THE CULTURE OF CHINESE DESERT PLANTS IN A GREENHOUSE.

T. Natori, S. Jiang, W. Mo, K. Omasa, X. Li
The resistant mechanism to desertification in Chinese desert plants is still not clear, and it is important to study the characteristics of these plants under artificially controlled environmental conditions. Few reports exist about cultute methods of these plants in greenhouses for supplying them for experiments. Also, the culture methods of these plants may be very different from those of usual experimental plants because these plants grow under very stringent conditions, such as the annual mean precititation in native habitat is from 50 to 250 mm. The purpose of this research is to establish the culture methods of desert native plants in greenhouses.

Fourteen species listed here could be cultured in our greenhouse; Agriophyllum squarrosum, Aristida adscensionis, Bassia dasyphylla, Corispermum chinganicum, Eragrostis poaeoides, Stilpnolepis centiflora, Alhagi sparsiflolia, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, Calligonum junceum, Calligonum leucocladum, Halostachys caspica, Haloxylon ammodendron, Haloxylon persicum, Kalidium caspicum. These grew favorably with watering similar to that of mesophyte.

To mention a few of the characteristic of these plants, for A. mongolicus, germination of seeds treated with 80°C was uniform compared with that treated with 20°C. K. caspicum and H. caspica were tolerant to salt stress and K. caspicum was more tolerant to salt stress than H. caspica. Flower induction of A. squarrosum, B. dasyphylla, C. chinganicum, S. centiflora required short-day treatments (8 hrs(light)/16 hrs(dark)).

The culture methods of desert native plants in greenhouses was established. In addition, it is possible to supply these plants for experiments. Still more, the data will be useful for the mass production of native desert plants under artificially controlled conditions to reclaim desertificated land.

Natori, T., Jiang, S., Mo, W., Omasa, K. and Li, X. (1992). THE CULTURE OF CHINESE DESERT PLANTS IN A GREENHOUSE.. Acta Hortic. 319, 453-468
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.319.71
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.319.71

Acta Horticulturae