(1) Seed Morphology
Gentian seeds are yellow-brown, strip-shaped, small, 1.6 to 2.3 mm long, and about 0, 4mm wide. The seed coat is membranous and extends at both ends in a wing shape. The endosperm is oval and located in the center of the seed. The embryo is strip-shaped and located in the center of the endosperm, parallel to the long axis. The embryo rate is 70% and the weight of a thousand grains is 3 mg.
The seeds of the three types of gentian are distinguished by their color. Gentian seeds are yellow-brown, gentian is light yellow, and three-flowered gentian seeds are dark yellow-brown. Judging by its shape, the gentian is long oval (1.7 to 2.1 mm long, 0.4 to 0.6 mm wide) with wings significantly wider than the seeds. The gentian triflora is lanceolate (1.6 to 2.5 mm long, 0.4 to 0.5 mm wide) and its wings are slightly wider than the seeds. The sheet ofGentian is narrowly lanceolate (1.9 to 2.1 mm long and about 0.4 mm wide) and the width of the wings and seeds is slightly equal.
(2) Grading Standards
①Level One. The thousand grain weight is more than 2.5-3 mg, the moisture content is 10%-12%, the germination rate is more than 30%, and the purity is more than 90%.
②Level 2. The thousand grain weight is less than 2.5 mg, the moisture content is more than 12%, the germination rate is less than 30%, and the purity is less than 90%. .
(3) Shelf life of seeds
After harvesting, the seeds are dried under natural conditions and placed in a warehouse without heating equipment. The seed lifespan is 9 to 10 months. When gentian seeds are stored in natural conditions (outdoors), the germination rate drops from approximately 80% to 30% to 40% in 5 months, and the germination rate is zeroafter one year of storage. When stored in high temperatures and dry conditions indoors, the germination rate drops from 80% to approximately 2% within 5 months. The germination rate is 70% to 80% after being buried in dry or wet sand for six months between 0 and 5 months. °C.
As ginseng is a frequently cross-pollinated plant, it has a long growth cycle, slow seed reproduction and difficult breeding, although there are new varieties such as “Huangguo Ginseng” and “Bianjiang”. Ginseng". reported, but the quantity is limited and has not been widely promoted. At present, ginseng seeds used in large quantities in production are still a mixed group. In order to have a standard unified for the quality of ginseng seeds, the Ministry of Agriculture divides ginseng seeds into three categories according to the weight of a thousand seeds, viability andother indicators. The first, second and third grade ginseng seeds contain a thousand. -seed weight of 31 grams, 26 grams and 23 grams respectively. Their viability Resistance is not less than 98%, 95% and 90% respectively. However, after investigation, the seeds used by most ginseng farms and farmers have a thousand grain weight of only 22 to 28 grams, and the worst seeds cannot even reach the third year. Production practice has proven that cultivating large plants is one of the important measures for cultivating large ginseng to increase yield, and the selection of large seeds is a necessary condition for cultivating large plants. It is reported that the weight of seeds in thousands of grains reaches more than 30 grams, and the root weight of 3-year-old plants is generally more than 10 grams. If the roots of plants weighing more than 10 grams are transplanted, the yield can be achieved. be greater than 1.5 kilograms per square meter when harvested from 6 years old, and the rate of high-quality ginseng can account for 10% of the total. Therefore, it is very necessary to select the seeds according to the seed standards of the Ministry of Agriculture. For specific operations, you can put the newly rubbed seeds into water to uncover the unfilled and shriveled seeds, put them in a cool place to keep them. dry the moisture, and then use a sieve with appropriate holes. The small seeds are filtered, and the seeds that have been filtered can generally reach a thousand seed weight of 28 to 30 grams, which can basically meet the standards of second level or higher stipulated by the Ministry of Agriculture. When measuring the weight of a thousand grains, the moisture content of the seeds should generally be around 14%.