None-Watering and Tube-Protecting Planting Technique for <italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</italic> under Desert and Its Extension

Abstract

<italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</italic> has been one of the preferred plants that are used for the ecological recovery and restoration of the desert in China, but its seedlings have a very low percentage of seedling survival (￡10%) and grow slowly under none-watering condition in the desert areas, which is a pivotal limiting factor for its utilization. Besides soil drought, sandwind, and small animal gnawing, our recent research results unveiled that the high desert surface layer (0-2 cm) temperature (350℃) around the basal part of stem of <italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</italic> seedlings also is one of the important limiting factors, but this limiting factor is often neglected in the process of practice. Based on this discovery, we invented a new none-watering and tube-protecting planting technique for<italic> Haloxylon ammodendron</italic>. After several years proof-test in many desert environments, this new planting technique has been found to be suitable for utilization in the desert habitats with higher ground water level or abundant wet sand layer, including drifting or semi-drifting sand dunes, especially for fixed dune, gobi, and soil desertification. It has the following characteristics and advantages: protecting <italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</italic> seedlings from the damage of high desert surface layer temperature, sandwind, small animal gnawing, etc.; easy to operate; needing no watering; suitable for fall and spring planting, as well as direct seeding and transplantation. As a result, it can efficiently increase the percentage of seedling survival (averagely more than 70%) and annual growth (more than 20%) of <italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</italic>. Additionally, it is also found to be suitable for the planting or cultivation of other desert plants. Now the new planting technique is in widespread demonstration and extension in the desert areas of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu.