How much does Acer truncatum seed cost per jin? How many years of planting before it bears fruit? What is the profit per mu? What are its main values?
Acer truncatum, also known as Pingji maple, North China five-lobed maple, color tree, yuanbao tree, and sweetgum tree, among other names. Every part of it is treasured; it gets its name because its samara is shaped like the ancient Chinese “gold ingot yuanbao”, and it is a tree species endemic to China. So how much does Acer truncatum seed cost per jin? How many years of planting before it bears fruit? What is the profit per mu? What are its main values? It is understood that Acer truncatum seed costs 50 yuan/jin, with considerable price variation between different regions.
How many years of planting before Acer truncatum bears fruit?
Acer truncatum belongs to the Aceraceae family, Acer genus. It is a deciduous tree, 8-10 m tall; the bark is longitudinally fissured. Leaves are simple; simple leaves are opposite; with 5 main veins; palmate; petioles 3-5 cm long. Corymbs are terminal; flowers are yellow-green. The flowering period is in May, and the fruiting period is in September. Generally, 2-year-old nursery stock for landscaping and urban greening can be lifted from the nursery and supplied to the market, and it generally takes seven to eight years to produce seed, with a production period of 15-20 years.
What is the profit per mu of Acer truncatum?
Acer truncatum fruit has a kernel yield of 50%, an oil yield of 40%, contains 27% protein, and a seed coat yield of 23%; the seed coat contains 60 percent tannin; both rapeseed and soybean are estimated at high yields, with rapeseed at an oil yield of 35% and soybean at 45% protein; black wattle bark contains 40% tannin. Adopting early-fruiting and high-yield techniques can achieve significant economic benefits. Planting 110 grafted seedlings per mu, after three years it can produce 100 kg of samaras (5-10 kg of fruit per plant), and after mechanical threshing, 500 kg of kernels and 500 kg of shells can be obtained, which can produce 50 kg of Acer truncatum oil, 140 kg of tannin, and 1800 kg of oil. The output value per mu at the lowest price can bring in 6000 yuan, with a net profit of more than 3000 yuan. If developed and utilized for medical health-care extraction and medicinal tannin, the output value will increase by more than 10 times.
What are the main values of Acer truncatum?
1. The young leaves of Acer truncatum are red, and the autumn leaves are yellow, red, or purplish red. The tree has a graceful form and elegant leaf shape, making it an excellent foliage tree species. It is suitable as a shade tree, street tree, or scenic forest species. It is now mostly used for road greening. Acer truncatum is shade-tolerant, prefers a cool and humid climate, is highly cold-resistant, and has no strict soil requirements; it can grow in acidic soil, neutral soil, and calcareous soil. It has strong resistance to sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride, and also a strong ability to adsorb dust. It is an excellent tree species for shelterbelts, timber forests, and greening of industrial and mining areas.
2. The wood is hard and is an excellent material for construction, furniture, carving, and joinery. The bark fiber can be used for papermaking and as a substitute for cotton.
3. Its seeds are large and have a high oil content. The kernel oil content of Acer truncatum is 48%, and the mechanical pressing oil yield is 35%, higher than the oil yield of rapeseed. Acer truncatum oil is a semi-drying oil containing oleic acid and linoleic acid, among which the essential fatty acids -- linoleic acid and linolenic acid -- are as high as 53%. The oil quality is excellent, which is rarely seen among edible vegetable oils.
4. The kernel of Acer truncatum contains 25%-27% protein and no starch, which is rarely seen among plant seeds. After the oil is extracted from the kernel, the oil cake is a very good edible protein. According to measurements, the protein of the yuanbao tree contains 9 kinds of amino acids essential to the human body and is a complete protein. The high-quality food made from it is delicious and is an ideal protein resource.