Yongkang Huo
Regional Sericulture Training Centre for Asia and
Pacific
South China Agricultural University
Guangzhou, China
AREA CULTIVATED WITH MULBERRY
China is the largest producer of mulberry and silk in the world. In 1998, fresh cocoon production was 432 820 tonnes from 626 000 ha of mulberry. Mulberry is distributed all over the country. The main provinces and autonomous regions with mulberry cultivation and their varieties are described here.
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
Geographical position. Situated in northwest China.
Climatic features. Continental, dry and sunny. In south Xinjiang, the effective accumulated temperature is higher than 3 500oC, the frostless season is more than 150 days, but the annual rainfall is less than 100 mm.
Main mulberry variety cultivated. He Tian Bai Sang.
Shandong and Hebei Provinces
Geographical position. Situated at the lower end of the Yellow River, these are the main sericulture provinces in north China.
Climatic features. Average daily temperature of 8-15ºC, frostless season 170-250 days, annual rainfall 400-1 000 mm.
Main mulberry varieties cultivated. Da Ji Guan, Hei Lu Cai Sang, Xuan 792 and Niu Gen Sang.
Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces
Geographical position. Situated at the middle of the Yellow River.
Climatic features. Average temperature 10-14ºC, frostless season 150-200 days, annual rainfall 400-700 mm.
Main mulberry variety cultivated. Hei Ge Lu.
Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces
Geographical position. The main sericulture area in China, situated at the end of the Yangtze River.
Climatic features. Average temperature 15-18ºC, frostless season 250-275 days, annual rainfall 1 000-1 500 mm.
Main mulberry varieties cultivated. Tong Xiang Qing, Hong Cang Sang, Hu Sang 197, Hu Sang 199, Huo Sang, Nong Sang 8, Yu 2 and Zhong Sang 5801.
Anhui, Hubei and Hunan Provinces
Geographical position. Situated at the middle of the Yangtze River.
Climatic features. Average temperature 15-20ºC, frostless season 250-300 days, annual rainfall 1 000-1 500 mm.
Main mulberry variety cultivated. Hong Pi Wa Sang.
Sichuan Province
Geographical position. Province with the largest mulberry area in China, situated on the upper Yangtze River.
Climatic features. Average temperature 16-18ºC, frostless season 240-330 days, annual rainfall 1 000-1 250 mm.
Main mulberry varieties cultivated. Hei You Sang, Da Hua Sang, Xiao Guan Sang and Jia Ling 16.
Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces
Geographical position. Situated by the Pearl River in south China, the most subtropical zone.
Climatic features. Average temperature 22ºC, frostless season 340 days, annual rainfall 1 500-2 000 mm.
Main mulberry varieties cultivated. Guangdong Jing Sang, Lun 40, Lun 109, Sha 2, Da 10 and Kang Qing 10.
Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces
Geographical position. Situated in Yun-gui High Plateau of southwest China.
Climatic features. The effective accumulated temperature is higher than 3 500ºC, the frostless season longer than 200 days and annual rainfall above 600 mm.
Main mulberry varieties cultivated. Yun Sang 2 and Dao Zhen Sang.
TAXONOMY
In China, the scientists classify the genus Morus into 14 species and one variety. The key for identification is the following:
Mulberry identification key
1. Pistils with distinct long styles
1.1. Protuberance within the stigma2. Pistils without distinct long styles1.1.1. Denticle pick of leaf margin with long prickle1.2. Hair within the stigma1.1.1.1. Upper surface of leaf smooth, without hair; lower surface green, with some pubescence, usually non-incised:1.1.2. Denticle pick of leaf margin without prickle
Mongolian mulberry (M. mongolica Schneid)1.1.1.2. Upper surface of leaf rough; lower surface greyish-white, with dense pubescence, usually incised:
Gui mulberry (M. mongolica var. diabolica Koidz)1.1.2.1. Upper surface of leaf smooth1.1.2.1.1. Upper surface of leaf non-shrivelled; denticle pick of leaf margin with short protuberance; style as long as stigma; sorosis globular:1.1.2.2. Upper surface of leaf coarse
Tang-gui mulberry (M. nigriformis Koidz)1.1.2.1.2. Upper surface of leaf shrivelled; denticle pick of leaf margin without protuberance; style shorter than stigma; sorosis elliptical:
Rui-sui mulberry (M. mizuho Hotta)1.1.2.2.1. Leaf round or broad-ovate, lower surface without pubescence; sorosis cylindrical, 3-3.5 cm long, jade-white in colour when mature:
Chuan mulberry (M. notabilis Schneid)1.2.1. Leaf cordate or ovate, lower surface with scarce pubescence; sorosis elliptical, 2 cm long, purplish-black when mature:
Mountain mulberry (M. bombycis Koidz)1.2.2. Leaf ovate or slant-ovate, usually incised, margin serrated small and dense; style longer than stigma; sorosis 1 -2 cm long, dark purple when mature:
Ji mulberry (M. australis Poir.)1.2.3. Leaf codate or broad codate, usually non-incised, margin serrated triangular with short pick; style shorter than stigma; sorosis 4-6 cm long, red when mature:
Tian mulberry (M. yunnanensis Koidz)
2.1. Protuberance within the stigmaMULBERRY VARIETIES2.1.1. Leaf hairless or with pubescence in young stage; sorosis narrow-cylindrical, 4-16 cm long2.2. Hairs within the stigma2.1.1.1. Leaf long elliptical, entire leaf margin or with shallow serrates in the upper margin; 3-4 pairs of side veins; mature sorosis purplish-red:2.1.2. Hairy leaf veins of lower surface; sorosis elliptical, 1-2.5 cm long
Chang-sui mulberry (M. wittiorum Hand-Mazz.)2.1.1.2. Leaf broad ovate, margin with small serrates; 4-6 pairs of side veins; mature sorosis yellowish-green or purplish-red:
Chang-guo mulberry (M. laevigata Wall.)2.1.2.1. Big leaf, usually non-incised, with water-bubble appearance or shrivelled; mature sorosis purplish-black:
Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.)2.1.2.2. Small leaf, usually incised, surface smooth; mature sorosis purplish-black or jade-white, occasionally pink:
White mulberry (M. alba Linn.)2.2.1. Lower leaf surface with pubescence; short petiole; mature sorosis purplish-black or purplish-red.2.2.1.1. Upper surface of leaf rough; petiole without groove; sorosis elliptical, 1.5-3 cm long, purplish-black when mature:2.2.2. Lower leaf surface hairless; upper surface usually smooth, less lustre; sorosis narrow-circular cone with round tip, 2-4 cm long, purplish-black when mature:
Black mulberry (M. nigra Linn.)2.2.1.2. Upper surface of leaf with pubescence; petiole with shallow groove; sorosis cylindrical, two to three cm long, purplish-black or purplish-red when mature:
Hua mulberry (M. cathayana Hemsl.)
Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb)
There are more than 1 000 cultivated varieties of mulberry in China. Most of them originate from the four main species: Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.), White mulberry (M. alba L.), Mountain mulberry (M. bombycis Koidz) and Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
The main cultivated varieties of mulberry in China are the following.
Tong Xiang Qing
Indigenous and widely distributed in Zhejiang Province. It belongs to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. The tree is straight. The twigs are sturdy, long and straight, greenish-grey and somewhat yellow in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.2 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are small and round, greyish-yellow, 8/cm2. Winter bud is long triangle, large size, yellowish brown, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are abundant and large. Leaf ovate, dark green. Leaf tip is sharp. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Leaf base retuse. Leaf length is 22.8 cm, width 18.3 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smooth without shrivels, with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is long and sturdy. Flowering type is monoecious. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are few, medium long.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Hangzhou is from 28 March to 6 April. Leaf-opening stage is in the middle of April. Bud sprouting ratio is 61.5 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 11.1 percent. Leaves mature in early May, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in mid-September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability and few side branches. From 1 m shoot, 139 g leaves can be produced in spring and 151 g produced in autumn. There are 260 leaves/kg in spring and 200/kg in autumn. Leaves are 45.4 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 34 500 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Few soroses, medium-large size and purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Leaf quality is good. Leaf dry matter (DM) contains 22.0-24.5 percent CP and 15.1 percent SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Shrinking-type mulberry dwarf caused by mycoplasma-like organisms (MLOs) and Brown spot disease caused by the fungi of Septogloeum mor Briosi et Cavara. However, it is sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease caused by Bacterium mori Boyer et lamb Smith and Mulberry powdery mildew caused by Phyllactinia corylea (Pers) Karst.
Fertilization recommendations: Sufficient water supply and fertilization in summer and autumn are needed for preventing leaves from early hardening.
Hong Cang Sang
Selected from the varieties of Tong Xiang Qing, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28. Widely distributed in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces.
Morphology. The canopy is somewhat spreading. The twigs are sturdy, long and straight and purplish-brown in colour. Internodes are comparatively straight. Internodal distance is 4.0 cm. Leaf order is 2/5 or 3/8. Lenticels are nearly round or elliptical, brown, medium size, 8/cm2. Winter bud is triangle, large, light purplish-brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are large but few. Leaf ovate, dark green. Leaf tip is acute. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Leaf base retuse. Leaf length is 21 cm, width 15.5 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smooth with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is a long and sturdy. Flowering type is monoecious, bearing only or both staminate and pistillate flowers in a separate cluster. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are few, medium long.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Hangzhou is from 30 March to 6 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 7 to 18 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 55 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 19.8 percent. Leaves mature in early May, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in mid-September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability and few side branches. From 1 m shoot, 135 g leaves can be produced in spring and 137 g produced in autumn. There are 263 leaves/kg in spring and 137/kg in autumn. Leaves are 46 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 33 900 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Few soroses, large size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Leaf quality is good. Leaf DM contains 20.6-23.8 percent of CP and 16.9 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Mulberry dwarf and Brown spot disease. However, it is sensitive to the bacterial disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae Pv. mori Van Hall. It has stronger cold resistance than that of Tong Xiang Qing. Recommended training type is low or medium trunk with higher planting density.
Hu Sang 197
Selected from Zhejiang Province, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Canopy is spreading. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight, light purplish-brown. Internodes are slightly curved. Internodal distance is 3.8 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are small and elliptical, greyish-brown, 13/cm2. Winter bud is a long triangle, greyish-brown, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are few and smaller. Leaf is long-cordate, slightly tilting to one side, dark green in colour. Leaf tip is short-caudate. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Leaf base emarginate. Leaf length is 24.5 cm, width 19.9 cm. Leaf blade is medium thick. Leaf surface smooth slightly shrivelled, good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is long and sturdy. Flowering type is pistillate.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting is from 30 March to 6 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 8 to 19 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 70 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 14.3 percent. Leaves mature in early May, belonging to the late-sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in late September.
Average yield per ha.This variety has strong shooting ability and the side branches are few. From 1 m shoot, 128 g leaves can be produced in spring and 170 g produced in autumn. There are 375 leaves/kg in spring and 224/kg in autumn Leaves are 47.7 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 33 750 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits: Soroses are few and small, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition: The leaf quality is good. Leaf DM contains 18.7-27.1 percent of CP and 13.1 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety is medium-resistant to Mulberry dwarf and Brown spot disease but sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease. It has good tolerance to drought and poor fertilization, therefore, it is recommended planting on river- and hillsides, with medium or low trunk.
Hu Sang 199
A resistant variety selected from Zhejiang, belonging to the large-leaf variety of species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28. Widely cultivated in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces.
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spreading. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight, purplish-brown. Internodes are comparatively straight. Internodal distance is 5 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are nearly round and small, yellowish-brown in colour, 12/cm2. Winter bud is triangle, purplish-brown, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are few and smaller. Leaf is cordate, light green. Shallowly incised leaf is occasionally found. Leaf tip is short-caudate. Leaf margin is obtuse dentate. Leaf base emarginate. Leaf length is 22.9 cm, width 21.5 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thin. Leaf surface smooth and slightly shrivelled. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is long and sturdy. Flowering type is monoecious, bearing only or both staminate and pistillate flowers in a separate cluster. Number and length of inflorescences of staminate flowers are medium.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting is from 30 March to 6 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 8 to 18 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 75 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 13.4 percent. Leaves mature from 6 to 15 May, belonging to the late-sprouting and late mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability. From 1 m shoot, 151 g leaves can be produced in spring and 119 g produced in autumn. There are 400 leaves/kg in spring and 239/kg in autumn. Leaves are 44 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 29 250 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few but large, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition: The leaf quality is comparatively poor. Leaf DM contains 19.8-21.0 percent of CP and 15.3 -16.2 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety is resistant to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf caused by MLOs and Black wilt bacterial disease. It also has good rooting ability by cutting.
Huo Sang (Fire mulberry)
A native variety of Zhejiang, belonging to the species of Rui-sui mulberry (M. mizuho Hotta.). It is a natural triploid, with chromosome number 2n = 3x = 42. Widely distributed in Zhejiang Province.
Morphology. Canopy is spreading. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight, purplish-brown in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.6 cm. Leaf order is 2/5 or 3/8. Lenticels are large and round or ellipical, 13 l/cm2. Winter bud is right triangle, reddish-brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are bigger but few. Leaf cordate, flatly spreading, dark green in colour. Tender leaves of this variety are red in colour. The tree looks like fire from afar. So it is called Huo Sang, the Fire-like mulberry, in Chinese. Leaf tip is long caudate. Leaf margin is acute dentate. Leaf base emarginated. Leaf length is 21.8 cm, width 21.3 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smooth with some ripple. Leaf lustre is good. Petiole is medium long and sturdy. Flowering type is monoecious, bearing only staminate or pistillate flowers in a separate cluster. Staminate flowers are rare.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Hangzhou is from 22 to 25 March. Leaf-opening stage is from 1 to 13 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 70 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 6 percent. Leaves mature from 16 to 26 April, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early and middle September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability. From 1 m shoot, 131 g spring leaves or 138 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 231 leaves/kg in spring and 139/kg in autumn. Leaves are 46.85 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 34 050 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Purplish-black soroses are found occasionally. The seeds do not germinate.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is medium. Leaf DM contains 21.82-23.68 percent of CP and 15.18-16.28 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Brown spot disease, but it is sensitive to Dwarf diseases, bacterial diseases, Powdery mildew disease and Dirty leaf disease (a fungal disease caused by Clasterosporium mori Sydow). It has medium cold resistance. Its tolerance to pruning is low, so it is recommended training as a tree type and planting in odd pieces of land, such as riversides, pondsides and around houses.
Nong Sang 8
Selected from Zhejiang Province, belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). It is a diploid, with chromosome number 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. The tree is straight. Twigs are medium sturdy and long, somewhat curved, greenish-grey in colour. Internodal distance is 3.4 cm. Leaf order is 2/5 or 3/8. Lenticels are small, round or elliptical, 10/cm2. Winter bud is right triangle, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are bigger and more. Leaf long cordate, dark green. Leaf tip is caudate. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Leaf base retuse. Leaf length is 21.5 cm, width 19.9 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thick. Leaf surface smooth and spreading. Petiole is comparatively long and sturdy. Flowering type is monoecious, bearing only staminate or pistillate flowers in a separate cluster.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Hangzhou is from 17 to 22 March. Leaf-opening stage is from 20 March to 11 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 88.4 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 14.0 percent. Leaves mature from 16 April to 21 April, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature variety. Autumn leaves harden from middle to late October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability and few side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 130 g spring leaves or 163.5 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 444 leaves/kg in spring and 250/kg in autumn. Leaves are 49.68 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 45 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant, medium-large size, purplish-red.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is good. Leaf DM contains 23.45-26.13 percent of CP and 14.13-18.28 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Shrinking-type Mulberry dwarf, Brown spot disease, bacterial diseases, and Dirty leaf disease (caused by Clasterosporium mori Sydow). It has broad adaptability to various climatic and soil conditions. It can be propagated by cuttings and trained into a low or medium type.
Yu 2
Selected from the hybridization of "Hu-sang 39 ~Guangdong Jing-sang", belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). It is a diploid, with chromosome number 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Canopy is somewhat spreading. Twigs are medium sturdy, long and straight, greenish-grey in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.6 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are large, round or elliptical, 8/cm2. Winter bud is triangular or nearly round, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are larger and more abundant. Leaf cordate, flatly spreading, light green in colour. Leaf tip is sharp. Leaf margin is obtuse dentate. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 18.8 cm, width 15.9 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thin. Leaf surface smooth with good lustre. Leaves flatly spread or hang slightly downwards. Petiole is comparatively long and slim. Flowering type is monoecious. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are more and comparatively long.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Jiangsu is from 30 March to 8 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 10 to 20 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 78 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 20 percent. Leaves mature from 10 to 15 May, belonging to the early sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability and the side twigs are less. From 1 m shoot, 130 g spring leaves or 84 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 692 leaves/kg in spring and 278/kg in autumn. Leaves are 42 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 31 200 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few, medium-large size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is medium. Leaf DM contains 22.8-26.2 percent of CP and 12.7-14.5 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has strong resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf and resistance to Black wilt bacterial disease. However, it is easily attacked by insect pests. It has good tolerance to pruning but weak resistance to drought and cold.
Fertilization recommendations: Higher production of leaf can be achieved by sufficient fertilization. The recommended training is low or medium trunk. Higher density planting is suitable for shoot harvesting.
Zhong Sang 5801
Selected from the hybridization of "Hu-sang 38 ~ Guangdong Jing-sang", belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.). It is a diploid, with chromosome number 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Canopy is somewhat spreading. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight, greenish-grey. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 3.7 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Six lenticels/cm2. Winter bud is long triangular, earth-yellow in colour, slanting outward. Accessory buds are smaller and few. Leaf long cordate or ovate, flatly spreading, light green in colour. Leaf tip is short caudate. Leaf margin is obtuse dentate. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 17.7 cm, width 14.5 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thick. Leaf surface smooth with lustre. Leaves flatly spread. Petiole is long and sturdy. Flowering type is pistillate.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Jiangsu starts from early April. Leaf-opening stage is from 13 to 21 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 84 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 15 percent. Leaves mature from 3 to 9 May, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in the middle of September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability and few side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 134 g spring leaves or 96 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 734 leaves/kg in spring and 266/kg in autumn. Leaves are 41 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 23 400 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant, medium-large size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is medium. Leaf DM contains 22.3-23.6 percent of CP and 11.3-13.3 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance: This variety has resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf and Black wilt bacterial disease. But it is sensitive to Mulberry powdery mildew and the sorosis disease caused by Ciboria carunculoids Whetz. It has good resistance to high moisture but weak tolerance to cold. The recommended training is low or medium trunk.
Hei You Sang
Indigenous to Sichuan, China. Natural triploid (2n=3x=42), belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). Mainly cultivated in south Sichuan.
Morphology. The tree is straight. Twigs are medium sturdy and long, dark brown in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are elliptical, 5/cm2. Winter bud is long triangular, brown, adhering to the branch, slightly tilting to one side. Accessory buds are few. Leaf ovate, flatly spreading, dark green in colour. Leaf tip is sharp. Leaf margin is acute dentate. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 22 cm, width 16.5 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thick. Leaf surface smooth with good lustre. Leaf veins are thick. Leaves hang downwards. Petiole is long and slim. Flowering type is monoecious. Pistillate flowers are more than the staminates. Most of the flowers will drop in the early stage.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Sichuan is from 17 to 22 March. Leaf-opening stage is from 28 March to 9 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 86 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 25 percent. Leaves mature from 20 to 30 April, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability and the side twigs are few. From 1 m shoot, 251 g spring leaves or 137 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 362 leaves/kg in spring and 175/kg in autumn. Leaves are 48 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 20 700 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few and small, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is good. Leaf DM contains 22.54-30.98 percent of CP and 11.23-16.88 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf, Black wilt bacterial disease, Mulberry powdery mildew and also has resistance to Dirty leaf disease and Brown spot disease caused by fungi.
Fertilization recommendations. This variety can be propagated by cutting, layering or bud-grafting. The recommended training is low or medium trunk.
Da Hua Sang
Indigenous to Sichuan. Natural triploid (2n=3x=42), belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). Mainly cultivated in south Sichuan.
Morphology. Canopy spreading. Twigs are sturdy and long, Reddish-brown in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.5 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels elliptical, 10/cm2. Winter bud is circular cone, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are few. Leaf cordate, spreading, light green in colour. Leaf tip is sharp. Leaf margin is obtuse dentate. Leaf base retuse. Leaf length is 27.5 cm, width 23.5 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smooth with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is long and sturdy. Bearing only staminate flowers. The inflorescences are more.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Sichuan is from 16 to 26 March. Leaf-opening stage is from 1 to 8 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 70.4 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 22 percent. Leaves mature in mid-May, belonging to the medium sprouting and late-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability and the side twigs are few. From 1 m shoot, 168 g spring leaves or 163 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 408 leaves/kg in spring and 202/kg in autumn. Leaf weight occupies 46.21 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 18 000 kg/ha.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is good. Leaf DM contains 27.7-29.4 percent of CP and 11.25-12.63 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf, Mulberry powdery mildew and Brown spot disease, but is lightly sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease. The tolerance to drought and cold is comparatively weak.
Fertilization recommendations. This variety is suitable for planting in good soil conditions so as to achieve high productivity. The recommended training is medium or high trunk.
Xiao Guan Sang
Native variety of Sichuan, China. Diploid (2n=2x=28), belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). Widely distributed in the east and north of Sichuan.
Morphology. The tree is straight. Twigs are slim and long, greenish-grey in colour. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 3 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are mostly small and round, 15/cm2. Winter bud is right triangular, light greenish-brown in colour, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are few and smaller. Leaf ovate, flatly spreading, dark green in colour. Few incised leaves appear in the basic part of the shoot. Leaf tip is sharp. Leaf margin is papillate dentate. Leaf base emarginate. Leaf length is 18.5 cm, width 14.5 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smooth and slightly shrivelled, good lustre. Leaves are flatly spreading. Petiole is short and slim. Flowering type is monoecious, with short style. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are few.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Sichuan is from 12 to 15 March. Leaf-opening stage is from 17 March to 20 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 80 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 27 percent. Leaves mature in early May, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has few side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 226 g spring leaves or 92 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 456 leaves/kg in spring and 225/kg in autumn. Leaves are 66.7 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 18 750 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few and small, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. The leaf quality is medium. Leaf DM contains 18.83-21.97 percent of CP and 14.5 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Dirty leaf disease and Mulberry powdery mildew, but is sensitive to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf and Black wilt bacterial disease. It also easily contracts Brown spot disease. It has strong tolerance to drought and medium tolerance to cold.
Fertilization recommendations. This variety has broad adaptability to various soil and climatic conditions. It is suitable for planting in the scattered land of hilly areas, and trained into low or medium trunk.
Jia Ling 16
A triploid bred by crossing "Xiqing" (tetraploid) with "Yu 2" (diploid). Since 1992, it has been widely cultivated in all of Sichuan and introduced to other provinces, such as Xinjiang, Guizhou, Henan and Shaanxi.
Morphology. Twigs are sturdy, straight and long, greenish-grey. Winter bud is triangular, closely adhering to the branch. Leaf order is 2/5. Internodal distance is 3.6 cm. Leaf incised, large in size, dark green in colour. Leaf tip is short and sharp. Leaf margin is acute dentate. Leaf base emarginate. Leaf length is 28 cm, width 25.5 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Leaf surface smoothly shrivelled. Petiole is short and sturdy. Bearing very few pistillate flowers, it is sterile.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Sichuan is in the middle of March, belonging to early-sprouting and mid-mature variety. Bud sprouting ratio is above 80 percent.
Average yield per ha. This variety has high productivity.
Fruiting habits. Sterile.
Leaf chemical composition. Good leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 28.05 percent of CP in average of spring and autumn.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance: This variety has relatively strong resistance to Black wilt bacterial disease. Leaf quality can be maintained for a long time in storage.
Planting recommendations. Good fertilization and management for this variety can lead to high productivity. It is suitable for hilly and mountainous areas with high density or intercropping.
Guangdong Jing Sang
A highly heterogeneous variety originating from the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong, widely distributed in south China. Diploid (2n=2x=28), belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
Morphology. Straight tree. Twigs are slim, straight and long. Bark colour is not uniform, mostly greenish-grey or brown. Internodes are straight or slightly curved. Internodal distance is 3.4 cm. Leaf order is mostly 2/5. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 8/cm2. Winter bud is large, triangular or nearly globular, mostly slanting outwards. Ovate or cordate leaf, entire, occasionally incised or mixed. Leaf flatly spread, light green. Leaf tip is sharp or short caudate. Leaf margin is obtuse or acute dentate. Leaf base retuse or linear, not symmetrical. Leaf length is 17 cm, width 14 cm. Thin leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface not shrivelled, weak lustre. Leaves are flatly spread. Petiole is slim, medium length. Flowering type is monoecious or dioecious, occasionally both staminate and pistallate flowers are found in a separate cluster. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are abundant and long.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 18 to 21 January. Leaf-opening stage is from 2 to 21 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 85 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 20 percent. First crop leaves mature from 27 February to 17 March. Growing period is 25-30 days for whole leaf and 40-45 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type.
Average yield per ha. This variety has very strong shooting ability, with many side twigs, and uniform growth. From 1 m shoot, 85 g spring leaves or 65 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 441 leaves/kg in the main branch and 945/kg in side twigs. Annual leaf yield can reach 33 750 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant and large, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 21.24 percent of CP and 8.38 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Common mulberry dwarf but is sensitive to Dirty leaf disease, Mulberry powdery mildew and Green bacterial wilt (caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith. It has strong tolerance to pruning and moisture condition, but weak resistance to drought and cold.
Planting recommendations. This variety can be propagated by seedlings and planted in at very high density (90 000-120 000 plants/ha). High yielding can be achieved by providing sufficient fertilization after each harvest.
Lun 40
A high yielding variety selected from Guangdong Jing Sang. Natural triploid (2n=3x=42), belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.), widely distributed in south China.
Morphology. Canopy slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, straight and long, brown. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 3.8 cm. Leaf order is 2/5 or 3/8. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 5/cm2. Winter bud is large, oval shape, brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are many and large. Cordate leaf, flatly spread, light green. Tender leaves look purplish-red. Leaf tip is short caudate. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Retuse leaf base. Leaf length is 24.5 cm, width 16.95 cm. Leaf blade is relatively thick. Smooth leaf surface not shrivelled, good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is sturdy and long. Flowering type is pistallate.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 16 to 28 January. Leaf-opening stage is from 2 to 15 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 80 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 17 percent. First crop leaves mature from 18 February to 10 March. Growing period is 25-30 days for whole leaf and 40-45 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability, with few side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 175 g spring leaves or 120 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 178 leaves/kg in the main branch and 475/kg inside twigs. Annual leaf yield can reach 46 500 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant and large, purplish-black, but seed fertility is very low.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 21.06-25.01 percent of CP and 7-7.9 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety grows very fast and with strong tolerance to pruning. It is lightly sensitive to Dirty leaf disease, Green bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith and Red rust disease caused by Accidium mori (Board) Diet. Its resistance to drought and cold is also weak.
Planting recommendations. This variety can be planted at high density (90 000 plants/ha). Additional applications of phosphorus and potassium are needed for new plantations.
Lun 109
Selected from Pearl River Delta of Guangdong. Diploid (2n=2x=28), belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
Morphology. Canopy slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, straight and long, greyish-brown. Internodes are slightly curved. Internodal distance is 3.8 cm. Leaf order is 3/8. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 9/cm2. Winter bud is oval shape, light brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are many and large. Ovate or cordate leaf, light green. Short caudate leaf tip. Leaf margin is papillately dentate, slightly bending upwards. Retuse leaf base. Leaf length is 27 cm, width 20.2 cm. Leaf blade is relatively thick. Petiole is sturdy and long. Flowering type is staminate, with long inflorescence. Pistallates are rarely found.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 16 to 31 January. Leaf-opening stage is from 5 to 21 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 68 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 27 percent. First crop leaves mature from 24 February to 10 March. Growing period is 25-30 days for whole leaf and 40-45 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and mid-mature type.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability. It grows fast, with early sprouting and sturdy side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 147 g spring leaves or 110 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 192 leaves/kg in the main branch and 583/kg in side twigs. Annual leaf yield can reach 39 450 kg/ha.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 29.47 percent of CP and 7.61 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium tolerance to drought but weak tolerance to cold. It is sensitive to Green bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith.
Planting recommendations: This variety can be planted at high density (90 000 plants/ha). Apply nitrogen fertilizer after each harvest and additional phosphorous and potassium after the second harvest.
Sha 2
Selected from Pearl River Delta of Guangdong. Diploid (2n=2x=28), belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
Morphology: Canopy slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, straight and long, yellowish-brown. Straight internodes. Internodal distance is 5.2 cm. Leaf order is 2/5.5 lenticels/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, greyish-brown, adhering to the branch. Many and large accessory buds. Ovate or long cordate leaf, flatly spread, green. Tender leaves look light purplish-red. Leaf tip is short caudate. Leaf margin is papillately dentate. Linear leaf base. Leaf length is 30.7 cm, width 21.5 cm. Leaf blade is relatively thick. Petiole is sturdy and short. Flowering type is pistillate, with short style.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 20 to 31 January. Leaf-opening stage is from 3 to 23 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 62.9 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 37.1 percent. First crop leaves mature from 20 February to 10 March. Growing period is 25-30 days for whole leaf and 40-45 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability, with early sprouting and many side-twigs. From 1 m shoot, 109 g spring leaves or 81 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 154 leaves/kg in the main branch and 294/kg in side twigs. Annual leaf yield can reach 39 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant and large, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 22.88 percent of CP and 10.88 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has strong resistance to mulberry thrips (Pseudodendrothrips mori Niwa) and mulberry leaf mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisoluval and Eotetranychus suginanamensis Yokoyama). However, it is sensitive to Green bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith. It has tolerance to moisture and medium tolerance to drought, but its tolerance to cold is weak.
Planting recommendations: For seed production purposes, more phosphorus and potassium are needed in fertilizer. When soroses appear red, apply nitrogen fertilizer slightly to promote fruiting.
Da 10
A natural triploid (2n=3x=42) Selected from Pearl River Delta of Guangdong, belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
Morphology. Canopy slightly spread. Twigs are slim, straight and long, light brown. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.8 cm. Leaf order is 1/2. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 6/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are many and large. Cordate leaf, spread, light green. Long caudate leaf tip. Acute dentate leaf margin. Emarginate leaf base. Leaf length is 22 cm, width 18.3 cm. Smooth leaf surface and slightly shrivelled, with weak lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is sturdy and short. Flowering type is pistillate, without style.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 16 to 28 January. Leaf-opening stage is from 31 to 16 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 85 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 10 percent. First crop leaves mature from 20 February to 10 March. Growing period is 25-30 days for whole leaf and 40-45 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type.
Average yield per ha: This variety has medium shooting ability, with few side twigs. Annual leaf yield is 30 000 kg/ha. Fruit production can reach 15 000 kg/ha per year.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant and large, purplish-black. The fruit contains 2.78-3.8 percent of total carbohydrate, 2.28-3.57 percent of reducing sugar, 0.81 percent of amino acids. Vitamin C content of the berry reaches 1.02 mg/100 g, adequate for processing and beverage production.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance: This variety is slightly sensitive to Mulberry mosaic disease caused by virus. It is also easily attacked by insect pests. Its tolerance to cold is weak.
Planting recommendations: For fruit production purposes, more fertilizer, with phosphorous and potassium, is needed. Two prunings are possible, in April and in July/August. Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied between prunings.
Kang Qing 10
A resistant variety selected from the west of Guangdong. Diploid (2n=2x=28), belonging to the species of Guangdong mulberry (M. atropurpurea Roxb.).
Morphology: Canopy slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, straight and long, greyish-brown. The sun-facing side of the tender shoot is light reddish-brown and the top bud is curved. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.9 cm. Leaf order is 1/2. Lenticels are round, 9/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, greyish brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are few and smaller. Cordate leaf, occasionally incised, spread, light green. Sharp leaf tip. Obtuse dentate leaf margin. Linear leaf base. Leaf length is 27.3 cm, width 24.4 cm. Thick leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is sturdy and short. Flowering type is staminate, with many long inflorescences. Monoecism is found occasionally.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Guangzhou is from 26 January to 5 February. Leaf-opening stage is from 11 to 24 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 80 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 15 percent. First crop leaves mature from 16 February to 5 March. Growing period is 20-25 days for whole leaf and 35-40 days for the leaf-shoot respectively, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability, grows fast, with many side twigs. From 1 m shoot, 130 g spring leaves or 100 g autumn leaves can be produced. There are 206 leaves/kg in the main branch and 311/kg in the side twigs. Annual leaf yield can reach 37 050 kg/ha.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 22.4 percent of CP and 5.26 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has strong resistance to Mulberry green bacterial wilt and Mulberry powdery mildew, medium resistance to Mulberry red rust disease. However, it is easily attacked by mulberry thrips and mulberry leaf mite. It has weak tolerance to cold. It has strong rooting ability and can be propagated by cuttings.
Hei Lu Cai Sang
Indigenous to Shandong China, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis P.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Straight tree. Twigs are slim and straight, medium long. Greenish-brown bark. Internodes are slightly curved. Internodal distance is 3 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are elliptical, 7/cm2. Winter bud is triangle, dark brown, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are smaller and less. Ovate leaf, margin slightly bends upwards. Leaf colour dark green. Caudate leaf tip. Papillately dentate leaf margin. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 18 cm, width 14 cm. Leaf blade is comparatively thick. Smooth leaf surface slightly shrivelled, with good lustre. Leaves flatly spread. Petiole is long and slim. Monoecious flowering type. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are short but abundant.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Shandong is from 22 to 25 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 28 April to 8 May. Bud sprouting ratio is 75 percent and bud-growing ratio is 15 percent. Leaves mature on 14 May, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature type. Autumn leaves harden in early September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability with many side branches. From 1 m shoot 98 g leaves can be produced in spring and 116 g in autumn. There are 670 leaves/kg in spring and 275/kg in autumn. Leaves are 49.3 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 19 500 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few and small, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Good leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 23.8-24.1 percent of CP and 13.2-18.3 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Brown spot disease. It has strong cold resistance and good tolerance to wind. Planting recommendations: Recommended for Yellow River area and to be trained into low or medium trunk.
Da Ji Guan Sang
Indigenous to Shandong, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.) Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology: Canopy is slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, short and straight. Brown bark. Straight internodes. Internodal distance is 3 cm. Leaves have no order. Lenticels are small and round, 5/cm2. The top of the shoot swells like a cock’s comb, so it is called Da Ji Guan (Big cock’s comb) in Chinese. Brownish-red winter buds. The buds in the middle and lower parts of the shoot are triangular or nearly globular, some of them are slanting outwards. Few and small accessory buds. Ovate leaf, spread or leaf margin slightly bent upwards. Dark green leaves. Sharp leaf tip. Papillately dentate leaf margin. Retuse leaf base. Leaf length is 24 cm, width 20 cm. Thick leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface not shrivelled, with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is sturdy and short. Monoecious flowering type. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are short but abundant.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Shandong is from 22 to 26 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 29 April to 7 May. Bud sprouting ratio is 85 percent and bud-growing ratio is 25 percent. Leaves mature on 16 May, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in mid-August.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability with many side branches. From 1 m shoot 212 g leaves can be produced in spring and 184 g in autumn. There are 660 leaves/kg in spring and 240/kg in autumn. Leaves are 59.3 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 20 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few and small, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Good leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 23.1-27.2 percent of CP and 12-17.1 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has strong resistance to cold and wind. It has low tolerance to pruning. It is sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease, Mulberry red rust and Brown spot disease.
Planting recommendations. Recommended for Yellow River area and to be trained into medium or high trunk.
Xuan 792
Selected from the variants of native mulberry in Shandong, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28. Widely distributed in Shandong and provinces in North China.
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight. Brown bark. Internodes are slightly curved. Internodal distance is 3.5 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are round, 5/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, adhering to the branch. Accessory buds are small and few. Ovate leaf, spread, dark green. Leaf tip is sharp or short caudate. Obtuse dentate leaf margin. Linear leaf base. Leaf length is 23 cm, width 17 cm. Thick leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface and not shrivelled, with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is medium sturdy and long. Pistillate flowering type.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Shandong is from 24 to 28 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 1 to 10 May. Bud sprouting ratio is 73 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 15 percent. Leaves mature on 16 May, belonging to the late sprouting and mid-mature variety. Autumn leaves harden in early September.
Average yield per ha: This variety has strong shooting ability with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 112 g leaves can be produced in spring and 138 g in autumn. There are 410 leaves/kg in spring and 190/kg in autumn. Leaves are 49.79 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 30 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few, medium size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Good leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 25.2-27.5 percent of CP and 11.3-15.3 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf, strong tolerance to wind, cold and drought. It is lightly sensitive to Shrinking-type mulberry dwarf.
Planting recommendation. This variety is suitable to plant in the north of China and to train into low or medium trunk. Higher planting density and application of fertilizer in autumn can lead to higher production.
Niu Gen Sang
Native variety of Hebei China, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis Perr.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28. Widely distributed in Hebei Province.
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spread. Twigs are sturdy and long, slightly curved. Greyish brown bark. Internodes are slightly curved. Internodal distance is 4.5 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are comparatively small, round or elliptical, 9/cm2. Winter bud is right triangular, light yellowish-brown in colour, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are small and few. Cordate leaf, spread, dark green. Sharp leaf tip. Papillately dentate leaf margin. Retuse leaf base. Leaf length is 23.5 cm, width 19.5 cm. Leaf blade is thick. Smooth leaf surface, slightly shrivelled. Leaf margin is bent slightly upwards. Sturdy leaf vein. Petiole is sturdy and long. Flowering type is monoecious. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are few and short.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Hebei is from 6 to 12 May. Leaf-opening stage is from 14 to 20 May. Bud sprouting ratio is 72 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 20 percent. Leaves mature from 25 May to 1 June, belonging to the medium sprouting and mid-mature type. Autumn leaves harden from 10 to 15 September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has medium shooting ability, with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 155 g leaves can be produced in spring and 140 g in autumn. There are 400 leaves/kg in spring and 160/kg in autumn. Leaves are 50 percent of the total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 15 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are few, medium size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 16.25 percent of CP and 13.41 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has resistance to Mulberry anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum morifolium Hora and the Mulberry leaf blight caused by Hormodendrum mori Yendo. It is sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease and Dirty leaf disease. Its tolerance to cold and drought is medium.
Planting recommendation. This variety is suitable for planting in the north of China and for training into medium trunk, high trunk or tree type. Properly high planting density is recommended.
Hong Pi Wa Sang
Native variety of Hubei China, belonging to the species of Lu mulberry (M. multicaulis P.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Canopy is spread. Twigs are sturdy, long and straight. Brown bark. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 8/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, brown in colour. Buds are slanting outwards or adhering to the branch. Few accessory buds. Cordate leaf, light green. Sharp leaf tip. Papillately dentate leaf margin. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 21 cm, width 19 cm. Thick leaf blade. Leaf surface is smooth and shrivelled, with weak lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is medium sturdy and long. Pistillate flowering type.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Zhenjiang is from 13 to 17 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 18 to 23 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 56 percent and bud-growing ratio is 15 percent. Leaves mature from 15 May to 20 May, belonging to the late sprouting and late mature type. Autumn leaves harden in the middle of September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has weak shooting ability, but grows fast with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 119 g leaves can be produced in spring and 120 g in autumn. There are 548 leaves/kg in spring and 165/kg in autumn. Leaves are 54 percent of total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 18 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are small and few, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 23.6-26.4 percent of CP and 10.8-11.5 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Black wilt bacterial disease, Mulberry powdery mildew and Dirty leaf disease. It is sensitive to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf.
Planting recommendation. This variety is suitable for planting in the Yangtze River area, trained into medium or high trunk type. Maintaining more shoots or proper higher planting density are recommended.
Hei Ge Lu
Native variety of Shanxi China, belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.). Chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 28.
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spread. The twigs are medium sturdy, long and straight. Brown bark. Straight internodes. Internodal distance is 3.3 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are round, small and few, 8/cm2. Winter bud is right triangular, brown, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are few and not obvious. Ovate leaf, spread, dark green. Sharp leaf tip. Obtuse dentate leaf margin. Retuse leaf base. Leaf length is 19.4 cm, width 16.8 cm. Thick leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface, slightly shrivelled, with good lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is medium sturdy and long. Monoecious flowering type. Inflorescences of staminate flowers are few and short.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Shanxi is from 18 to 25 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 27 April to 4 May. Bud sprouting ratio is 80 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 27 percent. Leaves mature from 20 to 26 May, belonging to the medium sprouting and medium mature type. Autumn leaves harden in 20 September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability, with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 125 g of leaves can be produced in spring and 140 g in autumn. There are 428 leaves/kg in spring and 256/kg in autumn. Leaves are 41 percent of total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 20 250 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are small and few, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 23.4 percent of CP and 13.2 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Mulberry powdery mildew. It is lightly sensitive to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf and sensitive to Black wilt bacterial disease. It has strong tolerance to drought, cold and poor soil conditions.
Planting recommendation. This variety is suitable for planting by road- and riversides, trained into medium or high trunk type.
He Tian Bai Sang
A triploid variety (2n = 3x = 42) selected from south Xinjiang, belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.).
Morphology. Canopy is spread. Twigs are slim and long, some bending. Brown bark colour. Straight internodes. Internodal distance is 5 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are large, mostly elliptical, 5/cm2. Winter bud is long triangular, brown, adhering to the branch. Some buds are tilting to one side. Accessory buds are larger and more. Cordate leaf. Entire and incised leaves are mixed together. Incised leaf has 1-10, mostly 5, gaps. Leaf is flatly spread, dark green. Short caudate leaf tip. Obtuse dentate leaf margin. Emarginate leaf base. Leaf length is 12.6 cm, width 11.6 cm. Thick leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface, not shrivelled, with weak lustre. Leaves hang slightly downwards. Petiole is slim and medium long. Pistillate flowering type.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in south Xinjiang is from 13 to 16 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 17 to 22 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 82 percent and bud-growing ratio is 21 percent. Leaves mature from 10 to 15 May, belonging to the medium sprouting and medium mature type. Autumn leaves harden in early September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability with many side branches. From 1 m shoot 166 g of leaves can be produced in spring and 45 g in autumn. There are 476 leaves/kg in spring and 348/kg in autumn. Leaves are 46.9 percent of total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 17 700 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant, medium size, jade-white and sweet, (containing 18.9 percent sugar).
Leaf chemical composition. Good leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 22.1-23.3 percent of CP and 11.0-14.2 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has strong resistance to drought and cold.
Planting recommendation. The recommended training type is low or medium trunk. Higher production can be achieved by providing good fertilization and irrigation. If for both fruit and leaf production, high trunk or tree type is preferable.
Yun Sang 2
A diploid variety (2n = 2x = 28) selected from Yunnan, belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.).
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spread. Twigs are medium sturdy, straight and long, greyish-green. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 4.3 cm. Leaf order is 2/5. Lenticels are round or elliptical, 7/cm2. Winter bud is long triangular, reddish-brown, slanting outwards with slightly tilting to one side. Accessory buds are small and few. Long cordate leaf, flatly spread, light green. Leaf tip is short caudate or sharp. Obtuse dentate leaf margin. Leaf base retuse or linear. Leaf length is 19.5 cm, width 15 cm. Thin leaf blade. Smooth leaf surface, shrivelled or not, with weak lustre. Petiole is medium in size and length. Flowering type is pistillate.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Yunnan is from 1 to 21 February. Leaf-opening stage is from 16 to 21 February. Bud sprouting ratio is 78 percent and bud-growing ratio is 20 percent. Leaves mature from 15 March to 20 March, belonging to the medium sprouting and medium mature type. Autumn leaves harden in early October.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 154 g leaves can be produced in spring and 132 g in autumn. There are 600 leaves/kg in spring and 250/kg in autumn. Leaves are 36 percent of total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruit. Annual leaf yield is 27 000 kg/ha.
Fruiting habits. Soroses are abundant, medium size, purplish-black.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 21.5 percent of CP and 12 percent of SC.
Planting recommendation. The recommended training type is low or medium trunk.
Dao Zhen Sang
A native variety selected from Guizhou, diploid (2n = 2x = 28), belonging to the species of White mulberry (M. alba L.).
Morphology. Canopy is slightly spread. The twigs are medium sturdy, straight and long, greyish-white. Internodes are straight. Internodal distance is 3 cm. Lenticels are round and small, 21/cm2. Winter bud is triangular, light yellow in colour, slanting outwards. Accessory buds are few. Leaf is cordate, flatly spreading, light green in colour. Leaf tip is short caudate or sharp. Papillately dentate leaf margin. Emarginate leaf base. Leaf length is 18 cm, width 14 cm. Leaf surface smooth and slightly shrivelled, with lustre. Petiole is slim and short. Flowering type is staminate, bearing short and few inflorescences.
Climatic requirement. Bud sprouting in Jiangsu is from 3 to 9 April. Leaf-opening stage is from 12 to 17 April. Bud sprouting ratio is 75 percent and the bud-growing ratio is 28 percent. Leaves mature from 1 to 5 May, belonging to the early sprouting and early mature type. Autumn leaves harden in early September.
Average yield per ha. This variety has strong shooting ability with few side branches. From 1 m shoot 137 g of leaves can be produced in spring and 90 g in autumn. There are 968 leaves/kg in spring and 376/kg in autumn. Leaves are 50 percent of total weight of twigs, shoots, leaves and fruits. Annual leaf yield is 22 500 kg/ha.
Leaf chemical composition. Medium leaf quality. Leaf DM contains 22.01-24.58 percent of CP and 13.8-13.58 percent of SC.
Main diseases/pests and tolerance. This variety has medium resistance to Black wilt bacterial disease and resistance to Yellow-type mulberry dwarf. Its tolerance to cold is poor.
Planting recommendation. This variety is recommended for planting by roadsides and field boundaries, and to be trained into medium or high trunk.
CULTIVATION METHODS
Propagation
Sexual methods (seedling) and asexual methods (grafting, cutting, layering, etc.) are used for mulberry propagation. The good characteristics of the parent plants can be assured by asexual propagation. In order to establish a fast growing and high yielding mulberry plantation, the propagation of improved F1 hybrids by seedlings is recommended.
In the tropical and subtropical areas, mulberry can grow very fast and be harvested many times. Seedlings of local Jing mulberry are traditionally used in south China. During the 1970s, the technique of breeding and propagating of improved F1 hybrids was developed in Guangdong. In 1977, the good combinations "Sha 2 ~ Lun 109" and "Tang 10 ~ Lun 109" were selected. Their leaf yield increased by 20 percent over the Jing variety. These F1 hybrids spread in south China very rapidly. Later they were taken to some areas in east and north China with success.
The key techniques for propagation of seedling of hybrids are as follows:
Seed harvesting. The seeds are harvested in April. They number 450 000 to 500 000/kg.PlantingSowing. The land selected as nursery must be fertile, convenient for irrigation and drainage and without diseases and insect pests. The seeds can be sown by broadcasting. The temperature required for germination is above 13 ºC. The germination rate of seeds is 80-85 percent and survival rate 40-50 percent. By sowing 15kg seeds per ha, 180 000-200 000 seedlings can be produced.
Nursery management. After sowing, the nursery is covered with rice straw and sprinkled with water to retain moisture. When the young seedling sprouts two true leaves about ten days later, part of the covering straw can be removed. Weeding and thinning are required. When the seedling has four or five leaves, 0.3-0.5 percent urea solution should be sprinkled over at intervals of five to seven days. The seedlings can grow up to 30 cm height 90 days after sowing in spring. They can reach 60-100 cm within 120-150 days in the nursery.
Transplanting. Seedlings sown in spring can be transplanted in autumn or winter of the same year, while those sown in autumn can be transplanted in the following spring. If the mulberry is newly planted in January, the first crop of leaves can be harvested in May and the leaf yield of the first year can reach 26 250 kg/ha. If the mulberry is planted in early August, the normal harvest begins in mid-April of the following year, and the annual leaf yielding can reach 37 500-52 500 kg/ha.
The main planting methods include exclusive mulberry garden, scattered planting, intercropping and the "mulberry dike and fish pond" system.
Pure mulberry garden. Mulberry trees are planted alone in a certain area of cultivated or newly reclaimed land with a proper density for the main purpose of leaf production. This method can achieve higher land and labour productivity by scientific measures and management. Proper planting density is one of the most important ways to increase production. Planting density depends on the variety of mulberry, soil and climatic conditions, fertilization and irrigation, etc. In Zhejiang, east China, in order to obtain 26 250 kg/ha of leaf, the recommended planting density is 10 500-15 000 plants/ha, with the trunk height 0.5-0.8 m, effective shoots 90 000-105 000, and total length of shoots 120 000 m. In Guangdong, south China, by planting in high density of 90 000-120 000 plants/ha and training into the low trunk or trunkless type, the annual leaf production can reach 37 500-52 500 kg/ha.
Scattered planting. In order to utilize fully odd pieces of land, mulberry trees can be planted at fieldsides, roadsides, around houses and along irrigation canals and so on. In Sichuan, the biggest sericulture province in China, millions of mulberry trees are scattered in hilly and mountainous areas. With this method, mulberry does not compete with other crops in cultivated land.
Intercropping. In Liaoning Province of northeast China, some mulberry trees are intercropped with grain crops. In Zhejiang Province of southeast China, farmers get a very high profit by intercropping white chrysanthemums in mulberry gardens. In Guangdong Province of south China, winter vegetables are planted between rows of mulberry.
"Mulberry dyke and fish pond" system. This ecosystem has been developed in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong over several hundred years. The proportion of pond area to dyke area is 6:4 or 7:3 according to conditions. Mulberry trees are planted on the dykes. After feeding the silkworms, the faeces of the larvae and the wasted leaf are used to feed fish in the pond. The pond silt is used to fertilize the mulberry trees.
Field management
Fertilization. For leaf production the proper proportion of N:P:K is 10:4:6. Generally speaking 1.5-2 kg nitrogen (equivalent to 3.26-4.35 kg urea) are needed to produce 100 kg leaf. The combined fertilizer containing proper NPK and trace elements are now widely used for mulberry.
Irrigation. During the growing seasons of summer and autumn, 8-9 kg water will evaporate every day from 1 kg mulberry leaf. If the quantity of leaf is 7 500 kg/ha, the water transpiration will reach 72 tonnes. This does not include the evaporation from soil. In the dry season, the irrigation of water is 30 mm for an interval of five days.
Pruning and harvesting. In order to produce quality leaf for silkworm, various training, pruning and harvesting methods are adapted, according to the different climatic and geographic conditions. In tropical and subtropical areas, the main techniques include high planting density, low trunk or trunkless training types, and shoot harvesting for the whole year. In the case of animal feed production, the bush-type mulberry plantation is recommended. Mulberry seeds can be directly sown in lines with much higher density than that of silkworm feed production. The shoots and leaves can be cut several times a year by knife or machinery, so a great deal of labour can be saved.
OTHER TRADITIONAL USES
Animal feeding. In China nearly 100 percent of the mulberry cultivated is used for silkworm feeding only. The litter, containing silkworm faeces and wasted leaf, is used to feed fish in the pond or as supplementary feed for cattle.
Silkworm feeding. Mulberry contains all the necessary nutrients for the growth and development of silkworm (Bombyx mori). For more than 5 000 years, mulberry leaf has served as the only feed for mulberry silkworm. Even today, this has not changed in China, although the utilization of an artificial diet has achieved encouraging results in the laboratory. Fresh mulberry leaf contains 70-80 percent water, 20-30 percent DM. In the DM, CP is about 25 percent, SC 25 percent and ash 10 percent.
The leaf-silk inversion rate, or the feed efficiency of mulberry leaf for cocoon shell production, is the main index to evaluate leaf quality. In China, it takes 15 to 18 kg fresh leaves to produce 1 kg fresh cocoon at the farmer level. Researchers investigated 251 silkworm varieties maintained at the Sericulture Research Institute of the Chinese Agricultural Academy and the results showed that the leaf-silk (DM) inversion rate is 10.11 percent in average.
Fruit. The fresh mulberry fruit (sorosis) has 85 percent water, 0.36 percent CP, 1.86 percent free acid, 9.19 percent invert sugar, 0.91 percent crude fibre and 0.66 percent ash. The fruit is also rich in carotene, Vitamin B1, B2, C, nicotinic acid, fatty oil, etc. The main sugar is glucose, and the main free acid is malic acid. The fresh fruit is traditionally consumed. In recent years, mulberry fruit juice has been commercially produced as a healthy beverage, and become very popular in China. Without adding preservatives, the juice of the mulberry fruit can be kept fresh under cold storage for three months, while the beverage can be kept fresh at ambient temperatures for 12 months.
Mulberry tea. The DM of mulberry leaf contains rich gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is as high as 266 mg/100 g DM in an average of 119 mulberry varieties investigated, about ten times higher than that of green tea. The main function of gamma-aminobutyric acid is to lower blood pressure and help nerve transmission. In China a certain amount of leaves are wasted by the end of the production cycle. At the end of the autumn crop, the unused leaf per hectare reaches 1500 kg or even more. In order to exploit this valuable resource, the technique of preparing mulberry tea has been developed. The processing of mulberry tea is similar to that of green tea, which includes the procedures of leaf harvesting and washing, chopping, steaming, rubbing, baking, cooling, sieving and storage. Mulberry tea is drunk in the same way as green tea.
Baked or fried mulberry tea powder is rich in protein and carbohydrate, and has a distinct fragant smell. It can be used as a food additive in the preparation of steam buns, bread, cakes and biscuits.
Edible fungi production. The dry stem of mulberry contains 50 percent cellulose, 20 percent semi-cellulose, 20 percent lignin and 5 percent CP. The proportion of carbon to nitrogen is 86:1, which is suitable for edible fungi production. By using the stem powder of mulberry as medium, mushrooms, Jew’s ear (Auricularia auricula judae) and medicinal fungi (Ganoderma lucidum) have been popularly produced in China.
Medicinal uses. China has a long history in using mulberry as a traditional herb medicine. The medicinal function of the different parts of mulberry is as follows:
BIGLIOGRAPHY
FAO. 1980. China: Sericulture. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin Nº 42. Rome.
FAO. 1988. Mulberry cultivation. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin Nº 73/1. Rome.
Huo, Y.K., et.al. 1997. Progress and prospect of sericulture in Guangdong. Indian Silk.
Ke Yi-fu, et.al. 1997. Mulberry cultivation and breeding. China Agricultural Publishing Agent. (in Chinese).
Shi Bing-kun, et.al. 1993. Survey of mulberry species in China. China Agricultural Publishing Agent. (in Chinese).
