Application of Senecio jacobaeain planting of Malpighia emarginata

Abstract

The application provides application of a tumorous stem of Senecio in planting of Malania oleifera, and the application comprises the following steps: simultaneously planting seedlings of the Malania oleifera and cuttings of the tumorous stem of Senecio in a substrate for cultivation. The application provided by the application can make the parasitic plant Malania oleifera and the host plant tumorous stem of Senecio form a parasitic relationship quickly, and can significantly promote the growth of the Malania oleifera by taking the Malania oleifera as a hemiparasitic plant and taking the tumorous stem of Senecio as the host plant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of plant cultivation technology, and in particular to the application of *Chrysanthemum indicum* in garlic clove cultivation. Background Technology

[0002] Tithonia diversifolia, also known as sunflower, golden chrysanthemum, stinking chrysanthemum, and tree chrysanthemum, is a plant belonging to the genus Tithonia in the family Asteraceae. In tropical and subtropical regions, it is a clump-forming perennial shrub or subshrub with a well-developed root system and strong reproductive capacity, capable of growing in various soil types. Native to Mexico and Central America, it was once widely introduced to many countries and regions in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia as an ornamental plant, green manure, and soil erosion control plant. Currently, in Southeast Asia, South Africa, and some Pacific regions, it has become an invasive weed in grasslands, riverbanks, and roadsides, spreading and forming a single dominant species. In my country, it was once introduced as an ornamental plant in Guangdong and Yunnan provinces. However, after escaping to Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Taiwan, it has caused some damage to agricultural production and poses varying degrees of threat to biodiversity, making it a potentially harmful invasive alien plant.

[0003] Therefore, with the spread of *Chrysanthemum indicum* in southern and southwestern my country, it is necessary to find a new way to utilize this species for production purposes and mitigate its potential harm, based on its characteristics. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an application of *Chrysanthemum indicum* in garlic fruit cultivation.

[0005] Application of a type of chrysanthemum in garlic clove cultivation.

[0006] As described above, garlic seedlings and chrysanthemum cuttings are planted simultaneously in the substrate for cultivation.

[0007] As described above, the root system of the garlic seedling is intact, and the morphological lower end of the chrysanthemum cutting is placed obliquely at the lower part of the root system of the garlic seedling.

[0008] As described above, two-thirds of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cutting is embedded in the substrate.

[0009] As described above, the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings are obtained by the following method: selecting unbranched sprouting *Chrysanthemum indicum* branches, cutting the branches from the base of the branches, and then removing all the leaves from the base of the petioles of the branches to obtain the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings.

[0010] In the application described above, the distance between the stem of the garlic fruit and the cutting of the chrysanthemum on the surface of the planting substrate is 3-4 cm.

[0011] As described above, the cultivation includes: constructing a 50% shade net for the garlic clove seedlings and chrysanthemum cuttings, and regularly watering to keep the substrate moist, with seedlings emerging after 6 months.

[0012] As described above, the diameter of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings is between 1.2 and 2.5 cm, and the length is between 20 and 25 cm.

[0013] As described above, the garlic seedlings are obtained by the following germination method:

[0014] From late September to early October, harvest mature garlic pods, peel off the pericarp to remove the seeds, wash the seeds, and air dry the surface moisture of the seeds.

[0015] Soak the seeds in a 50% carbendazim solution diluted 1000 times for 30 minutes, then remove the soaked seeds and air dry them until there is no moisture on the seed coat surface.

[0016] Arrange them in the sand bed at 2cm intervals, cover them with 3-5cm of clean, moist river sand, and carry out sand storage for germination.

[0017] The garlic seedlings that had been stored in sand for sprouting were transplanted in April or May of the following year.

[0018] As described above, the substrate is prepared by mixing humus and loam in a 3:2 mass ratio. After the garlic cloves and chrysanthemums have grown for a period of time, if the branches of the chrysanthemums become too dense and affect the light exposure of the garlic clove leaves, the branches of the chrysanthemums are pruned, and the pruned branches are used as green manure and sown in the substrate.

[0019] Beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The application provided by this invention, by using garlic fruit as a semi-parasitic plant and chrysanthemum as a host plant, enables the parasitic plant garlic fruit to quickly form a parasitic relationship with the host plant chrysanthemum, which can significantly promote the growth of garlic fruit.

[0021] 2. The host plant *Chrysanthemum indicum* is distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of Yunnan and Guangxi, roughly corresponding to the suitable distribution area of ​​*Cynanchum paniculatum*. As a host plant, *Chrysanthemum indicum* does not require special propagation and can be directly collected in the wild all year round, saving production costs.

[0022] 3. The host plant, Chrysanthemum indicum, is easy to propagate by cuttings, roots easily, and the branches can survive without special treatment. The equipment required for production is simple, and the planting operation is convenient.

[0023] 4. The host plant, *Chrysanthemum indicum*, grows as a subshrub or shrub with many branches at the base. It is highly adaptable, grows rapidly, and tolerates pruning, providing ample nutrition for the rapid parasitism of garlic bulbs.

[0024] 5. Since the branches and leaves of *Chrysanthemum indicum* degrade quickly and the branches are dense and sprout easily, they can be pruned repeatedly according to management requirements, and the pruned branches can be used as green manure.

[0025] The present invention places the morphological lower end of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cutting obliquely on the lower part of the root system of the *Gnaphalium affine* seedling, which allows the haustoria of the *Gnaphalium affine* root to have more contact with the cutting, thereby enabling the parasitic haustoria to form on the cutting more quickly, and further promoting the growth of the *Gnaphalium affine*.

[0026] This invention involves burying two-thirds of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings in the substrate. On the one hand, this promotes rooting of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings; on the other hand, it allows for more contact between the haustoria at the base of the bulb and the roots formed by the cuttings, thereby further promoting the growth of the bulb.

[0027] This invention controls the distance between the stem of the garlic fruit and the cutting of the chrysanthemum on the surface of the planting substrate to 3-4 cm. This ensures that the two plants do not interfere with each other's growth due to being too close, nor hinder the rapid establishment of the parasitic relationship due to being too far apart, thereby further promoting the growth of the garlic fruit.

[0028] This invention controls the thickness of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings to between 1.2 and 2.5 cm, which promotes vigorous growth and easy survival. Controlling their length to between 20 and 25 cm allows the cuttings to be placed obliquely under the roots of the bulbils, providing more contact opportunities between the bulbils' haustoria and the cuttings, thus further promoting bulb growth.

[0029] Since the branches sprouting from the base of *Chrysanthemum indicum* are more robust, this invention uses cuttings taken from the base of *Chrysanthemum indicum* branches, which is beneficial to the growth of *Chrysanthemum indicum* branches and thus improves the survival rate of cuttings. By removing all the leaves from the base of the petiole of the branch, water loss of the branch can be prevented, thereby further promoting the growth of *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings and improving the survival rate.

[0030] Since garlic seedlings are relatively shade-tolerant, this invention uses a shade net to meet their shading needs and prevent excessive water loss, thus promoting the growth of both plants. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the haustorium of a garlic clove parasitizing the root of a chrysanthemum.

[0032] Figure 2 Comparison of growth between single garlic bulb plants and seedlings planted on the host plant *Chrysanthemum indicum*. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention are described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0034] *Malania oleifera*, the only relict plant in the genus *Malania* of the family Agrocybeceae, is a rare species endemic to the karst mountains of southeastern Yunnan and western Guangxi in my country. It is now only sparsely distributed in Guangnan and Funing counties in southeastern Yunnan and the limestone mountainous areas of western Guangxi. The kernels of *Malania oleifera* are rich in oil, ranging from 50% to 65%, with nervonic acid content as high as 40% to 67%. Nervonic acid (scientific name: cis-15-tetracosenoic acid) is a very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid that has significant therapeutic effects in restoring nerve ending activity, promoting nerve cell growth and development, enhancing brain nerve activity, and preventing neurasthenia. It is considered one of the most promising brain health products of the 21st century. Therefore, *Malania oleifera* has enormous economic value.

[0035] Due to the immense economic value of garlic cloves, the already limited wild resources have been subjected to indiscriminate harvesting, posing an even greater threat to this endangered wild plant and further depleting its resources. With few wild garlic clove plants and a low yield, the total fruit production is extremely limited. Large-scale artificial cultivation to replace wild resources is the only way to ensure the rational development and utilization of garlic cloves.

[0036] Garlic cloves are semi-parasitic plants, requiring other suitable host plants to grow well. In artificial cultivation, seedlings cannot quickly find a host plant that can provide sufficient nutrition, resulting in slow growth of garlic clove seedlings. Due to their weak growth, they are prone to diseases and pests, leading to a low survival rate. This seriously hinders the development of the garlic clove cultivation industry.

[0037] Although garlic cloves can form parasitic relationships with a variety of plants and are not highly specific in their choice of host species, the host plant's ability to form a parasitic relationship with the garlic clove is not enough to quickly meet the garlic clove's growth needs. The host plant should also have the following characteristics to effectively promote the growth of the garlic clove: (1) The garlic clove and the host plant can quickly form a parasitic relationship, which ensures that the garlic clove seedlings can obtain the nutrients needed for growth from the host plant as early as possible; (2) The host plant has strong environmental adaptability and is not demanding in terms of growth environment, which ensures that the host plant grows well before it can provide conditions for the garlic clove to parasitize; (3) The host plant can grow rapidly, and the plant is robust and has a certain size, which ensures that it can provide sufficient nutrition for the parasitized garlic clove. Under artificial propagation conditions, the garlic clove seedlings can quickly establish a parasitic relationship with the host plant, and the host plant has strong environmental adaptability and grows quickly, which can provide sufficient nutrition for the parasitized garlic clove seedlings. This is the key to ensuring the survival of artificially cultivated garlic cloves.

[0038] While some herbaceous plants can form parasitic relationships with garlic pods, their small size limits the nutrients the garlic pods receive from the host plant, thus failing to effectively promote their growth. Similarly, some woody plants can also form parasitic relationships with garlic pods, but the long formation time and slow seedling growth of the host plant also hinder their ability to effectively and rapidly promote garlic pod seedling growth. Therefore, finding suitable host plants and establishing an effective method to promote garlic pod growth is essential. This invention uses garlic pods as a semi-parasitic plant and *Chrysanthemum indicum* as the host plant, enabling the parasitic garlic pods to quickly form a parasitic relationship with the host plant, significantly promoting garlic pod growth.

[0039] Example 1:

[0040] This embodiment provides an application of *Chrysanthemum indicum* in the cultivation of garlic cloves. This application can quickly establish a parasitic relationship and promote the growth of the rare plant *Chrysanthemum indicum* seedlings. The method includes the following steps:

[0041] (1) Germination of garlic seeds: From late September to early October, collect mature garlic fruits, peel off the pericarp and take out the seeds, wash the seeds, and air dry the surface moisture of the seeds. Then soak the seeds in a 1000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim for 30 minutes. Take out the soaked seeds and air dry them until there is no moisture on the seed shell surface. Then arrange them in a sand bed at 2cm intervals and cover them with 3-5cm of clean and moist river sand for sand storage to promote germination.

[0042] (2) Management of garlic seedling sprouting: Spray water on the sand bed regularly to keep the river sand slightly moist until the seedlings grow to about 15cm in height in May of the following year and can be transplanted.

[0043] (3) Preparation of planting substrate: Prepare planting substrate by mixing fully fermented humus and loam in a 3:2 ratio, and mix the humus and loam thoroughly.

[0044] (4) Collection of branches of Chrysanthemum indicum: Collect robust branches of Chrysanthemum indicum 1-2 days before transplanting the seedlings of Chrysanthemum indicum. The diameter of the collected branches should be between 1.2 and 2.5 cm. Immediately after collection, remove all leaves from the branches and cover them with a damp cloth to prevent excessive evaporation of water from the plant.

[0045] (5) Preparation of cuttings of Chrysanthemum indicum: When planting Chrysanthemum indicum, cut the branches of Chrysanthemum indicum into cuttings of 20-25cm, and cut the lower end of the cuttings at a 45° angle and the upper end of the cuttings horizontally.

[0046] (6) Planting of garlic cloves: Carefully remove the garlic clove seedlings from the sand bed, keeping the garlic clove root system intact. Plant the garlic clove seedlings and the chrysanthemum cuttings in the same seedling bag at the same time. The seedling bag is Φ12cm×30cm high. Keep the lower end of the chrysanthemum cuttings morphologically placed at an angle under the garlic clove roots. Fill the planting bag with the prepared planting substrate. The upper surface of the planting substrate is 2cm away from the upper edge of the seedling bag. Keep 2 / 3 of the chrysanthemum cuttings buried in the planting substrate. Plant a total of 30 bags.

[0047] (7) Post-planting management: After planting, the planting bags are neatly arranged with a 20cm gap around them, and a 50% shade net is built on top. Water regularly to keep the planting substrate moist.

[0048] (8) Data measurement: Six months after planting, the height of each garlic bulb, the thickness of the basal stem, the number of leaves, the fresh weight of aboveground biomass, the dry weight of aboveground biomass, the number of haustoria parasitizing the roots of the garlic bulb, and the average diameter of the haustoria were measured.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the haustoria of the garlic fruit parasitizing the root of the chrysanthemum. Figure 1 It can be seen that *Chrysanthemum indicum* can quickly establish a parasitic relationship with the parasitic plant *Gnaphalium affine*. The reason why *Chrysanthemum indicum* can quickly establish a parasitic relationship with the root-semi-parasitic plant *Gnaphalium affine* in this application is that the roots of *Gnaphalium affine* not only parasitize the roots of *Chrysanthemum indicum*, but can also directly parasitize the stems of *Chrysanthemum indicum* inserted into the substrate. When the substrate is bagged, the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings are placed obliquely at the roots of *Gnaphalium affine*, allowing for rapid establishment of the parasitic relationship. The parasitic plant *Gnaphalium affine* does not need to wait for *Chrysanthemum indicum* to develop roots before establishing the parasitic relationship.

[0050] The application described in this embodiment demonstrates that *Chrysanthemum indicum* effectively promotes the growth of the parasitic plant *Heliotropium indicum* because the parasitic plant obtains its necessary water and nutrients directly from the host plant, and the growth of the parasitic plant is closely and positively correlated with the growth of the host plant. *Chrysanthemum indicum* grows in clumps with numerous branches at the base and grows rapidly; in one growing season, the basal branches can grow to 4 to 6 meters, a feat rarely achieved by other common herbaceous plants and shrubs. This rapid growth of *Chrysanthemum indicum* provides sufficient nutrition for the parasitic plant *Heliotropium indicum*.

[0051] The application provided in this embodiment is simple to operate, low in cost, and has a high survival rate. The reason for this is that in the container seedling cultivation stage of garlic fruit, the wild-collected chrysanthemum stems are directly inserted into the garlic fruit seedling cultivation container. Compared with cultivating host seedlings through seeds or asexual reproduction, the chrysanthemum stem cuttings are much easier to survive. The wild-collected chrysanthemum stems are directly co-cultivated with the garlic fruit seedlings, and the chrysanthemum stems will take root and sprout to serve as host plants. Thus, the method provided by this invention is simple to operate, low in cost, and has a high survival rate.

[0052] The application provided in this embodiment can greatly save on planting and maintenance costs because: from container seedling cultivation of garlic fruit to transplanting into the wild, and during the garlic fruit sapling stage, there is no need to change the host. This is because garlic peony grows as a shrub or subshrub in tropical and subtropical regions, is highly adaptable, and has a large growth rate. Whether in the container seedling stage or in the wild, it can provide sufficient nutrition for the parasitic plant garlic fruit.

[0053] The application provided in this embodiment is highly adaptable to various environments, including roadsides, forests, abandoned land, hillsides, riverbanks, and farmland. Therefore, it is very easy for both container seedling cultivation and wild transplantation to achieve a high survival rate.

[0054] Comparative Example 1:

[0055] (1) The germination of garlic seeds, the management of garlic seed germination, and the preparation of planting substrate are the same as in Case 1.

[0056] (2) Planting garlic cloves: Carefully remove the garlic clove seedlings that were germinated together with those in Case 1 from the sand bed, keeping the garlic clove root system intact, and plant the garlic clove seedlings in seedling bags of the same size as those in Case 1. Fill the planting bags with the prepared planting substrate, with the top surface of the planting substrate 2cm from the top edge of the seedling bag. A total of 30 bags were planted.

[0057] (3) Post-planting management: The management method after planting is exactly the same as that in Case 1.

[0058] (4) Data measurement: Six months after planting, the height of each garlic bulb, the thickness of the basal stem, the number of leaves, the fresh weight of aboveground biomass, and the dry weight of aboveground biomass were measured, as shown in Table 1.

[0059] Table 1 Comparison of garlic clove growth between Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

[0060]

[0061] By comparing multiple growth indicators of garlic shoots in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the seedling height, basal stem diameter, number of leaves, aboveground biomass fresh weight, and dry weight of garlic shoots in Example 1 were significantly higher than those in Comparative Example 1 (Table 1). This indicates that when garlic shoots are planted together with *Chrysanthemum indicum*, the *Chrysanthemum indicum* effectively promotes the growth of garlic shoots by parasitizing the roots of the *Chrysanthemum indicum*. Therefore, this invention effectively solves the problem of poor seedling growth of garlic shoots during the seedling stage due to lack of a host or the inability to find a suitable host, through the use of *Chrysanthemum indicum*.

[0062] Comparative Example 2:

[0063] (1) The germination of garlic seeds, the management of garlic seed germination, and the preparation of planting substrate are the same as in Case 1.

[0064] (2) Planting of garlic cloves: Carefully remove the garlic clove seedlings that were germinated together with those in Example 1 from the sand bed, keeping the garlic clove root system intact. Plant the garlic clove seedlings and cedar seedlings in seedling bags of the same size as in Example 1. Fill the seedling bags with the prepared planting substrate, with the top surface of the planting substrate 2cm from the top edge of the seedling bag. Plant a total of 30 bags.

[0065] (3) Post-planting management: The management method after planting is exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0066] (4) Data measurement: Six months after planting, the height of each garlic bulb, the thickness of the basal stem, the number of leaves, the fresh weight of aboveground biomass, the dry weight of aboveground biomass, the number of haustoria parasitizing the roots of the Chinese fir, and the average diameter of the haustoria were measured, as shown in Table 2.

[0067] Table 2 Comparison of garlic clove growth between Example 1 and Comparative Example 2

[0068]

[0069] By comparing multiple growth indicators of garlic fruit in Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, it was found that using *Chrysanthemum indicum* as the host plant in this invention promotes the growth of garlic fruit more effectively than using *Cunninghamia lanceolata* seedlings as the host plant.

[0070] Figure 2This image shows a comparison of the growth of individual garlic clove seedlings and seedlings with *Chrysanthemum indicum* as the host plant. The left seedling bag shows the growth of individual garlic clove seedlings, while the right seedling bag shows the growth of garlic clove seedlings with *Chrysanthemum indicum* as the host plant. As can be seen from the images, using *Chrysanthemum indicum* as the host plant significantly promotes the growth of garlic cloves. (Note: The leaves and most of the stems of *Chrysanthemum indicum* in the right seedling bag have been cut off to better highlight the contrast of the garlic clove seedlings.)

[0071] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An application of *Chrysanthemum inflorescence* in garlic clove cultivation; Garlic seedlings and chrysanthemum cuttings were planted simultaneously in the substrate for cultivation. Two-thirds of the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings are buried in the substrate; The root system of the garlic seedling is intact, and the morphological lower end of the chrysanthemum cutting is placed obliquely at the lower part of the root system of the garlic seedling. The *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings were obtained by the following method: selecting unbranched sprouting *Chrysanthemum indicum* branches, cutting the branches from the base of the branches, and then removing all the leaves from the base of the petioles of the cut branches to obtain the *Chrysanthemum indicum* cuttings. The distance between the stem of the garlic clove seedling and the cutting of the chrysanthemum on the surface of the planting substrate is 3-4 cm; The cultivation includes: Construct a 50% shade net for the garlic clove seedlings and chrysanthemum cuttings, and water regularly to keep the substrate moist. Seedlings will emerge after 6 months. The cuttings of *Chrysanthemum indicum* have a diameter between 1.2 and 2.5 cm and a length of 20 to 25 cm. The substrate was prepared by mixing humus and loam in a mass ratio of 3:

2. After the garlic cloves and swollen chrysanthemums have grown for a period of time, if the swollen chrysanthemum branches become too dense and affect the light exposure of the garlic clove leaves, the swollen chrysanthemum branches should be pruned, and the pruned branches should be used as green manure and sown in the substrate.

2. The application according to claim 1, characterized in that, The garlic seedlings were obtained using the following germination method: From late September to early October, harvest mature garlic pods, peel off the pericarp to remove the seeds, wash the seeds, and air dry the surface moisture of the seeds. Soak the seeds in a 50% carbendazim solution diluted 1000 times for 30 minutes, then remove the soaked seeds and air dry them until there is no moisture on the seed coat surface. Arrange them in the sand bed at 2cm intervals, cover them with 3-5cm of clean, moist river sand, and carry out sand storage for germination. The garlic seedlings that had been stored in sand for sprouting were transplanted in April or May of the following year.

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