turn them once every 20 days to avoid the seeds drying out and dying. Taxus chinensis seeds have a long physiological after-ripening period and need to be stored for as long as 1 year to achieve the purpose of forcing germination. A concentrated sulfuric acid solution can also be used to soak the seeds for half an hour first, corroding part of the outer seed coat, then rinse them clean and dry them in the shade before storage. This can effectively promote earlier and more uniform germination after sowing. 3. Selection of nursery land. Flat terrain, deep soil layers, loose soil, and slightly acidic sandy loam soil should be selected, and convenient drainage and irrigation are required, because Taxus chinensis seedlings are both afraid of drought and afraid of waterlogging. 4. Land preparation and base fertilizer for the nursery. Prepare the nursery land 1 month before sowing. Use 15 kg of ferrous sulfate per mu, mix it with dry sand, and spread it into the soil, which can prevent damping-off and anthracnose. Apply 50 loads of decomposed farmyard manure and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu, and do not expose the fertilizer. 5. Treatment before sowing. Rinse the stored seeds with water, then soak them in 0.5 potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes, and then sow; if 5% of the seeds have already shown exposed radicles, they should not be disinfected again and can be sown directly. 6. Sowing, covering, and shading. Sow the treated seeds evenly on the seedbed surface by broadcasting or drilling. The seeding rate for broadcasting is 25 kg per mu, and the seeding rate for drilling is 20 kg. Cover the seeds well with burned soil or finely crushed loam to a thickness of 1 cm to 2 cm, then cover evenly with rice straw. The sowing time is from December to March of the following year. About 1 month after sowing, they can germinate and emerge, and germination ends after about 2 months. Before germination and emergence, attention should be paid to preventing rodent damage. Shade in time before the seeds germinate and emerge to prevent the seedlings from being scorched. 7. Removing straw and seedling management and protection. When more than 40% of Taxus chinensis seeds have germinated and emerged, the straw covering can be removed; after 7 days to 10 days, spray 1500-fold Decis or 1000-fold dichlorvos to control pests. Spraying is best done on cloudy days or after 4 p.m. on sunny days; after another 10 days to 15 days, spray the seedbed with 1000-fold thiophanate-methyl or 800-fold dexon to prevent seedling-stage damping-off, blight, or anthracnose; weed and loosen the soil in a timely manner; apply 0.5% urea by drenching once every 15 days until late September; in October, spray foliar fertilizer monopotassium phosphate or borax to promote full lignification of the seedlings and achieve the goal of robust seedlings.