Regulator and method for improving fruit setting rate of star anise

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of chemical regulation and control of star anise fruit dropping, and discloses a regulator and a method for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise, the regulator comprises 50-400 parts by weight of uniconazole and 5-20 parts by weight of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and further comprises 1-8 parts by weight of forchlorfenuron. According to the conditioning agent provided by the invention, uniconazole and sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate have a synergistic effect, fruit drop is reduced by adjusting endogenous hormone balance, and the weight of a single fruit is increased while fruit setting of anise is promoted. The forchlorfenuron is added, so that the effect of improving the fruit setting rate and the weight of a single fruit of the star anise is further enhanced. By applying the regulator with proper concentration in the fruit growth period of the star anise, the fruit setting rate of the star anise is remarkably increased, meanwhile, the weight of a single fruit is also remarkably increased, and the purposes of increasing the yield of the star anise and increasing the planting income are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chemical regulation technology for star anise fruit, specifically to a regulator and method for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise. Background Technology

[0002] Star anise, also known as aniseed, is a plant belonging to the genus Illicium in the family Illicaceae. It is an economic tree species endemic to the subtropics of South Asia and is an important economic and ecological forest species in southern my country, with numerous applications and promising planting prospects. Star anise flowers readily and profusely. However, its first physiological fruit drop occurs within 1-2 weeks after flowering. This period of full bloom and first physiological fruit drop coincides with the maturation of shoots and leaves. The abundant flowering and vigorous growth of new shoots consume a large amount of the tree's nutrients, competing with the young fruit and resulting in significant fruit drop during the early stages. Current methods to address this physiological fruit drop include foliar fertilization to increase tree nutrition and pruning to remove diseased, weak, overly vigorous, and overly dense branches to improve canopy ventilation and light penetration. However, in practice, these methods have not significantly improved the fruit set rate.

[0003] Plant growth regulators are a class of chemical substances, synthesized artificially or extracted biologically, that can mimic the physiological functions of endogenous plant hormones or interfere with hormone synthesis / metabolism. They can target and regulate plant growth and development at extremely low concentrations (typically in the ppm range), making them a key tool for precision management in modern agriculture. Currently, there are no reports on technologies using plant growth regulators to control physiological fruit drop in star anise. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide a regulator and method for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise. By regulating the endogenous hormones in the tree, the regulator of this invention can achieve the dual effect of improving the fruit setting rate and the single fruit weight through reasonable application.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] First, the present invention provides a regulator to improve the fruit setting rate of star anise, which comprises the following components in parts by weight: 50-400 parts of uniconazole and 5-20 parts of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate.

[0007] Furthermore, the regulator also includes 1-8 parts by weight of chlorpyrifos.

[0008] Furthermore, the preferred composition of the regulator is 200 parts by weight of uniconazole, 10 parts by weight of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and 4 parts by weight of chlorpyrifos.

[0009] The reasons for choosing a compound formulation of uniconazole, sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and chlorpyrifos to prevent the fruit of star anise in this invention are as follows:

[0010] 1. Uniconazole is a highly effective and low-residue triazole plant growth regulator. It mainly achieves the effects of controlling excessive growth, dwarfing, promoting root growth, promoting flowering, protecting fruit, increasing yield, improving quality, and enhancing stress resistance by inhibiting gibberellin synthesis.

[0011] 2. Sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate is a synthetic plant growth regulator belonging to the phenoxyacetic acid class of compounds. Its mechanism of action mainly mimics the physiological function of endogenous plant auxin (indoleacetic acid). It is widely used in agricultural production, especially in protecting flowers and fruits and promoting fruit setting.

[0012] 3. Chlorpyrifos is a synthetically produced, highly active phenylurea cytokinin plant growth regulator. It strongly promotes cell division and expansion by mimicking the effects of natural cytokinins in plants, and affects the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins as well as nutrient transport. It has the effects of promoting fruit enlargement, increasing fruit set rate, and improving fruit shape.

[0013] During the growth of star anise pods, gibberellin plays a dominant role in promoting the growth and expansion of fruit pulp cells. Simultaneously, it works synergistically with auxins to regulate nutrient transport to the fruit. This invention combines uniconazole with sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate to prevent star anise fruit drop. Uniconazole, a triazole plant growth retardant, while inhibiting gibberellin synthesis (which promotes star anise pod expansion), improves the plant structure and canopy light transmittance by applying appropriate concentrations of uniconazole during the young fruit stage. This enhances the photosynthesis of the lower and middle fruits, preventing weak flowers and fruits from dropping due to shading. It also strengthens the star anise's resistance to stress, improving its ability to withstand drought, high temperatures, and diseases, reducing stress-induced ABA (abscisic acid) elevation, thus reducing stress-induced fruit drop. Furthermore, uniconazole prevents excessive vegetative growth, effectively controlling excessive vegetative growth and ensuring more resources are allocated to fruit development, reducing fruit drop. Sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate mimics the physiological functions of endogenous plant auxin (indoleacetic acid), transporting nutrients to young fruits and reducing physiological fruit drop caused by nutrient competition. It also delays abscission layer formation, reducing the probability of fruit stalk detachment. In this invention, clopidogrel and sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate work synergistically to reduce fruit drop by regulating endogenous hormone balance, promoting fruit set in star anise while increasing the weight of individual fruits. The addition of chlorpyrifos further enhances the effect of increasing star anise fruit set rate and individual fruit weight.

[0014] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned regulators, this invention also provides a method for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise, which includes the following steps:

[0015] Step 1: Prepare the regulator dilution solution: Dilute the above regulator with water to the application concentration to obtain the regulator dilution solution; the application concentration is 50-400 ppm for uniconazole, 5-20 ppm for sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and 1-8 ppm for chlorpyrifos; more preferably, the application concentration is 200 ppm for uniconazole, 10 ppm for sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and 4 ppm for chlorpyrifos.

[0016] Step 2: Spray the entire star anise tree with the diluted regulator solution prepared in Step 1 during the young fruit stage. The amount of diluted regulator solution should be 3-5 kg ​​per mature star anise tree.

[0017] Furthermore, the star anise juvenile stage refers to the period when the young fruit on the star anise tree grows to an average transverse diameter of 4-6 mm.

[0018] Furthermore, the mature star anise tree has a height of 8-10m and a crown width of 7-8m.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and effects:

[0020] The regulator provided by this invention, in which uniconazole and sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate work synergistically to reduce fruit drop by regulating the balance of endogenous hormones, promotes fruit setting in star anise, and increases the weight of individual fruits. The addition of chlorpyrifos further enhances the effect of increasing the fruit setting rate and the weight of individual fruits. By applying an appropriate concentration of the regulator of this invention during the fruit growth period of star anise, the fruit setting rate of star anise is significantly improved, and the weight of individual fruits is also significantly increased, achieving the goal of increasing star anise yield and improving planting income. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. After reading the present invention, modifications of the present invention in various equivalent forms by those skilled in the art all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the reagents used in the following embodiments are all commercially available products that can be purchased through offline or online channels.

[0022] This experiment started by regulating the endogenous hormones of star anise trees. By applying different types of plant growth regulators during the growth period of star anise fruits, the aim was to reduce fruit drop and increase fruit set rate.

[0023] I. Materials and Methods

[0024] (I) Test Materials

[0025] A star anise garden in Yapai Village, Xinhua Town, Funing County, Yunnan Province, which was in normal production, was selected. The soil fertility was moderate, and the trees were 10 years old. The plant growth regulators used are shown in Table 1.

[0026] Table 1. Information on Drug Regulators

[0027]

[0028]

[0029] (II) Experimental Procedure

[0030] In March 2024, the test orchard underwent weed and shrub removal, and overly dense trees were thinned. Damaged, diseased, weak, and inferior trees were removed, leaving 27-35 trees per acre. Soil analysis was also conducted. Based on the analysis results, Guoguang Songer star anise-specific fertilizer was applied to the entire orchard in March, at a rate of 1.5-2 kg per tree. Flowering trees were present in July, August, and September in this orchard. Due to the uneven flowering periods within the same orchard, the experiment was conducted from the initial budding stage to harvest. Experiments were conducted in July, August, and September, all showing corresponding effects. The following is a detailed observation of the August experiment.

[0031] (III) Test Methods

[0032] Trees with similar canopy size, vigor, phenological stage, slope, and aspect were selected for the experiment during the initial bud stage. The experimental method was to spray the whole tree with a regulator during the young fruit stage of star anise (the average transverse diameter of the fruit is 4-6 mm), with a spraying amount of 4 kg / tree, and spraying an equal amount of water as a blank control.

[0033] 3.1 Application of single-type plant growth regulators

[0034] Five treatments were prepared using uniconazole at application concentrations of 50 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 400 ppm, and 600 ppm.

[0035] Mepiquat chloride was administered in four treatments at application concentrations of 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 400 ppm, and 800 ppm.

[0036] Five treatments were set up with application concentrations of 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm and 25 ppm for sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate (PCPA);

[0037] Five treatments were prepared for chlorpyrifos (KT-30) at application concentrations of 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 4 ppm, 8 ppm, and 10 ppm.

[0038] Four treatments were administered with benzylaminopurine (6-BA) at concentrations of 15 ppm, 20 ppm, 25 ppm, and 30 ppm.

[0039] Brassinolide (BR) was applied at four concentrations of 0.05 ppm, 0.075 ppm, 0.1 ppm, and 0.125 ppm.

[0040] Triacontanol was administered in four treatments at application concentrations of 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 4 ppm, and 6 ppm.

[0041] Gibberellin (GA) was administered in four treatments at concentrations of 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 15 ppm, and 20 ppm.

[0042] 3.2 Experiments on compound plant growth regulators

[0043] The regulators should be compounded according to the following combinations:

[0044] (1) Uniconazole + PCPA; (2) Uniconazole + PCPA + KT-30; (3) Uniconazole + triacontanol; (4) Uniconazole + triacontanol + KT-30; (5) Uniconazole + PCPA + 6-BA; (6) PCPA + KT-30; (7) Mepiquat + PCPA; (8) BR + PCPA.

[0045] (iv) Experimental Observation Indicators

[0046] 4.1 Safety (visually observe whether the fruit grows normally and whether the leaf color is normal after the treatment);

[0047] 4.2 Fruit setting rate (The number of fruits before and after pesticide application is counted for the marked fruit clusters, and the fruit setting rate is calculated according to formula (Ⅰ). Three fruit clusters are marked at each of the four directions of east, south, west and north for a total of 12 fruit clusters).

[0048] Fruit set rate = (number of fruits before harvest / number of fruits before pesticide application) × 100% (Ⅰ);

[0049] 4.3 Single fruit weight (10 fruits on each bunch marked with fruit set rate are randomly picked and weighed, and then the single fruit weight is calculated according to formula (II);

[0050] Single fruit weight = ∑ weight of fruit in the fixed-point marked bunch i (i = 1 - 12) / 120 (Ⅱ).

[0051] II. Results and Analysis

[0052] (I) Security

[0053] According to safety observation indicators, uniconazole is safe to use in the concentration range of 50-400 ppm, mepiquat chloride is safe to use in the concentration range of 100-400 ppm, PCPA is safe to use in the concentration range of 5-20 ppm, KT-30 is safe to use in the concentration range of 1-8 ppm, 6-BA is safe to use in the concentration range of 15-25 ppm, BR is safe to use in the concentration range of 0.05-0.1 ppm, triacontanol is safe to use in the concentration range of 1-4 ppm, and GA is safe to use in the concentration range of 5-15 ppm.

[0054] (ii) Fruit set rate and single fruit weight

[0055] As can be seen from Table 2 below, the application of a single regulator has a certain effect on increasing the fruit setting rate and the weight of a single fruit compared with the blank control group.

[0056] Table 2. Effects of different types of regulators on star anise fruit set and fruit weight.

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] As shown in Table 2 above, the fruit set rate and single fruit weight of star anise increase with the increase of the concentration of clopidogrel. However, when the concentration of clopidogrel increases from 200 ppm to 400 ppm, the increase in fruit set rate is only 2.3%, and the increase in single fruit weight is only 1%. Considering the overall economic benefits, the optimal concentration of clopidogrel is 200 ppm. Based on this, the optimal concentrations are as follows: 200 ppm for mepiquat chloride, 10 ppm for sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, 4 ppm for chlorpyrifos, 20 ppm for benzylaminopurine, 0.05 ppm for brassinolide, 2 ppm for triacontanol, and 10 ppm for gibberellin.

[0060] (III) Effects of compound growth regulators on star anise fruit setting and yield

[0061] The compound regulators were prepared according to the optimal application concentration of the single regulator, and the test results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0062] Table 3. Effects of compound growth regulators on star anise fruit setting and yield

[0063]

[0064] Remark:

[0065] Theoretical yield increase rate = [(theoretical yield of the experimental group - theoretical yield of the blank control group) / theoretical yield of the blank control group] × 100%;

[0066] Theoretical yield = number of fruits before application × fruit set rate × single fruit weight; (the number of fruits before application refers to the number of fruits on the fixed-point marked fruit bunches before application).

[0067] As can be seen from Table 3 above, Experiment 2 had the highest fruit set rate, single fruit weight, and theoretical yield increase rate among all experimental groups. This indicates that the combination of "uniconazole + PCPA + KT-30" is the optimal combination for improving the fruit set rate and single fruit weight of star anise. The fruit set rate of Experiment 1 was comparable to that of Experiment 2, while the single fruit weight was slightly lower. This shows that the combination of "uniconazole + PCPA" performed best in improving the fruit set rate of star anise. The addition of "KT-30" further increased the single fruit weight of star anise and increased the yield of star anise.

[0068] (iv) Actual Profit Analysis

[0069] The application costs of single-agent and compound-agent formulations are shown in Table 4, and the revenue analysis is shown in Table 5.

[0070] Table 4. Cost of Applying Various Types of Pesticides

[0071]

[0072] Table 5. Benefit Analysis of Applying Various Types of Drugs

[0073]

[0074]

[0075] As shown in Table 5 above, the overall benefit of item 10 (compound drug "uniconazole + PCPA + KT-30") is the highest.

[0076] In summary, compared with other combinations of regulators and single regulators, the compound regulator provided by this invention significantly improves the fruit setting rate and single fruit weight of star anise, increases the yield of star anise, and significantly improves the planting income of farmers.

[0077] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the above preferred embodiments should not be considered as limitations on the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A regulator for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise, characterized in that: The components include the following parts by weight: 50-400 parts of uniconazole and 5-20 parts of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate.

2. The regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes 1-8 parts by weight of chlorpyrifos.

3. The regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The components consist of the following parts by weight: 200 parts of uniconazole, 10 parts of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate and 4 parts of chlorpyrifos.

4. A method for improving the fruit setting rate of star anise, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Prepare the regulator dilution solution: Dilute the regulator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 with water to the application concentration to obtain the regulator dilution solution; the application concentration is 50-400 ppm by mass of uniconazole, 5-20 ppm by mass of sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and 1-8 ppm by mass of chlorpyrifos; Step 2: Spray the entire star anise tree with the diluted regulator solution prepared in Step 1 during the young fruit stage. The amount of diluted regulator solution should be 3-5 kg ​​per mature star anise tree.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The application concentrations are as follows: 200 ppm for uniconazole, 10 ppm for sodium p-chlorophenoxyacetate, and 4 ppm for chlorpyrifos.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The average transverse diameter of the young star anise fruit during its early stages is 4-6 mm.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mature star anise trees are 8-10m tall and have a crown width of 7-8m.

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