Abstract:
Objective Effects of duration of the seedling tray bagging on the growth and quality of in-forest cultivated Anoectochilus roxburghi were analyzed.
Method Under tree shade in the forest, Nanjing large leaf A. roxburghii seedlings were cultivated with the conventional ground planting (CK) or utilization of the seedling tray bagging method for 7 different lengths of time at an experimental site in Geshan Village, Nanjing County. Effects of the bagging and bagging duration on the growth and quality of the plants were evaluated.
Result (1) The seedling tray bagging significantly increased the survival rate, plant height, leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, stem node number, node length, root number, and root length of the A. roxburghii plants. Compared with CK, 150 d bagging afforded the plants 26.42% higher on survival rate, 26.47% taller on height, 36.36% more on number of leaves, 18.41% longer on node, and 8.32% on average plant fresh weight. (2) The bagging significantly raised the soluble sugar content in A. roxburghii over direct ground planting. However, too long a bagging duration was detrimental to chlorophyll synthesis of the plant, even though no significant effect on protein content. (3) The bagging facilitated the plant accumulation and synthesis of polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and amino acids, as shown by 11.85%, 5.67%, 3.70%, and 17.50% increases, respectively, over the conventional ground cultivation. However, being held in the bags for a prolonged period, the plants ceased to rise on the contents of total alkaloids, kinsenoside, and total phenols. The peak contents of flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, and polysaccharides did not significantly differ on the plants bagged for 150 d or 0 d either.
Conclusion The seedling tray bagging practice benefitted the growth and quality of A. roxburghii. However, prolonged bagging was not conducive to the synthesis of functional ingredients in the plant. It appeared that bagging for 150 d was optimal for the cultivation of high quality A. roxburghii in the woods.