Table of Content

20 August 2025, Volume 34 Issue 8

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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

2025, 34(8):  1-14.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024363

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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.

Effect of organic-inorganic amendments on the quality of saline-alkaline soil and yield of Echinochloa frumentacea

Bang-yan ZHANG, Xiao-wei XIE, Zhao-hui ZHANG, Jin-min WU, Bin WANG, Xing XU

2025, 34(8):  15-29.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024364

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The aim of this study was to investigate the abilities of organic-inorganic amendments to improve and fertilize saline-alkaline soils. An experiment was conducted using a one-way Latin square design with the following treatments： CK （no soil amendment materials）， PM ［phosphogypsum （22.5 t·ha^-1）+well-decomposed goat manure （15 t·ha^-1）］， CM ［calcium superphosphate （300 kg·ha^-1）+well-decomposed goat manure （15 t·ha^-1）］， PCM₁ ［phosphogypsum （22.5 t·ha^-1）+calcium superphosphate （300 kg·ha^-1）+well-decomposed goat manure （15 t·ha^-1）］， PCM₂ ［phosphogypsum （30.0 t·ha^-1）+calcium superphosphate （600 kg·ha^-1）+well-decomposed goat manure （30.0 t·ha^-1）］， and PCM₃ ［phosphogypsum （30.0 t·ha^-1）+calcium superphosphate （900 kg·ha^-1）+well-decomposed goat manure （30.0 t·ha^-1）］. These six treatments were designed to study the effects of varying ratios of organic-inorganic amendment materials on the soil quality and the yield of Echinochloa frumentacea grown in saline-alkaline soil. The results indicate that organic and inorganic materials at varying ratios decreased soil pH， total dissolved salt （TDS）， and bulk density， and increased soil nutrient contents and the proportion and stability of aggregates larger than 0.25 mm. Among the treatments， PCM₂ and PCM₃ had better effective. The soil pH， total salt， and bulk density were decreased by 2.40%， 27.33%， and 16.17%， respectively， in the PCM₂ treatment， and by 1.83%， 17.42%， and 12.94%， respectively， in the PCM₃ treatment， compared with CK. The soil organic matter （SOM）， alkaline nitrogen （AN）， available phosphorus （AP）， and available potassium （AK） contents in the 0-40 cm soil layer were significantly increased in the PCM₂ and PCM₃ treatments compared with CK. The mean weight， diameter， geometric mean diameter， and aggregates content of particles larger than 0.25 mm were increased by 131.43%， 164.07%， and 97.22%， respectively， in PCM₂， and by 78.58%， 81.68%， and 57.41%， respectively， in PCM₃， compared with CK. Additionally， the seedling emergence rate and yield were improved by 62.84% and 50.07%， respectively， in PCM₂，_{and by 68.24% and 47.76%， respectively， in PCM3，compared with CK. Soil aggregate stability was positively correlated with porosity， SOM， AN， AP， and AK， and negatively correlated with bulk density， pH， and total salts. In addition， the PCM2 and PCM3 treatments enhanced soil quality by improving salinity indicators （pH， TDS） and fertility levels （AN， AP， AK， and SOM）. The PCM2 treatment was more effective than the PCM3 treatment in both respects， resulting in the highest hay yield. After evaluating the effects of various ratios of organic and inorganic materials on the enhancement and fertilization of saline-alkaline land， the treatment PCM2， comprising a combination of phosphogypsum （30.0 t·ha^-1）， calcium superphosphate （600 kg·ha^-1）， and decomposed goat manure （30.0 t·ha^-1） was found to be the most suitable soil amendment for this region.}

Effect of strip configuration on canopy characteristics， yield， and the quality of silage produced from co-cultivated corn and soybean

Hai-long MAO, Ji-cheng TAI, Heng-shan YANG, Yu-qin ZHANG, Rui-fu ZHANG, Zhen-zhen WANG

2025, 34(8):  30-42.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024447

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In this study， we determined the effects of different strip configurations on the canopy characteristics， dry matter accumulation， and yield of corn （Zea mays） and soybean （Glycine max） plants， and on the quality of silage made from these two species co-cultivated under field conditions. The corn cultivar Jinling 17 and the soybean cultivar Dongdou 9 were used in a field experiment with a two-factor split-zone experimental design. The two factors were corn-soybean row spacing （three levels： 50， 60， and 70 cm）， and row-ratio configuration （four configurations： 2 rows corn∶2 rows soybean， 2∶4， 4∶4， and 4∶6）. It was found that the corn-soybean row spacing of 60 cm and the 4∶4 row ratio configuration improved the aboveground canopy photosynthetic environment of co-cultivated corn and soybean plants. These two factors jointly affected the distribution of light energy， and the optimal spacing and row configuration promoted the accumulation of photosynthetic products in corn plants in adjacent rows. This was conducive to the improvement of leaf area index and SPAD value， and led to an increase in the photosynthetic capacity of canopy leaves， thereby increasing the biological yield of corn. Across all the different strip configurations， soybean biomass increased with increasing corn-soybean spacing and numbers of adjacent rows. The biological yield of corn was the highest in the 60 cm corn-soybean spacing and 4∶4 row ratio configuration pattern， although the biological yield of soybean was slightly lower in this treatment than in the other treatments. The biological yield of corn+soybean and crude protein output per unit area were the highest in the 60 cm corn-soybean spacing and 4∶4 row ratio configuration pattern. In summary， 60 cm corn-soybean spacing and a 4∶4 row ratio configuration are recommended as the best corn-soybean planting pattern for silage production in the irrigated area of the Xiliaohe Plain.

Effects of intercropping triticale with alfalfa on system yield， resource utilization， and alfalfa seed yield

Yi-yin ZHANG, Bin WANG, Teng-fei WANG, Jian LAN, Hai-ying HU

2025, 34(8):  43-53.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024366

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The high water table in the diverted irrigation area of Ningxia causes low seed yield of alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， because the excessive nutrient supply favors its vegetative growth and limits its reproductive growth. We conducted a field experiment to explore whether intercropping with triticale （Triticosecale） could address this issue. The field experiment began in September 2022， and had a one-way randomized block design， with triticale intercropped with alfalfa. Five seeding rates of triticale were tested， namely： 90 （IMS₁）， 135 （IMS₂）， 180 （IMS₃）， 225 （IMS₄）， and 270 kg·ha^-1 （IMS₅）. Alfalfa monoculture served as the control （SM）. The effects of intercropping with triticale at different seeding rates on the yield of the first forage crop， and the water use and seed production of the second alfalfa crop were investigated. The results show that intercropping with triticale increased the total hay yield and crude protein yield of alfalfa by an average of 25.71% and 6.62%， respectively， compared with those of SM. Intercropping of triticale with alfalfa promoted the water use of the composite population， improved the water use efficiency， and provided a suitable soil moisture environment for the second crop of alfalfa， leading to improved individual plant development and seed yield. The water consumption was significantly higher in all the intercropping treatments than in SM， reaching the maximum of 455.72 mm in the IMS₄ treatment. The alfalfa actual seed yield reached the maximum of 448 kg·ha^-1 in the IMS₄ treatment， which was 28.33% higher than that of SM. Therefore， intercropping of triticale at a sowing rate of 225 kg·ha^-1 with alfalfa improved the performance of the first crop in terms of grass production and water use， and had a significant positive effect on the second crop in terms of alfalfa seed production.

The effects of combined nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on seed yield and quality of Medicago ruthenica in the Wuwei irrigation district， Gansu Province

Wen-juan FAN, Jian-chao SONG, Xiao-juan ZHANG, Yu-hang SHENG, Jin-tao SHI, Long-ji ZHANG, Xiao-jun YU

2025, 34(8):  54-65.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024320

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This research explored the effects of combined nitrogen and phosphorus application on seed yield， yield components， and seed quality in Medicago ruthenica， in order to provide technical support for seed production. A two factor experiment was conducted in the Wuwei irrigation district of Gansu Province， using the M. ruthenica cultivar Longzhong No.1. The experiment comprised a factorial combination of four nitrogen fertilizer （N） levels： 0 （N₀）， 47 （N₁）， 94 （N₂）， and 141 （N₃） kg·ha^-1， and four phosphorus fertilizer （P₂O₅） levels： 0 （P₀）， 60 （P₁）， 120 （P₂） and 180 （P₃） kg·ha^-1. The changes in seed yield， yield components， and quality of M. ruthenica in the year of sowing under the combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers were studied. The results showed that the number of flowers per inflorescence， the number of pods per inflorescence， the number of seeds per pod and the thousand seed weight were the main factors affecting the seed yield of M. ruthenica. The application of nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizer alone increased seed yield to a certain extent， but could not fully exploit the seed yield potential of M. ruthenica； Nitrogen and phosphorus in combination significantly increased the yield of M. ruthenica. The highest actual seed yield of 844 kg?ha^-1 was achieved under the fertilizer combination N₁P₂. Application of nitrogen fertilizer alone enhanced the germination vigor， germination rate， and vitality index of M. ruthenica seeds， while application of phosphorus fertilizer alone improved the germination rate of M. ruthenica seeds but had some degree of inhibitory effect on seed germination vigor， vitality index， and germination index. The combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus improved the seed quality of M. ruthenica. Therefore， while recognizing the data are specific to the Wuwei irrigation district in the year of sowing， for M. ruthenica seed production， the N₁P₂ fertilizer combination of 47 kg N·ha^-1 and 120 kg P₂O₅·ha^-1 is recommended.

Cadmium enrichment characteristics and growth response of rice under excess cadmium stress in soil

Tian-yi LU, Yan-mei AI, Yang WANG, Meng NA, Shang-qi XU, Ji-hai ZHOU

2025, 34(8):  66-78.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024348

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In recent years， the problem of soil cadmium （Cd） pollution has become increasingly serious， posing great threat to human health. The remediation of Cd-contaminated soil has become an urgent environmental problem. In this study， rice （Oryza sativa） was used as the test plant， and four treatments were set up with no Cd （control， CK）， low Cd （0.5 mg·kg^-1）， medium Cd （2.5 mg·kg^-1） and high Cd （10 mg·kg^-1 soil）. The effects of Cd pollution on physiological and biochemical characteristics and Cd levels of rice at different growth stages were investigated. It was found that the medium and high concentrations of Cd significantly decreased the aboveground biomass of rice， while the chlorophyll content of rice at maturity decreased by 30.73%-77.64% with exposure to increased Cd concentration. The low Cd concentration significantly （P<0.05） increased the proline content at tillering stage by 45.11% compared with the control， and Cd pollution significantly （P<0.05） reduced the proline content at heading stage by 33.75%-61.10%. For rice plants exposed to Cd at the mature stage， the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase （except the peroxidase activity at low Cd concentration） were significantly （P<0.05） increased， compared with the CK treatment. With increase in Cd concentration， the Cd content in all parts of the rice plants increased. However， at maturity the Cd enrichment coefficient in roots， stems， leaves and rice husk decreased gradually. Meanwhile， the proportion of acid-soluble Cd and reducible Cd fractions in the soil increased. There was a significant positive correlation between soil concentration of the different Cd species plant Cd content， plant proline content， and plant superoxide dismutase activity and peroxidase activity. There was a significant negative correlation between Cd content and chlorophyll concentration. This study enhances understanding of the dynamics of Cd transfer from soil and accumulation in rice plants， and the safe utilization of Cd-contaminated soil.

Effects of stockpiling methods on root activity in stripped alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Yu-gang GENG, Hong-mei YANG, Wen-wu WANG, Rui-jie LUO, Bao-guo ZHAO, Jiang-hong CHEN, Chang-sheng QIN, Rui-yin CHEN

2025, 34(8):  79-87.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024356

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With the increasing rate of economic development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau， particularly the construction of photovoltaic power stations， meadow conservation faces significant challenges. This study systematically evaluated the impact of different stockpiling methods on the root activity of stripped alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau， aiming to identify the pattern that most effectively preserved root activity. Six stockpiling methods were tested： flat-laying， hollow， scaffold， three-layer overlapping， five-layer overlapping， and a soil and water conservation scaffold （hereafter referred to as a “conservation scaffold”）. Soil physicochemical properties and meadow root activity under the six stockpiling methods were comprehensively analyzed to assess their effectiveness in protecting stripped meadows. Key soil properties， including pH， organic carbon content， total nitrogen content， total potassium content， total phosphorus content， available phosphorus content， available potassium content， and alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen content， were measured， along with triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC， mg·kg?1·h?1） reduction intensity as an indicator of root activity. The relationships between these indicators and root activity were also examined. The results show that the different stockpiling methods had limited influence on soil physicochemical properties. However， the conservation scaffold showed a significant advantage in maintaining meadow root activity， with root TTC reduction intensity as follows： Conservation scaffold （5.52 mg·kg?1·h?1）>scaffold （4.52 mg·kg?1·h?1）>hollow （4.02 mg·kg?1·h?1）>flat-laying （3.74 mg·kg?1·h?1）>five-layer overlapping （3.71 mg·kg?1·h?1）>three-layer overlapping （3.54 mg·kg?1·h?1）. Soil potassium level （total potassium and available potassium） was strongly associated with promotion of root growth， increased soil respiration rate， and enhanced stress resistance， while soil pH， organic carbon content， and phosphorus had weaker associations with root activity. Overall， this study reveals the effects of different photovoltaic panel installation patterns on the root activity of stripped meadows， providing scientific data to support meadow ecological restoration and sustainable development planning.

Screening of the best ratio of ‘attapulgite-organic matrix’ bacterial fertilizer carrier and its growth-promotion effect on alfalfa

Wen-xiu LI, Tuo YAO, Chang-ning LI, Qian-min JIA, Ao-lei HE, Yang ZHOU

2025, 34(8):  88-98.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024355

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This experiment explored the feasibility of attapulgite plus an organic matrix as a carrier of bacterial fertilizer and the optimal amount of bacterial liquid to be added when making bacterial fertilizer. Different amounts of attapulgite （5%， 7.5%， 10%； F₁， F₂ and F₃， respectively） were added to an organic matrix as the carrier for bacterial fertilizer， and then different quantities of bacterial liquid （25%， 27.5%， 30%） were added to make solid bacterial fertilizer. The shelf life of bacterial fertilizer was evaluated and the growth-promotion effect of the bacterial fertilizer was verified by measuring plant traits of alfalfa（Medicago sativa） in a pot experiment， for the various attapulgite and bacterial liquid addition treatments. It was found that 180 days after preparation， the effective viable count of all the different bacterial fertilizer carrier formulations was more than 2×10⁸ cfu·g^-1， and the number of miscellaneous bacteria was less than 3×10⁶ cfu·g^-1. The number of alfalfa nodules was the highest （62.7 per pot； 317.8% higher than control plants with no bacterial fertilizer added） under the treatment combination F₃+30% bacterial liquid. The above-ground and below-ground biomass and chlorophyll content of alfalfa under the treatment comprising F₂+25% bacterial liquid were increased by 46.5%， 86.2% and 54.9%， respectively， while the total root length， total root surface area， root tip number and root bifurcation number were increased by 87.7%， 108.4%， 96.2% and 252.0%， respectively， compared with the control plants. However， when data were analyzed by multivariate membership function， the treatment comprising F₂+25% bacterial liquid was found to have the best effect on the growth of alfalfa.

Differences in enzyme activity and bacterial community structure in rhizosphere soil of four grass species

Shan-shan TANG, Min HU

2025, 34(8):  99-108.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024358

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different grasses on the soil micro-ecological environment. In a pot experiment， four grass species： Paspalum notatum， Lolium perenne， Festuca arundinacea and Sorghum sudanense， were selected to study the variation in rhizosphere soil enzyme activity and bacterial community composition and diversity. The experiment included unplanted （CK） pots， and soil chemical analysis and high-throughput sequencing technologies were employed， and the correlation between these data and soil physical and chemical properties was explored. It was found that， compared with CK treatment， the activities of β-1，4-glucosidase （βG）， cellobiohydrolase （CBH）， β-1，4-xylosidase （βX）， β-1，4-N-acetylglucosaminidase （NAG） and alkaline phosphatase （ALP） in rhizosphere soil were increased by all four grass species. Furthermore， the contents of soil dissolved organic carbon （DOC）， ammonium nitrogen （NH₄⁺-N）， nitrate nitrogen （NO₃^--N）， and available phosphorus （AP） differed significantly between the rhizosphere soils of the four grasses. The activities of βG， CBH， βX and NAG were highest in S. sudanense. ALP activity was highest in F. arundinacea. Pearson correlation analysis showed that βG and NAG activities in rhizosphere soil were significantly positively correlated with soil organic carbon （SOC） and significantly negatively correlated with NO₃^--N. ALP activity was significantly positively correlated with SOC and DOC （P<0.05）. The Chao1 index of L. perenne rhizosphere soil was the highest， and the Shannon index was significantly higher than other treatments （P<0.05）. Proteobacteria， Acidobacteriota and Actinobacteriota were the dominant bacterial phyla in the rhizosphere soil of the four grass species. The results of redundancy analysis showed that soil available phosphorus was the dominant factor associated with change of bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere soil. In conclusion， grass can significantly improve the enzyme activity and nutrient content， and optimize the bacterial community structure of rhizosphere soil， so as to improve the soil micro-ecological environment. This provides a scientific basis for soil improvement. Among the tested grasses， L. perenne more strongly promoted the circulation and effective utilization of soil nutrients， and increased the diversity of bacterial communities. Thus L. perenne was the most efficacious in improving the soil rhizosphere environment and can be recommended based on these results.

Differences in soil microbial functional gene abundance between rhizosphere soils of Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix chinensis in the Junggar Desert

Hong-yu MA, Xiao-guo ZHOU, Bao WANG, Yu-chuan SONG, Aikeremu·Abulatijiang, Shao-li JIANG, Jiu-zhou MIN, Hong-mei ZHAO, Jun-hui CHENG

2025, 34(8):  109-122.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024367

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Many studies have demonstrated that in terrestrial ecosystems， nutrient cycling is tightly linked with soil microbial functional gene abundance （SMFGA）. However， our understanding of the variations in SMFGA in rhizosphere soils among shrubs in desert ecosystems is still limited. In this study， we conducted a comparative analysis of SMFGA in the rhizosphere of two dominant coexisting shrubs in the Junggar Desert， Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix chinensis. Bulk soil and rhizosphere soil samples were collected from the surface layer （0-10 cm） around H. ammodendron and T. chinensis. In total， 67 microbial functional genes involved in soil carbon-， nitrogen-， and phosphorus-cycling were detected via metagenomic sequencing. We then explored the linkages among SMFGA， soil physical and chemical properties （soil bulk density， pH， soil organic matter， total nitrogen， total phosphorus， total potassium， ammonium nitrogen， nitrate nitrogen， available phosphorus and available potassium）， and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere soils. The results show that： 1） Compared with bulk soils， rhizosphere soils of H. ammodendron and T. chinensis had relatively higher contents of available nutrients （ammonium nitrogen， nitrate nitrogen， and available phosphorus）. 2） The Shannon-Wiener index of bacterial diversity was significantly higher in rhizosphere soils of H. ammodendron and T. chinensis than in the bulk soils， but the fungal Shannon-Wiener index was only significantly higher in the rhizosphere soil of H. ammodendron. 3） Six of the 15 microbial genes related to carbon cycling （pulA， nplT， chitinase， nagA， bglB， and bglX）， two of the 17 microbial genes related to nitrogen cycling （nrfH and napB）， and eight of the 35 microbial genes related to phosphorus cycling （gcd， phnG， phnH， phnI， phnL， phnA， phnJ， and phnM） had higher relative abundance in the rhizosphere soils of H. ammodendron and T. chinensis than in the bulk soils. 4） The abundance of microbial genes involved in nitrogen- and phosphorus-cycling in the rhizosphere soils was positively related to available potassium and soil pH， but no significant associations were detected between microbial genes involved in carbon-cycling and soil physical properties， soil chemical properties， or microbial diversity. In summary， shrubs’ rhizospheres affect the abundance of microbial functional genes， which are linked with soil physical and chemical properties and microbial diversity in this desert ecosystem.

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

2025, 34(8):  123-131.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024476

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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.

Effects of different restoration materials on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities in degraded alpine grassland

Kun ZHANG, Jian-xia QIAO, Jin-sheng LI, Yu-peng WANG, Ke-si LIU

2025, 34(8):  132-148.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024368

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The aim of this research was to determine the effects of different restoration materials on soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in degraded alpine grassland. Three restoration materials were tested： nitrogen fertilizer （22 g·m^-2）， biochar （4 kg·m^-2）， and a microbial inoculant （250 mL·m^-2）. Degraded alpine grassland without any added materials served as the control （CK）. The effects of these restoration materials on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities in degraded alpine grassland were determined. The results show that the aboveground biomass was significantly affected by the restoration materials （P<0.05）， among which biochar and the microbial inoculant had better promoting effects， increasing the total biomass by 151.06% and 149.11%， respectively， compared with that in CK. The soil water content was significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the soil electrical conductivity was significantly decreased （P<0.05） in all the restoration treatments， compared with their respective values in CK. All the restoration materials significantly increased （P<0.05） the contents of soil nutrients （carbon， nitrogen， and phosphorus）， with the highest concentrations of total organic carbon， total nitrogen， and available phosphorus in the biochar treatment. The addition of restoration materials also affected soil microbial community structure. In particular， the biochar and microbial inoculant treatments resulted in significant increases （P<0.05） in microbial biomass， bacterial biomass， and fungal biomass， and in the relative contents of ectomycorrhizal fungi， methanotrophic bacteria， and saprotrophic fungi. The results of variation partitioning analysis indicated that soil pH， total nitrogen， total organic carbon， and available phosphorus were the main environmental variables affecting the microbial community structure in topsoil （0-20 cm）. Unlike other materials， biochar promoted a significant interaction between microorganisms， resulting in good synergy between changes in the soil environment and microbial community structure. In summary， although all three restoration materials improved the soil condition in degraded alpine grassland， biochar showed the best effects to fertilize soil and improve microbial community structure. Thus， biochar has greater potential for use in the restoration of degraded alpine grassland.

Effects of oat （Avena sativa） planting density on the growth and rhizosphere fungal community structure of Digitaria sanguinalis and Echinochloa crusgalli

Wei TANG, Zi-guang LI, Qing-tian ZHAO, Juan SUN

2025, 34(8):  149-164.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024483

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In this study， we investigated the effects of different planting densities of oat （Avena sativa） on the growth of weeds， namely Digitaria sanguinalis and Echinochloa crusgalli， as well as on the structure and functions of their rhizosphere fungal communities. The overall aim of this research was to provide a scientific basis for integrated weed management. Based on the results of previous field studies， a controlled pot experiment was conducted to test different oat planting densities ［240， 360 （recommended planting density in the field）， and 480 plants·m^-2］ in combination with one or two weed grasses （D. sanguinalis and/or E. crusgalli）. Plant growth traits and photosynthetic characteristics were determined， and soil physicochemical properties were measured. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the community structure， diversity， and functional groups of fungi in the rhizosphere. The results demonstrated that increasing the oat planting density from 240 to 480 plants·m^-2 significantly enhanced the suppression of D. sanguinalis and E. crusgalli growth in terms of plant height， tiller number， biomass， net photosynthetic rate， and stomatal conductance， with the strongest suppression effect observed with a planting density of 480 plants·m^-2 （P<0.05）. Analyses of rhizosphere fungi revealed that， compared with D. sanguinalis+E. crusgalli， mixed cropping of A. sativa+D. sanguinalis+E. crusgalli significantly reduced Shannon’s index of fungal diversity in the E. crusgalli rhizosphere and the Chao1 index in the D. sanguinalis rhizosphere （P<0.05）. Meanwhile， with oat planting densities of 360 and 480 plants·m^-2， the rhizospheres of the weeds showed significant enrichment of fungal taxa such as Mortierellaceae， Filobasidiaceae， and Microascaceae， alongside significant decreases in the relative abundance of Aspergillaceae and Chaetosphaeriaceae （P<0.05）. A redundancy analysis revealed that soil nitrate-nitrogen， available phosphorus， total carbon， and pH were the primary environmental factors influencing the diversity and structural variations in fungal communities in the rhizospheres of weeds （P<0.05）. With respect to fungal nutritional mode， FUNGuild analysis revealed that in rhizosphere soil of E. crusgalli+D. sanguinalis， the presence of A. sativa， especially at higher planting densities （360 and 480 plants·m^-2） significantly （P<0.05） increased the relative abundance of symbiotroph fungi and significantly （P<0.05） reduced the relative abundance of pathotroph-saprotroph fungi. In the D. sanguinalis rhizosphere， the presence of A. sativa had little impact on the relative abundance of the majority of fungal trophic classes but did significantly （P<0.05） reduce abundance of pathotroph fungi. In summary， higher planting densities （360 and 480 plants·m^-2） of oat not only significantly suppressed the growth and photosynthesis of D. sanguinalis and E. crusgalli， but also weakened their competitiveness by affecting the structure and functional characteristics of their rhizosphere fungal communities. The results of this study provide scientific data of interest for integrated weed management and sustainable agriculture applications.

The impact of phosphorus addition and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on root architecture and nutrient utilization in Leymus chinensis

Liang GUO, Yu-tong HU, Yu LIAO, Cheng-yu GONG, Xiao-yan YANG, Shang-qi GUAN, Cheng-qi JU

2025, 34(8):  165-178.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024362

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This study investigated the effects of phosphorus addition and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus （AMF） inoculation on the root architecture and nutrient absorption of Leymus chinensis. A pot experiment was conducted with four phosphorus levels （P₀： 0 mg·kg^-1； P₁： 11.32 mg·kg^-1； P₂： 22.63 mg·kg^-1； P₃： 33.95 mg·kg^-1） and two AMF treatments （inoculated and uninoculated）， resulting in a total of eight treatments， each with five replicates. It was found that phosphorus and AMF treatments significantly affected root biomass of L. chinensis. Root biomass was significantly increased under P₁ and P₂ treatments， while AMF treatment increased total root length and total biomass but tended to decrease root average diameter， root volume， and number of branches. Soil physicochemical analysis indicated that AMF treatment enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity and soil available phosphorus content. Nutrient analysis revealed that AMF inoculation and phosphorus treatment significantly increased plant phosphorus content， reduced the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio， and increased phosphorus utilization efficiency （PUE） under high phosphorus conditions. Moreover， a significant interaction was observed between phosphorus and AMF， characterized by significant change in fractal dimension， fractal abundance， pH inside root bags， soil available phosphorus， and phosphorus content in the aboveground parts of L. chinensis. In summary， appropriate phosphorus application and P₁ AMF inoculation significantly improved root biomass and architecture of L. chinensis， enhancing nutrient absorption and utilization efficiency.

Trichoderma asperellum bai5 inhibits root rot pathogens of alfalfa （Medicago sativa） and promotes alfalfa plant growth

Hua-ying DU, Yu-zhou ZHANG, Nan ZHAO, Yan HU, Yi-dong WANG, Teng-da LIU, Pei-wen GU, Ze-yang YU

2025, 34(8):  179-190.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024365

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The aim of this work was to screen for fungal biocontrol strains with inhibitory effects on the pathogens causing root rot of alfalfa （Medicago sativa）. To this end， the fungal strain bai5 was isolated and obtained from the soil surrounding the roots of Betula platyphylla by the dilution isolation method. This strain was identified as Trichoderma asperellum through morphological and molecular biological identification methods. Seven common root rot pathogens of alfalfa （Fusarium avenaceum FAV-7， Fusarium equiseti FEQ-10， Fusarium acuminatum FAC-11， Fusarium chlamydosporum FCH-13， Fusarium tricinctum FTR-14， Fusarium oxysporum FOX-15， Fusarium solani FSO-16） were used as target pathogens， and the inhibitory effect of strain bai5 on these pathogens was comprehensively evaluated using the two-point standoff method， the solid dilution method， and the plate-pair buckling method. The inhibitory rate of strain bai5 against the seven fungal pathogens was higher than 69% in the standoff culture test. In the fermentation filtrate inhibition test， strain bai5 inhibited the growth of FAC-11， FTR-14， FEQ-10， FCH-13， FAV-7， and FSO-16 by 63.14%， 49.80%， 40.78%， 33.33%， 16.08%， and 8.20%， respectively， but it had no inhibitory effect on FOX-15. The volatile compounds of strain bai5 inhibited the growth of FTR-14 and FAC-11 by up to 74.51% and 72.00%， respectively. Analyses of the biological properties and growth-promoting characteristics of strain bai5 showed that it grows fast， is strongly stress resistant， and has nitrogen-fixation and cellulase-producing abilities. The effect of T. asperellum bai5 on the growth and physiological indexes of pot-grown alfalfa plants was determined. The results show that bai5 significantly increased the fresh weight， height of above-ground parts， dry weight， chlorophyll content， and soluble sugars content of alfalfa plants. In conclusion， T. asperellum bai5 can inhibit the growth of at least seven root rot fungi of alfalfa and significantly promote alfalfa plant growth. Therefore， it is a biocontrol fungus with high development potential.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria additives on citrus fruit and corn stalk fermentation characteristics and odor characteristics of mixed silage

Rong-rong LI, Rui CAI, Xi XU, Rui TIAN

2025, 34(8):  191-198.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024350

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Feed odor plays an important role in animal feed preference， feed intake and growth rate. However， currently， research on the odor characteristics of feed is extremely limited. In this study， headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-throughput sequencing technologies were used to analyze the effects of adding Lactobacillus plantarum （LPA group） or not adding LPA （CK group） inoculant on the fermentation quality， bacterial flora structure and volatile compounds of mixed silage of inferior citrus （Citrus reticulata） fruits and corn （Zea mays） stalks. It was found that， compared with the CK group， silages in the LPA group had significantly reduced pH， acetic acid and ammonia nitrogen content （P<0.05）， and significantly increased lactic acid content （P<0.05）. Lactobacillus was the dominant bacterial genus in both silage groups. However， the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the LPA group was higher， and the relative abundance of Klebsiella was lower than in the CK group. Carbohydrate metabolism was the most important metabolic activity in silage. Compared with the LPA-group silages， the relative abundance of genes related to fructose and mannose metabolism， and starch and sucrose metabolism were decreased in CK silage. D-limonene was the most abundant terpene compound in the silages. The CK-group silages had increased content of acid and alcohol compounds and reduced the content of D-limonene， compared to the LPA-group silages. The relative abundance of Klebsiella was extremely significantly positively correlated with the relative content of acetic acid and ethanol （P<0.01）. In conclusion， adding L. plantarum increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus， facilitated retention of D-limonene， and improved the fermentation quality and flavor composition of mixed silage feed incorporating citrus fruit.

Effect of adding dietary whole-plant forage mulberry on the intestinal morphology， blood biochemical indicators， muscle amino acid content and economic return when raising Chuanbai rex rabbits

Hong-lin WANG, Bin WEN, Yan-chun ZUO, Kai ZHANG, Zi-zhou WU, Xu YAN, Zheng-cai YUAN, Yu-chuan DENG, Lian XIAO, Hui CHEN, Jing KOU, Xiang-chao FU, Zhou-he DU

2025, 34(8):  199-210.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024345

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This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of adding dietary whole-plant forage mulberry （Morus alba） on the intestinal morphology， blood biochemical indicators， muscle amino acid content and economic return when raising Chuanbai rex rabbits. In all， 150 young Chuanbai rex rabbits （35 days old； half male and half female） with good health， and similar body weights （1132.80±54.73 g） were selected and randomly divided into five groups with 30 replicates per group and 1 rabbit per replicate. The rabbits were fed with a complete feed combination with whole plant forage mulberry added to the basic diet at a ratio of 0， 6%， 12%， 18% and 24%. The results were as follows： The villus height in the ileum and duodenum of the 12%-addition-group was highest. The villus height/crypt depth in the 6% addition group was significantly higher than that in the control- and 24%-addition groups （P<0.05）. The addition of 12% whole-plant forage mulberry significantly increased the number of monocytes （P<0.05）， the addition of 18% whole-plant forage mulberry significantly increased the number of lymphocyte （P<0.05）. The total cholesterol concentration in the blood of the 24%-addition group was significantly lower than that of the control- and 6%-addition groups， and the triglyceride concentration in the 24%-addition group was significantly lower than that of the control and other treatment groups （P<0.05）. The addition of whole-plant forage mulberry had no significant effect on the amino acid content in muscle （P>0.05）， but the concentration of inosine monophosphate in muscle increased significantly with increase in the addition ratio of whole-plant mulberry （P<0.05）. Additionally， as the proportion of whole-plant forage mulberry increased， the total feed cost incrementally decreased， and the gross profit increased. In conclusion， the addition of whole-plant forage mulberry to the diet of young Chuanbai rex rabbits increased intestinal villus height， reduced blood total cholesterol and triglyceride levels， enhanced muscle inosine monophosphate content， and improved economic return. Under the experimental conditions， up to 24% whole-plant forage mulberry could be added without evident side effects.

Progress in research and utilization of grain silage

Juan-yan WU, Jing TIAN, Xiang GUO, Li-ying HUANG, Jian-guo ZHANG

2025, 34(8):  211-220.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024349

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With the ongoing improvement of living standards of urban and rural residents， the consumption pattern of agricultural products has undergone significant changes. Meat consumption has been increasing annually， while the per capita consumption of staple crops has declined. To meet the changing consumer demand， patterns of agricultural production need to be urgently adjusted， and the efficient utilization of livestock feed resources has emerged as a key component for change. Grain ensiling is an efficacious method for the conservation of feed grains， and offers many advantages， such as a high nutrient dry matter recovery rate， reduced labor requirement， and reduced energy consumption. Thus， grain silage provides an important option to address scarcity of feed resources for livestock. Drawing on both the research literature on grain silage and the practical experience of our research team， this study comprised an in-depth analysis of the factors affecting the fermentation quality of grain silages， including harvesting time， moisture content， crushed particle size， role of additives， and storage duration. Our study also explored the utilization and feed value of grain silage in livestock and poultry rearing and the potential for integrating grain silage technology into modern agricultural systems. Therefore， this study both provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the preparation and utilization of high-quality grain silage， and also addresses the need to identify methods and strategies for ensuring national food security.