1 Introduction

Polygonatum sibiricum is a widely used traditional medicinal and edible plant in East Asia, and its rhizome has been recorded in classical materia medica and used for food and medicine for centuries. Modern studies show that its rhizomes contain polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and other bioactive constituents that support broad pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antitumor, neuroprotective, and lipid-regulating effects (Pan et al., 2022; El-Hack et al., 2025). Among these constituents, Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides are regarded as major active substances and have attracted sustained attention for their roles in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical development (Cui et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2024). In addition to medicinal application, Polygonatum sibiricum is recognized in China as a medicinal-and-edible homologous resource and has been developed into teas, beverages, oral liquids, powders, pills, and other health products, indicating a clear extension from traditional herb use to diversified industrial utilization (Li et al., 2025). This expanding scientific basis and product diversification have increased the medicinal, nutritional, and economic value of Polygonatum sibiricum, making it an important raw material for the health industry and a promising forest-understory crop (Su et al., 2018; Liao et al., 2023).

Driven by these values, market demand for Polygonati Rhizoma has risen substantially in recent years, and artificial cultivation has gained attention because demand has outpaced the supply capacity of natural populations (Cheng et al., 2023). Evidence from industry and cultivation studies shows that wild resources have been heavily depleted by overexploitation, long-term harvesting pressure, and the long growth cycle required to form harvestable rhizomes (Su et al., 2018). This contradiction is likely to intensify under environmental change, because habitat suitability for P. sibiricum is projected to decline in the future and shift geographically, adding further pressure to conservation and germplasm utilization (Zhang et al., 2023). Although cultivated Polygonatum sibiricum is now an important source for market supply and can provide more stable production, persistent problems remain, including germplasm confusion, unstable quality, low cultivation technology, and insufficient supply of high-quality seedlings (Pan et al., 2022). Seedling production is a central bottleneck because large-scale cultivation depends on reliable nursery systems, yet seed propagation is constrained by deep morphophysiological dormancy, slow germination, and delayed seedling establishment (Liao et al., 2021). Even under production conditions, harvestable rhizomes generally require 3~4 years through rhizome propagation and 5–6 years from seed propagation, which limits rapid expansion and raises the importance of efficient vegetative propagation and early seedling management.

At the same time, the transition from wild collection to cultivation has created higher requirements for seedling standardization and quality consistency. Comparative metabolomic studies indicate that cultivated and wild-grown P. sibiricum share many important phytochemicals, but they can also differ in specific compounds and abundance profiles, which means that propagation materials and cultivation practices can directly affect product quality (Pan et al., 2022). Encouragingly, artificially cultivated rhizomes with multiple buds show phytochemical profiles broadly comparable to wild types and contain several therapeutically relevant compounds, supporting the feasibility of cultivation-based substitution if propagation systems are well designed (Cheng et al., 2023). Research on rhizosphere adaptation further suggests that yield and quality are strongly influenced by site conditions such as soil pH and associated beneficial or pathogenic microorganisms, highlighting that high-quality seedling production must be integrated with suitable ecological and agronomic management (Shi et al., 2024). Studies on distribution, phenotype, and common-garden performance likewise show marked variation among Polygonatum materials in yield, quality traits, and environmental adaptation, reinforcing the need for standardized propagation pathways, germplasm selection, and nursery evaluation indicators before field expansion (Liao et al., 2023). Therefore, establishing a technical system for rhizome propagation is not only a matter of multiplying planting material, but also a prerequisite for preserving elite germplasm, stabilizing medicinal quality, and supporting scalable industrial production.

This study will explore the construction pathway of a technical system for rhizome propagation and high-quality seedling production of Polygonatum sibiricum, with a focus on key issues such as selection of propagation materials, improvement of propagation efficiency, control of seedling uniformity, and subsequent cultivation adaptability. This system is expected to provide technical support for the rapid multiplication of elite germplasm, reduce dependence on wild resources, and promote the large-scale production of standardized seedlings. Meanwhile, this study is of great significance for improving the consistency of raw medicinal materials of Polygonatum sibiricum, ensuring the stable supply of medicinal-and-edible homologous products, and promoting industrial modernization. From a broader perspective, the construction of this technical system will help achieve the coordinated integration of germplasm conservation, standardized production, and efficient resource utilization, thereby providing a theoretical and practical basis for the sustainable and high-quality development of the Polygonatum sibiricum industry.

2 Biological Basis of Rhizome Propagation

2.1 Structural characteristics

The underground organ of P. sibiricum is a perennial rhizome that extends by producing one new segment each year, forming a distinct “annual rhizome” pattern that provides the structural basis for clonal propagation. Within P. sibiricum, annual rhizomes show at least two recognizable morphological types, including a thick-ended “Jitou-type” and an atypical type without obvious thickening, indicating that rhizome architecture is variable even within the species (Hu et al., 2022). Artificially cultivated materials with multiple rhizome buds have also been identified and compared with wild plants bearing single or multiple buds, showing that bud number is a relevant structural trait in cultivation and germplasm evaluation (Cheng et al., 2023). Across Polygonatum, rhizomes retain typical monocotyledonous anatomical organization, but species-level differences occur in vascular bundle type, and in Polygonatum rhizomes collateral, amphivasal, and incomplete amphivasal bundles have all been observed (Cantürk and Özhatay, 2021).

Bud formation on the rhizome is not random, but follows a recognizable developmental pattern associated with annual segment formation and latent bud differentiation. In some Polygonatum germplasm, annual rhizomes carry two developed latent buds with unequal vigor, one long and stout and the other short and thin, suggesting a built-in hierarchy among buds that can influence which propagules dominate subsequent growth. By contrast, other rhizome types show short, small, or underdeveloped latent buds, indicating that the regenerative potential of different rhizome segments is partly constrained by bud morphology itself (Hu et al., 2022). Developmental anatomy further shows that, during seed-derived establishment, the hypocotyl swells into a newborn rhizome and becomes the site on which the germ and radicle differentiate, demonstrating that rhizome formation is an early organizing event in the plant’s life cycle rather than merely a later storage response Because the first rhizome links emerging organs with nutrient transfer tissues, its structural integrity and bud-bearing capacity directly determine the material basis for subsequent vegetative multiplication.

2.2 Physiological basis

The regenerative capacity of P. sibiricum rhizomes depends on their strong reserve accumulation function. Histochemical evidence shows that polysaccharides are localized in mucilage cells of Polygonatum rhizomes, while saponins and volatile oils are mainly distributed in the ground tissue, indicating spatial differentiation of storage and defense-related metabolites within the underground stem. Chemical studies further confirm that the rhizome is rich in carbohydrates and polysaccharides, which are major bioactive and nutritional components of the species Detailed carbohydrate profiling suggests that P. sibiricum rhizome does not rely mainly on starch; instead, fructo-oligosaccharides are a major component and account for about 28.95% of the rhizome, with higher-degree polymers particularly abundant. This reserve composition implies that nutrient storage in the rhizome is based largely on soluble and structurally diverse carbohydrate pools that can support both medicinal quality formation and regrowth after segment division.

Age-related comparisons show that young rhizomes already possess substantial reserve value: the polysaccharide extraction rate of young rhizomes reached 33.88%, close to 45.08% in mature rhizomes, and their main polysaccharide fractions showed similar structural features and biological activity. This finding supports the physiological feasibility of using younger rhizome material as propagation stock, because immature segments are not nutritionally empty organs but already contain considerable carbohydrate reserves. Regeneration also depends on efficient reserve mobilization. During germination, the haustorium absorbs nutrients from the endosperm and transfers them through the cotyledonary structure to the newborn rhizome, providing the material basis for differentiation of the germ and radicle. At the molecular level, dormancy release and seedling establishment involve broad changes in hormone metabolism genes, cell-wall-related genes, endosperm weakening, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid synthesis, indicating that regenerative growth arises from coordinated reserve remobilization rather than passive bud swelling alone (Liao et al., 2021; Gou et al., 2026).

2.3 Environmental regulation

Environmental regulation is a decisive factor controlling rhizome germination and early growth in P. sibiricum. Under natural conditions, seeds are dispersed in autumn, produce radicle and corm structures only after warm conditions in the following growing season, and often do not complete shoot emergence until after a second winter, reflecting deep epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy (Liao et al., 2021). Controlled sequential temperature treatment markedly shortens this cycle: warm stratification at 25 ℃ for 4~6 weeks promotes radicle extrusion and cormlet formation, followed by cold stratification at 4 ℃ for 8 weeks, after which return to 25 ℃ induces seedling emergence. Additional studies similarly found that 0 ℃ sand storage for 120 days favors germination, and recent optimization experiments predicted about 89.31% germination under a combined regime of GA3, about 4.90 ℃, and a 1:1 sand-to-Huangjiang-slag substrate ratio (Gou et al., 2026). Temperature, light, water, and nitrogen are recognized as core environmental signals controlling dormancy and germination through interaction with ABA and GA pathways.

Light and moisture conditions further modify germination performance. Dark treatment increased P. sibiricum seed germination relative to illumination, and soaking seeds in 35~40 ℃ lukewarm water for 18~24 h raised germination to 93.33%, indicating that both light exclusion and improved imbibition can facilitate dormancy release. Hormonal regulation mediates much of this environmental response: cold stratification for more than 70 days significantly alleviated dormancy, ABA remained high during dormancy, and exogenous GA3 and 2-coumarate promoted germination while 6-BA and GA3 enhanced corm growth. Transcriptomic and metabolomic evidence likewise indicates that ABA helps maintain dormancy whereas GA3, JA, and IAA rise during seed coat penetration and promote germination-associated processes (Gou et al., 2026). After emergence, rhizome growth and quality remain sensitive to habitat conditions: P. sibiricum is commonly distributed in moist and cool forest or shrub environments, artificial and wild plants examined in Fujian grew under high precipitation, 82% relative humidity, and moderate annual temperature (Cheng et al., 2023), rhizome fresh weight and polysaccharide content decline with soil acidification, and poor performance is associated with rhizospheric pathogens such as Fusarium (Shi et al., 2024), including field-reported root rot beginning in the rhizome and reaching a disease index of 70% in Gansu plantations.

3 Rhizome Propagation Technology System

3.1 Division and whole-rhizome propagation methods and their characteristics

Rhizome propagation is a core propagation pathway for Polygonatum sibiricum because seed propagation is constrained by a long juvenile cycle and deep epicotyl dormancy, whereas rhizome-derived plants reach harvestable rhizomes in about 3~4 years rather than 5–6 years from seed (Meucci et al., 2024). Natural rhizome propagation is still inherently slow, which is why conventional field multiplication based on whole rhizomes or larger bud-bearing pieces remains reliable but inefficient for rapid scale-up (Tejera‐Nieves and Walker, 2023). In Polygonatum germplasm, some cultivars form one or multiple branch buds adjacent to the renewal bud in the next growth season, and multi-bud rhizome types usually have larger rhizome segments and are more favored in cultivation, which gives whole-rhizome propagation an advantage for maintaining strong early vigor and varietal traits (Lubbe et al., 2023). Comparative metabolomic work also found that artificially cultivated plants with multiple rhizome buds had phytochemical profiles generally comparable to wild types, supporting the production value of clonal rhizome-based multiplication (Figure 1) (Cheng et al., 2023).

The main advantage of whole-rhizome propagation is that it preserves a more complete storage organ and therefore tends to maintain stronger nutrient reserves, bud viability, and transplant buffering capacity, while the main disadvantage is the low multiplication coefficient and the sacrifice of more commercial rhizome material per seedling (Meucci et al., 2024). Division propagation increases the propagation coefficient by cutting the rhizome into bud-bearing units, but its performance depends on retaining viable buds and sufficient storage tissue around each bud (Stephen et al., 2023). Annual rhizome segments in Polygonatum differ in bud morphology, and some latent buds are long and stout while others are short, thin, or underdeveloped, so division should preferentially use robust, clearly differentiated buds rather than inconspicuous or weak bud positions. In practice, whole-rhizome or large-division propagation is more suitable for conserving elite germplasm and establishing mother-stock nurseries, whereas smaller division is more appropriate when the objective is to expand planting material rapidly under controlled nursery management.

3.2 Technical key points and optimization of segment and bud-section propagation

The technical core of segment and bud-section propagation is balancing multiplication rate against bud survival and reserve sufficiency. Structural studies show that Polygonatum annual rhizomes contain latent buds with unequal developmental strength, and underdeveloped buds are less suitable as independent propagules (Stephen et al., 2023). Physiological studies further show that the rhizome is a major storage organ rich in polysaccharides and total sugars, while young rhizomes already retain substantial polysaccharide levels close to mature rhizomes, which supports the use of appropriately developed young bud-bearing segments as nursery material rather than discarding them (Khan et al., 2025). This means optimized segmentation should retain both one effective bud and enough surrounding rhizome tissue to support early sprouting, rooting, and post-cut recovery.

Environmental and hormonal regulation strongly affects the success of these smaller propagules. Cold stratification at 4 ℃ for more than 70 days alleviated dormancy in P. sibiricum, and exogenous GA3 promoted germination and corm growth, indicating that temperature conditioning and hormone-assisted bud activation can improve the performance of bud sections after cutting (Khan et al., 2025). More broadly, temperature, water, and light act as key signals controlling dormancy release and germination, and dark conditions, low-temperature sand treatment, and warm-water soaking improved P. sibiricum germination in seed studies, which supports the same general principle of pre-plant conditioning for vegetative propagules (Lubbe et al., 2023). Because rhizome performance also declines under unfavorable soil biotic conditions, nursery substrates for bud sections should avoid acidic, pathogen-prone environments; in Polygonatum, rhizome fresh weight and polysaccharide content were highest at soil pH 7.48-7.95, while poor yield and quality were associated with pathogens such as Fusarium in the rhizosphere (Meucci et al., 2024). Accordingly, optimization of segment and bud-section propagation should integrate propagule grading, sanitation, temperature pretreatment, and a clean substrate environment rather than relying on cutting strategy alone.

3.3 Application of tissue culture rapid propagation in large-scale production

Tissue culture is the most scalable propagation route for P. sibiricum because it can generate large numbers of genetically uniform, pathogen-reduced propagules in limited space and throughout the year (Khan et al., 2025; Nawaz et al., 2025). Existing P. sibiricum patents and experimental studies already show that buds from current-year subterranean stems and tuber parts with hidden bud points can be used for cluster-bud induction, callus culture, multiplication, rooting, seedling hardening, and transplanting, with the explicit aim of rapid reproduction and large-area industrialized planting (Stephen et al., 2023). An earlier asexual line system for P. sibiricum identified suitable media for growing-point development, adventitious bud differentiation, and rooting, and field planting showed that tube seedlings grew well and increased rhizome yield by 50%. Another rapid-propagation method based on disinfected budded root tubers used cyclic enrichment and bud proliferation for 3–6 generations and was described as applicable to scale production (Marsh et al., 2023).

The key technical challenge is not whether micropropagation works, but whether it can be made simple, reproducible, and economical at production scale. Reviews of commercial micropropagation identify contamination, low multiplication rate, media cost, and acclimatization losses as the main barriers, and they emphasize the need for protocols with high reproducibility and high ex vitro survival (Nawaz et al., 2025). Practical scaling strategies include liquid culture systems, simplified media, and conservation-compatible slow-growth storage systems that reduce labor and maintain viable propagules between production cycles. Related rhizomatous species also show that cold-stored encapsulated microrhizomes or slow-growth cultures can survive for months to a year, supporting the feasibility of integrating storage, transport, and staged nursery supply into a tissue-culture-based production chain (Khan et al., 2025). For large-scale P. sibiricum production, tissue culture is therefore best positioned as the rapid multiplication platform, while field rhizome division remains the lower-cost method for mother-stock maintenance and local nursery expansion.

4 Rhizome Formation and Harvest Standards

4.1 Selection of mother plants and quality control of rhizome sources

Mother-plant selection for Polygonatum sibiricum rhizome propagation should prioritize stable agronomic performance, strong rhizome development, and high levels of functional constituents, because Polygonatum materials differ substantially in yield, polysaccharide content, saponin content, and related morphological traits under common-garden conditions. Provenance also matters, since the formation of plant genetic traits differs among source populations and is affected by climatic conditions at the place of origin. In practical selection, stem diameter can serve as an auxiliary field indicator because it is positively correlated with yield and has been proposed as an indicator for harvest-oriented variety screening. Mother plants should therefore be chosen from vigorous, disease-free stands with consistent aboveground growth and strong rhizome expansion, while avoiding mixed or poorly adapted germplasm that can reduce uniformity in subsequent seedling production (Figure 2) (Liao et al., 2023).

Quality control of rhizome sources should combine morphological authentication with chemical consistency assessment. Rhizomes of P. sibiricum show recognizable type differences, and comparative evaluation of Polygonati rhizoma has shown that different rhizome forms have different comprehensive quality, with BJPR and JTPR performing better in nutritional and medicinal evaluation (Hu et al., 2022). At the same time, cultivated P. sibiricum can provide a stable supply, but its phytochemical profile is not identical to that of wild material, with 33 phytochemicals differing significantly between cultivated and wild-grown rhizomes (Pan et al., 2022). Even so, artificially cultivated rhizomes with multiple buds show an overall phytochemical profile comparable to wild types and contain important therapeutic compounds, supporting their use as propagation sources when identity and quality are verified (Cheng et al., 2023). For source control, rapid screening tools such as near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics are also valuable because they provide efficient assessment of polysaccharide and saponin levels and are considered useful for preliminary quality evaluation and raw-material grading (Liao et al., 2023).

4.2 Determination of growth duration and harvest maturity of rhizomes

The determination of rhizome harvest timing should be based on the coordinated evaluation of cultivation age and seasonal stage, because both factors directly affect the accumulation of functional components. Evidence from long-term research on Polygonatum rhizomes shows that quality-related metabolites increase significantly during early-to-middle growth years and then decline after peak accumulation; in a five-year growth cycle, functional components increased from years one to four and decreased from years four to five, with the most active accumulation occurring between years three and four. The four-year-old rhizomes showed the most superior overall quality because they contained higher levels of functional components and more newly formed metabolites (Pu et al., 2024). Although these data come from P. cyrtonema, they provide a strong reference for P. sibiricum harvest-standard setting within Polygonatum, indicating that harvest maturity should not be judged solely by rhizome size, but by the balance between biomass formation and metabolite accumulation.

Season also changes rhizome quality, so harvest maturity standards should distinguish between spring and autumn products rather than treating them as equivalent. Comparative seasonal analysis showed that rhizomes harvested in spring and autumn had unequal quality because of significant differences in functional composition; spring rhizomes contained more flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic acids, whereas autumn rhizomes contained more steroids (Pu et al., 2024). For P. sibiricum, maturity standards should also recognize that young rhizomes are not devoid of value, since their polysaccharide extraction rate reached (33.88±1.95)%, compared with (45.08±1.92)% in mature rhizomes, and their polysaccharide structure and biological activity were broadly similar to those of mature rhizomes. This means mature rhizomes remain the main target for medicinal harvesting, but younger rhizome fractions can still be classified for propagation or comprehensive utilization rather than discarded as waste.

4.3 Grading indicators and commercialization standard system for rhizomes

A commercialization standard system for P. sibiricum rhizomes should integrate morphological, agronomic, and chemical indicators into a graded evaluation framework. Morphological indicators should include rhizome type, fullness, segmentation regularity, bud number, diameter, and visible health status, because Polygonatum rhizomes vary significantly in shape and quality type, and some forms have better comprehensive quality than others (Hu et al., 2022). Agronomic indicators should include unit yield potential and plant vigor, with stem diameter retained as a practical proxy indicator because of its positive correlation with yield (Liao et al., 2023). Chemical indicators should center on polysaccharides as a recognized quality-evaluation index, while also incorporating saponins and flavonoids as candidate quality markers for Polygonatum rhizomes. This combined approach is more suitable than relying on a single index, because metabolite composition changes across years and seasons and cannot be fully represented by polysaccharide content alone (Pu et al., 2024).

In commercial practice, rhizomes can be divided into at least three grades. First-grade rhizomes should come from authenticated, well-adapted, disease-free mother stocks and have uniform morphology, strong fullness, intact buds, and high polysaccharide and saponin levels (Shi et al., 2024). Second-grade rhizomes may show moderate variation in form or composition but still meet the threshold for medicinal processing or propagation use (Cheng et al., 2023; Liao et al., 2023). Lower-grade rhizomes or younger fractions should be diverted to comprehensive utilization pathways, since young rhizomes still contain substantial polysaccharides and similar biological activity to mature material. To support standardization at scale, rapid non-destructive methods such as NIRS should be incorporated into grading, and the broader quality system should connect variety, environment, metabolite profile, and efficacy so that commercialization standards remain aligned with standardized cultivation and harvesting practice (Pu et al., 2024).

5 Storage and Vigor Maintenance Techniques of Rhizomes

5.1 Key postharvest treatment and sterilization/anti-decay techniques

After harvest, P. sibiricum rhizomes should first undergo careful cleaning, wound reduction, and surface disinfection, because rhizome propagules are highly vulnerable to postharvest loss from soil-borne pathogens, pests, and mechanical injury during the storage interval before replanting (Stephen et al., 2023). In stored P. sibiricum tubers, a newly reported postharvest rot reached nearly 40% incidence in a storage facility, with lesions expanding from light brown spots to extensive tissue decomposition, confirming that decay control is a central storage problem rather than a secondary one. The causal agent was identified as the Fusarium solani species complex, and disease was reproduced after inoculation under 25 ℃ and 80% relative humidity, indicating that warm and humid storage conditions strongly favor postharvest rot development. For pathogen isolation from diseased P. sibiricum tubers, infected tissues were surface-sterilized in 75% alcohol for 90 s followed by 3% hydrogen peroxide for 30 s, providing a directly documented sterilization sequence relevant to rhizome sanitation workflows.

Anti-decay management should also combine biological or physical pretreatments with subsequent low-stress storage. In ginger, seed-rhizome treatment with Trichoderma harzianum improved later germination and field performance, especially when paired with a zero-energy cool chamber, showing that pre-storage biocontrol treatment can translate into stronger post-storage vigor. A fungicide treatment also formed part of the tested protection strategies, indicating that both chemical and biological disinfection routes are used for rhizome preservation. Physical pretreatment can also reduce storage injury: ginger rhizomes cleaned, air-dried, and dipped in 45 ℃ hot water before 5 ℃ storage showed reduced browning at a 5 min treatment and improved retention of some phytochemical traits, consistent with a preconditioning effect against chilling stress (Shukor et al., 2023). For P. sibiricum, this supports a postharvest sequence of sorting out diseased rhizomes, cleaning and drying, minimizing wounds, applying a validated disinfection or biocontrol treatment, and then transferring material promptly into an appropriate storage environment rather than holding it under ambient warm-humid conditions.

5.2 Comparison and applicability of storage methods such as sand storage and cold storage

Different storage methods preserve rhizomes through different mechanisms, so their applicability depends on whether the production goal is short-term sowing viability, delayed sprouting, germplasm conservation, or low-cost farm storage. Traditional matrix-based storage can reduce moisture loss and decay: in ginger, sand, sawdust, and perforated polythene were associated with better sprouting because of lower decay and moisture loss, while pit storage could lose 25%-30% of rhizomes to rot (Stephen et al., 2023). Turmeric studies similarly showed that storage materials significantly reduced postharvest losses relative to no storage material, with straw minimizing weight loss, shrinkage, insect incidence, and rotting, likely by creating an insulated, moisture-retentive microenvironment unfavorable to pests and pathogens (Maharjan and Dhakal, 2025). For field planting material, shade-plus-mulch and tree-shade systems also performed well: turmeric mother rhizomes stored under shade tree plus mulch reached 88.4% sprouting and 94.53% viability, and ginger seed rhizomes stored under tree shade or in mulched pits achieved about 85% viability.

Cold storage is more suitable when the objective is to extend storage duration while maintaining viability, but its success depends on temperature range and rhizome type. In Miscanthus giganteus, cold storage had no negative effect on viability, growth, or rhizome carbohydrate and mineral concentrations, and effectively extended planting time. In vitro systems show even stronger conservation potential: encapsulated microrhizomes of Acorus calamus stored in darkness at 10 ℃ had 100% survival after 1, 3, or 6 months and 80% survival after 12 months, while Iris pallida plantlets could be cold-preserved at 4 ℃ for up to 90 days without significant damage (Meucci et al., 2024). However, refrigeration is not universally superior for fresh seed rhizomes. In ginger, refrigerator storage produced the lowest sprouting and highest weight loss, while pit-sawdust or clay-pot storage performed better over three months (Stephen et al., 2023). For P. sibiricum, this implies that sand or mulch-based storage is more practical for short-term nursery use under farm conditions, whereas controlled low-temperature storage is more appropriate for elite propagules, staggered planting, or in vitro conservation, provided temperature and humidity are tightly regulated (De Vitis et al., 2020).

5.3 Environmental regulation and mechanisms for maintaining rhizome vigor

The maintenance of rhizome vigor depends on regulating temperature, moisture, gas exchange, and storage duration so that reserve depletion and pathogen growth are both minimized. Rhizomes remain physiologically active during storage, and temperature strongly affects reserve consumption: in switchgrass, storage at 25 ℃ for 14 days increased rhizome respiration 5.3-fold relative to 5 ℃ and depleted starch by 30% (Tejera‐Nieves and Walker, 2023). This shows why warm storage rapidly consumes stored carbohydrates that are needed for later regrowth. At the same time, moisture must not be allowed to fall excessively. In small white ginger, storage in an air-conditioned room gave the best 4-month performance, and viability declined when rhizome moisture dropped below 80% (Melati and Rusmin, 2019). Moisture-retentive coverings also help: weekly wetting kept switchgrass rhizomes moist without visible fungal infection during storage, and straw-based turmeric storage reduced physiological weight loss and shrinkage (Maharjan and Dhakal, 2025).

The physiological basis of vigor maintenance is the conservation of non-structural carbohydrate reserves and the suppression of stress injury without triggering uncontrolled growth. Rhizomes function as essential storage organs whose carbohydrates support regrowth after stress, and drought experiments showed that plants conserved rhizomes and maintained carbohydrate concentrations rather than sacrificing them (Lubbe et al., 2023). In cold in vitro conservation, slow-growth storage works by preserving tissue maintenance while suppressing energy-intensive organogenesis, and additives such as sucrose, antioxidants, sorbitol, mannitol, spermidine, and calcium pantothenate improved viability and stress tolerance during storage (Meucci et al., 2024; Khan et al., 2025). Storage duration remains a hard limit, because prolonged storage generally lowers phytochemical and antioxidant quality in rhizomes even when low temperature extends shelf life (Nawaz et al., 2025). Therefore, maintaining P. sibiricum rhizome vigor requires a storage environment that is cool but not injurious, humid but not saturated, ventilated yet protected, and short enough to limit reserve decline and pathogen buildup while preserving the bud’s capacity for rapid post-storage sprouting (Maharjan and Dhakal, 2025).

6 Key Technologies for Standardized Seedling Production

6.1 Site selection and environmental optimization of seedling production bases

Seedling production bases for Polygonatum sibiricum should be located in areas where soil reaction, microbial environment, and local climate jointly support rhizome growth and quality. In Polygonatum, genotype adaptability is closely related to rhizosphere conditions, especially soil pH, and the highest rhizome fresh weight and polysaccharide content were associated with soils at pH 7.48-7.95, whereas poor yield and quality were linked with pathogenic microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Fusarium, Neocosmospora, and Tausonia (Shi et al., 2024). This indicates that site selection should avoid acidic, poorly drained, pathogen-prone soils and instead prioritize plots with neutral to slightly alkaline reaction, good aeration, and a stable beneficial microbial community. More broadly, seedling quality depends on matching nursery stock to future site conditions, because defining and producing seedlings according to site-specific requirements improves establishment success (Guimarães et al., 2024).

Environmental optimization within the base should therefore integrate topography, drainage, and local microclimate rather than focusing on a single factor. Nursery stock quality is shaped by both morphology and physiology, and inappropriate cultural or environmental management can produce inferior seedlings that later perform poorly in the field. Because root growth and stress resistance are highly sensitive to temperature and water status, base layout should favor areas with controllable irrigation, rapid drainage after rainfall, and moderated temperature fluctuations. The practical target is a nursery environment that reduces abiotic stress during early establishment while allowing seedlings to develop balanced shoot-root architecture and adequate acclimation capacity before transplanting.

6.2 Substrate formulation and precise water-fertilizer management techniques

Substrate formulation for P. sibiricum seedlings should emphasize porosity, moisture buffering, and support for root-system development, because root morphology is a major determinant of seedling quality and later field performance. Across nursery studies, root volume, total root length, root surface area, root dry mass, and the number of first-order lateral roots repeatedly emerged as effective indicators of seedling quality (Robonen et al., 2023). Root restriction or poor substrate structure reduces the seedling’s capacity for water and nutrient uptake, while better-developed root systems support higher biomass accumulation under stress (Wu et al., 2022). For this reason, substrate mixtures should be loose, well-aerated, and structurally stable, so that rhizome-derived seedlings can produce fibrous roots and maintain an appropriate shoot-root balance.

Water and fertilizer management should be precise because both deficiency and excess quickly impair photosynthesis, growth, and physiological quality. Nitrogen deficiency in rice seedlings reduced CO₂ assimilation, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content, while impairing the photosynthetic electron transport chain and activating oxidative-stress defenses. Excessively severe water stress likewise reduced growth and photosynthetic traits in multiple seedling systems, while moderate control of water status is central to vigor maintenance and stress conditioning (Shin et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2022). In practical nursery management, this supports small-dose, stage-specific fertilization and moisture regulation based on substrate water-holding status, with routine observation of chlorophyll status, biomass allocation, and root growth as feedback indicators (Zhang et al., 2024; Baha et al., 2025). System optimization should favor steady nutrient supply and avoidance of prolonged saturation, because these conditions better preserve root activity and reduce the risk of weak, top-heavy seedlings (Robonen et al., 2023; Lee et al., 2026).

6.3 Shading regulation and integrated green pest and disease control system

Shading regulation should be used to stabilize the microenvironment, but not to the extent that it suppresses biomass formation and physiological performance. Light quality and intensity strongly regulate seedling photosynthetic efficiency, pigment accumulation, oxidative status, and biomass yield. In alfalfa seedlings, combined red and blue light improved Fv/Fm, SPAD, chlorophyll content, and biomass, while single red light increased oxidative stress indicators (Rahman et al., 2025). At the same time, excessive shade can reduce dry-matter accumulation by inhibiting photosynthesis and disturbing agronomic traits (Zhang et al., 2024). For P. sibiricum nurseries, this means shading should be dynamically adjusted to reduce heat and water stress in sensitive periods while maintaining sufficient photosynthetic input for robust rhizome and root formation.

Green pest and disease control should combine environmental prevention, substrate hygiene, and beneficial-microbe management. In Polygonatum, poor yield and quality are associated with pathogenic rhizosphere microorganisms including Fusarium, while better performance is associated with beneficial groups such as Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium and Talaromyces (Robonen et al., 2023). More generally, beneficial microbial inoculation in nursery substrates improved germination, chlorophyll content, shoot length, root length, and seedling vigor in ornamental crops (Liu et al., 2023). Compost-based and bioinoculant-based systems can also contribute pathogen suppression, nutrient solubilization, and biostimulation, making them suitable components of an integrated green management system (Yu et al., 2025). A standardized P. sibiricum seedling base should therefore use healthy propagation material, sanitized substrates, rational shading and irrigation, and biologically oriented disease prevention to reduce dependence on high-intensity chemical control while maintaining uniform, vigorous seedlings for release.

7 Seedling Quality Evaluation and System Optimization

7.1 Evaluation system for morphological and root-related indicators

The morphological evaluation system for P. sibiricum seedlings should use easily measured nursery traits as the first screening layer, with seedling height, root-collar diameter, shoot biomass, root biomass, total biomass, and root-shoot balance as core indicators. Among these traits, root-collar diameter is the most consistently useful single index, because it correlates strongly with destructive quality traits and with composite indices such as Dickson quality index across multiple species (Guimarães et al., 2024). Height should not be used alone, because its interpretive value improves only when combined with diameter and biomass-allocation traits (Robonen et al., 2023). Accordingly, a practical nursery standard for P. sibiricum should record seedling height, basal diameter, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, total dry matter, and shoot-root ratio, and then calculate integrated indices such as H/D, S/R, and DQI to reduce misclassification caused by any single trait (Lee et al., 2026).

Root-related traits should form the second core module of the evaluation system, because aboveground morphology alone is often an incomplete predictor of later establishment. The most informative root indicators are total root length, root surface area, root volume, root dry mass, fibrosity, and the number of first-order lateral roots, all of which reflect absorptive capacity and establishment potential (Robonen et al., 2023). Diameter remains useful here as well, since initial stem diameter predicted later root volume, root area, and root dry mass better than shoot length or lateral-root number in red oak seedlings. For operational detection, root systems can be scanned and quantified by image-analysis platforms such as WinRHIZO, which have been used to measure root length, surface area, volume, average diameter, root tips, forks, and crossings under seedling stress and quality studies (Wu et al., 2022; Mahmood et al., 2022). Because nursery morphology does not always translate directly into field growth, especially across different sites or species, the morphological system for P. sibiricum should be calibrated as a target seedling standard linked to local planting conditions rather than treated as a universal threshold (De Melo et al., 2018; Guimarães et al., 2024).

7.2 Physiological and biochemical indicators and vigor detection methods

Morphological indices should be complemented by physiological and biochemical indicators, because seedling quality also depends on physiological readiness, water relations, nutrient status, carbohydrate reserves, and photosynthetic function. Among rapid vigor indicators, chlorophyll-related indices, SPAD value, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence are especially useful because they respond sensitively to nutrient deficiency and environmental stress (Liu et al., 2023). The maximum quantum efficiency of PSII, Fv/Fm, is a particularly valuable indicator: it declined under chilling stress in corn, under nitrogen deficiency in rice, and was incorporated into recent integrated morphophysiological seedling quality indices (Wu et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2026). SPAD and chlorophyll content also track vigor well, since they were identified among key indicators in drought-resistance evaluation and multimodal seedling grading models (Liu et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2025).

Biochemical vigor detection should focus on reserve and stress-metabolism indicators, especially carbohydrates, proline, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant-enzyme activities such as SOD, CAT, POD, and APX. Under drought or chilling, vigorous seedlings typically maintain better growth and photosynthesis while activating osmotic adjustment and antioxidant defense, whereas sensitive seedlings show stronger membrane peroxidation and growth suppression (Wu et al., 2022). Proline accumulation, SOD activity, and controlled MDA response were useful discriminators between drought-resistant and drought-sensitive cotton lines, and MDA plus soluble sugars were principal predictors in Gleditsia drought-response analysis (Baha et al., 2025). For direct vigor testing before transplanting, root growth potential, electrolyte leakage, budbreak response, carbohydrate concentration, and cold-hardiness tests remain informative because they integrate multiple seedling subsystems rather than measuring one material trait in isolation. In system optimization, these physiological and biochemical measures should be used to verify or correct morphology-based grading, not to replace it, because performance tests are often more predictive but also more laborious.

7.3 Stress resistance evaluation and grading standards for seedling release from nursery

Seedlings released from the nursery should meet explicit stress-resistance standards, because seedling quality is ultimately defined by the ability to survive environmental stress and sustain subsequent growth. Stress-resistance evaluation for P. sibiricum should therefore include low-temperature, drought, and transplanting-related tolerance, assessed through a combination of growth retention, leaf morphology, photosynthetic traits, water status, membrane-damage markers, and antioxidant defense indices (Mahmood et al., 2022). A single indicator is not sufficient for this task, because drought and other stress responses are controlled by multiple traits and pathways; comprehensive evaluation using PCA, correlation analysis, grey correlation, drought indices, or entropy-weight methods gives a more objective basis for classification (Baha et al., 2025). Recent grading studies in maize further show that multimodal phenotypic systems can classify seedling quality with high accuracy, and that a reduced set of key indices such as plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, root volume, and shoot and root biomass can support efficient automated grading (Zhang et al., 2024; Yu et al., 2025).

For nursery release of P. sibiricum, a three-level standard is practical. First-grade seedlings should have balanced morphology, well-developed fibrous roots, high DQI or comparable composite quality scores, stable chlorophyll fluorescence and SPAD values, and low membrane-damage indicators under routine hardening tests (Lee et al., 2026). Second-grade seedlings may show moderate variation in size or biomass allocation but should still maintain acceptable root morphology, photosynthetic activity, and biochemical stability for field establishment (Baha et al., 2025). Rejected seedlings should include weak, top-heavy, root-deficient, physiologically unstable, or stress-sensitive individuals showing poor root volume, unbalanced shoot-root ratio, depressed fluorescence traits, or excessive MDA accumulation (Shin et al., 2021). In practice, release standards should be validated against local field performance and revised iteratively, because seedling quality indices are species- and site-dependent rather than universally transferable (Robonen et al., 2023).

8 Conclusion

This paper systematically examines the construction of a technical system for rhizome propagation and high-quality seedling production of Polygonatum sibiricum, covering the biological basis of rhizome propagation, propagation techniques, rhizome formation and harvest standards, storage and vigor maintenance, standardized seedling production, and seedling quality evaluation. The findings indicate that the rhizome of P. sibiricum is not only the main medicinal part but also the core organ for vegetative propagation. Its segmented structure, bud development, nutrient reserves, and environmental responses jointly determine propagation efficiency and seedling quality. Compared with seed propagation, rhizome propagation has the advantages of a shorter production cycle, stable trait inheritance, and suitability for rapid multiplication of elite germplasm, making it an important technical pathway for large-scale cultivation and standardized seedling production of P. sibiricum.

In terms of technical system construction, rhizome propagation of P. sibiricum should be based on the selection of superior mother plants and the quality control of healthy rhizome sources. Whole-rhizome propagation, division propagation, segment propagation, bud-section propagation, and tissue culture rapid propagation should be integrated to establish a hierarchical propagation model for different production purposes. Meanwhile, rhizome harvesting should comprehensively consider growth duration, seasonal differences, rhizome morphology, and the accumulation of active constituents, so as to establish grading standards based on morphological indicators, agronomic traits, and chemical components. During postharvest storage, cleaning, disinfection, anti-decay treatment, suitable temperature and humidity control, and pathogen management should be adopted to maintain rhizome vigor, reduce decay and nutrient depletion, and provide stable propagation materials for subsequent seedling production.

High-quality seedling production of P. sibiricum also depends on a standardized nursery management system, including appropriate site selection, substrate optimization, precise water-fertilizer regulation, shading management, and green pest and disease control. Before nursery release, a comprehensive quality evaluation system should be established based on morphological indicators, root-related indicators, physiological and biochemical traits, and stress resistance assessment, while grading standards should be dynamically revised according to different cultivation regions and production goals. Overall, constructing a technical system for rhizome propagation and high-quality seedling production of P. sibiricum can improve seedling uniformity and transplanting survival rate, promote the conservation and rapid multiplication of elite germplasm, reduce dependence on wild resources, and provide technical support for the standardized, large-scale, sustainable, and high-quality development of the P. sibiricum industry.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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