2020 Volume 45 Issue 4 Pages 442-446
The damage caused by sika deer (Cervus nippon) on road slopes and in artificial forests has become an issue in recent years, resulting in tests being conducted that focus on plants that are unpalatable for the deer. Downy ground fern (Hypolepis punctata) is one such unpalatable plant that has proven effective for greening. However, while spore sowing of downy ground fern has been reported as a suitable propagation technique for greening, the sporophyte growth was slow and only a small number of seedlings were obtained. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether the propagation method that is used for eastern bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) can be applied to downy ground fern, wherein rhizome buds are planted to produce more seedlings in a shorter time. Furthermore, we investigated whether the buds could be efficiently multiplied by growing potted seedlings to avoid the need to excavate rhizomes from forest lands. We found that this propagation method resulted in a germination rate and a seedling yield of ＞60％, and a total of 325 seedlings were obtained indicating that it is a suitable method for seedling production. We also found that planting was possible two months after budding and propagation was possible in the following spring, which significantly reduced the breeding period. Moreover, by growing the resulting seedlings, it was possible to obtain 20―30 times the number of buds that were initially used. Thus, this method greatly reduced the required labor and enabled efficient seedling production.
