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    20 December 2021, Volume 30 Issue 12
    Research into herdsmens’ decisions on livestock reduction and factors influencing their behavior, from a capital endowment perspective
    Shi-qi GUAN, Rui-tong DONG, Zeng TANG
    2021, 30(12):  5-16.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020449
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    Using sample data for 183 herdsmen in the Nagqu region of Tibet on the Tibetan Plateau, a ‘double-hurdle’ model was used to explore the impact of various capital endowment factors on herders’ decisions to reduce livestock numbers. It was found that: 1) In the sample area, pastoral households have a high willingness to reduce livestock: 61.40% of herdsmen are willing to reduce livestock numbers, and of the herdsmen who are willing to reduce livestock, 67.16% are willing to reduce the number of livestock to 30% or less of the current breeding numbers. 2) Considering economic capital, the animal husbandry income and the value of real estate owned have a significant positive correlation with herdsmens’ willingness to reduce livestock, while family loans, government subsidies and the number of livestock owned have a significant negative association with the herdsman’s willingness to reduce livestock numbers. For those herdsmen willing to reduce livestock numbers, household loans, household savings, and fixed assets have a significant inhibitory effect on the herdsmens’ livestock reduction. 3) With respect to cultural capital, the level of education has a significant effect on the herdsmens’ willingness to reduce livestock numbers. 4) With respect to social capital, institutional trust and social networking have a significant positive promotional effect on the willingness to reduce livestock numbers, while the interpersonal network has a significant inhibitory effect on the willingness to reduce livestock numbers. Where herdsmen are willing to reduce livestock numbers, moral restraint has a significant inhibitory effect on herders’ reduction of livestock numbers.

    Analysis of driving factors that influence the pattern and quality of the ecosystem in Xilingol League
    Ya-hong LIU, Lei SHI, Hong CHANG, Yu XIE, La WEI, Hai-lian SUN, Xiu ZHAI
    2021, 30(12):  17-26.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020309
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    The pattern and quality of ecosystems would change due to the coupling effects of natural and human activities, and their changes would directly affect ecosystem services and human well-being. Located in the central region of Inner Mongolia, Xilingol League is an important ecological security barrier for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and is also a major source of livestock products. It is of great significance to study the evolution and driving factors of the ecological pattern of the Xilingol League to build an ecological security barrier in northern Inner Mongolia. In this study, the remote sensing image was used to analyze the changes in ecosystem types and quality of 2000 and 2015 and analyzed the effects of multiple factors included resource development, urbanization development, and policy implementation on the evolution of the ecosystem in Xilingol League. Results showed that the overall quality of the ecosystem in the Xilingol League was improved in 2000-2015, and the quality of grassland ecosystems improved most in the middle and eastern regions. The area of grasslands, shrubs, towns, bare land, wetlands, forests, and mining areas showed an increasing trend, but the area of farmland, sand, and water showed a decreasing trend. The pattern and quality of the ecosystem in the Xilingol League were affected by the interaction of human and natural factors, which had a positive relationship with precipitation while correlated negatively with temperature. There was a positive correlation between the GDP and mining area ecosystem, and the policy of returning farmland to grassland had prompted the transfer of farmland to grassland.

    Spring phenological characteristics of dandelion and plantain in Shandong Province and their responses to climate change
    Wen-hui GUO, Run-yuan GU, Feng DING
    2021, 30(12):  27-38.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020471
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    This study utilized data from phenological observations of dandelion and plantain in Shandong Province from 2000 to 2015 and meteorological data for the same period, to discern factors influencing the phenological variation in spring development of these two plant species. Analytical methods employed included an empirical orthogonal function (EOF), Pearson correlation and partial least squares regression (PLS). It was found that: 1) From 2000 to 2015, dandelion and plantain showed a tendency to delayed germination and leaf expansion, which was more obvious in coastal areas. Seasonal timing of florescence was also linked to interannual climate variation at specific sites. 2) Increase in average temperature in winter and February significantly promoted the germination and leaf expansion of the two plant species. Germination, leaf expansion, and early florescence showed a significant negative correlation with cumulative precipitation in January, and germination and leaf expansion also showed a significant negative correlation with sunshine duration in winter. Beside the heat accumulation in winter, the average temperature and active accumulated temperature in March was positively correlated with the early florescence, the influence was gradually stronger from eastern to western Shandong, especially for plantain. 3) Fitted results of the PLS regression model for phenology of dandelion and plantain showed that: the ‘variable importance of projection’ (VIP) values of the average temperature in February, the average temperature in winter, the average surface soil temperature at 0 cm in winter, and positive accumulated temperature in winter were all greater than 1 in the early period of germination and leaf expansion. The VIP values of the average temperature and accumulated growing degree days in March, the average temperature in winter and the average soil surface temperature in winter were all greater than 1 in the early florescence.

    Effects of different mixed planting ratios on vegetation and soil characteristics of sown pasture in the Sanjiangyuan region
    Wen LI, Ting-hu WEI, Yongcuobazhan, Cairentaci, Yu-hai ZHOU, Yan-ping ZHANG, Wen-hao LI, Wei-xing GUO
    2021, 30(12):  39-48.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021243
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    Establishing pastures by cultivation and sowing a mixture of perennial grass species is an effective measure to restore degraded grassland in the black soil zone of the Sanjiangyuan region. However, the changes in vegetation and soil nutrient characteristics under different mixed planting ratios are still unclear. Therefore, in the current study, Elymus nutansFestuca sinensis and Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai were used to establish mixed swards at the rates of 1∶1∶1 (M4), 2∶1∶1 (M5), 1∶2∶1 (M6), 1∶1∶2 (M7), 2∶2∶1 (M8), 2∶1∶2 (M9) and 1∶2∶2 (M10) (the seed mixture ratios were calculated by weight of seed). A monoculture of each component species was used as the control. The monoculture seeding rates of E. nutansF. sinensis and P. pratensis cv. Qinghai were 30, 20 and 10 kg·ha-1, respectively. We measured the differences in productivity, species diversity, the transgressive overyielding effect, net effect of biodiversity (composed of a complementarity effect and a selection effect) and soil nutrients in the different mixed planting ratios. The multi-criteria decision model TOPSIS was used for multivariate data evaluation to identify the best performing mixed planting ratio. It was found that aboveground biomass in the all seven mixed planting treatments were significantly higher than in the F. sinensis and P. pratensis cv. Qinghai monoculture treatments, but significantly lower than in the monoculture of E. nutans. The highest aboveground biomass among the mixed swards was found in the M5, M8, M9 and M10 treatments. However, there was no significant difference in underground biomass among the seven mixed species swards sown. In the mixed treatments, only M5, M8, M9 and M10 treatments had over yielding, which ranged from 40.4-71.1 g·m–2. The net effect of biodiversity of M4 and M6 treatments were all less than 0, indicating that species competition in the community led to a decrease of community yield. However, the net effect of biodiversity of M7-M10 treatments were all greater than 0, indicating that the niche complementarity of species led to an increase of community yield. In the M8 and M9 treatments, the complementary and selection effects jointly contributed to the over yielding, while in M5 and M10 treatments, only the complementary effect was important and dominated the over yielding. The highest values of the content of organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus and available potassium in the topsoil were found in the M6, M7 and M10 treatments. The multivariate data evaluation with the TOPSIS model showed that the M10 treatment not only maintained high productivity and transgressive over yielding, but also significantly improved the soil nutrient status. This mixture is therefore recommended for the establishment of sown pasture in the Sanjiangyuan region.

    Responses of soil moisture to precipitation and infiltration in dry and wet alpine grassland ecosystems
    Ming-ming SHI, Xiao-min WANG, Qi CHEN, Bing-hong HAN, Bing-rong ZHOU, Jian-she XIAO, Hong-bin XIAO
    2021, 30(12):  49-58.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020436
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    This study investigated the dynamics of soil moisture response to rainfall in alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. Data on soil moisture at five soil depths (5, 10, 20, 30, 40 cm) and rainfall were collected from 2015 to 2017 at alpine grassland and marsh meadow sites over the Tibetan Plateau, and were used to analyze the response of soil moisture to rainfall events during the growing season, and explore the rainfall infiltration processes. Compared with grassland sites, the rainfall frequency at marsh meadow sites was higher, and the percentage of small rainfall events during the growing season was higher. The soil moisture responses to rainfall events at the grassland and marsh meadow sites differed greatly. Small rainfall events (≤5 mm) only increased soil moisture in the 0-5 cm soil layer at the grassland sites, but weakly replenished soil moisture in all soil profile layers to 40 cm depth at the swamp meadow sites. Soil moisture to a depth of 10 cm increased significantly after rainfall events of between 5 and 10 mm at the grassland sites. Soil moisture at depths from 10 to 40 cm at grassland sites increased obviously with rainfall events larger than 10 mm. The increase in soil moisture content was more in the 30-40 cm soil layer than in the upper soil layers (0-30 cm) with rainfall events larger than 5 mm at swamp meadow sites. The increase in soil moisture at depths of 0-40 cm after rainfall was significantly positively correlated with the size and intensity of rainfall events at both sites (P<0.001). In addition, the soil moisture for the 0-10 cm depth before rainfall and air temperature obviously influenced the increase of soil moisture at two sites (P<0.05). Compared with the grassland sites, the wetting front moved faster in the marsh meadow soils. When a small rainfall event occurred, there was more water storage in the 0-40 cm soil horizons of the marsh meadow sites than at the grassland sites. When a large rainfall event occurred, the soil profile for the 0-40 cm horizons of marsh meadow sites had less water storage than the grassland sites. These results suggest that the high proportion of large rainfall events (>10 mm) occurring at grassland sites plays a key role in increasing soil water storage in grassland. In contrast, the higher frequency of rainfall events and deeper infiltration in marsh meadows result in those sites exhibiting more frequent and more rapid soil moisture gains and retaining the moisture more efficiently than the grassland sites. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the response patterns of soil moisture following precipitation in these alpine grassland and marsh meadow soils.

    Analysis of soil fertility and crop yield characteristics following long-term straw return to the field in a Hexi Oasis irrigated area
    Ke-sheng WU, Zong-xian CHE, Xing-guo BAO, Jiu-dong ZHANG, Bing-lin LU, Xin-qiang YANG, Rui-ju YANG
    2021, 30(12):  59-70.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020432
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    This paper reports a long-term (1988-2018) study of the effects of straw return, with and without fertilizer application, on productivity and soil nutrient status in a desert soil in the Hexi oasis irrigation area. The research was conducted to provide scientific data to inform management decisions on straw return and resource utilization. Data on soil fertility, crop yield, crop stability and sustainability were collected. Soil fertility data included total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and pH in the 0-20 cm soil horizon. Treatments included straw return with phosphorus fertilizer, straw return with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers; nitrogen and phosphorus and no fertilization. The effects of long-term straw return on evolution of soil nutrient status and crop yield in a wheat-maize inter-cropping system were studied. It was found that content of the soil and crop tissues, respectively, for organic matter increased by 73.3% and 25.8%, total nitrogen increased by 50.6% and 21.7%, total phosphorus increased by 22.5% and 3.8%, and total potassium content increased by 19.9% and 38.2%, compared with the initial value at the start of the experiment. Compared with CK, soil organic matter increased by 55.3% and 20.0%, total nitrogen increased by 28.8% and 15.9%, total phosphorus increased by 50.2% and 13.4% and total potassium increased by 23.5% and 0.2%. After nine successive years of straw return, the wheat yield decreased by 5.8% on average, but increased by 65.9% from the 10th year. The yield of maize decreased by 8.2% in 13 years, and then increased by 22.0% compared with CK. Long-term application of straw or straw N and P fertilizer resulted in better soil fertility than single application of chemical fertilizer, which can significantly increase soil organic matter content and soil fertility. Combined application of straw and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer greatly improved crop yield, stability and sustainability.

    Effects of biochar, phosphorus addition and AMF inoculation on switchgrass growth and soil properties under Cd stress
    Hong SUN, Yu-long ZHENG, Yan-li LIN, Chao CHEN, Fu-yu YANG
    2021, 30(12):  71-80.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020461
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    This research investigated the effects of phosphorus, biochar addition and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on the Cd tolerance of switchgrass. A pot experiment was conducted comprising four treatments: CK, 4.5% biochar (B), 60 mg·kg-1 phosphorus (P60), 4.5% biochar+60 mg·kg-1 phosphorus (B+P60), with or without AMF inoculation. Measurements made included plant growth, mineral concentration, Cd concentration, soil pH, available P and acid phosphatase, and forms of Cd present in the soil. It was found that P addition significantly increased root colonization, and the colonization reached 56.9% with the P60 treatment. Compared with CK, B, P60 and B+P60 treatments had no significant effects on plant height, leaf SPAD and biomass of switchgrass. The plant height, leaf SPAD and biomass of switchgrass increased significantly with AMF inoculation, but there were no significant differences among the treatments after AMF inoculation. Except for higher Se and Cd in shoot concentrations in P60 and B+P60 treatments, compared to CK, there were no significant differences between B, P60 and B+P60 treatments and the CK treatment for P, Se and Cd concentrations in shoot tissues. After AMF inoculation, the contents of Se and Cd under CK and B treatments in plants with AMF present were higher than those in plants uninoculated with AMF, and the concentrations of Cd in shoots of plants in the B+AM treatment were significantly higher than those of other treatments. However, the shoot concentrations of Se and Cd in plants in the P60 treatment were lower than those plants with no AMF present. In addition, the root Cd concentrations of B and B+P60 treatments were significantly higher than those of CK and P60 treatments, soil available P contents were higher than those of CK, and soil acid-extracted Cd concentrations were lower than those of CK and P60 treatments regardless of AMF inoculation status. The soil residual Cd concentrations of CK, B and B+P60 treatments with AMF inoculation were higher than corresponding non-inoculated treatments, but the residual Cd contents for the P60 treatment was lower than that of corresponding uninoculated treatment. In summary, B or B+P60 treatments increased the root Cd and soil available P concentrations, reduced the soil acid-extracted Cd contents; Combined with AMF, B or B+P60 treatment increased switchgrass biomass, shoot Se and Cd content, and increased soil residual Cd concentrations. Therefore, AMF inoculation of plants combined with biochar or biochar+phosphorus soil additions can increase the biomass and Cd uptake of switchgrass and reduce the soil Cd bio-availability. These findings are applicable to remediation of heavily Cd contaminated soils.

    Appropriate ratios of phosphate and potassium fertilizers and 50% return of rice straw enhanced yield and nutrient capture of Chinese milk vetch
    Fei WANG, Cai-ling LIU, Chun-mei HE, Qing-hua LI, Yu-jie LIU, Yi-bin HUANG
    2021, 30(12):  81-89.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020464
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    Chinese milk vetch (CMV) is the most important winter-grown green manure crop in the southern rice-cropping areas of China. This research investigated the appropriate ratio of phosphorus (P) to potassium (K) fertilizer during the cultivation of CMV, and the effect of rice straw (a substitute for K fertilizer) return to provide a basis for recommendations for efficient cultivation of CMV and reduction of chemical fertilizer use in Fujian paddy areas. A total of 12 treatments were established, including three phosphate fertilizer levels: 0, 15, 30 kg·ha-1 (P2O5), four potassium fertilizers levels: 0, 15, 30 kg·ha-1 (K2O) and 50% of rice straw from the preceding crop returned to the field. The agronomic characteristics, yield, nutrient content and nutrient capture of CMV were determined during the full-bloom period. It was found that, compared with no phosphate and potassium fertilizer (CK), the largest increases in plant height, stem diameter, plant number, and total branch number were obtained with ratios of phosphate:potassium fertilizers of, respectively, 6.2%, 5.9%, 8.1%, 6.5%. The yields of fresh and dry CMV (compared to CK) were increased by 1.3%-12.8% and 1.4%-15.1%, respectively, and the highest dry matter yield of CMV occurred in a treatment that combined 30 kg·ha-1 P fertilizer and 15 kg·ha-1 K fertilizer. Nutrient captures of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were highest in a treatment which combined 30 kg·ha-1 P and 30 kg·ha-1 K fertilizer, and were higher than in the CK treatment by 19.2%, 18.8% and 25.9%, respectively (P<0.05 in each case). The yield and nutrient capture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the treatment with 50% of rice straw returned to field were equivalent to those of the treatments with 15-30 kg·ha-1 K fertilizer. In summary, appropriate combinations of P and K fertilizer application improved the growth of CMV, and resulted in higher herbage yield and nutrient capture, than in CK. Moreover, 50% return was able to largely substitute application of K fertilizer during the cultivation of CMV. Based on yield, nutrient capture, chemical fertilizer reduction and cost saving, the optimal combination was 15 kg·ha-1 P and 15 kg·ha-1 K fertilizer (or 50% rice straw return to the field in lieu of K fertilizer).

    Detection and characterization of nitrogen efficiency in alfalfa
    Xiao-jing LIU, Ya-jiao ZHAO, Feng HAO, Chang-chun TONG
    2021, 30(12):  90-102.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021157
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    It would be beneficial to the livestock industries to develop and utilize the potential for improved forage quality and yield in alfalfa in order to achieve gains in production efficiency. This study planned to establish a nitrogen (N) efficiency evaluation system and screen alfalfa germplasm at the seedling stage for N efficiency. In this research, 28 alfalfa cultivars from a wide range of sources were investigated, and parameters linked to alfalfa N efficiency were evaluated at the seedling stage, based on variation coefficient, correlation analysis and subordinate function analysis of the morphological and N-related parameters. Seedlings were grown in sand culture in a greenhouse using nutrient solution with either a low N level (2.1 mg·L–1 N, designated N2.1) or a normal N level (210 mg·L–1 N, designated N210). N efficiency was assessed from the multivariate response of cultivars to N application. It was found that the plant height, shoot dry weight (SDW), root dry weight, plant dry weight (PDW), shoot N accumulation (SNA), root N accumulation and plant N accumulation (PNA) of LW6010 were significantly higher than other cultivars. The SDW of Gongnong No.3 was significantly lower than that of other cultivars under both N2.1 and N210. The shoot N content and plant N content of Giant 601 were significantly higher than those of other cultivars. Under N2.1, the root length (RL) of Gannong No.9 was the longest, and that of Longdong was the shortest. Under N210, the RL of Crown is the longest, and Gongnong No.3 is the shortest. Under N2.1, the root volume (RV) of Xinjiangdaye was the largest, and that of Longdong was the smallest. Under N210, the RV of Gannong No.7 was the largest. The parameters used to screen for N efficiency were SDW, PDW, RL, RV, SNA and PNA. The multivariate scores of LW6010 and some other cultivars were greater than 0.5 under N2.1 and N210; the multivariate scores of Gannong No.3 and some other cultivars were less than 0.5 under N2.1, and were greater than 0.5 under N210. The multivariate scores of Gannong No.7 and some other cultivars were greater than 0.5 under N2.1, and were lessr than 0.5 under N210; and those of Longdong and some other cultivars were less than 0.5 under N2.1 and N210. In conclusion, differences in N efficiency among alfalfa cultivars were found. SDW, PDW, RL, RV, SNA and PNA were adopted as the evaluation parameters for N efficiency screening of alfalfa at the seedling stage. By quantifying the multivariate score, alfalfa cultivars can be grouped into four N efficiency categories: very efficient, efficient, semi-efficient and inefficient.

    Effects of different light intensities on stem characters and mechanical traits of four Commelinaceae plants
    Bin CHEN, Xiao-wei LIU, Lin JIA, Zi-wei LI, Yu-jia YANG, Li-ran YUE, Miao HE
    2021, 30(12):  103-116.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020466
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    This study explored the patterns of change in stem characters and mechanical traits in Commelinaceae plants grown under different light intensities. Ramets of Commelina purpureaTradescantia fluminensis ‘Variegata’, T. zebrina and T. fluminensis ‘Vairidia’ propagated from stem cuttings were used as experimental material. Shading net was used to create a series of five light levels of 100% natural light intensity, 75% natural light intensity, 50% natural light intensity, 25% natural light intensity and 5% natural light intensity. Stem morphological characters, anatomical structure and mechanical traits were measured under the different light levels. It was found that: As the light intensity decreased, plant internode length of the four taxa increased significantly (P<0.05). Conversely, decrease in light intensity led to significant decrease in the specific stem weight (P<0.05). Apart from C. purpurea, which showed no significant change, stem biomass was greatest at medium light levels in the taxa studied. Different light intensities had different effects on stem epidermis thickness, cortical thickness, vascular bundle diameter, medulla diameter and stem diameter. However, the relationship between internal tissue structure and stem thickness remained relatively stable across the range of light intensities. Reduced light intensity led to a significant increase in cortical cell length and medulla cell length of the four taxa (P<0.05), but also to a significant decrease in the cortical and medulla cell widths (P<0.05). The resistance to bending and compressive strength of all taxa and the organizational density of C. purpurea T. zebrina and T. fluminensis ‘Vairidia’ significantly decreased (P<0.05) when light intensity decreased. Pearson correlation analysis showed that specific stem weight, epidermis thickness, cortical thickness, vascular bundle diameter, medulla diameter, stem diameter, cortical cell width and medulla cell width were all significantly correlated with resistance to bending (P<0.01). Medulla cell width was significantly correlated with organizational density (P<0.01), while specific stem weight, epidermis thickness, medulla diameter and medulla cell width were significantly correlated with compressive strength (P<0.01). These results indicate that the four studied taxa were able to obtain limited light resources in low-light environments by increasing their stem biomass and plant internode length. The increase of stem biomass has obvious limitations. These changes led to an unbalanced state with the increased plant height and internodes. This not only resulted in decreases of specific stem weight and changes of stalk anatomical structure, but also reduced stem rigidity, organizational density and compressive strength. A membership function analysis showed that the stalk characteristics of T. fluminensis ‘Variegata’ and T. zebrina were superior under a range of light intensities, followed by the T. fluminensis ‘Vairidia’, while C. purpurea was the worst.

    Comprehensive evaluation of copper tolerance of 30 germplasm resources of red clover (Trifolium pratense
    He-shan ZHANG, Qiu GAO, Ting-ting ZHANG, Jiao-yun LU, Hong TIAN, Jun-bo XIONG, Yang LIU
    2021, 30(12):  117-128.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021241
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    The aim of this study was to evaluate the copper (Cu2+) tolerance of different red clover germplasm lines and select the tolerant lines. To this end, we evaluated the growth characteristics of 30 red clover germplasm lines under Cu2+ stress at the germination and seedling stages. A subordinate function method was used to evaluate copper tolerance. It was found that, as the Cu2+ concentration increased, the germination rate gradually decreased, and the radicle became shorter and thicker. Compared with the germination rate, radicle growth was more sensitive to Cu2+ stress. At a Cu2+ concentration of 0.5 mmol·L-1, the radicle was 40%-69% of the length of that in the control. At a Cu2+ concentration of 8.0 mmol·L-1, the radicle stopped growing while the germination rate was 61%-93% of that in the control. Red clover seedlings could tolerate Cu2+ concentrations up to 20 mmol·L-1, however, the above-ground biomass, underground biomass, total root length, root tip number, and root volume were significantly reduced compared with their respective values in the control. There were also significant differences among different Cu2+ concentrations in terms of their effects on other major traits of red clover (P<0.05). The values for each trait differed significantly among red clover germplasm materials at the germination stage (treated with Cu2+ at 0.5 mmol·L-1) and seedling stage (treated with Cu2+ at 20 mmol·L-1) (P<0.05). The correlations between radicle length and radicle diameter, aboveground biomass and underground biomass, underground biomass and root:shoot ratio, and total root length and root tip number were extremely significant (P<0.01). A least squares model to estimate the Cu2+ tolerance of each clover germplasm line was established using four factors: radicle length, seedling survival rate, underground biomass, and total root length. The value predicted using this model was significantly correlated with the multivariate evaluation value (P<0.01). According to the results of the multivariate evaluation, CF022167, CF022178 and CF022232 were identified as the most Cu2+-tolerant lines. These lines are recommended for use as breeding materials to produce new Cu2+-tolerant varieties or directly utilized in production.

    Comparison of production performance and forage quality of ten introduced oat varieties in Hulunbuir, China
    Wei ZHANG, Qing-ping ZHOU, You-jun CHEN, Jing PAN, Xiao-ming JIN, Wan-bin SUN, Zhi-feng JIA
    2021, 30(12):  129-142.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021049
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    In order to identify oat varieties best suited for cultivation in the Hulunbuir region, 10 oat varieties (Qingyan No.1, Qinghai No. 444, Jiayan No. 2, Qingyin No. 1, Linna, Qinghai sweet oat, Qingyin No. 2, Monica, Qingyou No. 3, and Fine horse) were trialed in the field and their forage and grain yields and nutritional composition were measured. Relative forage value and roughage grading index scores were used to evaluate and rank the forage quality and grey correlation analysis was used to derive a multivariate ranking of production performance. It was found that the time to maturity of the ten oat varieties ranged from 73 to 88 days. All matured early in Hulunbuir. Among the varieties, measured at the flowering stage, Qinghai No.444 was the tallest (113 cm, P<0.05), had the highest yield of fresh herbage (36620 kg·ha-1P<0.05), and had the highest hay yield (9990 kg·ha-1P<0.05). The growth time to maturity, plant height, leaf length, leaf width, plant diameter, and spike length was all significantly positively correlated with forage yield (P<0.01), while the leaf∶stem ratio and dry∶fresh weight ratio were extremely negatively correlated with forage yield (P<0.01). Qingyin No.1 had the highest grain yield (5439 kg·ha-1); this was not significantly different from Jiayan No. 2 (P>0.05), but was significantly higher than other varieties (P<0.05). Growth duration, plant height, stem diameter, spike length, round layers and thousand grain weight were all significantly positively correlated with grain yield (P<0.01), while spikelet number was negatively correlated with grain yield (P<0.01). With respect to forage quality, Qingyin No.1 had the highest ether extract content at the milk stage (P<0.05) and the highest crude protein and ash contents at the heading stage (P<0.05), while Qingyin No. 2 had the highest dry matter content at the heading stage (P<0.05). The multivariate analysis of production performance, nutritive value and forage value concluded that Qingyin No.1, Jiayan No.2 and Qinghai No.444 had superior production performance and higher nutritional quality and forage value, and can therefore be recommended for planting in the Hulunbuir region.

    Environmental factors affecting seed germination of prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii) in Yunnan Province
    Min ZHANG, Kanjana NIPAPAN, Ru LI, Yang FU, Dong-sheng TANG
    2021, 30(12):  143-151.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020451
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    Prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii) is a serious invasive weed escaped from sown pastures to wild grassland. To investigate factors contributing to invasiveness and ecological adaptability of prairie grass, the effects of temperature, humidity, seed burial depth, pH, salinity and osmotic potential on seed germination and emergence were examined in the laboratory. Among temperature treatments tested, it was found that the seed germination percentage was highest (92.1%) in an alternating temperature regime of 30/20 °C (day/night). Seed germination percentage gradually decreased with decline in daily average temperature declined. There was nearly no germination when daily average temperature was close to or below 10 °C. Germination rates of seeds incubated in the pH range from 5 to 10 were all above 90%. Germination results of seeds incubated in weakly acidic or weakly alkaline conditions were significantly higher than those incubated in neutral pH. Germination rates of seeds incubated in ≤20 mmol·L-1 NaCl were similar to those of control. Germination was above 85% for seed incubated in 160 mmol·L-1 NaCl. The optimum osmotic potential for seed germination was -0.1 MPa. Germination rates of seeds incubated at osmotic potentials lower than -0.2 MPa were not significantly less than those of controls. Germination at an osmotic potential of -0.4 MPa was above 80%. The optimum soil relative humidity for seed germination rate and germination potential was 60%. Germination of seeds placed on the soil surface was higher than for any other burial depth. Seeds sown deeper than 10 cm did not germinate. These results indicate that seed germination of prairie grass occurs freely over a wide range of conditions, conferring a high ecological fitness. Thus, prairie grass has a high potential to invade large areas of Yunnan where the prevailing climate is warm and dry periods of below average rainfall can occur.

    Effect of seed moisture content and deterioration time on seed vigor and seedling growth of Sorghum bicolor×Sorghum sudanense
    Hui-fang YAN, Juan SUN
    2021, 30(12):  152-160.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020469
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    This study was conducted to explore the effects of different seed moisture contents (MC; 10%, 12% and 16%) and deterioration time (exposure to 45 ℃ condition for 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 d) on seed vigor and seedling growth of Sorghum bicolor×Sorghum sudanense, including changes of germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), vigor index (VI), shoot length (SL), shoot weight (SW), root length (RL), root weight (RW) and seedling vigor index (SVI). It was found that, with MC increasing from 10% to 16%, GP, GI, VI, SW and SVI of S. bicolor×S. sudanense decreased significantly after deterioration for 4-8 d. After deterioration for 16-28 d, indexes of seed vigor and seedling growth ranked 10% MC>12% MC=16% MC. Meanwhile, with extended deterioration time, GP, GI and VI of seeds decreased, and SL, SW, RL, RW and SVI of seedlings also decreased. For 16% MC seeds, after deterioration for 8 d, seed vigor and seedling growth indicators had dropped almost to zero, while GP, GI and VI of 10% MC seeds still remained, respectively, 10.0%, 14.1% and 1.5% of their original levels after deterioration for 28 d. Moreover, the duration of resistance to deterioration was 28, 16 and 8 d, respectively, for seeds at 10%, 12% and 16% MC. These results indicate that the higher the moisture content, the more readily seed vigor was list and the more severe was the loss of resistance to deterioration. In addition, seed moisture content, deterioration time and their interactions resulted in highly significant differences in GP, GI, VI of seeds and SL, SW, RL, RW and SVI of seedlings. Based on these results, a deterioration duration of 8 d could be used with good effect to evaluate seed vigor level of S. bicolor×S. sudanense seeds with different moisture contents.

    The characteristics of bacterial communities in different vegetation types in the Qilian Mountains
    Wen ZHAO, Ya-li YIN, Shi-xiong LI, Yan LIU, Jing-jing LIU, Yi-ling DONG, Shi-feng SU, Ling-he JI
    2021, 30(12):  161-171.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020459
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    The Qilian Mountains, which have large areas of grassland vegetation, form an important ecological-zone border in Western China. This research studied the composition of the grassland bacterial community in the Qilian Mountains and its relationship with soil environmental factors to provide data to support understanding of ecological dynamics in this grassland. In this research, the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities in the 0-10 cm soil horizon of three grassland types (alpine meadow, artificial grassland and swamp meadow) in Mole Town, Qilian Mountains, were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology, and the correlations between the composition of soil bacterial communities and soil physical and chemical factors were studied. It was found that: 1) In swamp meadow, values for soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic carbon, water content and nitrate nitrogen were significantly higher than those for alpine meadow and artificial grassland (P<0.05). 2) A total of 1022446 valid sequences were measured from the three regions, and the sequences were clustered with 97% consistency. The average OTU clustering values of alpine meadow, artificial grassland and swamp meadow were 4917, 5233 and 5075, respectively. 3) The Shannon and Simpson diversity indexes showed no significant difference among the three grassland categories. The Chao1 index ranked artificial grassland>alpine meadow>swamp meadow (P<0.05). 4) Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Planctomycetes were shown as the main groups at the phylum level in all three grassland types. However, at the genus level, the more abundant bacterial taxa in the different grassland catagories were separated. 5) Soil organic carbon, total phosphorus and soil water content were significantly correlated with the soil bacterial community composition (P<0.01). In summary, the soil microbial communities of the three grasslands in Qilian Mountains were different. The main factors affecting microbial community composition were organic carbon, total phosphorus, and soil water content.

    Control efficacy of different fungicides and compound formulations on common vetch anthracnose
    Fa-xi LI, Qiong WANG, Ting-yu DUAN, Bin NIE, Cheng-zhi FENG
    2021, 30(12):  172-183.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021061
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    Recently, common vetch anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spinaciae has been found in northwest China, causing major losses to seed and forage yields in common vetch crops. Moreover, there have been no efficient chemical or other control measures identified to combat anthracnose in common vetch. This study tested the toxicity of five fungicides on C. spinaciae, using a colony growth inhibition test. It was found that the toxicity ranking of the tested herbicides was difenoconazole-azoxystrobin 32.5%>pyraclostrobin 25%>carbendazim 50%>mancozeb 80%>chlorothalonil 75%. Then, compound formulations of the three fungicides with better toxicity were used for a second colony inhibition test. It was found that compound formulations of carbendazim 50%∶pyraclostrobin 25% (1∶2) or carbendazim 50%∶benzozoil 32.5% (2∶1) gave improved control of common vetch anthracnose, compared to treatments with a single fungicide. In addition, field control experiments with the three fungicides showed that the control efficacy of pyraclostrobin 25%, difenoconazole-azoxystrobin 32.5% and carbendazim 50% were 68.88%, 63.50% and 20.62%, respectively. In conclusion, pyraclostrobin 25%, difenoconazole-azoxystrobin 32.5%, pyraclostrobin 25% and carbendazim 50% can effectively control common vetch anthracnose caused by C. spinaciae.

    Some scientific issues of forage breeding in China
    Zhi-peng LIU, Qiang ZHOU, Wen-xian LIU, Ji-yu ZHANG, Wen-gang XIE, Long-fa FANG, Yan-rong WANG, Zhi-biao NAN
    2021, 30(12):  184-193.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021314
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    New varieties of high yielding, high-quality and multi-resistance forages are the cornerstone of animal husbandry production in China, and also the material basis for reseeding and improving degraded grassland in China, both of which affect the food security and ecological security of the country. Slow progress of forage breeding in China and a high international dependence have emerged as a “bottleneck” restricting progress in the field of agriculture. In the last decade, forage breeding has entered a period of rapid development driven by histological techniques and biotechnology, but there is still a progress gap compared with major crops. This paper summarizes three key bottlenecks in the future development of forage breeding in China: 1) Large-scale collection, highly refined evaluation and full utilization of germplasm resources, including the construction of high-saturation mutant libraries, various genetic populations, and similar resources; 2) Establishment and optimization of efficient regeneration, genetic transformation and gene editing systems for forage grasses; 3) High-precision assembly and utilization of forage genomes, including gene chips, whole genome selection, and following developments in this field as they emerge. Considering current knowledge frontiers in the discipline and national needs, the authors suggest ten scientific emphases should be developed in forage breeding in China within the next 5-10 years: collection and utilization of native plant resources, threshing and dormancy, male sterility, ploidy breeding, biological interaction, water and drought conservation, domestication from scratch, nutritional quality, automated phenotype detection and rapid breeding, in order to provide a capability platform for future research related to forage breeding. Achievement of these scientific goals will help China to develop a number of new forage grass varieties with independent intellectual property rights and strong market competitiveness in a comparatively short time frame, so as to eliminate the “bottleneck” problem in the field of agriculture and guarantee the food security and ecological security of the country.

    Distribution characteristics and plant community diversity on the north slopes of the Qilian Mountains
    Guo-bao HE
    2021, 30(12):  194-201.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020463
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    The analysis of the spatial distribution patterns and diversity characteristics of mountain plant communities in arid areas in response to an elevation gradient is helpful to explore the ecological adaptation strategies of mountain plants. TWINSPAN and DCA sequencing methods were used to study the distribution pattern and diversity of alpine grassland vegetation community on the north slope of Qilian Mountains. It was found that the alpine grassland vegetation in the Qilian Mountains could be divided into 9 categories, and with increasing elevation, the vegetation type changed from desert to desert steppe and then to typical steppe. Finally, there was a gradual transition to a meadow grassland. The key plant species associations in the elevational succession of vegetation categories were: a patchy distribution of associated Kalidium foliatum+Phyllanthus urinaria, transitioning to associated Ajania fruticulosa+P. urinaria, then associated Sympegma regelii+P. urinaria, an association of Caragana opulens+Achnatherum splendens, an association of Agropyron cristatum+Stipa sareptana, an association of S. sareptana+Leymus secalinus, gradually evolving into a Caragana jubata+Salix cupularis association, and eventually a Carex tristachya+Kobresia myosuroides association with mosaic distribution. The Shannon-Wiener diversity indexes (H') and species richness indexes (R) of grassland communities generally showed ‘double peaks’; the Pielou evenness index (J) had highest values at mid altitudes, while the Simpson dominance index (C) had lowest values at mid altitudes. In summary, the vegetation types of the Qilian Mountains exhibited an elevational succession from low-altitude desert to high-altitude meadow grassland with associated changes in plant community distribution patterns and species composition, which reflected the filtering effect of the mountain environment on plant community construction.

    Effect of dietary barley particle size on rumen microflora and muscle fatty acids in Hu sheep
    Xiao-wen MA, Fa-di LI, Fei LI, Long GUO
    2021, 30(12):  202-211.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020435
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    The purpose of this experiment was to study the changes in the content of rumen degradable starch when crushed barley with different particle sizes was included in experiment diets of Hu sheep, and to study the effects on routine blood test results, rumen microbial composition and muscle fatty acids. In the experiment, 54 healthy 3-month-old Hu lambs were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups, with 18 animals (replicates) in each group and one sheep per replicate. The treatments comprised barley ground with 2, 3 or 4 mm sieve apertures. The experiment included a seven-day pre-feeding period, a 63-day fattening period and a one-day sampling period. The experiment results showed that: 1) The different ground particle size of barley had no effect on the total numbers of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, platelets, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils or basophils (P>0.05). 2) For sheep fed barley ground to 4 mm, the total number of rumen bacteria and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens was significantly higher than for sheep fed barley ground to 3 mm (P<0.05), the population of Succinimonas amylolytica was significantly lower than for sheep fed barley ground to 2 and 3 mm (P<0.05), and the population of Fibrobacter succinogenes was significantly higher than for the sheep fed barley ground to 2 mm (P<0.05). There was no significant difference among the groups in the numbers of rumen microorganisms such as Prevotella brevis Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciensP>0.05). 3) For sheep fed barley ground to 4 mm, the muscle contents of C10:0, C12:0, C14:0 and C14:1 fatty acids were significantly higher than those of sheep fed barley ground to 2 mm (P<0.05), and the contents of C18:2n-9t11t acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were significantly higher than sheep fed barley ground to 3 mm (P<0.05). Meanwhile, anteiso C15:0, C16:1, C18:2n6t and C18:2n-9c11t acid concentrations of muscles tended to increase with increase in barley feed particle size increasing (0.05≤P<0.10). In summary, when Hu sheep were fed a diet of crushed barley with 4 mm particle size, the number of Cellulolytic bacteria in the rumen contents increased, S. amylolytica decreased, and the content of CLA in muscle fatty acids was increased, which provided a positive effect on the rumen microflora and muscle fatty acid CLA synthesis of fattening Hu sheep.