Detailed Explanation of Schisandra Breeding Techniques and Methods

Schisandra is a plant of the Magnoliaceae family and a valuable medicinal material, with effects of astringing the lungs, nourishing the kidneys, stopping sweating, stopping diarrhea, and securing essence. Schisandra prefers humid environments (but is not tolerant of low-dust waterlogging), is cold-resistant, needs moderate shade, and is suitable for humus soil or loose, fertile loam. It has strong adaptability and can be planted in both northern and southern China. It often grows wild in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, mountain gullies, along stream banks, among small trees and shrubs, or at forest edges and open areas within forests.

Breeding methods for superior varieties:

1. Seed propagation. After autumn, collect the fruits, remove the pulp, wash out the seeds, dry them, and store them. Before sowing, the seeds need treatment as follows: soak the seeds at room temperature for 1 day and night, then mix them evenly with 3 times the amount of clean river sand and bury them in a cooler place. After 3 to 4 months, when the seeds crack open and the radicle emerges, sowing can begin. When treating the seeds, soaking them in a 100 to 200 ppm gibberellin solution for 24 to 48 hours can promote seed germination. Usually in late autumn or early spring, drill sowing is used for raising seedlings, with a seeding rate of about 5 kg per mu, covering with 1.5 cm of soil, watering thoroughly, and covering with grass to keep the soil moist. After seedlings emerge, remove the grass cover, set up a frame for shading, and maintain a small amount of sunlight. In early spring of the second or third year, they can be planted out.

2. Layering propagation. Before the plants begin growth in early spring, bury part of the branches into the soil and water frequently to keep the soil moist. After the branches grow new roots, cut the branches from the plant in late autumn or the following spring and plant them out.

3. Cutting propagation. Before growth begins in early spring or during the rainy season after flowering, cut firm and robust branches into 12 to 15 cm long sections (the cut ends must be smooth) and insert them obliquely into the seedbed with a row spacing of 12 cm and a plant spacing of 6 to 10 cm, then set up a shade frame and water frequently to promote rooting and survival, and plant out in the following spring.

Field management techniques:

1. Planting out. There are two methods for planting out Schisandra: one is to use natural supports. That is, use trees as supports, and tree species chosen as natural supports should preferably have smaller leaves and not overly vigorous growth; the second is to use artificial supports. For artificial supports, Schisandra seedlings can be planted at a spacing of 1 m between large rows, 60 cm between small rows, and 50 cm between plants, with rows oriented north-south to facilitate ventilation and light transmission.

2. Comprehensive field management. Schisandra seedlings grow slowly in the seedling stage, so attention should be paid to weeding, loosening the soil, and appropriate watering. After the second year, the supports can allow branches to climb, and attention should be paid to maintaining ventilation and light transmission to promote growth. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer at planting, topdressing must be carried out every spring, and per mu, 1500 to 2500 kg of barnyard manure or compost and 15 to 20 kg of superphosphate can be applied. To regulate plant nutrition and reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption, pruning is also needed, as follows: the pruning season is every year after the plants enter dormancy in winter and before they sprout in spring. In addition to selecting and retaining 3 to 4 thick branches per plant for cultivation, all the rest are cut off, and short branches as well as overly dense medium fruit branches and long fruit branches are cut off to increase ventilation and light transmission and raise fruit yield.

3. Pest and disease control. Leaf blight and leaf-rolling insect pests are common pests and diseases of Schisandra. Leaf blight starts from the leaf tip and leaf margin and gradually spreads to the entire leaf surface, causing it to wither, yellow, and fall off; in severe cases, the fruit clusters fall off, and there may even be no harvest at all. Before onset or in the early stage of onset, a 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed once every 7 to 10 days for several consecutive sprays; leaf-rolling insects damage as larvae, causing rolled leaves. For control, a 1500-fold dilution of 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate or a 1500-fold dilution of 50% phosphamidon emulsifiable concentrate can be sprayed. This can achieve good control results.