What Is a Plant Propagator?

Plant reproduction means that plants produce new individuals similar to themselves. This is a natural phenomenon in which plants reproduce and continue, and is one of the basic characteristics of plant life. The main types of plant reproduction include asexual reproduction, seed reproduction, and spore reproduction.

Plant reproduction

There are many kinds of medicinal plants, and their reproduction methods are different.

Sexual reproduction is also called seed reproduction. The seedlings from general seed propagation have a strong adaptability to the environment and a large reproduction coefficient. The seed is a living being in a dormant period. Only good seeds can produce good offspring. There are many kinds of medicinal plants, the shape, size, color, lifespan and germination characteristics of their seeds are different.

Plant propagation seed characteristics

Seed dormancy Seed dormancy is a phenomenon that temporarily cannot germinate or is difficult to germinate due to the limitation of internal factors or external conditions. The length of the seed dormancy period varies with plant species and varieties. There are many reasons for seed dormancy. There are internal and external causes, mainly in the following aspects: First, the seed coat is obstructed, because the seed coat is too thick and too hard, or waxy, and the water permeability is poor, which affects the seed germination, such as Lotus seeds, andrographis paniculata, etc .; second is the post-ripening effect, because the embryos are not completely differentiated and developed (such as ginseng, ginkgo, etc.), or the embryos are completely differentiated and developed, but they are not physiologically mature and cannot germinate (such as peach and apricot) Third, there are inhibitory substances in the fruit, seed coat or endosperm, such as hydrocyanic acid, organic acids, etc., which hinder embryo germination.

Seed germination period refers to the number of years that the seed can maintain the germination ability. The lifespan of various medicinal plant seeds varies widely. The short-lived life is only a few days or no more than 1 year. For example, cinnamon seeds lose their germination power once dried. The lifespan of angelica and white peony seeds does not exceed 1 year. The germination period of most medicinal plant seeds is 2 to 3 years. Loquat, milk thistle, eustoma, isatis root, safflower and so on. Proper storage conditions can extend the life of the seeds. However, it is better to use fresh seeds for production, because the germination rate of seeds is often low in the next year.

Plant reproduction seed processing

Seed treatment before sowing is a cost-effective measure to increase yield. It can improve seed quality, control seed diseases and insect pests, break seed dormancy, and promote seed germination and seedling growth. There are many methods of seed treatment, which can be summarized into the following categories. ^[3]

Chemical substance treatment

a. For general chemical treatment, you must choose a suitable chemical and concentration according to the characteristics of the seed, and strictly control the processing time to obtain good results. Such as licorice seed treatment with sulfuric acid can also break the seed coat barriers and improve germination rate. The seeds of Codonopsis tangseng were soaked with 0.1% baking soda and 0.1% potassium bromide solution for 30 minutes, and could germinate 10 to 12 days earlier, and the germination rate was increased by about 10%.

b. Growth regulator treatments, such as treating the seeds of Achyranthes bidentata, Paeonia lactiflora, paeonia lactiflora, etc. with gibberellin can increase the germination rate.

c. Trace elements commonly used are boron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, etc. For example, seeds of Platycodon grandiflorum were dipped in 0.3% 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 24 hours, and the yields of seeds and roots were improved.

Handling of physical factors

a. Soaking seeds with cold, warm water or changing temperature soaking seeds can not only soften the seed coat, enhance permeability, promote seed germination, but also kill the germs inside and outside the seed to prevent the disease from spreading. For example, soaking the Andrographis seeds in warm water at 37 ° C for 24 hours can significantly promote germination. The seeds of loquat are soaked in cold and hot water alternately, which has a good effect on the prevention and control of the occurrence of black powder disease.

b. Sun-seeding Sun-seeding can promote the later maturity of certain seeds, increase the germination rate and germination potential, and prevent diseases and insect pests.

c. Mechanical damage treatment The mechanical seed method is used to damage the seed coat, break the seed coat barrier, and promote seed germination. Seeds such as astragalus, licorice and andrographis paniculata can be rubbed with coarse sand, and then soaked with warm water, the germination rate is significantly increased.

d. Stratification treatment Stratification method is commonly used to break the dormancy of seeds. Ginkgo, ginseng, Coptis chinensis and other methods are commonly used to promote post-ripening. The method is to mix the seeds with the wet sand and store them at a lower temperature.

Biological factors are mainly used for seed dressing.

Plant reproduction

Land preparation includes ploughing, land preparation, mowing, etc. Base fertilizer should be applied when turning over the ground, especially for root medicinal plants. Fine soil pieces are broken after turning over the ground to prevent the seeds from germinating normally. According to plant characteristics and local Cultivation of climatic characteristics, such as the cultivation of root medicinal materials in the south mostly use Gao. The width of the cymbal is convenient for operation and management.

The characteristics of medicinal plants are different in the sowing period, and the sowing dates are very inconsistent. But usually in spring and autumn sowing more. General cold-tolerant, short annual growth herbaceous plants and woody plants without dormant characteristics should be sown in spring, such as loquat, perilla, nepeta, Sichuan cork and so on. Plants with strong cold resistance, long growth period or dormant seeds should be sown in autumn, such as North American ginseng, Baiji, Magnolia, etc.

Due to the great climate differences in different parts of China, the same medicinal plant has different seeding periods in different regions. For example, safflowers should be sown in autumn in the south and spring in the north. Each medicinal plant has a suitable seeding period in a certain area. For example, angelica and white sedge are sown too early in autumn, and it is prone to pumping in the second year, which makes the roots unusable for medicinal purposes. If the seeding is too late, it will affect the yield and even occur Freezing damage. In the production process, attention should be paid to determining the appropriate seeding period.

Seeding method

a. There are three methods of direct seeding, hole seeding, seeding, and seeding. In the seeding process, pay attention to the seeding density and soil cover depth. Such as large seeds should be planted deep, small seeds should be planted shallowly, clay should be shallow, sandy soil should be deep.

b. Seedling transplanting Eucommia ulmoides, Cork, Magnolia, Chrysanthemum, Atractylodes, Codonopsis, Coptis chinensis, Shegan, etc., the seedlings are first raised in the seedbed and then transplanted in the field. Transplanting seedlings can improve land utilization, facilitate management, and facilitate the cultivation of strong seedlings.