Nursery staff carry out cultivation and maintenance of seedlings. (Source: Hainan Daily)

Four traditional Chinese medicinal plant varieties imported from Laos recently finished quarantine inspection and were released from the Yueliang Island Plant Quarantine Nursery in Sanya, marking the official launch of the nursery's operations as a ‌General Overseas Plant Introduction and Trial Nursery‌.

According to regulations from China's forestry authorities, imported seedlings meant for commercial fruit production or business use are required to undergo quarantine trials at a ‌General Overseas Plant Introduction and Trial Nursery‌ approved by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

On July 17, 2026, after over six months of quarantine at the Yueliang Island Plant Quarantine Nursery, the imported medicinal plant varieties received official clearance for release. They will now be examined at the China Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ) Biosafety Center in Sanya, where researchers will compare them with similar medicinal plants in China. This process will help expand the country's limited collection of wild relatives of medicinal plants.

Nursery staff carry out cultivation and maintenance of seedlings. (Source: Hainan Daily)

This plant introduction and quarantine project marks the nursery's first business operation since it was accredited as a General Overseas Plant Introduction and Trial Nursery. It also establishes a strong foundation for upcoming forestry germplasm introduction projects.

In March 2025, the Yueliang Island Plant Quarantine Nursery successfully passed the qualification review by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, receiving accreditation as a General Overseas Plant Introduction and Trial Nursery. It now provides specialized, compliant quarantine inspection services for imported plant seedlings to enterprises importing foreign plant varieties.