Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Schisandra Seedling Raising and Cultivation

Schisandra [Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.] belongs to the Magnoliaceae family, genus Schisandra. It is a famous traditional Chinese medicinal herb and has been listed as one of the important medicinal materials in Heilongjiang Province's northern medicine development strategy. It is mainly distributed in Northeast China, and also found in North China, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. Schisandra uses its fruit as medicine; the berry is fleshy, spherical, and dark red, and can treat lung deficiency, cough and asthma, diarrhea, night sweats, etc. After the state implemented the Natural Forest Protection Project, people's attention to the development and utilization of Schisandra was aroused, and research and development work such as seedling raising and cultivation gradually began. The key techniques for Schisandra seedling raising and cultivation are briefly described below.

1 Seedling Raising Techniques

1.1 Seed Collection

Collect seeds in mid-to-late September, pile and compost for a few days, then perform water selection, fish out and dry in the shade, and set aside for later use. Seeds picked from the mountains cannot be used for seedling raising.

1.2 Seed Treatment

Treat in early-to-mid January using the sand stratification method at a temperature of 10-15°C. During treatment, check at any time, especially when entering the sowing period, which is particularly important. When the cracking rate reaches about 30%, sowing can begin.

1.3 Sowing

Sowing rate is 25-30 g/sq m, 350-400 plants per mu, soil covering thickness 1.0-1.5 cm, sowing time is early May.

1.4 Field Management

Before seedling emergence, set up a shade shed. Begin shading when seedlings emerge. Full-light seedling raising produces poor results; a light transmittance of 30%-40% or below is preferable. Weeding is mainly done manually, because the terminal buds of Schisandra seedlings are sensitive to some herbicides and these should not be used. The annual growth is generally no more than 10 cm. If less than 10-15 cm, soil should be mounded for overwintering, and then cultivated for another year for orchard establishment.

2 Cultivation Techniques

2.1 Orchard Establishment

2.1.1 Selecting relatively good plots for orchard establishment. Choose flat terrain, abundant water sources, and sheltered locations, and do a good job of plot division for easy management. The criteria for selecting seedlings are mainly well-developed root systems, good growth, and no mechanical damage or pests and diseases.

2.1.2 Planting. The planting time is mid-to-late April, and the planting density is generally 0.6 x 2 m between plants and rows. In the second year after planting, carry out trellising, vine training, tying, and removal of sprouts to complete the later shaping work of orchard establishment.

2.1.3 Field management. In the year after planting, irrigate once with water to promote budding. Fertilizer can be applied together with irrigation, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, or a fertilizer combining nitrogen and phosphorus. Intertillage and weeding are mainly done manually; chemical herbicides are generally not used. The principles of shaping and pruning are: keep strong main vines to ensure rational use of space; remove old ones and keep fewer; keep medium and long branches, remove short branches and basal branches; remove diseased, weak, overly dense, and senescent branches.

2.2 Semi-wild Cultivation

In forest land, small trees and shrubs are used as biological supports for Schisandra cultivation. Remove overly dense small shrubs such as hazel, Lespedeza bicolor, and honeysuckle. The canopy density of the upper small trees should not exceed 0.4, and wild Schisandra groups should be retained. For planting, use 2-3 year old Schisandra seedlings. Density should be determined according to actual conditions, generally around 5,000 plants. Its field management is simpler than the orchard establishment method; only intertillage, weeding, and soil loosening are needed in the first two years, and afterward only pruning and shaping need attention.

2.3 Improved Cultivation of Wild Resources

In areas with abundant natural distribution of Schisandra, improved cultivation of wild resources can be carried out. In sections where Schisandra is insufficient, supplement with seedlings to reach a reasonable density. If transformation is carried out, it may also be cultivated into a forest, but it is generally believed that this is not conducive to natural forest protection.

3 Problems and Discussion

3.1 Artificial cultivation of Schisandra is an important way to develop northern medicine. It not only protects the ecological environment but also helps benefit humanity. Therefore, we need to cherish this precious resource so that Schisandra production can achieve a virtuous cycle.

3.2 Schisandra cultivation should be based on the actual conditions of each region. Not only artificial cultivation can be carried out, but also semi-wild cultivation or improved cultivation of wild resources.

3.3 The principle of cultivating Schisandra in forests is to prevent Schisandra from spreading unchecked and causing an imbalance in the biological balance. In some semi-wild cultivation plots, Schisandra and other plants completely cover and entwine saplings (3-5 m tall) of tree species such as Korean pine, Amur cork tree, and Manchurian ash, pressing them down. Combined with unreasonable harvesting, this leads to their complete death. In some forest areas, almost all lower-layer trees are pressed down and killed. Therefore, in semi-wild cultivation plots, the relationship between Schisandra development and the coexistence of surrounding organisms should be properly resolved.

3.4 The cultivation area of Schisandra should not be blindly too large. Rushing into it en masse should be opposed to prevent oversupply and hinder the development process of Schisandra.