http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/01/07/2003343717

LONG-TERM PROJECT: Hsiao Gui-wen spent eight years drawing up a
comprehensive map of plant acupuncture points and another seven years
perfecting the treatment
By Chung Li-hua
STAFF REPORTERS
Sunday, Jan 07, 2007, Page 2
Can acupuncture be used on plants?

After experimenting for 15 years, Hsiao Gui-wen (�J�M��), a researcher
of Chinese medicine, has uncovered the acupuncture points on plants.

When applied to fruit-bearing plants such as peach and apple trees,
acupuncture not only advanced the harvest time by a month and a half,
but also decreased damage by blight.

The technique has been patented, and many interested businesses now
are in negotiation for the rights to use the technology.

Hsiao originally ran a chiropractic clinic in Yonghe. After he
witnessed ginger lilies change color upon absorbing dyes, he toyed
with the idea that plants may have acupuncture points like humans.

To explore the concept, Hsiao commenced worked in the early 1990s
with fruit growers at Wuling Farm, Shigang (�Λ�) in Taichung, and
Lalashan (�f�f�R) in Taoyuan.

After 8 years of research, he had built up a comprehensive map of
acupuncture points on plants. He spent another 7 years after that
experimenting with the effects of different needle combinations and
incisions.

The peach tree that he practiced on produced a great harvest, and
eventually accompanied President Chen Shui-bian ('��G) on a trip to
Latin America where he presented it as a gift to local leaders.

The needles used to acupuncture plants are made of steel spokes from
bicycles. The needles are about 3 to 4 times larger than those used
for humans.

A fruit tree takes about 20 to 30 needles, and acupuncture can be
applied to either the trunk or the branches. The exact acupuncture
points are the target of the patent.

After acupuncture, Hsiao also applies his organic crop spray
naturally extracted from animals or plants. Hsiao pointed out that
many growers use pesticides or hormone enhancer that can damage both
the environment and human health.

If his success had come 10 years earlier, Hsiao said, he could have
run his own farm. However, since he is already 66 years old, he
intends transferring the technique instead.

Because of his love for Taiwan, Hsiao insisted that this technique
should stay in Taiwan, and not be transferred to China.

He pointed out that the earlier yields his technique produces can
result in prices three to four times higher than the seasonal rate.

On the other hand, scholars from the Department of Horticulture at
the National University are more conservative about the effects of
acupuncture on enhancing harvest and preventing blight.

Assistant professor Yeh Te-ming (�t����) stated that it's common to
enhance the growth of plants by changing certain environmental
factors, such as the temperature, humidity or light. However, he had
never heard of anyone using the acupuncture technique.

Chang Tsu-liang ('�`c��), another assistant professor said that
although he had heard about research in the area of plant acupuncture
at universities in Germany and in China, actual research results or
scientific data are as yet unavailable.
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