Polyploid black locust is a new type of tree species suitable for growing on poor soil

A sapling less than 10 cm long, looking like nothing more than a pea sprout, planted on barren land where nothing will grow, can shoot up to more than 3 m tall in a single year. This is a new type of tree species suitable for planting in China's western regions - polyploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) - successfully cultivated by the Lvyuan Seedling Research and Promotion Center of Changyi City, Shandong Province, together with experts from Beijing Forestry University, using plant tissue culture technology on the basis of introduced foreign tree species. With its excellent drought resistance, salt-alkali tolerance and tolerance of poor soil, it has become a highly favored "golden sapling". The Lvyuan Center of Changyi City, Shandong Province, has thereby grown into China's largest research and production base for "polyploid black locust".

Since July last year, under the guidance of Professor Luo Xiaofang and Professor Tian Yanting of Beijing Forestry University, the Lvyuan Center of Changyi City has invested more than 2 million yuan and introduced new black locust tree species from Hungary and South Korea. In response to the needs of western development, it used advanced plant tissue culture technology to select and breed black locust species with drought resistance, salt-alkali tolerance and tolerance of poor barren soil, and succeeded. It has now improved and bred three major series of polyploid black locust varieties: fodder type, nectar-source type and timber type.

Today, under the careful guidance of experts from Beijing Forestry University and with strong support from all sides, the center has rapidly developed into the country's largest research and production base for "polyploid black locust", and nearly 1 million polyploid black locust saplings have already been shipped to the various provinces and cities of the west.