Table of Content

20 April 2025, Volume 34 Issue 4

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Evaluation of forage-livestock balance implementation via remote sensing inversion： A case study in Shandan County， Gansu Province

Xue-mei XU, Jia-chang JIANG, Xin NIU, Hong-wei ZHOU, Tian-hu HAN, Xiao-ming CAO, Chun-yan LIANG, Xu-dong LI, De-cao NIU

2025, 34(4):  1-15.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024180

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Evaluating the effectiveness of forage-livestock balance is crucial for the rational management of grasslands and the sustainable development of grassland livestock. In this study， we utilized remote sensing technology to obtain data on vegetation characteristics and established baseline vegetation indicators based on expert opinions. The effectiveness of forage-livestock balance implementation was assessed， and the reliability of this strategy was explored using traditional methods. Additionally， we developed a comprehensive forage-livestock balance index （CFBI） to evaluate effectiveness at the village scale. The results indicated that， based on remote sensing inversion， some grasslands in Shandan County， Gansu Province， were overgrazed in 2022， but the overgrazed area and severely overgrazed area accounted for only 1.09% of the total area. There were significant differences in the CFBI among the grasslands in various administrative villages （range， -10.91 to -3.72）. The remote sensing-based method for assessing the effectiveness of forage-livestock balance provides scientific evidence for the dynamic adjustment of grazing and non-grazing zones in Shandan County.

Vegetation and soil microbial diversity and their relationships with soil factors in different grassland types of the three river headwaters region

Shou-xing WANG, Hua-kun ZHOU, Li-peng OU, Cheng-xian LI, Yan-he WANG, Xiao-chun NING, Qiang GU, Dai-jun WEI, Ming-xin YANG

2025, 34(4):  16-26.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024223

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Grassland biodiversity is the basis for maintaining the function and stability of grassland ecosystems. Understanding the diversity of vegetation and soil microorganisms in different grassland types and their influencing factors can help to formulate scientific conservation and restoration strategies. In this study， we investigated the characteristics of vegetation and soil microbial diversity of different grassland types and analyzed their relationships with soil environmental factors by combining field vegetation community surveys and amplicon sequencing， for different grassland types in the Three-River Headwaters Region. It was found that alpine meadows， alpine steppe and temperate steppe in the Three-River Headwaters Region had significant differences in vegetation community characteristics， soil microbial diversity characteristics and soil physicochemical properties. Alpine meadows had higher vegetation cover and biomass （P<0.05）， while temperate steppe had the greatest vegetation height （P<0.05）. For soil fungi， the Faith’s-pd index was significantly greater in alpine meadows than in temperate steppe and alpine steppe （P<0.05）， whereas the Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices were significantly lower than in temperate steppe and alpine steppe （P<0.05）； and for soil bacteria， the Chao1 and Faith’s-pd indices were significantly lower in alpine steppe than in temperate steppe and alpine meadows （P<0.05）， while the differences between Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices were not significant （P>0.05）. Soil environmental factors had significant effects on vegetation and soil microbial communities in the different grassland types， among which pH， soil organic carbon content and soil total nitrogen content were one of the main factors of influence. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration of different types of grasslands in the Three-River Headwaters Region.

Analysis of the yield， quality and economic benefits from multiple cropping of fodder oats in the Yellow River irrigation area

Teng-fei WANG, Xia MA, Jin-long LIU, Bin WANG, Yi-yin ZHANG, Jia-wang LI, Jiang-ping MA, Xiao-bing WANG, Jian LAN

2025, 34(4):  27-37.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024214

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This research evaluated different mixed cropping options for planting oats after wheat in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area. Two mixed planting patterns and three sole crop planting treatments were established with oats （Avena sativa）， common vetch （Vicia sativa） and hairy vetch （Vicia villosa）， to study the effects on interspecific competition， yield performance and economic benefits over two years. The results showed that oats sown in mixtures with vetch outperformed oats sown as a sole crop in terms of land resource utilization， productivity enhancement， nutritional quality improvement， and economic benefit. The land equivalent ratio （LER） of the replanted oat mixed cropped with vetch was greater than 1， and the land use efficiency increased by 21% on average. The effect of replanting oat with common vetch on crop productivity was substantial. In this mixture， the hay yield was 8.37 t·ha^-1， crude protein yield was 1049.58 kg·ha^-1 and economic benefit was 8817 CNY·ha^-1. These values were increased （P<0.05） by 16.97%， 42.49% and 30.89%， respectively， compared to oat monoculture. Similarly， the crop nutritional value was improved in mixed crops of oats with hairy vetch. In this mixture， the relative feeding value was 114.55 and crude protein content was increased （P<0.05） by 29.92% compared to oats alone， where crude protein content was 13.33%. In conclusion， different modes of replanting after wheat can be selected according to the actual forage demand. When the forage demand is high， oat-common vetch mixtures offer higher yield； when it is desired to optimize forage nutritional quality oat-hairy vetch mixtures are recommended. The results of the study provide practical guidelines for improving the potential of arable land resources and adjusting the planting mixture according to forage requirement in the Yellow River irrigation area of Ningxia.

Optimization of annual nitrogen fertilizer application to increase the productivity of a forage triticale-silage maize multiple cropping system in an irrigated area

Xiao-juan ZHANG, Jiao-jiao WEI, Cai-jin CHEN, Xue-xue LI, Hong-xiu MA, Kai LI, Yong-wei CHEN, Quan SUN

2025, 34(4):  38-52.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024207

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At present， there is a shortage of seasonal green feed in Ningxia， despite the excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer. This situation is indicative of an imbalance between grassland and livestock development in this region. To address this issue， we explored the suitability of a multiple cropping model of forage triticale-silage maize for autumn sowing with different levels of nitrogen fertilizer applied annually. The experiment had a single factor randomized block design. Triticale and silage maize were sown in autumn and subjected to five different fertilization treatments， namely N₁ （0 kg?ha^-1， CK）， N₂ （150 kg?ha^-1）， N₃ （300 kg?ha^-1）， N₄ （450 kg?ha^-1）， and N₅ （600 kg?ha^-1）. The effects of these fertilization treatments on the performance， nutrient quality， and nitrogen-use efficiency of the multiple cropping system were determined. The results showed that the annual nitrogen application rate had significant effects on the plant height， stem diameter， chlorophyll content （measured as SPAD value）， dry matter accumulation， yield， and quality of triticale and maize in the multiple cropping system. The growth indexes and dry matter accumulation of both triticale and maize gradually increased during the growth period， reaching peak values in triticale at the flowering stage， and in maize at the filling stage. As the nitrogen application rate increased， the growth indexes and dry matter accumulation showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The highest values of growth indexes and dry matter were in the N₄ treatment. In terms of overall performance， the treatments were ranked as follows： N₄>N₅>N₃>N₂>N₁. The yield of fresh grass in the multiple cropping system increased gradually as the annual nitrogen application rate increased. The maximum yield in the N₅ treatment was 156.8 t?ha^-1， which was 61.3% higher than that in the control. The hay yield in the N₄ treatment was 39.1 t?ha^-1， which was 45.9% higher than that in the control. The recovery of applied N in forage was 31.9%， 30.2%， 27.3% and 18.5% for N₂， N₃， N₄ and N₅ treatments， respectively. The nitrogen application rate significantly affected the nutritional quality of forage， with the highest values in the N₄ treatment. The contents of crude protein （CP） and crude fat in the triticale forage， corn silage， and the whole cropping system were significantly higher in the N₄ treatment than in the other treatments. The CP contents in triticale forage， corn silage， and the whole cropping system were 33.7%， 11.2%， and 31.8% higher， respectively， in the N₄ treatment than in the control， but the acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents were significantly reduced. The nutrient indexes had optimal values in the N₄ treatment. Fertilizer yield response and economic response equations were derived and from these the maximum yield response was predicted to occur at an N application rate of 560 kg?ha^-1 and the maximum economic response at 584 kg?ha^-1. These results provide data for the theoretical optimization of forage yield in multiple cropping cultivation systems.

Effect of nitrogen application on production performance and nitrogen fertilizer contribution of forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping

Bin WANG, Jia-mei SHI, Teng-fei WANG, Yi-yin ZHANG, Jiang-ping MA, Jia-wang LI, Xiao-bing WANG, Jian-qiang DENG, Jian LAN

2025, 34(4):  53-63.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024210

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This research investigated the effect of nitrogen application on the forage yield and nutrient utilization of forage sorghum （Sorghum bicolor） variety “Hulk” and lablab （Dolichos lablab） variety “High Value” under different cropping patterns. A split-plot experiment was conducted at the Grass Science Teaching and Research Base of Ningxia University in 2021-2022， with two planting patterns （sole forage sorghum （SS）， forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping （SL） as main plot treatments， and four nitrogen （N） application rates （N₀， 0 kg·ha^-1； N₉₀， 90 kg·ha^-1； N₁₈₀， 180 kg·ha^-1； and N₂₇₀， 270 kg·ha^-1） as the sub-plot treatments， to measure the related indexes of yield， nutrient quality and nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency. It was found that forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping combined with N fertilization promoted the growth of forage and improved the productivity of pastures. The dry matter yield and crude protein yield of forage were highest in the sorghum/lablab mixed cropping treatment with N application of 180 kg·ha^-1， and were 28352 kg·ha^-1 and 2481 kg·ha^-1， respectively. These values were higher than corresponding values of sole forage sorghum by 14.8% and 25.9%. Mixed cropping combined with N fertilization improved the nutritional quality of forage. At the N application of 180 kg·ha^-1 in the mixed cropping system， stalk sugar content and relative feeding value increased by 10.3% and 18.9%， respectively， compared with that of sole forage sorghum in the N₀ treatment. N application also significantly increased N fertilizer response， which was highest at 270 kg·ha^-1 for sole forage sorghum and at 180 kg·ha^-1 for the mixed cropping treatment. In addition， both N fertilizer agronomic use efficiency and N partial factor productivity of the mixed cropping treatment patterns across N fertilizer application rates differed from those of the sole forage sorghum plots， and reached their maximum at a N application rate of 90 kg·ha^-1. In conclusion， forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping combined with nitrogen application at 180 kg·ha^-1 pattern is a suitable planting pattern and nitrogen application level for increasing forage yield， improving forage nutritional quality and improving nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency in the arid region of Ningxia.

Effect of purified biogas slurry drip irrigation on sandy loam soil quality， silage maize productivity and analysis of safe application rate

Peng JIANG, Lei LI, Hao-jun XIE, De-jia XU, Rui WANG, Qiang HU, Quan SUN

2025, 34(4):  64-81.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024215

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Ningxia’s forage and livestock industries currently face multiple issues； forage plant breeding and production is below requirement， the soil quality in the forage production areas is declining， the yields are modest， and the application of a large amounts of manure as fertilizer has both environmental and health risks. In this study， a multi-stage filtration process was used to obtain purified biogas slurry， and an experiment was set up to apply the slurry at different rates （0， 225， 450， 675， 900， 1125， 1350 m³·ha^-1） by drip irrigation. The purified slurry liquid fertilizer was applied to a silage maize crop， and its effects on soil quality and silage maize yield were systematically studied to determine the safe application rate. The results showed that soil pH， the contents of total salt， available nitrogen， available phosphorus， available potassium and heavy metals including copper （Cu）， zinc （Zn）， lead （Pb）， cadmium （Cd） and chromium （Cr） increased significantly with increased biogas slurry application rate， while the content of soil organic matter initially increased and then decreased with increased application rate. Soil organic matter level was highest under the 900 m³·ha^-1 treatment. This treatment also significantly increased the content of soil water-stable macroaggregates （>0.25 mm）， mean weight diameter， geometric mean diameter， microbial biomass carbon content， enzyme activity and quality index. The yield， dry matter content and starch content of silage maize increased initially and then decreased with successive increases in the application rate of purified biogas slurry. A linear regression equation showed that a purified slurry application rate of 806-925 m³·ha^-1 best promoted the yield and quality of silage maize. In addition， the contents of Cu， Zn， Pb， Cd and Cr in silage maize showed an increasing trend with increase in the application rate of purified biogas slurry. However， heavy metal levels observed were far lower than the permissible limits in animal feed. Based on this study， it was concluded that the soil quality index and silage maize productivity were the highest under the slurry application rate of 900 m³·ha^-1. Based on this drip application rate， and the permissible levels of the heavy metal element， Cd， the soil environmental absorption capacity can be calculated. After continuous drip irrigation for 25 years， the soil heavy metal content would not exceed the standard. Furthermore， based on the second national soil census Ningxia soil salinization division standard， it can be calculated that continuous drip irrigation for 19 years would not result in soil secondary salinization.

Changes in Medicago sativa root system architecture and mechanical characteristics during the growing period

Guang-pei WANG, Yan WEI, Yun CHEN

2025, 34(4):  82-92.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024188

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The aim of this study was to explore the variations in root system architecture and mechanical characteristics of Medicago sativa plants in a purple soil area during the growing season after sowing. The whole root system was collected from M. sativa plants at 60， 90， 120 and 150 days after sowing， and the morphological and topological parameters were measured. The root pull-out strength and tensile strength were determined by pull-out resistance tests and single root tensile tests， respectively. It was found that： 1） The total root length， total root surface area， total root volume， and number of root tips of M. sativa increased significantly during the growing period. The greatest increase in root length and largest increase in the number of root tips was between 90 d and 120 d， whereas the largest increases in root surface area and root volume were between 120 d and 150 d. The fractal dimension and fractal abundance of M. sativa roots were significantly higher， by 7.50% and 28.63%， respectively， at 150 d than at 60 d. 2） There was a negative power function relationship between root pull-out/tensile strength and root diameter， and the root pull-out/tensile strength of roots of the same diameter increased initially and then decreased during the growing period， with the highest values at 90 d and the lowest values at 120 d. 3） Correlation analyses showed that the soil water content was significantly positively correlated with the pull-out or tensile strength of M. sativa roots （P<0.01）， and the proportion of >0.25 mm water-stable aggregates was negatively correlated with the average link length （P<0.05）. The results of a redundancy analysis showed that the fractal abundance and fractal dimension of roots contributed significantly to the pull-out or tensile strength of M. sativa roots （P<0.05）， with respective contributions of 75.1% and 13.6%. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the use of M. sativa to control soil erosion in purple soil areas and to predict its effectiveness in this role.

Effects of drought stress and rehydration on the physiological characteristics of Gymnocarpos przewalskii seedlings

Xiao-feng WANG, Bu-dong MA, Hai-xia HUANG, Yong-zhong LUO, Jian-wei QI, Zhuo DENG

2025, 34(4):  93-103.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024181

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Gymnocarpos przewalskii is an endemic species in the desert region of central Asia. It is tolerant to drought and barrenness， with a strong ability to reduce wind erosion and stabilize sand. Thus， it is a key wild plant for environmental protection in China. The aim of this work was to determine how drought stress affects the physiological characteristics of the leaves of G. przewalskii seedlings， and to evaluate their ability to recover after rewatering， with a view to exploring its drought adaptation mechanism. In these experiments， 2-year-old G. przewalskii seedlings were subjected to drought treatments （soil moisture at 40%-50%， 30%-40%， 20%-30%， 10%-20%， and 5%-10% of field capacity） or control conditions （soil moisture at 60%-70% of field capacity） and then rewatered. The leaf water potential， osmotic regulator content， and antioxidant indexes were determined to investigate its responses to drought and rewatering. The results showed that proline （Pro）， soluble protein （SP）， soluble sugar （SS）， and malondialdehyde contents and peroxidase （POD） activity increased significantly as the duration of the drought treatments extended. Superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity first increased and then decreased， and catalase （CAT） activity and leaf water potential showed a decreasing trend during the drought treatments. The SP content and SOD and CAT activities recovered to levels similar to those in the control at the 5^th day after rewatering， and other indexes recovered to levels similar to those in the control at the 10^th day after rewatering. Under drought stress， G. przewalskii seedlings reduced their osmotic potential by actively accumulating Pro， SP， and SS， and adopted a drought-tolerant state by maintaining a low water potential. In drought-affected seedlings， reactive oxygen species were effectively scavenged because of increased activities of SOD and POD and the accumulation of ascorbic acid. After rewatering， the G. przewalskii seedlings showed a strong ability to recover. These findings provide new information about the drought adaptation mechanism of G. przewalskii， a plant with potential uses in environmental conservation projects.

Differentially expressed genes and related pathways in root systems of Astragalus cicer under NaCl stress

Ting MA, Fen-qi CHEN, Yong WANG, Xue HA, Ya-jun LI, Hui-ling MA

2025, 34(4):  104-123.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024185

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Soil salinization seriously affects the growth and yield of plants， and limits the development of agricultural and ecological economies. Astragalus cicer is a versatile ecological grass species， an efficient green manure crop， and a superior protein forage. Exploring the molecular mechanism of its adaptability to NaCl stress is of great significance for enhancing its salt tolerance and advancing its cultivation in saline soil. To investigate its responses to NaCl stress， transcriptomic analyses were performed on the roots of A. cicer at different time points （0， 12， 48， and 72 hours） during an NaCl treatment. The results showed that， compared with 0 hour， after 12， 48， and 72 hours of NaCl stress， there were， respectively， 46051， 45653， and 42869 differentially expressed genes （DEGs） in the roots of A. cicer， including 8027， 10053， and 11042 up-regulated DEGs and 38024， 35600， and 31827 down-regulated DEGs， respectively， at the three time points. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses showed that the pathways responding to NaCl stress in the roots of A. cicer were oxidoreductase activity， flavonoid biosynthesis， and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. A trend analysis showed that the DEGs in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were still up-regulated or had returned to their baseline levels at 48 hours of NaCl treatment. Genes encoding C2H2， C3H， NAC， MYB， WRKY， and bZIP transcription factors were expressed at different time points during the NaCl treatment， suggesting that these transcription factors are closely related to salt tolerance in A. cicer. The results of this study provide basic data for further exploration of the mechanism of salt tolerance of A. cicer， and also provide theoretical support for breeding to improve salt tolerance.

Identification and expression analysis of LACS gene family members in Medicago sativa

Tian-rong LUO, Jian-zhi MA, Ming-yang DU, Jie-cuo DUO, Hui-yan XIONG, Rui-jun DUAN

2025, 34(4):  124-136.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024206

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Members of the long-chain acyl-coenzyme A （CoA） synthetase （LACS） family， in the acyl-activating enzyme superfamily， play important roles in fatty acid anabolic metabolism. In this study， based on genomic data of Medicago sativa （alfalfa）， LACS gene family members were identified by bioinformatics methods， a phylogenetic tree was constructed， and the physicochemical properties of the putative proteins were determined. The chromosome localization， conserved motifs and gene structure， cis-acting elements， and tissue-specific expression patterns of the LACS genes were analyzed， and a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed. The transcript profiles of LACS genes under biotic stress were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that 10 MsLACS family members were present in the alfalfa genome， and were located on five chromosomes. In the phylogenetic tree， the 10 MsLACS were grouped into five branches. Motif3 constituted the conserved AMP-binding domain， and the alfalfa MsLACS genes contained 10-12 motifs. There were differences in gene structure among the 10 MsLACS genes， with the number of exons ranging from 11 to 22， and the number of introns ranging from 0 to 3. MsLACS1-1 and MsLACS3 had no introns. The promoter region of MsLACS contained light response elements， hormone response elements， and abiotic stress response elements. The transcript profiles of MsLACS genes differed among different tissues and showed obvious tissue specificity. Analyses of gene expression by qRT-PCR revealed higher transcript levels of MsLACS genes under drought stress and salt stress than under cold stress. Under cold stress， the transcript levels of MsLACS genes in alfalfa initially increased and then decreased， and were higher in the leaves than in the roots. Under drought and salt stress， MsLACS genes were highly expressed in leaves， with peak transcript levels at 6 h. The PPI network analysis showed that the 10 proteins encoded by MsLACS genes in alfalfa interacted with each other， with 18 lines of interaction among the proteins. These results provide a basis for further research on LACS genes in alfalfa and their applications in breeding for stress resistance.

Development of high-protein and high-yield associated InDel molecular markers based on re-sequencing in alfalfa

Ya-qi FENG, Jia-hui CHEN, Jing-ni ZHANG, Chao SUI, Ji-wei CHEN, Zhi-peng LIU, Qiang ZHOU, Wen-xian LIU

2025, 34(4):  137-149.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024256

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With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology， the sequencing cost has been greatly reduced， and the sequencing speed and data quality have been significantly improved. These developments greatly promote the in-depth study of the alfalfa （Medicago sativa） genome， and thus provide important basic information for the development of molecular markers for the association of different traits in alfalfa. Insertion/deletion （InDel） polymorphic markers have attracted great attention because of their wide distribution， high density， genetic stability， and high reproducibility， but research about them and their application in alfalfa are still very limited. In this study， based on genome resequencing data of 80 alfalfa germplasm lines sourced from China and abroad， we explored the InDel locus by comparing with the reference genome sequence of alfalfa “Zhongmu No.1”， and identified InDel markers related to high-protein and high-yield traits. It was found that of 40 markers identified on a genome-wide scale， 29 polymorphic markers were successfully categorised with a polymorphism ratio of 72.5% after validation by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Notably， markers designated InDel_25 and InDel_39 are particularly useful for the identification of high-yield and high-quality alfalfa germplasm lines， respectively. It is anticipated that the InDel markers identified in this research will be applied in traditional breeding programs， thereby accelerating the development of new alfalfa varieties with enhanced yield and quality.

Effects of different fertilization and reseeding rates on the nutrient content of forage in a mountain meadow and its rumen fermentation parameters

Nan GUO, Wu-chen DU, Shou-kun JI, Jian LIU, Su-qian CUI, Hui YUAN, Xu HAN, Ji-shuang LIU, Li-jie GAO

2025, 34(4):  150-163.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024174

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fertilization and seeding rates on the nutrient content and rumen fermentation parameters of mixed vegetation in a degraded mountain meadow. Combinations of Elymus sibiricus， Agropyron cristatum， Elymus nutans， and Medicago sativa were sown at four seeding rates （0， 3.4， 4.6， and 5.7 kg·ha^-1） and grown with four different fertilization treatments （0， 3.6， 7.2， and 10.8 t·ha^-1）. The dry matter yields and nutrient contents of four different grassland seed mixtures （EEM： E. sibiricus+E. nutans+M. sativa； EAM： E. sibiricus+A. cristatum+M. sativa； AEM： A. cristatum+E. nutans+M. sativa； EAEM： E. sibiricus+A. cristatum+E. nutans+M. sativa） were measured and their rumen fermentation parameters were studied by in vitro fermentation. The main results were as follows： Compared with no fertilization， fertilization had significant effects on dry matter yield （DMY）， neutral detergent fiber （NDF）， acid detergent fiber （ADF） content， and the relative feed value （RFV） of each mixed sowing treatment （P<0.05）. Under the 4.6 kg·ha^-1 seeding rate， the DMY， NDF， and ADF contents and RFV value of EEM were significantly different from their corresponding values in the other seeding rate treatments （P<0.05）. The contents of ammonia nitrogen and propionate in rumen fluid of EEM， EAM， and AEM sown with a seeding rate of 4.6 kg·ha^-1 were significantly different from their corresponding values in the other seeding rate treatments （P<0.05）. In a principal component analysis， EEM with a fertilization rate of 10.8 t·ha^-1 and a seeding rate of 5.7 kg·ha^-1 had the highest comprehensive score. A response surface analysis showed that AEM had the highest predicted yield， followed by EEM， and EEM had the highest comprehensive score. Based on yield and the comprehensive score， E. sibiricus+E. nutans+M. sativa with a fertilization rate of 10.8 t·ha^-1 and a seeding rate of 5.7 kg·ha^-1 was identified in this study as the best option for replanting degraded mountain meadows.

Effects of various additives on the quality and microbial diversity of broad bean straw silage

Xin-zhu CHEN, Ping-dong LIN, Wen YUE, Ya-ni YANG, Shui-ling QIU, Xiang-li ZHENG

2025, 34(4):  164-174.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024241

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This study investigated the effects of different additives on the quality and microbial diversity of broad bean straw silage. The experiment included seven additive treatments （T₁ with 3% sucrose， T₂ with lactic acid bacteria， T₃ with lactic acid bacteria+3% sucrose， T₄ with lactic acid bacteria + 0.2% citric acid， T₅ with 0.2% citric acid， T₆ with 0.03% NaCl， and T₇ with 0.1% vitamin C） and a control group without additives （CK group）， with 3 replicates for each treatment. After 30 days of ensiling， samples of the silages were analysed of sensory quality， ensiling quality， and microbial diversity. It was found that： 1） In terms of sensory quality， all the seven additive treatment groups were grade 1， and were superior to the CK group. 2） In terms of ensiling quality， compared with the control group， acetic acid （AA） content in the T₁ group was significantly increased （P<0.05）； Lactic acid （LA） content in the T₂ group was significantly increased （P<0.05）， and pH value was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. The contents of water soluble carbohydrates （WSC）， LA and AA in the T₃ group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the content of acid detergent fiber and pH value were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. The WSC and LA contents in the T₄ group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the pH value and ammoniacal nitrogen content were significantly decreased （P<0.05）； The contents of LA and AA in T₅ and T₇ groups were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the crude protein （CP） content was significantly decreased （P<0.05）； The contents of WSC， LA and AA in the T₆ group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while CP content was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. 3） In terms of microbial diversity， the dominant bacterial groups at the genus level in each group were Enterobacter （accounting for 19.3%-41.3%） and Lactiplantibacillus （accounting for 12.0%-40.0%）. Compared with the control group， the relative abundance of Lactobacillus， Pediococcus， and Weissella in the T₃， T₅， and T₇ groups was significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the Alpha diversity and Beta diversity in the T₃ group were significantly different （P<0.05）. In summary， the additive treatment enhanced the sensory and silage quality of broad bean straw silage and regulated the microbial community structure of silage fermentation. Among the treatments， combining lactic acid bacteria with 3% sucrose had the best fermentation effect.

Effects of three endophytic bacteria in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza on host growth and medicinal quality

Zhao MA, Xiao-fan LI, Li-qiong SUN, Zhi HUANG, Lei XU, Ting LU, Xiao-qing TANG, Kang-cai WANG

2025, 34(4):  175-188.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024194

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A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of three endophytic bacteria on the growth， physiology， and medicinal quality of Salvia miltiorrhiza. The ultimate aim of this research was to identify bacteria suitable for the development of microbial fertilizers for S. miltiorrhiza. Three endophytic bacteria （Mesorhizobium amorphae B546， Bacillus thuringiensis NB49， and B. thuringiensis Bt12） isolated from the roots of S. miltiorrhiza were applied to seedlings via root irrigation. The growth and physiological indicators were measured at different times （7， 14， 28， 42， 56 d） after treatment， and the contents of eight active ingredients in the roots were determined at harvest. It was found that all three endophytic bacteria significantly promoted the accumulation of S. miltiorrhiza biomass. After 56 days of growth， the diameter of the main root and the dry weight of the above ground and underground parts were significantly higher （by 1.21-2.49 times） in all the treatments than in the uninoculated control （CK） （P<0.05）. The endophytic bacterial treatments had a significant impact on the physiology of S. miltiorrhiza， with B. thuringiensis Bt12 having the best promoting effect. After 42 days of growth， the contents of soluble sugars， soluble proteins， total chlorophyll， zein， 6-benzylaminopurine， and auxin were 1.36- to 2.18-times higher in the treatments than in CK. The three endophytic bacteria strains exerted distinct effects on the accumulation of active components in S.miltiorrhiza. Notably， B. thuringiensis Bt12 significantly enhanced the accumulation of total tanshinone and total salvianolic acid to levels 2.10- and 1.37-times that in CK， respectively. M. amorphae B546 and B. thuringiensis NB49 promoted the accumulation of total tanshinone， to levels 1.08- and 1.34-times that in CK， respectively， but inhibited the accumulation of phenolic acids， with the total phenolic acid content being 92.21% and 69.29% of that in CK， respectively. In summary， the three strains of endophytic bacteria significantly affected the growth， physiological metabolism， and accumulation of active ingredients in S. miltiorrhiza. Among the tested endophytic bacteria， B. thuringiensis Bt12 had the strongest promoting effect. Thus， it has potential applications in the development of specialized microbial fertilizers for S. miltiorrhiza.

Effect of biocontrol agents to control forage crop fungal diseases and factors influencing their effectiveness： A Meta-analysis

Bo YAO, Rui-fen ZHU, Yuan-dong XU, Wan-bin SUN, Chang LIU, Ji-shan CHEN

2025, 34(4):  189-200.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024187

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Fungal diseases significantly constrain the productivity and quality of forage crops. Biocontrol agents， recognized for their ecological compatibility and safety， have emerged as the favored method for plant disease management. Further research is needed to elucidate the overall efficacy of these agents in controlling fungal diseases in forage crops， as well as the factors influencing their effectiveness. Based on 24 papers published by March 2024 on the use of biocontrol agents （Bacillus， Trichoderma， and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. etc） to control root rot， rust， powdery mildew， leaf spot， and anthracnose disease of major forage crops such as alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， oat （Avena sativa）， silage maize （Zea mays）， ryegrass （Lolium perenne）， alsike clover （Trifolium hybridum）， common vetch（Vicia sativa）， and orchardgrass（Dactylis glomerata）， we conducted a Meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of biocontrol agents to control diseases of forage crops， and to analyze the impacts of a variety of factors on the effectiveness of control. The results show that biocontrol agents are remarkably effective in controlling fungal diseases of forage crops， with a total biological control effect of 49.85%. Heterogeneity testing revealed that the pathogen species， the type， concentration， and application frequency of the biocontrol agent， the forage crop species， and the disease type were the factors significantly impacting the effectiveness of control. However， the type of experiment， application mode， and biocontrol species had no significant impact on the effectiveness of control. Overall， the analysis showed that： 1） Compared with the overall average control effect， the biocontrol agents had stronger control effects on root rot and powdery mildew in major forage crops such as alfalfa and oat. 2） Biocontrol species should be screened to identify specific and highly effective strains targeting pathogens. 3） Considering both the economic cost and control effect， the concentration of biocontrol agents should be 10⁸ CFU·mL ^-1 and the number of applications should be two. The findings of this study provide practical guidelines for the use of biocontrol agents in actual production to control fungal diseases of forage crops， and pointers for future research.

Inhibition and control effect of nano-iron and copper on Ascochyta medicaginicola and spring black stem disease

Tuo-xuan DONG, Xun-feng CHEN, Da-hai MEI, Yong-sha GUO, Xu-hong WEI, Qiu-yan SONG

2025, 34(4):  201-211.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024157

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Alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， the most extensively cultivated leguminous forage in China and globally， is susceptible to spring black stem disease caused by Ascochyta medicaginicola， one of the five most devastating diseases of alfalfa in China. Among various nanoparticles tested for their antifungal properties against A. medicaginicola， copper nanoparticles （Cu NPs） demonstrated the most pronounced inhibitory effect， with an inhibition rate of 74.1% at a concentration of 400 mg·L^-1. The application of Cu NPs also significantly mitigated the impact of spring black stem disease on alfalfa， reducing the relative lesion area to 5.95% when applied prior to inoculation with a spore suspension， and to 8.75% when applied after inoculation with a spore suspension. When alfalfa leaves were pre-treated with a Cu NPs suspension， the relative conductivity was only 18.11%， contrasting sharply with the 82.27% relative conductivity of alfalfa leaves inoculated with a spore suspension only. The enzymatic responses in Cu NPs-treated alfalfa were notable， with a significant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase compared with the spore-inoculated control group. Conversely， the activity of polyphenol oxidase was increased by 42.6%， while catalase activity decreased by 45.0% in the first Cu NPs inoculation treatment. Ultrastructural analyses revealed that Cu NPs punctured and caused visible damage to the cell membrane of A. medicaginicola within alfalfa leaves. In contrast， the chloroplast thylakoids in the treated leaves remained clearly layered， indicating that alfalfa cell membrane integrity remained intact. These findings offer valuable insights into the potential use of Cu NPs as a control measure for alfalfa spring black stem disease.

Impact of shrub encroachment on soil hydrological processes in grassland

Xue-xi MA, Ying-zhi GAO

2025, 34(4):  212-222.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024201

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Shrub encroachment in grasslands has become a worldwide phenomenon in arid and semi-arid regions， and is currently a popular topic in ecological research. In this paper， we review the current ecological literature to explore the impact of shrub encroachment on soil hydrological processes in grasslands， specifically examining the global distribution of shrub encroachment and its effects on precipitation， soil moisture， infiltration， surface runoff， and evapotranspiration. Shrub encroachment occurs widely across various ecosystems and is significantly influenced by rainfall. Increased rainfall in arid areas generally inhibits shrub encroachment， whereas increased rainfall in humid areas promotes it. Shrub encroachment can enhance soil water infiltration， reduce surface runoff， alter evapotranspiration components， and decrease soil erosion in grassland ecosystems. Further research integrating new technologies and methods should explore the mechanisms by which rainfall patterns affect the hydrological processes of shrub encroachment in grassland ecosystems. Such work would provide a scientific basis for the effective management of shrub encroachment in grasslands， facilitating improvements in the overall functionality of grassland ecosystems.

Exploration of meat quality characteristics of Yanchi Tan sheep and the potential regulatory mechanisms

Pan-ping YANG, Hui-xia LI, Ya-mei HU

2025, 34(4):  223-232.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024182

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The Yanchi Tan sheep is an excellent local breed in Ningxia， China. It is highly favored by consumers because of its tender meat， light mutton flavor， and distinct marbling. However， the implementation of mountain enclosures and grazing ban policies， coupled with the development of modern intensive animal husbandry， has led to a decline in the meat quality of Tan sheep. Improving the flavor and quality characteristics of Tan sheep meat has become a key focus for both researchers and producers. Elucidating the meat quality traits of Tan sheep and the underlying mechanisms of the influencing factors is of great significance for enhancing the overall quality of sheep meat. This study explores the effects and mechanisms of nutrition， genetics， and environment on the deposition of intramuscular fat and muscle fiber differentiation. In particular， we focus on how the metabolic regulation of rumen microbiota affects the meat quality of Tan sheep. The results of this study provide a theoretical knowledge base to guide efforts in improving the meat quality of this breed.