tiejian he

Author    Correspondence author
Plant Gene and Trait, 2026, Vol. 17, No.   
Received: 01 Jan., 1970    Accepted: 01 Jan., 1970    Published: 26 Oct., 2026

Abstract Torreya grandis is an important woody oil-bearing and specialty economic forest species in China. However, alternate bearing occurs to varying degrees in production and has a substantial impact on yield stability, seed quality, and the sustainable management of orchards. This review summarizes the alternate-bearing characteristics of T. grandis and the corresponding cultivation management strategies, with particular emphasis on the effects of crop load, tree nutrient depletion, flower-bud formation, changes in tree vigor, environmental conditions, and cultivation practices on the development of alternate bearing. Studies in other perennial fruit crops indicate that heavy crop load creates strong reproductive sinks and may inhibit subsequent flowering through resource competition and hormonal regulation; the relative contribution of these processes in T. grandis remains to be established. By contrast, the reduced reproductive burden during off-years facilitates the recovery of shoots, roots, and nutrient reserves. Repeated alternation between on-years and off-years may further affect fruiting-branch renewal, tree nutrient cycling, and continuous fruiting capacity. To alleviate these effects, crop load should be regulated through appropriate fruit thinning, fruiting branches should be renewed through training and pruning, and moderate irrigation, stage-specific fertilization, and soil fertility improvement should be implemented according to tree vigor and bearing status. In addition, differential management between on-years and off-years and a dynamic tree-vigor monitoring system should be established. Future research should strengthen long-term continuous monitoring of alternate bearing in T. grandis, determine appropriate crop-load thresholds and nutrient recovery standards, and integrate physiological indicators, molecular regulation, rootstock selection, and digital monitoring technologies to develop precision stable-yield cultivation systems suitable for different tree ages and production regions. These efforts may provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for reducing annual yield fluctuations, maintaining tree health, and improving the long-term stability of the T. grandis industry.