Seed propagation methods and key technical points for Schisandra chinensis

1. Seed treatment: From late August to mid-September, harvest ripe fruit, rub off the peel and flesh, float off shriveled seeds, and dry in a cool place. In mid-to-late December, soak the seeds in clean water for 3-4 days, changing the water once daily, then mix the wet seeds with clean fine river sand at a ratio of 1:3. The sand moisture is usually kept at the level where it forms a ball when squeezed tightly in the hand without dripping water (absolute moisture content of about 40%-50%). Place in a wooden box or flower pot for storage, keeping the temperature at 0-5°C. In Northeast China, before the soil freezes, you can also choose a wind-sheltered, sunny spot and dig a storage pit about 60 cm deep, with the length and width depending on the amount of seeds. Put the seeds mixed with wet sand into a bag and place them in the pit, cover with 10-20 cm of fine soil, and add crop straw on top for low-temperature treatment. After the thaw the following spring, take out the seeds and germinate them. The stratification or low-temperature treatment period required for Schisandra chinensis seeds is generally 80-90 days. About half a month before sowing, sieve the seeds out of the stratified sand and place them at 20-25°C to germinate. After about 10 days, when most seeds have cracked seed coats or exposed radicles, they can be sown. Because Schisandra chinensis seeds often carry various pathogens, this causes seed rot or seedling diseases during germination and after sowing. Therefore, before germination or sowing, disinfecting Schisandra chinensis seeds is very necessary. Dress seeds with 0.2%-0.3% carbendazim by seed weight, and immediately germinate or sow after dressing. You can also soak seeds in a 400-1000 times solution of 50% imazalil or a 1000 times solution of 70% mancozeb for 2 hours, with very good results.

2. Direct sowing in open field: To cultivate excellent Schisandra chinensis seedlings, the nursery land should preferably be a flat, loose, fertile sandy loam plot with convenient water sources and good drainage. The nursery land should be plowed and harrowed fine before the soil freezes in autumn, with a plowing depth of 25-30 cm. Apply base fertilizer together with autumn plowing, applying 4-5 m³ of decomposed farmyard manure per mu.

Direct sowing in open field can be done in spring (around mid-April in the Jilin region) and autumn (before the soil freezes). Before sowing, beds can be made according to different soil conditions. For low-lying, easily waterlogged plots with more rain, raised beds can be made, with a bed height of about 5 cm. For dry, drought-prone plots with less rain, flat beds can be made. Regardless of the method, there must be a loose soil layer of more than 15 cm, a bed width of 1.2 m, and the bed length depending on the terrain. Harrow the bed soil fine, remove impurities, and rake the bed surface level before sowing. Sowing adopts the drill method, that is, on the bed surface, open shallow furrows 2-3 cm deep at a row spacing of 20-25 cm. The seeding rate is 5-8 kg per mu, and about 10-15 g per sq m. Cover with 1.5-2.0 cm of fine soil, compact the soil, and water thoroughly. Cover the bed surface with a layer of rice straw, pine needles, or add grass curtains, with a covering thickness of about 1.0 cm, which can maintain soil moisture without affecting the rise of soil temperature. To prevent damping-off and other soil-borne diseases, after sowing and covering with soil, spray a 500 times solution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder together with watering.

When the emergence rate reaches 50%-70%, remove the covering and immediately set up a simple shade shed. When the seedlings grow to 2-3 true leaves, remove the shade. During the seedling stage, weed and loosen the soil in a timely manner. When the seedlings grow 3-4 true leaves, thin them, keeping a plant spacing of about 5 cm. Fertilize twice during the seedling stage. The first time is when the shade shed is removed, open furrows between seedling rows and apply 20-25 g of ammonium nitrate and 5-6 g of potassium sulfate per sq m; the second topdressing is when the seedlings are about 10 cm tall, applying 30-40 g of diammonium phosphate and 6-8 g of potassium sulfate per sq m. After fertilizing, appropriately increase watering frequency to promote seedling growth. Entering mid-August, when the seedling height reaches 30 cm, promptly pinch the tips to promote thickening growth and cultivate strong seedlings. During cultivation, pay attention to the occurrence of powdery mildew. When powdery mildew is found, use a 800-1000 times solution of 25% fenarimol wettable powder, a 800-1000 times solution of thiophanate-methyl wettable powder, or a 1500-2000 times solution of 70% fenarimol wettable powder for control.

Under the premise that other management measures are consistent, after removing the covering, no shading facility may also be set up. After the seedlings emerge and before growing 2-3 true leaves, change conventional shading to intermittent misting of the seedbed with sprinkler irrigation equipment from 10:00-12:00 in the morning and 1:00-3:00 in the afternoon. This saves the cost of shading equipment and significantly improves the seedling survival rate and seedling quality.

3. Seedling raising in protected cultivation: When finished seedlings are in short supply, you can sow early in protected cultivation to raise nutrient pot seedlings and then directly transplant them into the cultivation garden, achieving the goal of raising seedlings and establishing the garden in the same year.

Sowing and post-sowing management: In the Jilin region, cover with plastic greenhouses from late March to early April, using plastic nutrient pots with specifications of 6 cm x 6 cm, 7 cm x 7 cm, or 8 cm x 8 cm. The nutrient soil formula is: farmyard manure (decomposed): fine river sand: humus soil = 5:25:75, and add diammonium phosphate (ground into powder) at a ratio of 0.3%. Before sowing, water the nutrient soil in the pots thoroughly, sow 3-4 seeds in each nutrient pot, and cover with 2 cm of soil. After sowing, together with watering, spray a 800-1000 times solution of 50% amobam aqueous solution.

After sowing, maintain appropriate humidity, generally watering once every 2-3 days. After the seedlings emerge completely, when the temperature is above 30°C, ventilate to lower the temperature. In mid-to-late June, the seedlings can be transplanted with soil balls into the cultivation garden for planting.