A method of increasing the germination rate of macadamia seed
The germination rate of macadamia seeds was significantly improved by using methods such as drying, refrigeration, sterilization, and germination treatment, which solved the problem of low seed germination rate in existing technologies and achieved efficient seed germination.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies have low germination rates for macadamia seeds, and traditional methods are complex and ineffective, making them unsuitable for large-scale planting needs.
The process involves drying, refrigerating, disinfecting, and germinating the shelled macadamia seeds. The specific steps include drying for 5–10 days, refrigerating at 0–10°C for 270–300 days, disinfecting with carbendazim solution for 2–3 hours, and germinating at 27–30°C and 55–65% humidity for 5–10 days.
It significantly improved the germination rate of macadamia seeds to 92.9%, shortened the germination time, and the method is simple and easy to implement, making it suitable for large-scale application.
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural planting technology, and in particular to a method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds. Background Technology
[0002] Macadamia nuts, also known as Queensland chestnuts, Australian walnuts, Hawaiian nuts, and Queensland nuts, are a type of tree nut native to Australia. Macadamia trees are evergreen trees with dicotyledonous leaves. They have large crowns, with leaves arranged in whorls of 3-4, lanceolate, leathery, smooth, and with serrated edges. The inflorescences are axillary racemes with pale yellow flowers. The fruit is spherical, with a leathery pericarp and a hard endocarp. The kernel is pale yellow to light brown. They thrive in temperate, humid regions with low winds. Among the many types of dried fruits worldwide, macadamia nuts have the highest economic value and are often referred to as the "King of Dried Fruits." Macadamia nut kernels are rich in nutrients (milky white), with a greenish-blue outer pericarp and a hard, brown endocarp. Each nut weighs 15-16 grams, contains approximately 70% oil, 9% protein, and contains 17 amino acids, including the eight essential amino acids, as well as abundant minerals and vitamins. Macadamia nuts are fragrant, crisp, and smooth, with a unique creamy aroma; their flavor and texture are far superior to cashews. Besides being used to make dried fruit, macadamia nuts can also be used to make pastries, chocolates, cooking oils, and cosmetics. Furthermore, macadamia nuts have high nutritional and medicinal value.
[0003] Currently, the cultivation methods for macadamia nuts are not mature, and the germination or sprouting rate of macadamia nuts is very low. Traditional seedling methods only achieve a germination rate of about 10%. In order to improve the germination rate of macadamia nuts, some chemical or physical artificial induction methods have been used, but the effect is not good and the methods are complicated and not suitable for large-scale implementation.
[0004] Therefore, how to provide a simple and easy-to-implement method to improve the germination rate of macadamia seeds and solve the technical problem of low germination rate of macadamia seeds in the existing technology is an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:
[0007] This invention provides a method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds, comprising the following steps:
[0008] (1) Dry the shelled macadamia seeds for 5-10 days;
[0009] (2) Store the dried macadamia seeds at 0-10℃ for 270-300 days;
[0010] (3) Sterilize the macadamia seeds after refrigeration in step (2);
[0011] (4) Germinate the macadamia seeds after disinfection in step (3).
[0012] Preferably, the drying in step (1) is natural air drying.
[0013] Preferably, the disinfection method in step (3) is to soak macadamia seeds in a disinfectant.
[0014] Preferably, the disinfectant is a carbendazim solution.
[0015] Preferably, the carbendazim solution has a mass concentration of 2-4%.
[0016] Preferably, the soaking time is 2 to 3 hours.
[0017] Preferably, the temperature for the germination treatment in step (4) is 27–30°C.
[0018] Preferably, the humidity of the germination treatment in step (4) is 55-65%.
[0019] Preferably, the germination treatment in step (4) takes 5 to 10 days.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0021] The method of this invention is simple. It only involves refrigerating macadamia nuts, and the germination rate of macadamia nut seeds after treatment can reach 92.9%, which significantly improves the germination rate of macadamia nuts, enhances the germination ability of seeds, and shortens the germination time. Detailed Implementation
[0022] This invention provides a method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds, comprising the following steps:
[0023] (1) Dry the shelled macadamia seeds for 5-10 days;
[0024] (2) Store the dried macadamia seeds at 0-10℃ for 270-300 days;
[0025] (3) Sterilize the macadamia seeds after refrigeration in step (2);
[0026] (4) Germinate the macadamia seeds after disinfection in step (3).
[0027] In this invention, the drying time in step (1) is preferably 6 to 9 days; more preferably 7 to 8 days; and even more preferably 8 days.
[0028] In this invention, the refrigeration temperature in step (2) is preferably 2 to 8°C; more preferably 4 to 6°C; and even more preferably 5°C.
[0029] In this invention, the refrigeration time in step (2) is preferably 280 to 290 days; more preferably 282 to 288 days; and even more preferably 285 days.
[0030] In this invention, the drying in step (1) is natural air drying.
[0031] In this invention, the disinfection method in step (3) is to soak macadamia seeds in a disinfectant.
[0032] In this invention, the disinfectant is a carbendazim solution.
[0033] In this invention, the mass concentration of the carbendazim solution is 2-4%; preferably 3%.
[0034] In this invention, the soaking time is 2 to 3 hours; preferably 2.5 hours.
[0035] In this invention, the temperature of the germination treatment in step (4) is 27-30°C; preferably 28-29°C; and more preferably 28°C.
[0036] In this invention, the humidity of the germination treatment in step (4) is 55-65%; preferably 57-63%; more preferably 59-61%; and even more preferably 60%.
[0037] In this invention, the germination treatment time in step (4) is 5 to 10 days; preferably 6 to 9 days; more preferably 7 to 8 days; and even more preferably 8 days.
[0038] The technical solutions provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0039] Example 1
[0040] A method to improve the germination rate of macadamia seeds, the steps are as follows:
[0041] (1) Selection and processing of fresh shelled fruit: Select normally developed and fully mature seeds, and remove foreign seeds, diseased and insect-infested fruits, dust and other impurities; after collecting the fresh shelled fruit, remove the green skin through a shell-breaking machine to obtain shelled fruit.
[0042] (2) Selection and treatment of shelled fruits: Select uncracked, intact seeds (shelled fruits) and place them in a mesh bag. Place them in a well-ventilated and dry place for 5 days to air dry naturally, avoiding direct sunlight.
[0043] (3) Cold storage treatment: Place the dried seeds at 0℃ for 270 days.
[0044] (4) Seed treatment before sowing: Take out the refrigerated seeds and soak them in a 2% carbendazim solution for 2 hours for disinfection.
[0045] (5) Germination treatment: After soaking, remove the seeds and place them in a tray lined with sterile gauze. Keep the sterile gauze moist. After arranging the seeds, cover them with more sterile gauze and keep the gauze moist. Then place the tray in a well-ventilated room at 27°C and 55% humidity. Keep the gauze moist every day. Germination will occur in 5 days.
[0046] Example 2
[0047] A method to improve the germination rate of macadamia seeds, the steps are as follows:
[0048] (1) Selection and processing of fresh shelled fruit: Select normally developed and fully mature seeds, and remove foreign seeds, diseased and insect-infested fruits, dust and other impurities; after collecting the fresh shelled fruit, remove the green skin through a shell-breaking machine to obtain shelled fruit.
[0049] (2) Selection and treatment of shelled fruits: Select uncracked, intact seeds (shelled fruits) and place them in a mesh bag. Place them in a well-ventilated and dry place for 10 days to air dry naturally, avoiding direct sunlight.
[0050] (3) Cold storage treatment: Place the dried seeds at 10℃ for 300 days.
[0051] (4) Seed treatment before sowing: Take out the refrigerated seeds and soak them in a 4% carbendazim solution for 3 hours to disinfect them.
[0052] (5) Germination treatment: After soaking, remove the seeds and place them in a tray lined with sterile gauze. Keep the sterile gauze slightly moist. After arranging the seeds, cover them with more sterile gauze and keep the gauze moist. Then place the tray in a well-ventilated room at 30°C and 65% humidity. Keep the gauze moist daily. Germination should occur in 10 days.
[0053] Example 3
[0054] A method to improve the germination rate of macadamia seeds, the steps are as follows:
[0055] (1) Selection and processing of fresh shelled fruit: Select normally developed and fully mature seeds, and remove foreign seeds, diseased and insect-infested fruits, dust and other impurities; after collecting the fresh shelled fruit, remove the green skin through a shell-breaking machine to obtain shelled fruit.
[0056] (2) Selection and treatment of shelled fruits: Select uncracked, intact seeds (shelled fruits) and place them in a mesh bag. Place them in a well-ventilated and dry place for 8 days to air dry naturally, avoiding direct sunlight.
[0057] (3) Cold storage treatment: Place the dried seeds at 5℃ for 285 days.
[0058] (4) Seed treatment before sowing: Take out the refrigerated seeds and soak them in a 3% carbendazim solution for 2.5 hours for disinfection.
[0059] (5) Germination treatment: After soaking, remove the seeds and place them in a tray lined with sterile gauze. Keep the sterile gauze moist or slightly damp. After arranging the seeds, cover them with more sterile gauze, keeping the gauze moist as well. Then place the tray in a well-ventilated room at 28°C and 60% humidity. Keep the gauze moist daily. Germination should occur in 8 days.
[0060] Comparative Example 1
[0061] A method to improve the germination rate of macadamia seeds, the steps are as follows:
[0062] (1) Selection and processing of fresh shelled fruit: Select normally developed and fully mature seeds, and remove foreign seeds, diseased and insect-infested fruits, dust and other impurities; after collecting the fresh shelled fruit, remove the green skin through a shell-breaking machine to obtain shelled fruit.
[0063] (2) Selection and treatment of shelled fruits: Select uncracked, intact seeds (shelled fruits) and put them into a mesh bag. Place them in a well-ventilated and dry place for 8 days, avoiding direct sunlight.
[0064] (3) Seed treatment before sowing: Soak the dried seeds in a 3% carbendazim solution for 2.5 hours to disinfect them.
[0065] (4) Germination treatment: After soaking, remove the seeds and place them in a tray lined with sterile gauze. Keep the sterile gauze moist or slightly damp. After arranging the seeds, cover them with more sterile gauze, keeping the gauze moist as well. Then place the tray in a well-ventilated room at 28°C and 60% humidity. Keep the gauze moist daily for 8 days.
[0066] Experimental Example 1
[0067] The same batch of seeds was used in both Example 3 and Comparative Example 1. The number of germinating macadamia seeds in Example 3 and Comparative Example 1 was compared and the germination rate was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1.
[0068] Table 1 Statistical Results
[0069] Number of seeds sown Number of germinations Germination rate Example 3 Method 308 286 92.9％ Comparative Example 1 Method 308 50 16.2％
[0070] As shown in Table 1, the processing method of the present invention achieves a germination rate of up to 92.9% for macadamia nuts, which is 76.7% higher than the traditional germination method (Comparative Example 1). The germination rate of Example 3 is nearly 6 times higher than that of the traditional method (Comparative Example 1). The germination method of the present invention is simple, effective, and suitable for large-scale production applications.
[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle 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 method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Dry the shelled macadamia seeds for 5-10 days; (2) Store the dried macadamia seeds at 0~10℃ for 270~300 days; (3) Sterilize the macadamia seeds after refrigeration in step (2); (4) Germinate the macadamia seeds after disinfection in step (3) at 27~30℃ and 55~65% humidity for 5~10 days.
2. The method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying process described in step (1) is natural air drying.
3. The method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disinfection method described in step (3) is to soak macadamia seeds in a disinfectant.
4. The method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds according to claim 3, characterized in that, The disinfectant is a carbendazim solution.
5. The method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds according to claim 4, characterized in that, The carbendazim solution has a mass concentration of 2-4%.
6. The method for improving the germination rate of macadamia seeds according to claim 3, characterized in that, The soaking time is 2-3 hours.