Most Download articles

Published in last 1 year| In last 2 years| In last 3 years| All| Most Downloaded in Recent Month | Most Downloaded in Recent Year|

Published in last 1 year

Please wait a minute...


For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Ris BibTeX Toggle Thumbnails

Select

Diversity of endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in different maize organs Xiao-hui DONG, Shang-li SHI, Guo-li YIN, San-dong CHEN, Hai-qiang GONG, Lin-bo LIU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 130-145.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024253 Abstract （282）   HTML （3）    PDF （4181KB）（2186）       Knowledge map    Save The relationship between the microenvironment of different tissues of maize and the diversity of endophytic bacteria is of great significance for screening functional microorganisms， such as compatible growth-promoting bacteria or biocontrol bacteria. In this study， high-throughput sequencing technology was used to investigate the diversity of endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in various maize organs and tissues. The results showed that the maize endophytic bacterial community comprised 31 phyla， 93 classes， 192 orders， 340 families， and 404 genera. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant bacterial phyla， and Lachnospira， Rhizobium， Enterobacter， and Sphingomonas were the dominant bacterial genera. Some endophytic bacteria were more abundant in some organs than in others， indicating that some bacterial populations had endogenous specificity for particular tissue microenvironments. Comparing the dominant bacterial genera among various organs and tissues， the unique bacterial taxa in the roots were Micrococcus and uncultured_bacterium_f_Muribaculaceae. The unique bacterial taxa in the kernels were Staphylococcus， uncultured_bacterium_f_Muribaculaceae， Delftia， Brevundimonas， Streptococcus， and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1. The unique bacterial group in the leaves was mainly Pseudomonas， and no unique bacterial genus was detected in the stems. Beta diversity analyses showed that the microbial community composition was similar in the roots， stems， and leaves of maize， but different in the grain. The endophytic fungal community of maize was composed of 12 phyla， 37 classes， 84 orders， 187 families， and 404 genera. Ascomycota， Basidiomycota and Chytridiomycota were the dominant fungal phyla， Mortierella and Fusarium were the dominant fungal genera， and Rozellomycota was the unique dominant fungal group in the roots. Beta diversity analyses showed that there was little difference in fungal community composition among stems， leaves， and grain of maize， but it was significantly different in the root. In summary， the distribution of endophytic bacteria differs among maize organs and tissues. Compared with the endophytic fungal community， the endophytic bacterial community showed wider variations among the different organs and tissues. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of exogenous ABA on growth and physiological characteristics of sainfoin seedlings under NaCl stress Ge TIAN, Li-li NAN, Li-qun WANG, Xiang-xiang MA, Rong HE, Jia-yu GUO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 95-106.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025022 Abstract （174）   HTML （16）    PDF （3158KB）（765）       Knowledge map    Save Soil salinization is a significant factor that limits plant nutrient uptake and affects plant growth and development. Sainfoin （Onobrychis viciifolia） is a native fabaceae species in saline-alkali regions of China， and exogenous abscisic acid （ABA） plays a positive regulatory role in enhancing plant stress resistance. This study investigates the effects of exogenous ABA on the growth and physiological characteristics of sainfoin seedlings subjected to salt stress. Using a nutrient solution sand culture method， various concentrations of ABA were sprayed on the leaves of both salt-tolerant （‘GH’， ‘GN’， ‘1994’） and salt-sensitive （‘10295’， ‘2323-2’， ‘2668’） sainfoin seedlings under a 0.8% NaCl treatment. Specifically， one control group （CK） and four treatment groups were established： 0.8% NaCl （T1）， 0.8% NaCl+0.1 mmol·L-1 ABA （T2）， 0.8% NaCl+0.2 mmol·L-1 ABA （T3） and 0.8% NaCl+0.3 mmol·L-1 ABA （T4）. The optimal concentration of ABA for alleviating salt stress was identified. The results indicate that ABA has a mitigating effect on salt stress. That plant height， leaf area， aboveground biomass， underground biomass， relative leaf water contents， root activity， K+ contents， gibberellin contents in leaves and roots， zeatin contents in leaves and roots and auxin （IAA） contents in leaves decreased with increasing salt stress. The changes in the salt-tolerant material ‘GH’ were quite significant. The plant height increased by 20.48%， while the leaf area increased by 4.63%； Additionally， the aboveground biomass saw an increase of 26.75%， and the underground biomass increased significantly by 56.66%； The relative leaf water content rose by 28.19%， and root activity experienced a substantial increase of 65.41%. Furthermore， K+ content increased by 24.36%， leaf gibberellin content rose by 47.55%， and root gibberellin content increased by 36.05%； The leaf zeatin content increased by 24.39%， while leaf zeatin saw a notable rise of 80.53%， and leaf IAA content increased by 19.20%， respectively， in 0.8% NaCl， compared to control. Additionally， malonaldehyde contents， superoxide dismutase activity， peroxidase activity， catalase activity， Na+ contents， Ca2+ contents， ABA contents in leaves and roots and IAA contents in roots were reduced in response to salt. The changes in the salt-sensitive material ‘10295’ were relatively insignificant， with malonaldehyde contents， superoxide dismutase activity， peroxidase activity， catalase activity， Na+ contents， Ca2+ contents， ABA contents in leaves， ABA contents in roots and IAA contents in roots increasing by 14.91%， 18.64%， 26.15%， 10.08%， 24.47%， 30.24%， 8.72%， 27.64%， and 30.87%， respectively， in 0.8% NaCl stress. These results indicate that exogenous ABA can mitigate oxidative damage to cells caused by salt stress， maintaining the integrity of the cell membrane system and cell osmotic pressure. In this study， 0.2 mmol·L-1 ABA demonstrated the most effective results， with a more pronounced response observed in salt-tolerant materials compared to salt-sensitive materials. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 164-174.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024241 Abstract （219）   HTML （26）    PDF （3500KB）（672）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 1-15.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024180 Abstract （425）   HTML （36）    PDF （5025KB）（606）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Bacterial diversity and community structural changes in rhizosphere soil of naked barley disturbed by root rot Xue-ping LI, Shi-yang XU, Jian-jun LI, Yong-hong QI Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 118-129.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024255 Abstract （259）   HTML （5）    PDF （3882KB）（592）       Knowledge map    Save The occurrence and spread of naked barley （Hordeum vulgare var. nudum） root rot are known to be closely related to the dynamics of the rhizosphere soil bacterial community. This study systematically investigated naked barley root rot in fields of the Tibetan Gannan Autonomous Prefecture， Gansu Province， to clarify the influences on the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere soil bacterial community disturbed by naked barley root rot. Rhizosphere soil samples with different root rot incidences were collected， and genetic characterization of the bacterial community was obtained by high-throughput sequencing. The structural dynamics and the diversity of the bacterial community were thus analyzed. Additionally， the various bacterial functional genes were annotated using COG databases. The results revealed a rich and evenly distributed bacterial species composition in the rhizosphere soil of naked barley， which comprehensively mirrors the bacterial community structure of the samples. The bacterial community of healthy samples was closest to samples with 5% incidence of root rot. Additionally， as the incidence rate of root rot increased， the bacterial communities diverged more significantly from those of healthy samples. The number of bacterial species in diseased rhizosphere soil samples increased initially and then decreased， as the root rot incidence increased. Also， the relative abundance of Proteobacteria initially increased and then decreased with increased root rot， incidence， while a contrasting trend was observed for Chloroflexi， Acidobacteria， Bacteroidetes， Actinobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. Similarly， the relative abundance of Bacillales， Nitrospirales， and their commonly-present families Gemmatimonadaceae， Bacillaceae， Nitrospiraceae， as well as the genera Gemmatimonas， Bacillus， and Nitrospira， including Bacillus simplex， showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. Conversely， the relative abundance of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Stenotrophomonas rhizophila initially decreased and then increased. The abundance of functional genes related to bacterial amino acid transport and metabolism， transcription， lipid transport and metabolism， posttranslational modification， protein turnover， chaperones in the rhizosphere soil of naked barley decreased due to the occurrence of root rot， while the abundance of genes involved in signal transduction mechanisms and energy production and conversion increased. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

A review and prospect of ecological threshold Bing-bing GAO, Xiao-man LIU, Jin-fang XIONG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (7): 210-218.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024389 Abstract （381）   HTML （32）    PDF （531KB）（577）       Knowledge map    Save Ecological threshold is integral to the nonlinear dynamics of ecosystems. It is of great significance to explore the potential ecological threshold that can be breached to implement effective preventative strategies. Here， we review recent domestic and international research on ecological threshold， dissect the concept and development of ecological threshold， and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the current ecological threshold identification methods. The application of ecological threshold is delineated to four main research domains： ecosystem conservation and restoration， global climate change mitigation， biodiversity conservation， and disaster prevention. The results of recent studies have revealed deficiencies in both theoretical and applied aspects of ecological threshold research. Building on this foundation， we propose priorities for further research on ecological threshold in China. This review offers insights and references for the conservation， restoration， and sustainable development of China’s ecosystems. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and molasses on the fermentation quality， biogenic amines contents and bacterial community of peanut vine silage Kai MAO, Yi XU, Xue-mei WANG, Huan CHAI, Shuai HUANG, Jian WANG, Shu-qian HUAN, Zhu YU, Mu-sen WANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 146-158.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024224 Abstract （299）   HTML （5）    PDF （2161KB）（474）       Knowledge map    Save During ensiling of peanut （Arachis hypogaea） vine， a large proportion of the true protein is degraded and free amino acids are further decarboxylated to form biogenic amines by amino acid decarboxylases. The aim of this study was to identify ways to decrease the biogenic amines contents of peanut vine silage. Peanut vine silage was prepared using distilled water （control） and three different treatments consisting of 2% molasses， Lactiplantibacillus plantarum （1×106 colony-forming units） and a combination of molasses and Lacti. plantarum. Each treatment had four replicates. After 28 days of fermentation， the silage was analyzed to determine the fermentation quality， biogenic amines contents and bacterial community composition. The results showed that the main biogenic amines in poorly and naturally fermented stylo silage were tyramine （1338.36 mg·kg-1 dry matter） and cadaverine （417.58 mg·kg-1 dry matter）. The application of molasses alone or in combination with Lacti. plantarum significantly improved fermentation quality （P<0.001） and decreased the contents of tyramine， cadaverine and total biogenic amine （P<0.05）. The bacterial community in the fresh material was dominated by Parasaccharibacter apium （17.51%）， Pseudomonas batumici （13.06%）， Pantoea dispersa （5.63%） and Curtobacterium citreum （5.53%）. After ensiling， the composition of the bacterial community in naturally fermented peanut vine silage was complex， mainly composed of Weissella paramesenteroides （22.71%）， Lacti. plantarum （10.67%）， Limosilactobacillus fermentum （10.38%）， Weissella kandleri （9.27%）， Pediococcus pentosaceus （8.34%）， Pseud. batumici （8.07%）， Lactococcus garvieae （6.74%） and Companilactobacillus ginsenosidimutans （5.10%）. Compared with the control， the molasses treatment increased the relative abundance of Lacti. plantarum and Weiss. paramesenteroides and decreased that of Pedio. pentosaceus and Weiss. kandleri. In comparison with the control， a combination of molasses and Lacti. plantarum improved the bacterial community structure of silage by increasing Lacti. plantarum and Limosilactobacillus pontis abundance. Spearman correlation analysis results indicated that tyramine and cadaverine were positively related to pH， butyric acid， ammonia nitrogen， Paras. apium， Compa. ginsenosidimutans and Weiss. kandleri （P<0.05）. In conclusion， the silages produced with molasses alone or with the combination of molasses and Lacti. plantarum showed improved quality， in terms of fermentation quality， nutritional composition and biogenic amines contents. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 124-136.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024206 Abstract （380）   HTML （15）    PDF （5400KB）（464）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Exploration of meat quality characteristics of Yanchi Tan sheep and the potential regulatory mechanisms Pan-ping YANG, Hui-xia LI, Ya-mei HU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 223-232.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024182 Abstract （423）   HTML （14）    PDF （3311KB）（425）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of Pennisetum giganteum on the growth performance and intestinal health of finishing Congjiang Xiang pigs Min ZHANG, Rui YANG, Yi-zhou HUANG, Zhi-xin LIN, Xian-yue ZHENG, Qing-hua LIU, Yu-yun GAO, Dong-mei LIN, Zhan-xi LIN, Ling JIN Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 171-188.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024238 Abstract （280）   HTML （0）    PDF （1942KB）（414）       Knowledge map    Save The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with Pennisetum giganteum on the growth performance and intestinal health of finishing Congjiang Xiang pigs. Thirty 6-month-old healthy Congjiang Xiang pigs of similar weight were selected and randomly divided into three groups （five replicates per group， two pigs per replicate）. The control group was fed with a basal diet， and experimental groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ were fed with the basal diet with 10% and 20% （w/w） replaced with fresh P. giganteum. The experimental period was 90 days. The growth performance， intestinal development， and the structures of the intestinal mechanical barrier and cecal flora were analyzed， and the economic benefits were estimated. The main results were as follows： 1） Growth performance： Compared with the control group， groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ showed no significant differences in growth performance or carcass traits （P>0.05）. When the cost of P. giganteum was not considered， groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ had lower weight gain costs （reduced by 8.73% and 11.59%， respectively） than that of the control group. When the cost of P. giganteum was calculated according to the market price of 0.35 CNY·kg-1， group Ⅰ still had a lower weight gain cost （2.78% lower） than that of the control， but the weight gain cost of experiment group Ⅱ was increased by 1.35%. 2） Intestinal development： Compared with the control group， groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ had significantly higher relative weight of the stomach （P<0.05）， and a trend of higher relative weight of the small intestine （P=0.092）. Compared with the control group， group Ⅰ showed significantly decreased ileal crypt depth （P<0.05）， and significantly increased ileal height/crypt depth （V/C） and transcript levels of GLP-2 in the jejunum and IGF-1R in the ileum （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， group Ⅱ showed significantly increased ileal villus height， V/C， and gene transcript level of jejunal GLP-2 （P<0.05）. 3） Intestinal immunity and mechanical barriers： Compared with the control group， groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ showed significantly decreased ileal IFN-γ content， and group Ⅱ showed significantly increased jejunal TGF-β content （P<0.05）. Comparing gene transcript levels with those in the control， groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ showed significantly increased transcript levels of ZO-1 in the ileum （P<0.05）， and group Ⅱ showed significantly increased transcript levels of Occludin in the jejunum （P<0.05）. 4） Cecal microbes： Shannon index was significantly higher in both experimental groups than in the control （P<0.05）. The relative abundance of Streptococcus was significantly lower in both experimental groups than in the control （P<0.05）. The experimental groups showed trends of increased abundance of unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae （P=0.065） and decreased abundance of Spirochaetota （P=0.085） and Treponema （P=0.085）. In conclusion， replacing part of the basal diet with P. giganteum had no significant effect on the growth performance or carcass traits of finishing Congjiang Xiang pigs， but it improved the economic efficiency， promoted gastrointestinal tract development， and enhanced intestinal barrier function， which were conducive to intestinal health. These results show that 20% of the basal diet can be replaced with P. giganteum if its cost is not considered， and 10% of the basal diet can be replaced with P. giganteum if it is costed at the market price of 0.35 CNY·kg-1. These findings provide scientific data for assessing the application of P. giganteum in pig production. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Cloning of MsNAC053 from alfalfa and analysis of its transcript profile in response to abiotic stresses Wei-peng ZOU, Yi LIU, Jia-xing ZHAI, Si-yi ZHOU, Zhi-yi GONG, Hui-fang CEN, Hui-sen ZHU, Tao XU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (9): 121-133.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024404 Abstract （127）   HTML （9）    PDF （4976KB）（392）       Knowledge map    Save The NAC （NAM， ATAF1/2， CUC1/2） transcription factors are plant-specific regulators that play critical roles in plant growth and development， hormone signaling， and stress responses. Alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， one of the most important leguminous forage crops worldwide， is renowned for its high nutritional value and quality. To investigate the function of the MsNAC053 gene in alfalfa， specific primers were designed using SnapGene and NCBI to clone MsNAC053 through polymerase chain reaction （PCR） technology. The physicochemical properties， secondary structure， and subcellular localization of the protein were analyzed through bioinformatics tools. And the tissue-specific expression patterns of MsNAC053 and its responses to abiotic stresses were analyzed through quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR）. The subcellular localization analysis were conducted by introducing vector into tobacco （Nicotianatabacum） leaves via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The results showed that the coding region of MsNAC053 was 903 bp， encoding 300 amino acids， with a predicted molecular weight of 34.62 kDa， an aliphatic index of 73.82， a theoretical isoelectric point （pI） of 7.05， a grand average hydropathicity of -0.604， and an instability coefficient of 47.28， categorizing it as an unstable hydrophilic protein without transmembrane regions. Cis-acting elements responsive to low-temperature （LTR） and abscisic acid responsiveness （ABRE） were identified. Subcellular localization confirmed that MsNAC053 was localized in nucleus. Phylogenetic and amino acid sequence analyses revealed close evolutionary relationships between MsNAC053 and other NAC proteins from leguminous species such as Medicago truncatula and Vicia villosa. qRT-PCR demonstrated tissue-specific expression of MsNAC053， with the highest expression level in young leaves and the lowest expression level in cotyledons. Drought， salt， and ABA treatments significantly upregulated the expression level of MsNAC053， indicating that it plays a role in response to drought and salt stresses. In summary， the results of this study provides both theoretical insights and a candidate gene for molecular breeding of stress-resistant alfalfa varieties. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Planting and incorporation of smooth vetch together with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application enhances tobacco yield and soil quality Wen-jun ZHAO, Ting LIANG, Jian-song WANG, Kui LIU, Yu FENG, Zheng-xu WANG, Zi-he XU, Yun-cong ZHU, Meng-meng SUN, Xiang-wei LI, Li-bo FU, Mei YIN, Guo-peng ZHOU, Hua CHEN, Wei-dong CAO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 74-84.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024453 Abstract （141）   HTML （5）    PDF （1723KB）（386）       Knowledge map    Save The overall aim of our research was to provide a theoretical basis and technical approach to reduce fertilizer use and improve fertilizer use efficiency during tobacco production in Yunnan. To this end， we conducted an experiment in which different amounts of smooth vetch （Vicia villosa） were incorporated together with reduced application rates of nitrogen fertilizer to tobacco （Nicotiana tabacum）， and the yield and soil quality were evaluated. The field experiment commenced in 2017， and the impacts of planting and incorporating varying amounts of smooth vetch together with 30% and 15% reductions in the nitrogen fertilizer application rate on tobacco yield and soil quality were evaluated in 2022. Compared with the conventional fertilization practice of fallow-tobacco （control-F100）， incorporating 22500 to 30000 kg·ha-1 green manure with a 15% and 30% reduction in the nitrogen fertilizer application rate significantly increased tobacco yield by 4.85%-9.94% （P<0.05）. The incorporation of smooth vetch with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application also improved soil nutrient properties. Specifically， the treatment with 30000 kg·ha-1 green manure incorporation and a 30% reduction in the nitrogen fertilizer rate resulted in the highest soil organic matter and soluble organic nitrogen contents， which were increased by 28.2% and 242.6%， respectively， compared with those in the control （P<0.05）. Incorporation of smooth vetch at rates of 22500 and 30000 kg·ha-1， in conjunction with a 30% reduction in the nitrogen application rate， increased the soil quality index by 49.1% and 72.9%， respectively， compared with that in the control （P<0.05）. Under different nitrogen application levels， the activities of hydrolytic enzymes associated with soil carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus increased with increasing amounts of incorporated green manure. Partial least squares path modeling and random forest analyses indicated that tobacco yield was primarily influenced by the soil organic matter content and enzyme activity. Therefore， planting and incorporating green manure with the linked reduction of nitrogen fertilizer enhanced both tobacco yield and soil quality， with outstanding effects observed at 22500 to 30000 kg·ha-1 of smooth vetch incorporation with a 30% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

The impact of shrub encroachment on species niches and interspecific associations of the Artemisia scoparia community in desert grassland Ze-hua LIU, Lin CHEN, Ya-qi ZHANG, Jin-xiao LONG, Xue-bin LI, Dan-bo PANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 1-15.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024477 Abstract （355）   HTML （68）    PDF （4615KB）（384）       Knowledge map    Save The impact of shrub encroachment on species niches and interspecific associations within the Artemisia scoparia community was investigated through vegetation surveys conducted in typical Ammopiptanthus mongolicus shrub-encroached sites in desert grasslands. Species niches and interspecific associations within the A. scoparia community were analyzed using niche width， niche overlap， detrended correspondence analysis （DCA）， variance ratio， chi-square testing， association coefficient （AC）， Ochiai （OI） and Spearman rank correlation methods. The results reveal an A. scoparia community consisting of 17 herbaceous species and 3 semi-shrub species， predominantly from the Poaceae and Fabaceae families， highlighting the complexity of the community composition. The importance value and niche width of the A. scoparia community exhibited significant changes with both parameters gradually increasing as the degree of shrub encroachment decreased. In plots with moderate shrub cover， A. scoparia displays a high niche overlap with most species， particularly with Salsola collina （0.87）， suggesting a strong similarity in their resource requirements. The DCA ordination results indicate clear clustering of species distributions in the plots， while the species distribution in less encroached plots is relatively more dispersed. No significant positive or negative associations were observed in the communities of heavy shrub， moderate shrub， light shrub， and shrub-free grasslands. The results of the chi-square testing， AC， OI and Spearman rank correlation analysis were consistent， reinforcing the overall pattern of weak species associations， low independence and an immature community structure. In conclusion， shrub encroachment alters the species niches and interspecific associations within the A. scoparia community in desert steppe ecosystems， contributing to the instability of the community. During ecosystem restoration efforts， it is recommended to select species combinations that exhibit positive associations with dominant species such as A. scoparia， thereby fostering a more stable community structure. This approach will enhance the ecological stability and recovery of the grassland. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Comparative study of rhizosphere soil fungal community structure among different plants in Tomur Peak， Xinjiang Ying WANG, Ming-yuan LI, Mairiyangu·Yasheng, Ji-lian WANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (7): 83-94.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024417 Abstract （140）   HTML （12）    PDF （2252KB）（375）       Knowledge map    Save The aims of this study were to explore the structure and function of the rhizosphere fungal community in different plant species growing around Tomur Peak， and to determine how these characteristics contribute to the maintenance of ecosystem stability. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to detect differences in fungal community structure in the rhizosphere soil among four plants； Codonopsis javanica，Poa annua， Geranium wilfordii， and Medicago sativa. Correlations between soil physicochemical properties and fungal community structure were also analyzed. The results showed that Shannon’s index and Simpson’s index， indicators of rhizosphere soil fungal diversity， were higher in C. javanica than in the other plant species. A non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that the fungal community structure of C. javanica differed from that of the other plant species. Across all samples， the dominant fungal phyla in the rhizosphere soil were Ascomycota， Mortierellomycota， Basidiomycota， and Chytridiomycota. Mortierellales and Hypocreales were the dominant fungal orders， but their relative abundance varied among the four plant species. Among all samples， the dominant nutritional pattern of fungi was saprotrophic （32.1%-52.5%）， followed by symbiotrophic in rhizosphere soil of C. javanica （9.3%）； pathotrophic-saprotrophic in rhizosphere soil of G. wilfordii （4.1%）， and pathotrophic in rhizosphere soils of P. annua and M. sativa （8.3% and 15.8%， respectively）. Undefined saprophytic fungi was the dominant functional group （28.6%-44.2%）， but the proportions of other functional groups differed among plant species. In conclusion， we detected significant differences in the structure and composition of rhizosphere soil fungal communities among plant species. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the environmental adaptation strategies of alpine plants and for designing ecological restoration strategies for this region. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Composition and carbon-fixation pathways of carbon-fixing microorganisms in soils of a typical steppe and desert steppe in Inner Mongolia Hao PENG, Bao-zhu DONG, Li-juan MA, Xiao-dong YU, Yi-fan ZHANG, Xiao-fang LI Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (8): 123-131.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024476 Abstract （149）   HTML （3）    PDF （1751KB）（356）       Knowledge map    Save Autotrophic soil microbes can assimilate atmospheric CO2 and fix carbon into the soil. The relative contributions of soil microorganisms to carbon fixation are greater in arid regions than in humid ecosystems. However， current carbon-fixation models mainly focus on plant functions and often neglect the roles of soil autotrophs. Therefore， such models cannot accurately predict carbon sequestration in the soil of arid ecosystems. In this study， we focused on the soil microorganisms of the typical steppe and desert steppe in Inner Mongolia， and analyzed differences in the composition and metabolic pathways of carbon-fixing microbial communities in those soils. The main results were as follows： 1） There were 14 carbon-fixing microbial groups （classes） in soils of both categories of steppe， among which Acidimicrobiia， γ-Proteobacteria， and Chloroflexi showed significantly higher abundance in the desert steppe soil than in the typical steppe soil； 2） The relative abundance of genes related to the reductive citric acid （rTCA） cycle and the 3-hydroxypropionate （3-HP） cycle was significantly higher in the desert steppe soil than in the typical steppe soil； 3） The abundance of genes encoding key enzymes in the rTCA pathway ［EC （1.2.7.1） and EC （1.2.7.3）］ and the 3-HP pathway ［EC （6.4.1.2） and EC （6.4.1.3）］ was higher in the desert steppe soil than in the typical steppe soil. Clearly， the abundance of carbon-fixing microorganism classes， carbon-fixation pathways， and genes encoding their key enzymes was higher in the desert steppe soil of Inner Mongolia than in the typical steppe soil， indicating that the desert steppe soil microorganisms have stronger potential for atmospheric CO2 fixation. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Changes in Medicago sativa root system architecture and mechanical characteristics during the growing period Guang-pei WANG, Yan WEI, Yun CHEN Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 82-92.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024188 Abstract （339）   HTML （15）    PDF （2160KB）（348）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Optimization of culture conditions for the sophoridine-producing new fungal species Achaetomium sophor strain HY17 isolated from seeds of Sophora alopecuroides Zhi-yun TANG, Wen-kai WANG, Guan-lan LIU, Pei-wen GU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 151-163.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024444 Abstract （99）   HTML （3）    PDF （3070KB）（343）       Knowledge map    Save The aim of this study was to screen for endophytic fungal strains of Achaetomium sophora infecting Sophora alopecuroides that produce sophoridine alkaloid， classify and identify them， and then identify in-vitro culture conditions that optimize the alkaloid production of the endophyte fungus. The overall goal was to improve alkaloid yield and obtain excellent strains for culture. Fifty strains of A. sophora isolated from healthy S. alopecuroides seeds were screened using alkaloid precipitation， acid dye colorimetry， and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses. The strains were identified through morphological and molecular analyses. Subsequently， a series of methods including the single factor test， Plackett-Burman （PB） test， steepest climb test， and response surface test （Box-Behnken test） were used to investigate the effects of medium composition （medium type， carbon and nitrogen sources）， culture conditions （incubation time and pH）， and precursors and inducers on the alkali yield of selected fungal strains. From the results of these analyses， the optimal alkali-producing medium， culture conditions， and precursors for sophoridine alkaloid production were determined. The fungal strain HY17 producing sophoridine at high levels was identified as a new species， Achaetomium sophora. The optimal culture conditions for A. sophora HY17 were determined to be SDY liquid medium with an initial pH of 6 and a culture period of 8 days， with maize flour as the carbon source and casein as the nitrogen source. Tyrosine， L-lysine， L-piperidinic acid， and phenylalanine had significant effects on sophoridine production by strain HY17 during culture. The addition of L-lysine （1.044 g·L-1）， L-piperidinic acid （0.081 g·L-1）， and phenylalanine （1.995 g·L-1） resulted in a maximum alkaloid yield of 1.369 mg·g-1 mycelium under these optimized conditions， representing a remarkable increase of 61.95% compared with that obtained under the original culture conditions. A. sophora HY17 produced sophoridine at a high and stable rate. Optimization of the culture conditions resulted in a notable increase in alkaloid production. The results of this study offer a novel approach for sophoridine production through in-vitro culture of the fungal endophyte， A. sophora strain HY17 isolated from S. alopecuroides. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 201-211.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024157 Abstract （187）   HTML （4）    PDF （3908KB）（341）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Analysis of metabolite differences in Sophora alopecuroides infected and non-infected by witches’ broom disease based on non-targeted metabolomics Halifu SAIYAREMU, Li YANG, Guan-hong LI, Yong-qi ZHU, Dong LI Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 105-117.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024258 Abstract （220）   HTML （13）    PDF （4187KB）（338）       Knowledge map    Save Phytoplasma is a bacterial pathogen that induces a range of symptoms in host plants， including yellowing， apical necrosis， witches’ broom， phyllody， dwarfism， and floral changes. In China， more than 100 types of phytoplasma diseases have been identified that affect important economic crops， traditional Chinese medicinal herbs， and forestry. Witches’ broom disease， caused by phytoplasma infection in Sophora alopecuroides， inhibits growth， causes seed production failure， and reduces yield， posing a potential threat to industries that utilize S. alopecuroides in China. This study focused on the impact of phytoplasma infection on S. alopecuroides metabolites by comparing infected and healthy plants using morphological， molecular biological， and untargeted metabolomic analyses. Our results indicate that the phytoplasma strain causing witches’ broom disease in S. alopecuroides belongs to the 16Sr V-B subgroup. Infection significantly altered the metabolite profile of S. alopecuroides， with differentially annotated metabolites primarily associated with environmental information processing， genetic information processing， and metabolism， with the latter constituting 92.38% of total observed metabolite changes. KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant differences in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism pathways as well as in the biosynthesis of phenylalanine， tyrosine， and tryptophan. It is speculated that phytoplasma infection may induce disease symptoms in the host plant primarily through changes in host metabolites. Alterations in these two pathways play a crucial role in the occurrence of witches’ broom disease in S. alopecuroides， suggesting that infection reduces the photosynthetic capacity of the host， leading to nutrient deficiency and decreased resistance， which in turn aids disease progression. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Differences along an erosion gradient in alpine meadow plant community diversity and factors influencing diversity Shuang YAN, Fei XIA, Wei WEI, Jing-long WANG, Hao-yang WU, Lin-ling RAN, Yun-yin XUE, Hao SHI, Shai-kun ZHENG, Jun-qiang WANG, Jun-dong HE Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (6): 1-13.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024264 Abstract （461）   HTML （62）    PDF （4962KB）（303）       Knowledge map    Save This study investigated the plant communities in alpine meadow gullies with differing degrees of erosion and analysed the changes in species diversity and the key factors influencing it in gullies with different erosion levels. We used a quadrat method and randomly selected 1 m×1 m sample plots in mildly， moderately and strongly eroded alpine meadows， sampling alternate erosion gullies， and using no erosion as a control. It was found that the proportion of high-quality forage grasses with Carex moorcroftii as the dominant species gradually decreased with increasing severity of erosion and gradually evolved into a community dominated by poisonous weeds such as Artemisia hedinii. Along the gradient of increasing erosion in the studied alpine meadows， above-ground biomass initially decreased and then increased， and vegetation coverage and species diversity gradually decreased. Compared to the non-eroded sample site， the mildly， moderately， and strongly eroded sample sites showed， respectively， a decrease in above-ground biomass of 38%， 69%， and 16%， a decrease in vegetation coverage of 20%， 46%， and 65%， and a decrease in the Shannon-Wiener index of 11%， 17%， and 76%. A linear negative correlation was observed between the slope gradient and the species diversity within the alpine meadow plant community （P<0.001）. Soil erosion leads to changes in soil texture that affect plant growth and plant community diversity. Plant community diversity indices were highly significantly correlated with soil organic matter， particulate organic carbon， pH， and soil sand and clay contents （P<0.01）. Shannon-Wiener， Simpson and Margalef indices were all highly significantly negatively correlated with soil pH （P<0.001）， while Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indices were both highly significantly positively correlated with soil organic matter （P<0.01）. Plant growth indicators were significantly correlated with bulk density （P<0.05）. Aboveground biomass was highly significantly and positively correlated with total porosity （P<0.01）， but highly significantly and negatively correlated with bulk density of the soil （P<0.001）. Vegetation coverage was highly significantly negatively correlated with pH （P<0.01） and sand content （P<0.01）， but highly significantly positively correlated with soil organic matter （P<0.001）， particulate organic carbon （P<0.01）， silt content （P<0.01） and clay content （P<0.01）. In summary， with increasing severity of erosion， the vegetation coverage and plant diversity of alpine meadows gradually decreased， and the community structure tended to become more homogeneous. Slope， soil organic matter and pH are the main environmental factors influencing changes in community structure in erosion-affected alpine meadows. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Mitigating effects of exogenous melatonin on alfalfa under salt stress Yi-xin LIU, Xiao-qing SUI, Xin-yao WANG, Meng-qing LANG, Ling-zi-yin SUN, Er-ge JIER Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (9): 206-214.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024400 Abstract （135）   HTML （9）    PDF （2540KB）（295）       Knowledge map    Save Salt stress severely restricts plant growth and poses a threat to sustainable agricultural development. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that plays an important role in the resistance of different plants to various stressful environments. This research was conducted using ‘Gongnong No.1’ alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， and the effect and regulation of physiological characteristics of alfalfa under 150 mmol·L-1 NaCl stress when different concentrations of exogenous melatonin were applied， were investigated in hydroponically grown plants. It was found that external application of 50， 100 and 150 μmol·L-1 melatonin alleviated various symptoms of physiological damage to alfalfa seedlings caused by salt stress. For example， under salt stress exogenous melatonin increased the content of osmotic adjustment substances such as free proline， soluble protein and soluble sugar， the hydroxyl radical scavenging rate was increased under salt stress， and the damage of malondialdehyde， hydrogen peroxide content and relative conductivity was reduced. Exogenous melatonin also increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase， catalase， peroxidase， glutathione S-transferase， glutathione reductase and the content of antioxidant such as ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione. Finally， exogenous melatonin increased the content of K+ and reduced the content of Na+ which acted to balance ionic homeostasis. However， 200 μmol·L-1 melatonin caused osmotic stress， oxidative stress and ionic imbalance in alfalfa. Principal component analysis indicated that catalase activity， hydrogen peroxide content and K+∶Na+ could be used as key indicators for evaluating alfalfa for salt tolerance. The results of a multi-trait evaluation of 17 physiological indexes using an affiliation function methodology showed that 150 μmol·L-1 melatonin treatment provided the most effective salt stress alleviation. A further insight from the results of this experiment was that melatonin enhances the resistance of alfalfa to salt stress in two ways： one is through direct pathways， such as direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species； the other is through indirect pathways， such as regulation of ionic homeostasis through the enhancement of metabolite content of the antioxidant enzyme system and osmoregulatory substances. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of soybean straw co-fermented with a bacterium-enzyme mixture on the growth performance， serum indexes， and rumen microorganisms of Hu sheep Shuai QI, Yan-li ZHANG, Yong-jie WAN, Wei-qiang NIU, Ji-xin ZHANG, Xue GAO, Da-gan MAO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 189-201.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024237 Abstract （293）   HTML （6）    PDF （841KB）（292）       Knowledge map    Save We investigated the effects of soybean （Glycine max） straw co-fermented with a bacterium-enzyme mixture on the growth performance， serum indexes， and rumen microorganisms of Hu sheep. Forty-eight healthy male Hu lambs ［（27.00±2.00） kg］ aged 4 months were randomly assigned into four groups， with three replicates in each group and four lambs per replicate （stall）. Lambs in the control group were fed with a basal diet （Group C）， and those in the trial groups were fed with the basal diet with 33% （Group 1）， 66% （Group 2）， and 100% （Group 3） of the original soybean straw substituted with fermented soybean straw. The experimental period included 7 days of pre-experiment and 60 days of formal experiment. The main results were as follows： Compared with Group C， Group 2 showed a significantly decreased average daily matter intake and feed-to-gain ratio during days 1-30 and 1-60 （P<0.05）. The serum contents of albumin， glutamic pyruvic transaminase， high density lipoprotein， and total cholesterol were significantly higher in Group 3 than in the control （P<0.05）. The globulin contents were significantly higher in Groups 2 and 3 （P<0.05）， and the total protein content and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity were significantly higher in all trial groups （P<0.05） than in the control. The activity of superoxide dismutase in serum was increased significantly in Group 3 （P<0.05）， and catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in serum were increased significantly in all trial groups （P<0.05） compared with the control. The serum immunoglobulin （Ig） A content was increased significantly in all trial groups （P<0.05）， and the serum IgG and IgM contents were increased significantly in Groups 2 and 3 （P<0.05）， compared with the control. Compared with the control， Group 2 significantly increased apparent digestibility of crude protein， acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber （P<0.05）； significantly increased rumen isobutyric acid and ammonia nitrogen （NH3-N） contents （P<0.05）； and significantly decreased valeric acid content （P<0.05）. In terms of the bacterial community in the rumen， at the phylum level， the abundance of rumen Bacteroidota was increased （P<0.05）， while that of Firmicutes was decreased （P<0.05） in Group 2 compared with the control. At the genus level， the abundance of Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 was significantly higher in Group 2 than in the control （P<0.05）. In conclusion， the addition of bacterium-enzyme co-fermented soybean straw to the diet can improve the antioxidant and immune capacity， nutrient apparent digestibility， the rumen environment， and the rumen microbial community structure of Hu sheep. These results provide a scientific basis for the application of fermented soybean straw in the production of Hu sheep. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Identification of DREB genes from Zoysia japonica and their transcript profiles in response to abiotic stress Zhi-fang ZUO, Yong-long LI, Yu-jia WEI, Sheng-hui ZHOU, Yan LI, Guo-feng YANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 74-88.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024257 Abstract （215）   HTML （9）    PDF （5054KB）（289）       Knowledge map    Save DREB transcription factors belong to the AP2/ERF superfamily， and play important roles in plant development and stress responses. However， a systematic analysis of DREB genes in Zoysia japonica， which is a warm-season turfgrass native to China has not been reported. In this study， we identified 64 ZjDREBs from Z. japonica， encoding polypeptides of 105 to 984 amino acids， with molecular weights ranging from 11.42 to 107.04 kDa and theoretical isoelectric points ranging from 4.09 to 11.95. The phylogenetic analysis of 64 ZjDREBs showed that they were divided into six groups from A1 to A6. A conserved motif analysis of ZjDREB protein sequences revealed that motif1， motif2， and motif3 were relatively highly conserved. Sixty-one ZjDREBs were unevenly distributed on 14 chromosomes of Z. japonica. By colinearity analysis， we identified three pairs of segmentally duplicated ZjDREB genes. The non-synonymous∶synonymous （Ka/Ks） was <1， indicating that this gene family might have been subject to purifying selection during its expansion. Analyses of the promoter regions of ZjDREBs in the A1 and A2 groups revealed multiple cis-acting elements related to plant hormones and abiotic stresses. The expression profiles of ZjDREB genes in the A1 and A2 groups under cold， abscisic acid （ABA）， drought， and salt stress were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR）. The A1 group genes were up-regulated by cold and ABA treatments， and ZjDREB3 was significantly up-regulated. The A2 group genes showed different expression profiles under drought and salt stress， and ZjDREB4 was significantly up-regulated. Together， these results lay a foundation for further exploration of the functions of ZjDREB genes and provide avenues for the genetic improvement of Z. japonica. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

The changes of serum biochemical indexes， oxidation resistance and immune property in pre- and post-weaning lambs Jin-shun ZHAN, Hao-yun JIANG, Hai-bo WANG, Hao-bin JIA, Yue PAN, Xiao-jun ZHONG, Jun-hong HUO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 202-211.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024266 Abstract （289）   HTML （2）    PDF （533KB）（285）       Knowledge map    Save This study investigated the changes in serum biochemical indexes， and antioxidant and immune properties in pre- and post-weaning lambs， analyzed the incidence of early weaning stress in lambs， with the aim providing a theoretical basis for nutritional regulation of weaning stress in lambs. Twelve healthy Hu lambs with the same birth date and similar body weight were chosen and weaned at 30 days of age. The serum of lambs was collected prior to weaning （Day 0） and at 3， 6 and 15 days post-weaning for measurement of biochemical parameters， hormone concentrations， and antioxidant and immune properties. The following results were obtained： 1） Compared with Day 0， serum alanine aminotransferase activity of lambs at Day 15 after weaning was significantly decreased （P<0.05） and serum alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity and total protein content of lambs at Day 6 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Serum total cholesterol content of lambs at Day 6 was significantly higher than that of other groups （P<0.05）. Serum urea nitrogen content increased gradually with post-weaning time， but blood glucose did not differ among groups （P>0.05）. 2） Compared with Day 3 post-weaning， serum triiodothyronine of lambs at Day 15 was significantly increased （P<0.05）. Similarly， Day 15 tetraiodothyronine concentration of lambs was increased relative to Day 6. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 was significantly lower at Day 6 than at Days 0 or 3 （P<0.05）， but epinephrine concentration did not differ among groups （P>0.05）. 3） Compared with Day 0， serum total antioxidant capacity， glutathione peroxidase and catalase （CAT） activities of lambs at Day 3 was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， but superoxide dismutase and CAT activities of lambs at Day 15 was significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with Day 0， serum malondialdehyde concentration of lambs at Day 3 was significantly increased （P<0.05）， but nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 concentration at Days 6 and 15 was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Serum heme oxygenase-1 concentration of lambs at Day 0 was significantly lower than that of other groups （P<0.05）. 4） Compared with Day 3， serum immunoglobulin A concentration of lambs at Day 15 was significantly increased （P<0.05）， and immunoglobulin G concentrations of lambs at Days 6 and 15 were also significantly increased （P<0.05）， while immunoglobulin M did not differ between groups （P>0.05）. The immune cell CD 4+ T-lymphocyte concentration and CD 4+ T-lymphocyte∶CD 8+ at Day 0 were significantly lower （P<0.05） than those at other times， with the highest values observed at Day 6. The CD 8+ T-lymphocyte concentration did not differ among groups （P>0.05）. 5） Serum interleukin-1β concentration of lambs at Day 3 was significantly higher than at other times， but interferon gamma concentration was lowest at Day 3. Compared with Day 3， the concentrations of interleukin-2， interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α at Days 6 and 15 were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with Day 0， the concentrations of interleukin-8 and interleukin-22 at Days 3， 6 and 15 were significantly increased （P<0.05）， but the serum nuclear factor kappa-B concentrations were decreased. Compared with Day 0， the concentration of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 at Days 6 and 15 was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. In summary， early weaning decreased the body antioxidant and immune capacities and enhanced the inflammatory responses of lambs. The antioxidant， anti-inflammatory and immune capacities of the lambs were recovered with the passage of time after weaning. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 189-200.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024187 Abstract （318）   HTML （7）    PDF （2310KB）（271）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Functional identification of the role of soybean gene GmPP2C28 in the nitrogen-fixation process of Lotus japonicus Dan-xia KE, Shi-bo HOU, Zhao-yuan ZHOU, Yun-hao MA, Zhi-jie CHEN, Xiao-li SONG, Jia-nuo LIN Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 164-173.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024427 Abstract （126）   HTML （8）    PDF （2582KB）（269）       Knowledge map    Save Protein phosphatase 2C （PP2C） is a crucial serine/threonine protein phosphatase in plants. These enzymes are encoded by a large gene family， and they play key roles in plant development and various stress responses. However， there is relatively little research on the role of PP2Cs in the formation of nodules in the symbiotic relationship between leguminous plants and rhizobia. Previously， a soybean （Glycine max） PP2C family gene GmPP2C28 was cloned and its expression was confirmed to be induced by rhizobia. In this study， we constructed a plant overexpression vector p1302G-GmPP2C28 and obtained transgenic Lotus japonicus plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA1334-mediated transformation of hairy roots. The transgenic GmPP2C28-expressing plants formed significantly more nodules than did those transformed with the empty vector， and the transcript level of the nodule indicator gene also tended to be higher in the transgenic plants than in the empty vector control plants. Methylamine blue staining of nodule slices revealed that overexpression of GmPP2C28 significantly increased the number of bacteroids in the infected area of the nodules. Analyses of nodule nitrogenase activity revealed that overexpression of GmPP2C28 significantly increased nitrogenase activity in mature and senescent nodules. Together， these results show that heterologous expression of GmPP2C28 in L. japonicus significantly increased the numbers of nodules and filamentous bacteria in the root nodules. In addition， overexpression of GmPP2C28 significantly increased nitrogenase activity in mature and decaying nodules， thereby greatly delaying nodule aging. The findings of this study identify a new candidate gene for creating excellent varieties of L. japonicus and other legume species with strong biological nitrogen fixation. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Spatio-temporal variation of grassland above-ground biomass and its response to climate change in the Three-River Source region Zhe WANG, Jing WANG, Yao-wen XIE, Hui-fang ZHAO, Rui-xiang XIAO, Cai-wen-qiu-zang ZONGSA Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2026, 35 (1): 1-12.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025087 Abstract （230）   HTML （51）    PDF （6108KB）（269）       Knowledge map    Save The aim of this research was to better understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of grassland above-ground biomass （AGB） and its response to climate change in the Three-River Source region. We integrated ground-based observations from 15 ecological and meteorological stations in Qinghai Province with remotely sensed AGB estimates from 2003 to 2022. We then systematically analyzed the spatial distribution， interannual trends， and the response of AGB to variations in growing-season temperature and precipitation. It was found that： 1） According to station observations， the multi-year average AGB ranged from 606.4 to 7545.8 kg·ha-1， with higher values at eastern and southern sites and lower values in the northwest. From 2003 to 2022， most stations exhibited an increasing trend in AGB， with the most significant increase observed at Nangqên station. 2） The remotely sensed results revealed a distinct spatial pattern of AGB characterized by higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest. High-biomass areas were mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the study region， whereas low-biomass areas were distributed in the north and southwest， with the lowest levels in the western alpine steppe. Over the past two decades， the regional AGB showed a weak increasing trend， with no significant change in more than 80% of the area， and a significantly increasing trend in 6.84% of the area-mainly in the east and south. 3） Partial correlation analysis showed that grassland AGB in the study area exhibited positive correlations with growing-season temperature and precipitation. Specifically， the correlation coefficient between AGB and growing-season precipitation （0.24） was higher than that between AGB and temperature （0.10）， indicating that precipitation was the primary factor driving the increase in AGB in this region. Areas with significantly positive correlations between grassland AGB and temperature were mainly distributed in the eastern parts of the study area， whereas regions with significantly positive correlations between AGB and precipitation were concentrated in the western and northern areas. These findings provide a scientific basis and decision-making support for grassland conservation， resource management， and climate adaptation strategies in the Three-River Source region. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of substituting mulberry silage for soybean meal on blood indexes， rumen fermentation， and rumen bacteria of goats Peng-fei CAO, Shui-ping WANG, Qiao-shen HUANG, Shi-long ZHOU, Zhuan LUO, Ying REN, Yong LIU, Tie-jun LI, Shao-xun TANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 213-228.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024426 Abstract （152）   HTML （22）    PDF （3476KB）（255）       Knowledge map    Save We investigated the effects on the blood biochemical indexes， antioxidant indexes， rumen fermentation indexes， and rumen bacteria of two different ratios of mulberry silage as a replacement for soybean meal in the diet of Xiangdong black goats. Forty-five healthy Xiangdong black goat rams aged 5-6 months with similar body weight （18.2±1.6 kg） were randomly divided into three groups： a control group （group CK）， a 50% replacement group （group S1） and a 100% replacement group （group S2）. The pre-test period was 7 days， and the formal experimental period was 55 days. The remaining feed from the previous day was weighed every morning before feeding and the goats were weighed every 2 weeks. On the morning of the 54th day of the formal test period， blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each goat. Rumen fluid was collected orally 3 hours after morning feeding on the 54th day and before morning feeding on the 55th day of the formal experimental period for the determination of blood indexes， rumen fermentation indexes， and rumen microbial composition. The results showed that the final body weight， average daily gain， and dry matter intake were significantly higher in the S1 and S2 groups than in the CK group （P<0.05）. The serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in group S2 than in the CK group and group S1 （P<0.05）， and serum albumin and cholinesterase concentrations were significantly higher in group S2 than in the CK group （P<0.05）. The total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in groups S1 and S2 than in the CK group （P<0.05）， but the malondialdehyde content was significantly higher in group S2 than in the CK group （P<0.05）. As the amount of mulberry protein in the diet increased， the molar ratio of acetic acid to isovaleric acid decreased significantly （P<0.05）， and the molar ratio of propionic acid to valeric acid increased. The replacement of soybean meal in the diet with mulberry silage did not affect the alpha diversity of rumen microorganisms （P>0.05）. The dominant taxa in the three groups were Bacteroidota and Bacillota. With increasing amounts of mulberry silage in the diet， the abundance of Bacillota increased significantly （P<0.05）， and the abundance of Bacteroidota decreased significantly （P<0.05）. The dominant bacteria in the three groups were Xylanibacter， Butyrivibrio， Segatella，Succiniclasticum， Fibrobacter， and Olivibacter. The abundance of Butyrivibrio was significantly higher in group S2 than in the CK group and group S1 （P<0.05）， and that of Olivibacter was significantly lower in group S2 than in the CK group and group S1 （P<0.05）. These results show that replacing soybean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of goats improved their metabolism and increased their antioxidant capacity without affecting the alpha diversity of their rumen microorganisms. Therefore， this resource has promising applications in ruminant breeding. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Impacts of shrub encroachment on the fraction and stability of soil organic carbon of grassland on the Loess Plateau， and the underlying microbial mechanisms Yu-du JING, Xiao-wei LIU, Ke LIANG, Jun-hao FENG, Qiang YU, Liang GUO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (12): 1-15.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025034 Abstract （215）   HTML （20）    PDF （4856KB）（249）       Knowledge map    Save Shrub encroachment is significantly affecting carbon cycling in grassland ecosystems worldwide， yet its impact on the components and stability of grassland soil organic carbon， and particularly the underlying microbial regulatory mechanisms， remains insufficiently studied. In this study， we focused on the semi-arid grassland of the central Loess Plateau， and analyzed the effects of shrub encroachment on various soil physicochemical and biological properties， organic carbon components and their proportions， microbial community structure， functions， and trophic types， as well as the underlying microbial regulatory mechanisms. The results show that shrub encroachment significantly increased the total organic carbon， dissolved organic carbon， mineral-associated organic carbon （MAOC）， and particulate organic carbon （POC） contents in soil， and the relative proportion of MAOC， but significantly decreased the relative proportion of POC. Furthermore， shrub encroachment significantly altered the bacterial and fungal community composition by affecting soil physicochemical properties， with different impacts on the relative abundance of amplicon sequence variants of different phyla. Shrub encroachment enhanced soil bacterial nitrification， sulfur oxidation， and iron respiration functions， as well as the abundance of fungal saprotrophic and woody saprotrophic type functions， but reduced the abundance of bacterial methylotrophy and aromatic compound degradation functions. The soil microbial residue carbon and bacterial functions were significantly correlated with the contents and proportions of POC and MAOC. A partial least squares path analysis showed that extracellular enzyme activity and microbial residue carbon， related to carbon cycling， were the microbial factors directly regulating the contents and relative proportions of soil organic carbon components， whereas microbial community composition influenced these processes indirectly. These results indicate that shrub encroachment not only increases the total amount of soil carbon and the contents of soil organic carbon components in grassland soils， but also significantly enhances the stability of the soil carbon pool， with extracellular enzymes secreted by soil microbes and microbial residue carbon playing crucial regulatory roles. The findings of this study provide new information about the mechanisms by which microbes regulate organic carbon components in grassland soils under shrub encroachment. These results provide theoretical support for predicting future changes in the soil carbon pool of shrub-encroached grassland on the Loess Plateau. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 16-26.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024223 Abstract （421）   HTML （42）    PDF （3187KB）（243）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effect of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and phosphorus on non-structural carbohydrate content and the carbon∶nitrogen∶phosphorus stoichiometry of alfalfa roots Kong-qin WEI, Ying-ying ZHANG, Jin-feng HUI, Chun-hui MA, Qian-bing ZHANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (5): 40-50.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024221 Abstract （231）   HTML （9）    PDF （4600KB）（242）       Knowledge map    Save The aim of this study was to determine the effects of phosphorus fertilizer applied with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on the non-structural carbohydrate content and stoichiometric characteristics of alfalfa （Medicago sativa） roots. An experiment with a two-factor completely randomized design was established with two phosphorus （P2O5） fertilizer levels： 0 （P0） and 100 mg·kg-1 （P1）； and four inoculation treatments： no inoculation （J0）， single inoculation with Bacillus mucilaginosus （J1）， single inoculation with Bacillus megaterium （J2） and mixed inoculation （J3）， making a total of eight treatments. The root vigor， contents of soluble sugars， soluble protein， starch， and malondialdehyde， and the contents of carbon （C）， nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） in the rhizosphere soil and roots of alfalfa were determined. Two-way ANOVA showed that phosphorus application and bacterial inoculation significantly affected the root vigor， the contents of malondialdehyde， soluble sugars， and starch in the roots， rhizosphere soil N∶P， and root C∶N， C∶P， and N∶P （P<0.05）， but did not significantly affect the root soluble protein content （P>0.05）. Further analyses showed that at the same level of phosphorus application， inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria increased alfalfa root vigor， soluble sugar content， and soluble protein content （except for J2P0 and J2P1）； increased root starch content （except for J1P1）； increased rhizosphere soil and root C， N， and P contents （except for root C in J2P1 and root N content in J1P0 and J2P0）； and increased rhizosphere soil C∶P （except for J3P0） and N∶P； but reduced the rhizosphere soil C∶N and root malondialdehyde content （except for J1P1 and J2P1）. Under the same inoculation treatment， phosphorus application increased root vigor and the contents of soluble sugars， soluble protein， and starch in the roots， increased rhizosphere soil C and P and root N and P contents， and decreased root C∶N， C∶P， N∶P， malondialdehyde content， and rhizosphere soil N∶P， compared with their respective values in the no-phosphorus control. On the basis of these comprehensive analyses， the treatments could be ranked， from the highest composite score to lowest， as follows： J3P1>J2P1>J1P1>J0P1>J3P0>J2P0>J1P0>J0P0. In conclusion， phosphorus application （100 mg·kg-1） and mixed inoculation with B. mucilaginosus and B. megaterium effectively increased the nutrient content of alfalfa rhizosphere soil and increased the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates in alfalfa roots. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

A study of functional group diversity and productivity of alpine grassland in Qilian Mountain National Park Shun-hua LUO, Xin-yu LIU, Bao-ping MENG, Xuan-li CHEN, Ren-jie HU, Hong-yan YU, Xian-ying WANG, Bo ZHANG, Yu QIN Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (6): 14-26.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024286 Abstract （442）   HTML （21）    PDF （3385KB）（226）       Knowledge map    Save Species diversity plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem function of grasslands and the role of the Qilian Mountains as an ecological barrier. However， our understanding about the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem productivity and the mechanisms involved in maintaining that balance remain limited in this region. Using aerial photography by a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle and field sampling at seven typical alpine grassland sites in Qilian Mountain National Park in mid-to-late July 2023， we first analyzed the plant community composition of the seven alpine grassland sites， then evaluated the species richness and above-ground biomass of plant functional groups， and finally quantified the influence and mechanism of action of functional group species diversity on productivity. Results show that： 1） The vegetation height in alpine desert was significantly higher than in other grassland types. However， mountain meadow had the highest vegetation cover， species richness and aboveground biomass， with mean values of 91.73%， 16 species and 179.19 g·m-2， respectively. The plant density of alpine swamp meadow was the highest， being up to 4111 plants·m-2. 2） Forbs were found to be the main functional groups in most types of alpine grassland. In mountain meadows， the species richness of forbs was 8， which accounted for about 50% of the total species richness. The sedges contributed more than 90% of the total aboveground biomass in alpine swamp meadow， nevertheless， the sedges gradually decreased and the grasses increased in series represented by alpine meadow， alpine meadow steppe and alpine steppe grasslands. There were only 2-3 functional groups in alpine desert and alpine desert grassland， resulting in few species. Productivity was also low. 3） Species richness of community and functional groups positively correlated with aboveground biomass， indicating that maintaining plant functional group species diversity was conducive to improving ecosystem productivity. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Plant community characteristics and niches in mountain meadows of Wugong Mountain Ze-yu XIANG, Zhong-bing TANG, Xin-heng PENG, Xiao-long YANG, Chuang-ming YANG, Xiang-dong QIU, Chun-fa CHEN, Yan-song PENG, Sai-xia ZHOU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (9): 12-25.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024421 Abstract （184）   HTML （9）    PDF （2408KB）（225）       Knowledge map    Save The meadows of Wugong Mountain represent a rare typical natural grassland in southeast China， and constitute a significant part of the diversity of mountain ecosystem types in this area. However， our understanding of the overall composition and structure of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain remains limited. Therefore， for appropriate conservation and management， it is important to explore the diversity， niches， and structural quality of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain. Three transects （E1： 1380-1580 m， E2： 1580-1780 m， E3： 1780-1918 m） were established along an elevational gradient across the whole range of meadows from the forest-grass ecotone to the top of the mountain. Ten survey plots were established along each transect， and aspects of the community and terrain were recorded （species composition， height， and coverage， as well as the altitude， longitude， latitude， slope， and aspect of each plot）. The changes in diversity （α， β）， species’ niches， and interspecific competition in the meadow plant community along the elevational gradient were evaluated. The results showed that the meadow community structure varied gradually with the increase in elevation. The α diversity increased significantly with increasing elevation， whereas the community variability （β diversity） decreased significantly. The meadow plant community on shady slopes showed higher species richness. Analysis of interspecific competition in the meadow community revealed the wide niche and large overlap coefficient of the high-quality grasses Miscanthus sinensis and Arundinella hirta. These two species showed an absolute advantage and were the most representative dominant species across the meadows. The meadow community environment also provided a refuge for the survival of three orchid species （Ponerorchis gracilis， Platanthera minor， and Platanthera ussuriensis）， while invasive plants such as Erigeron canadensis and Bidens pilosa were also relatively common. The results of this study show that the overall quality and structure of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain are excellent， as well as， the meadow community is at risk of degradation. We recommend that comprehensive protection and management of these mountain meadows should be strengthened， especially in the section from 1800 m to the highest peak， Jinding. This area should be the key focus for meadow protection because it has the largest aboveground biomass of the meadow plant community， the richest species diversity， and the most stable community. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Impact of shrub encroachment on soil hydrological processes in grassland Xue-xi MA, Ying-zhi GAO Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 212-222.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024201 Abstract （429）   HTML （17）    PDF （1100KB）（216）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of different livestock classes on species diversity， niches， and interspecific associations in alpine grassland Bin FENG, Xiao-xia YANG, Yu-zhen LIU, Wen-ting LIU, Wei-dong LYU, Yan-fen ZHANG, Quan-min DONG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (8): 1-14.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024363 Abstract （240）   HTML （35）    PDF （3879KB）（211）       Knowledge map    Save This study aimed to investigate the effects of livestock classes and their combinations on species diversity， ecological niches， and interspecific associations in alpine grasslands under moderate grazing conditions， and to explore the mechanisms that sustain the stability of alpine grasslands under such conditions. Six treatments were established based on moderate grazing intensity： yak-only grazing， Tibetan sheep-only grazing， mixed yak-Tibetan sheep grazing at ratios of 1∶6， 1∶4， and 1∶2， and an ungrazed control. The results indicate that： 1） The 12 plant species with higher importance values exhibited broader niche widths within the community； 2） There was a significant positive correlation between species importance value and niche width （P<0.05）； 3） Overall community associations showed significant negative correlations， while interspecific associations were predominantly characterized by non-significant negative correlations； 4） A significant positive correlation was detected between niche similarity/overlap values and interspecific associations； 5） The niche characteristics and interspecific associations of community species suggested that well-structured spatial arrangements and interspecific relationships of dominant species enhanced the stability of the grassland ecosystem. The sensitivity of alpine grassland ecosystems to moderate grazing disturbance decreased progressively from species to functional groups to the entire community. As a consequence of the broad niche widths and weak interspecific associations of dominant plant species， there were no significant differences among the grazing treatments. Under moderate grazing conditions， different grazing methods effectively maintained the diversity and stability of alpine grassland ecosystems. From a vegetation perspective， the weak interspecific relationships and strong resource competition within the community significantly enhanced its resistance to disturbances. The results of this study provide insights into the mechanisms by which alpine grasslands maintain biodiversity and stability during grazing disturbances， and emphasize the roles of species’ niches and interspecific associations. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

An investigation into the health of synthetic grassland ecosystems in high-alpine regions under varied fertilization and mixed planting circumstances recovering from coal mining damage Ting LI, Xin-guang YANG, Cheng-wei DUAN, Hua-fang SUN, Tao GAO, Tong-de CHEN, Kai YANG, Qian-hui YANG Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (10): 16-29.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024455 Abstract （228）   HTML （29）    PDF （4222KB）（210）       Knowledge map    Save The restoration of ecosystems in damaged alpine coal mining areas is a global problem. It is important to ensure the stability of ecosystems in mining areas by optimizing restoration measures. In this study， three sowing methods were implemented， namely： i） revegetation by sowing four gramineous species （Elymus breviaristatus， Poa crymophila， Poa pratensis， Festuca sinensis； gramineous grasslands， designated H）， ii） sowing three Fabaceae species （Medicago ruthenica， Melilotus officinalis， Medicago sativa； leguminous grassland， designated B）， and iii） sowing four Poaceae and three Fabaceae species （gramineous and leguminous grasslands， designated HB）. Additionally， utilizing different proportions of sheep manure and slag soil， four fertilization levels were implemented， namely （sheep manure ： slag soil） heavy fertilization （1∶5， F1）， medium fertilization （1∶8， F2）， light fertilization （1∶11， F3）， and no fertilization （F4）. Hence， 12 different restoration treatments were generated by factorial combination of these three sowing and four fertilizing methods. The variation in herbage growth and soil properties under the different restoration treatments was evaluated and compared over a number of years. The ecosystem health evaluation was quantitatively judged by using the grassland ecosystem health assessment model OCVOR. The results showed that vegetation cover and aboveground biomass were optimized by the mixed sowing of Poaceae and Fabaceae under the heavy and medium fertilization levels （HBF1， HBF2） and increased with time from establishment. Levels of soil organic carbon， available nitrogen， available phosphorus， and available potassium were all substantially higher on the restoration plots after two years of restoration than after one year， but after three years had declined again to levels similar to those measured after one year. In the third year of restoration， the levels of soil organic carbon and available nitrogen were progressively increased （P<0.05） with increased fertilization level， while the law of changes in available phosphorus and available potassium were not significant. The OCVOR index of gramineous grassland under the heavy， medium， and light fertilization （HF1， HF2， HF3）， and also of the leguminous grassland under the heavy fertilization （BF1） increased significantly （P<0.05） with the years of restoration. Additionally， the OCVOR index of gramineous and leguminous grassland increased significantly under the heavy， medium and light fertilization （HBF1， HBF2， HBF3） （P<0.01） over time. Except for the treatment BF1， the ecosystem health status and recovery under the treatments HF1， HF2， HF3， HBF1， HBF2 and HBF3 were determined to be unhealthy. Corresponding to these evaluation results， the OCVOR index under the same six treatments increased by 28.61%， 33.03%， 11.46%， 38.96%， 33.79% and 9.83%， respectively， after 3 years of restoration， compared to the first year of restoration. Moreover， the biggest increases were seen under the HBF1 treatment. Overall， the treatment comprising mixed sowing of Poaceae and Fabaceae under the heavy fertilization level （HBF1） was found to be most conducive to the health and stability of the ecosystem in the Muli mining area. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 0-.   Abstract （65）      PDF （762KB）（201）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of partial replacement of chemical nitrogen fertilizers with green manure on soil physical properties and maize （ Zea mays） yield Wen-li QIN, Jing ZHANG, Guang-min XIAO, Su-qian CUI, Jian-xun YE, Jian-fei ZHI, Li-feng ZHANG, Nan XIE, Wei FENG, Zhen-yu LIU, Xuan PAN, Yun-xia DAI, Zhong-kuan LIU Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (6): 27-45.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024399 Abstract （258）   HTML （7）    PDF （5870KB）（196）       Knowledge map    Save The partial replacement of chemical nitrogen fertilizers with green manure can improve crop yields and soil physical properties. A two-factor split-plot field experiment with maize and hairy vetch was conducted from 2020 to 2022. The main treatment was the cultivation mode before maize planting ［winter fallow field （FF） and total return of hairy vetch planted in the winter fallow field （HV）］ and the sub-treatment was the nitrogen application level ［0 kg·ha-1 （0%N）， 135.0 kg·ha-1 （50%N）， 270.0 kg·ha-1 （100%N）］ to maize as the following crop. The soil physical properties were determined by measuring soil aggregate composition and distribution， mean weight diameter （MWD） and geometric mean diameter （GMD） of aggregates， percentage of aggregate destruction （PAD）， soil erodibility factor （K）， soil bulk density （BD）， total porosity （TP）， capillary porosity （CP）， non-capillary porosity （NCP）， maximum water holding capacity （MWHC）， capillary water holding capacity （CWHC）， non-capillary water holding capacity （NCWHC）， soil organic carbon （SOC） content， and aggregate-associated organic carbon （AOC） content in the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons. Maize yield was also determined. The results showed that， compared with FF， HV significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregates （R0.25） in the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons by 8.95% and 13.13%， MWD by 40.84% and 62.87%， GMD by 30.57% and 51.68%， TP by 5.89% and 5.02%， CP by 1.47% and 0.76%， NCP by 4.42% and 4.25%， MWHC by 15.01% and 13.11%， CWHC by 6.41% and 3.32%， NCWHC by 27.08% and 27.86%， and SOC content by 7.29% and 7.10%， respectively； and significantly reduced PAD by 8.83% and 12.14%， K by 20.79% and 30.73%， and BD by 5.99% and 7.31%， respectively. The AOC content of each particle size fraction in each soil layer and maize yield were significantly higher in HV than in FF. The nitrogen application level had significant or extremely significant impacts on the AOC content of each particle size fraction in each soil layer， R0.25， and other soil physical indexes and maize yield. The following indexes were not significantly different between the FF100%N and HV50%N treatments： SOC content， AOC contents of the >5 mm fraction of the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons， AOC content of the 0.50-1.00 mm fraction of the 0-10 cm soil horizon， the BD， TP， CP， NCP， MWD， CWHC， NCWHC of the 10-20 cm soil horizon， and maize yield. However， the following indexes were higher in the HV50%N treatment than in the FF100%N treatment： AOC contents of the 2.00-5.00 mm， 1.00-2.00 mm， 0.25-0.50 mm， and <0.25 mm fractions of the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizon， AOC content of the 0.50-1.00 mm fraction of the 10-20 cm soil horizon， the R0.25， MWD， and GMD of the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons， and the TP， NCP， MWHC， and NCWHC of the 0-10 cm horizon. The PAD and K of the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons and the BD of the 0-10 cm soil horizon were significantly lower in HV50%N than in FF100%N. There were significant or extremely significant correlations between the AOC content of each particle size fraction and SOC content； the content of each particle size fraction and the AOC content； soil physical property indexes and the content of each particle size fraction； and maize yield and soil physical property indexes. The increased SOC content after returning green manure laid the foundation for improved aggregate structure， enhancing soil erosion resistance and WHC. The addition of nitrogen and organic carbon derived from green manure improved the soil’s physical properties. The use of green manure achieved the aims of reducing chemical nitrogen inputs and increasing yield. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Soil pH distribution characteristics and environmental factors influencing it in sandy desert grassland in the Junggar Basin Yi-sheng JING, Zong-jiu SUN, Hui-xia LIU, Didaer·Bisulidan, Mei-sha LI, Chen-ye ZHOU, Lei ZHOU, Bing-jie YU, You-zheng LI, Li ZHENG, Asitaiken·Julihaiti Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (7): 54-68.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024335 Abstract （162）   HTML （13）    PDF （5729KB）（196）       Knowledge map    Save The aim of this study was to explore the distribution characteristics of soil pH and the factors affecting it in sandy desert grassland in the Junggar Basin. First， 136 sample plots were selected and established by a route survey combined with a typical sample plot layout， and the pH of soil samples collected from 0 to 100 cm depth in each plot was measured. Environmental factors such as temperature， vegetation cover， and species richness were determined， and meteorological data were collected. The factors affecting the spatial variation of soil pH were explored on the basis of the environmental and meteorological data and “3S” technology， using one-way ANOVA， geostatistical analysis， and geographical detectors drawing on a range of remote sensing data and analytical tools. The results showed the range of soil pH in each soil layer from 0 to 100 cm was 8.54-8.76， and the average value was 8.66. The soil pH showed an upward trend as the soil depth increased. The soil pH of the small arbor group （8.71） was 1.02 times that of the shrub group （8.54） and 1.01 times that of the subshrub group （8.59） （P<0.05）. Analyses of soil pH distribution showed that alkaline soil （pH 7.5-8.5） was mainly distributed in the northern part of Jimunai County， the southern part of Fuhai County， and the northern part of Karamay City around the Junggar Basi， and strongly alkaline soil （pH>8.5） was mainly distributed in Fukang City， Hutubi County， Manas County， Fuyun County， and other areas. Semi-variance variation analysis showed that the nugget effect of the optimal model of soil pH in the 0-100 cm soil layer was 49.91%， indicating that its spatial variation was affected by both structural factors and random factors. Geographic detector analysis showed that the main environmental factors contributing to the spatial variation of soil pH were mean average temperature （0.159）， vegetation coverage （0.152）， snow water equivalent （0.085）， root soil moisture （0.076）， and species richness index （0.066）. The results of this study add new information about the distribution of soil pH to the database for sandy desert grassland in Junggar Basin， and reveal the main factors contributing to variations in soil pH. These findings provide a theoretical basis for sandy desert management and ecological restoration. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

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 Acta Prataculturae Sinica    2025, 34 (4): 175-188.   DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024194 Abstract （291）   HTML （5）    PDF （3600KB）（195）       Knowledge map    Save 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. Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics