Screening the excellent species of genus Derris and studies on its induction and cultivation

Abstract

Derris Lour., widely distributed in Southwest China, has promising development and utilization values as a raw material source of biopesticide rotenone. In order to explore germplasm resources with high rotenone content and excellent agronomic traits, and to promote the cultivation of Derris and the development of rotenone industry, we collected 14 Derris species and measured their rotenone contents through a resource survey in South China and Vietnam, and focused on seedling breeding and artificial cultivation technology for two Derris species with high rotenone content. The results were as follows:（1）All 14 Derris species could be successfully grown in Guilin, Derris elliptica and Derris montana with high rotenone content were selected for further research.（2）Both of the cutting survival rate of the two Derris plants were more than 95%; the rotenone was mainly concentrated in plant roots, rotenone content of thick roots was higher than that of thin roots, rotenone content in the xylem was higher than that in the phloem.（3）The highest rotenone content reached 14.12% for D. elliptica and 6.75% for D. montana, rotenone content of the two Derris plants were fluctuated with seasons, rose rapidly from the sprouting period of the plants in spring and maintained at high levels thereafter. All these results indicate that both D. elliptica and D. montana have high exploitation value, and the latter grow more rapidly and has higher yield compared with D. elliptica.

Keywords

• derris lour.
• rotenone
• d. elliptica
• d. montana
• introduction and cultivation