What are the asexual propagation methods for lily bulbs?

(1) Natural bulblet propagation method: naturally divide the mother bulb into individual bulbs (ranging from 2-5, each containing one growth point), plant them in the field and cultivate for one year, and they can grow into larger new bulbs, then plant and propagate again, and by repeating this process, seed bulbs meeting the standard can be obtained. The disadvantages of this method are slow increase in quantity, high seed bulb usage, and serious disease and variety degeneration; the advantage is shortened propagation time, as seed bulbs can be obtained in 1-2 years.

(2) Bulblet (daughter bulblet) propagation method: plant small daughter bulblets into the field, and after several years of cultivation they can also form larger seed bulbs. This method has a relatively high propagation coefficient (for example, one Lilium longiflorum plant has dozens of daughter bulblets), and the plants are robust after emergence, but the cultivation time is longer than the bulblet propagation method.

(3) Scale propagation method: 1. Select healthy disease-free plants, and harvest the bulbs when the leaves begin to turn yellow (larger individuals are preferable). 2. Carefully peel off healthy scales one by one, soak them in a 1:500 benomyl or captan solution for 30 minutes, dry them in the shade, and insert them into the substrate to 1/2-2/3 (substrate same as above), then spray with water and place in a shaded area. 3. Insert cuttings in September, and by November several small bulblets can form on each scale. 4. In the spring of the second year, the small bulblets take root and produce leaves, forming larger new bulb individuals. After several years of continuous cultivation, seed bulbs are obtained.

(4) Bulbil propagation: some varieties such as Lilium lancifolium and Lilium sulphureum can produce purple-black bulbils in the leaf axils of the stem nodes. The bulbil is composed of several thick scales, and when planted in soil it can naturally take root and grow leaves, forming a small plant. Its function is roughly the same as the propagation of small bulblets and small daughter bulblets.

(5) Cuttage propagation of stem segments and leaves: stem segment propagation is a new method of propagating seed bulbs, which utilizes the characteristic that lily branches can survive after cuttage, form new plants, and then produce small bulblets. Select healthy sterile young shoots grown in the current year (preferably those near the ground), cut them into 10-13 cm small segments, soak the basal 4-5 cm in 0.01% indoleacetic acid or 0.005% naphthaleneacetic acid water for 10 minutes, and insert them into the nutrient pots of the seedbed. The seedbed should be sheltered from the wind, sunny, warm, and well-drained, made with sandy soil. The culture soil in the nutrient pots is composed of four parts garden soil, four parts fully decomposed and finely crushed compost, and two parts river sand. After cuttage, attention should be paid to shading and watering, keeping the soil moist, at a temperature of 20-30°C; callus tissue can be produced in 8 days, rooting can occur after 20 days, and the rooting rate can reach over 96%. After 30 days, they can be transplanted into the field for cultivation. Experiments have shown that one cutting seedling can produce 3-7 bulbs with a diameter of 2-5 cm in the same year, and more can reach more than 10; the harvested bulbs can be used for field cultivation. In addition, operating the upper leaves of the lily according to the above method can also produce small seed bulbs, but this method is generally not used.