Experimental methods for bulbil storage and hydroponic cultivation of Polygonum viviparum

The effects of different storage conditions and hydroponic solutions on bulbil germination and growth of Polygonum viviparum were investigated to determine the best methods for large-scale cultivation. Bulbils were stored in four ways (dry storage at room temperature, dry storage at 4 ℃, sand storage at room temperature, and sand storage at 4 ℃), and the effects on their germination were studied. Additionally, investigations were performed into the effects of five different hydroponic nutrient solutions on seedling growth and the fresh weight of new pseudobulbs. All four storage methods had a significant effect on bulbil germination (P < 0.05). Bulbils germinated normally after short-term sand storage at room temperature. For bulbils stored in sand at 4 ℃, germination rate, germination time, seedling survival rate, and new pseudobulb growth remained unaffected even after up to one year ( P > 0.05). In addition, each of the five nutrient solutions produced better growth in the aboveground parts of P. viviparum than the control group. Plants treated with nutrient solution formula V had the most developed root system, showing better growth than the control group. However, the root systems of plants treated with other nutrient solutions were less developed than in the control group. Moreover, the fresh weight of the pseudobulbs was higher in plants treated with all five nutrient solutions than in the control group, with nutrient solution V producing the greatest weight. In summary, sand storage at 4 ℃ was the most suitable storage method for P. viviparum bulbils, and nutrient solution formula V Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O 1 180 mg·L⁻¹, KNO₃ 505 mg·L⁻¹, KH₂PO₄ 55 mg·L⁻¹, MgSO₄·7H₂O 369.7 mg·L⁻¹, H₃BO₃ 2.86 mg·L⁻¹, ZnSO₄·7H₂O 0.23 mg·L⁻¹, CuSO₄·5H₂O 0.07 mg·L⁻¹, (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O 0.025 mg·L⁻¹, MnSO₄·4H₂O 2.12 mg·L⁻¹, Na₂Fe-EDTA 52.084 mg·L⁻¹ was the most suitable for the hydroponic cultivation of P. viviparum.