TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Forestry Research Institute said Monday that it is using cold storage technology to aid the reproduction of Taiwan quillworts, an endangered endemic aquatic plant.
Huang Yao-moan (黃曜謀), a Taiwan Forestry Research Institute researcher, said that Taiwan quillworts were first discovered in the shallow waters of Menghuan Lake in Yangmingshan National Park in 1971. The species faces significant threats due to habitat loss, environmental changes, and competition from other plants, leading to a near disappearance in 2006, per CNA.
Huang said that his research team observed the growth process of Taiwan quillworts for three to five years before applying cold storage technology. They found most of the plants sprout in spring, while some of its spores that fall into the soil in winter do not germinate until the following year.
Huang said that after years of observation, the team spent a year conducting experiments, placing water-soaked quillwort spores in a refrigerator at 4 C and taking samples every two weeks for cultivation. The results showed that while spores typically took around 12 weeks to germinate, cold storage shortened the process to two weeks.
Huang said that after storing Taiwan quillwort spores in cold conditions for 20 weeks, his team found the number of spores that sprouted increased from 26.5% to 63%, and the number that grew into seedlings also jumped from 13% to 62%. He added the sprouts are being shared with other research institutions for further study.
Taiwan quillwort is the first species within the Isoetes genus to have its genome publicly sequenced, Huang said. He added that since related species in China, Japan, and South Korea likely evolved from it, the plant plays a key role in understanding the evolution of quillworts.
According to the institute, Taiwan quillwort can survive in water and under extremely dry conditions, earning it the nickname “amphibious plant.” The institute added the plant is also capable of absorbing carbon dioxide at night for photosynthesis.
