Abstract:

The purpose is to compare the agronomic traits and quality of Chinese thorowax root (Bupleurum spp.) from different producing areas, and provide reference for the selection of good cultivars. In this experiment, a total of 32 germplasms were collected from 6 different producing areas, including Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing, Hebei and Heilongjiang. The seeds of Chinese thorowax root collected from the 6 producing areas were sown in the Beijing test site, and an investigation was conducted to determine the root thickness, root length, single root weight, the number of lateral roots and saikosaponin content. Based on the experimental data, the growth vigor, yield potential and saikosaponin content of different germplasms were analyzed and compared. It was found that BC-SX-HY (from Shanxi) performed well in agronomic traits and saikosaponin content, and the two germplasms BC-SX-PS-1 and BC-SX-PS-2 (from Shanxi) had outstanding performance in the saikosaponin content and single root weight, with large yield potential but more lateral roots. BC-SX-WR and BC-SX-YC-2 (from Shanxi), and BS-HB-AG (from Hebei) had strong growth vigor but low saikosaponin content. BC-SX-CZI-1 (from Shanxi) had the highest content of saikosaponin but performed not well in root shape and yield potential. Under the same planting condition, the traits of Chinese thorowax root germplasm from different producing areas are quite different, and further selection of high-quality varieties and lines is beneficial to improving the traits of Chinese thorowax root in production.

Key words: Chinese thorowax root, cultivated germplasm, agronomic traits, yield, saikosaponin, different producing areas