Table of Content

20 June 2026, Volume 35 Issue 6

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Effects of different sand-fixing vegetation restoration modes on soil physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， and herbaceous plant diversity

Yu-long MA, Kai-yang QIU, Xin-yi LUO, Jing-jing ZHANG, Yu-hang WANG, Guo-hui WANG, Xiang ZHENG, Xu-ying HAI, Bin XUE, Ying-zhong XIE

2026, 35(6):  1-12.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025264

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different types of sand-fixing vegetation restoration on soil physico-chemical properties， soil enzyme activities， and herbaceous plant diversity. The control was bare mobile sand dunes （CK） and the four types of sand-fixing vegetation were Psammochloa villosa （SB）， Caragana korshinskii （N）， Corethrodendron scoparium （H）， and a mixture of C. korshinskii and C. scoparium （NH）. The results show that： 1） Compared with mobile sand dunes， the shrub sand-fixing modes （N， H， NH） increased the contents of soil organic carbon （SOC）， total nitrogen （TN）， and available phosphorus （AP）. The treatments were ranked， from highest AP content in soil to lowest， as follows： N>H>SB>NH>CK， with the AP content in C. korshinskii （N） plots （8.73 mg·kg?1） being 45.5% higher than that in CK. The five treatments were ranked， from highest TN content in soil to lowest， as follows： H>N>NH>SB>CK， with the TN content in C. scoparium （H） plots （0.20 g·kg?1） being 263% higher than that in CK. Meanwhile， the highest values of SOC content （1.51 g·kg?1） and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio （C/N，25.13） were in the mixed （NH） plots， and were 55.5% and 42.8% higher than their corresponding values in CK. 2） The highest activities of soil β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase were in the C. korshinskii （N） plots， and they were significantly higher （by 73.7% and 1315.1%， respectively） than their corresponding values in CK. The treatments were ranked， from highest activity of β-1，4-N-acetylglucosaminidase in soil to lowest， as follows： SB>NH>CK>H>N， with the highest activity in the P. villosa （SB） plots. The soil β-glucosidase activity was significantly correlated with pH， TN， and nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio （N/P）， while β-1，4-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was significantly positively correlated with soil pH. 3） The Pielou evenness index of vegetation was significantly lower in the P. villosa （SB） plots than in the shrub sand-fixing plots. The Simpson’s dominance index and Pielou evenness index of vegetation were significantly negatively correlated with soil β-1，4-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. Moreover， this enzyme （R2=0.66， P=0.003） and the carbon-to-phosphorus ratio （R2=0.41， P=0.01） were identified as key factors affecting herbaceous plant diversity. In summary， different types of sand-fixing vegetation affected the diversity of herbaceous plants by regulating the carbon-to-phosphorus ratio and β-1，4-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity in soil. Among the different vegetation modes， the mixed mode and C. korshinskii played important roles in maintaining the carbon-nitrogen balance and improving the content of available phosphorus， respectively. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for optimizing sand-fixing vegetation and for promoting the sustainability of desertification control projects.

Calorific values of plant organs of vegetation growing on the Erguna Meadow Steppe， Inner Mongolia

Xun-wen WU, Yin-long XU, Yu MO, Qing LUO, Jia-xin LI, Yi-lin ZHANG, Jie YU, Jing ZHANG, Yu ZHAO, Ya-jing BAO

2026, 35(6):  13-23.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025271

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The aim of this study was to investigate the energy fixation and allocation mechanisms in meadow steppe ecosystems. To this end， we systematically analyzed the calorific values of 36 plant species growing on the Erguna Meadow Steppe， Inner Mongolia. We analyzed variations in calorific values and energy allocation patterns across plant organs， functional groups （Fabaceae， Poaceae， forbs）， and hydric ecological types （xerophytes， meso-xerophytes， xero-mesophytes， mesophytes， wet-mesophytes）. The results showed that： 1） The average calorific value of the 36 plant species was 17.31 kJ·g^-1. Among the plant organs， fruit had the highest average calorific value， followed by flowers and leaves， while stems had the lowest， with all differences being significant （P<0.05）. Among the major families， Fabaceae exhibited the highest calorific values， significantly higher than those of Asteraceae， Ranunculaceae， and Amaryllidaceae （P<0.05）， but there was no significant difference in calorific value between Rosaceae and Amaryllidaceae. 2） Among the functional groups， Fabaceae had significantly higher calorific values than Poaceae and forbs （P<0.05）. In Fabaceae， calorific values were significantly higher for the leaf than for the other organs （P<0.05）. In Poaceae， the calorific values of the leaves were higher than those of the stems； in forbs， the calorific values of flowers and fruit were significantly higher than those of stems and leaves （P<0.05）. 3） The whole-plant calorific values did not differ significantly among hydric ecological types （P>0.05）. However， except for meso-xerophytes， all other hydric ecological types showed significantly higher calorific values for flowers and fruits than for stems and leaves （P<0.05）， indicating that calorific values in hydric ecological types respond significantly at the organ level. 4） Whole-plant calorific values were significantly positively correlated with carbon content， suggesting that carbon content is a key factor influencing plant energy storage. Similarly， calorific values of plant organs were also significantly positively correlated with carbon content， but the strength of the correlation varied among organs （flowers>leaves>stems>fruits）， with the strongest correlation in flowers （r= 0.91） and the weakest in fruit （r=0.79）.

Responses of new alfalfa lines to salt stress

Meng-yu REN, Li-qun WANG, Li-li NAN, Jia-yu GUO

2026, 35(6):  24-34.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025262

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In this study， we explored the responses of five new alfalfa （Medicago sativa） lines （P₁， P₂， P₃， P₄， and P₅） and M. sativa cv. ‘Zhongmu’ No.1 （ZM） to salt stress. The morphological and physiological parameters of alfalfa in the early flowering stage were measured at 0 （CK）， 8， and 20 days under salt stress （200?mmol·L^-1 NaCl）. The results show that with the extension of salt stress， there was increasing inhibition of plant height， leaf area， aboveground biomass， underground biomass， and K⁺ content of aboveground and underground parts of alfalfa plants. Salt stress also inhibited the growth of the root system of alfalfa plants， with negative effects on the total root length， total root surface area， average root diameter， root volume， and root tip number. The total flavonoid content and the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase， cinnamic acid-4-hydroxylase， and 4-coumarate-coenzyme A ligase were increased under salt stress， as were the Na⁺ contents in the aboveground and underground parts. Principal component analysis revealed that underground K⁺ and Na⁺ contents， root tip number， plant height， and leaf area are the preferred indices for evaluating the salt tolerance of alfalfa at the early flowering stage. On the basis of a comprehensive evaluation with the membership function method， the M. sativa lines were ranked from most to least salt tolerant as follows： P₃>P₄>P₅>ZM>P₂>P₁. These findings provide a theoretical basis for breeding new salt-resistant alfalfa cultivars.

Production benefit analysis of annual forage rotation systems in an arid area of central Ningxia

Bo SUN, Jun-yi ZHANG, Chun-yan BAI, Fan FENG, Jian LAN, Jian-qiang DENG

2026, 35(6):  35-48.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025253

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Compared with traditional monocropping systems， mixed cropping systems can increase crop diversity in rotations. However， whether this approach enhances crop yields and economic benefits remains to be verified. Furthermore， the impact of differing material and energy inputs between mixed cropping systems and monocropping systems on energy utilization efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions remains unclear. Field trials were conducted in 2023 and 2024 using a randomized block design with three treatments： ［maize （Zea mays） monoculture （M）］， ［Sorghum bicolor/Lablab purpureus-maize （S/L-M）］， and ［Avena sativa/hairy vetch （Vicia villosa）-maize （O/V-M）］. Measurements and analyses were carried out to determine yield （fresh and dry forage yield）， economic benefits （output value， costs， and net income）， energy efficiency （input-output ratios and energy utilization rates）， greenhouse gas emissions （N₂O emissions and emission intensity）， and ecological efficiency indices ［EEI_EI （economic ecological efficiency index） and EEI_GHG （greenhouse gas emissions ecological efficiency index）］. The results show that， compared with the M model， the S/L-M system increased yield and economic benefits by 157.1% and 93.5%， respectively， with material and energy inputs increased by 127.5%. Labor and seed inputs were the primary drivers of the increased material and energy inputs， being increased by 67.5% and 60.0%， respectively， in the cropping rotation system. However， while the rotation system increased material inputs， it also improved energy utilization efficiency by 211.8%， thereby reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity by 34.6%. Compared with the O/V-M system， the S/L-M system demonstrated superior performance in terms of both yield and economic benefits. Because of its enhanced material and energy utilization efficiencies， the S/L-M system reduced greenhouse gas emission intensity by 15.4% and increased the ecological efficiency index by 16.9%. These results show that replacing maize monoculture with the S/L-M model not only effectively alleviates forage shortages and significantly boosts system yield and economic benefits， but also enhances material and energy utilization efficiencies while reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity. Therefore， this model is recommended for the sustainable development of arid agriculture in central Ningxia.

Comprehensive evaluation of the salt tolerance of diverse oat germplasm at the seedling stage

Shao-yan YUAN, Yuan-kun LIU, Shi-jie CAI, Ting-xin LEI, Ping-ping ZHOU, Jun-zhen WANG, Hong-hai YAN

2026, 35(6):  49-59.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025242

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Oat （Avena sativa） is an important forage crop worldwide， and it plays a critical role in alleviating the forage shortage in northern China. Identifying salt-tolerant germplasm and using it to develop salt-tolerant varieties are essential for enhancing China’s forage supply through oat production on saline-alkali land. To evaluate the salinity tolerance of oat germplasm lines， a diverse set of 213 oat accessions sourced from 52 countries was subjected to 150 mmol·L^-1 salt stress treatment at the seedling stage for 7 days. Six growth indexes， namely root length， seedling height， root fresh weight， seedling fresh weight， root dry weight， and seedling dry weight， were measured. A comprehensive evaluation of salt tolerance was conducted using correlation analysis， principal component analysis， membership function analysis， and cluster analysis. The results show that all growth indexes except for seedling dry weight were significantly reduced by salt stress （P<0.05）. The values of these growth indexes differed markedly among the salt-treated oat germplasm lines. The coefficient of variation for the salt tolerance coefficient ranged from 12.21% to 30.74%， indicating considerable diversity in this oat germplasm. We detected a significant positive correlation between the growth indexes and the multivariate evaluation value （D value）. Through principal component analysis， the six evaluation indexes were consolidated into three multi-trait indexes with a cumulative variance contribution of 84.14%. Root and seedling weights were identified as the preferred indicators for screening salt tolerance at the seedling stage. The membership function analysis combined with cluster analysis grouped the 213 oat accessions into five classes. Two oat landraces originating from Portugal and Turkey had the highest D values， and were identified as highly salt tolerant germplasm resources. These germplasm materials represent valuable resources for oat cultivation in saline-alkali soils and for breeding new salt-tolerant oat cultivars. There was no significant difference in salt tolerance between oat cultivars and landraces， suggesting that salt tolerance has not been a primary breeding target for oats. This highlights the need for focused efforts towards breeding salt-tolerant oat varieties. Overall， the results of this study provide a robust framework for screening salt-tolerant oat germplasm materials and identify promising accessions for genetic improvement and cultivation in salinity-affected regions.

Effects of silage additives on the quality of whole crop maize silage produced from plants irrigated with livestock wastewater

Zhi-hao LIU, Wen-long LI, Chen ZHANG, Mei-ying LIU, Ya TAO

2026, 35(6):  60-72.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025267

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Whole crop maize （Zea mays） silage is an important source of roughage for ruminant production. Livestock wastewater contains large amounts of many nutrients required by crops. The aims of this study， therefore， were to determine whether plants irrigated with livestock wastewater produced better silage than those irrigated with groundwater， and to determine the effects of different silage additives. Whole-plant silage maize irrigated with livestock wastewater （W₁） or groundwater （W₂） were used as raw materials for the following treatments： natural silage （CK）， silage with added Qingzhubang （A₁）， silage with added Xianmu 1152 （A₂）， and silage with added Zhuanglemei （A₃）. After ensilage for 3 and 80 days， the bags were opened and sampled to determine the nutritional components and fermentation quality of the silages. It was found that irrigation with livestock wastewater significantly increased soil available nutrient contents， resulting in a significant decrease in the dry matter content of silage maize raw materials and a significant increase in the content of crude protein and acid detergent fiber. Livestock wastewater irrigation and different additives significantly affected the nutritional quality and fermentation quality of whole crop maize silage， and the effect of the interaction between the two factors was significant. Based on nine indicators at the early and stable stages of silage fermentation， a grey correlation analysis showed that W₁A₁ （silage maize grown with livestock wastewater and addition of Qingzhubang） was the optimal treatment. In summary， adding Qingzhubang to whole-plant silage maize grown under livestock wastewater irrigation conditions improved the silage quality of ‘Fengdan 189’ silage maize after 80 days， yielding superior results compared with natural silage produced from plants irrigated with groundwater. These findings provide a practical reference for the rational utilization of livestock wastewater and the screening of suitable silage maize additives.

Evaluation and screening of Achnatherum inebrians germplasm lines for use as bird-repellent turfgrass

Jia-ling YU, He-na LIAN, Wan-ning YANG, Zi-tong ZHOU, Zhen-jiang CHEN, Chun-jie LI

2026, 35(6):  73-82.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025244

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The aim of this study was to identify Achnatherum inebrians germplasm with bird-repellent potential for airport turf establishment. To this end， 22 accessions collected from Inner Mongolia， Qinghai， Xinjiang， and Gansu during a single growing season were cultivated and acclimatized at the Yuzhong Experimental Station， and their morphological traits and ergonovine content were determined. There were significant differences in plant height， tiller number， effective tiller number， canopy width， and ergonovine content among different A. inebrians germplasm lines. Specifically， the germplasm lines ZMC₉， ZMC₁₀， ZMC₁₂， and ZMC₁₆ had plant heights below 80 cm； ZMC₁， ZMC₁₇， ZMC₁₈， and ZMC₁₉ had more than 130 tillers per plant； ZMC₅， ZMC₁₄， ZMC₁₅， ZMC₁₇， and ZMC₁₈ produced more than 35 effective tillers per plant； ZMC₁₃， ZMC₁₄， and ZMC₁₅ had canopy widths exceeding 85 cm； ZMC₄， ZMC₁₆， ZMC₁₇， and ZMC₂₀ had alkaloid levels exceeding 240 mg·kg^-1 during the tillering stage； and ZMC₄， ZMC₉， and ZMC₂₀ had alkaloid contents exceeding 130 mg·kg^-1 at maturity. Grey relational analysis and weighted relational analysis ranking preliminarily screened out four germplasm lines， namely ZMC₄， ZMC₉， ZMC₁₇， and ZMC₂₀， as being suitable for airport turfgrass establishment. These four germplasm lines had low plant height， high tillering capacity， large crown width， and a high ergonovine content， indicative of good bird-repellent potential. These findings provide a foundation for breeding avian-deterrent A. inebrians cultivars that are particularly suitable for cultivation in airport environments.

A multivariate evaluation of agronomic traits， yield and seed production in ten accessions of Bromus inermis from the Three-River-Source Region

Yu-lin NIU, Ming-fang BAO, Wen-hu WANG, Xin CHEN, Kai-qiang LIU, Wen-hui LIU, Yan QIN

2026, 35(6):  83-92.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025278

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To screen for superior Bromus inermis genetic material suitable for cultivation in the area surrounding Qinghai Lake， this study utilized ten wild B. inermis germplasm lines from the Three-River-Source Region. The research was conducted in Haibei Prefecture， Qinghai Province and analyzed and compared agronomic traits of the germplasm lines， including forage yield and seed yield. A structural equation model （SEM） was constructed to identify key agronomic traits influencing yield. Additionally， the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision model was employed for a multi-trait evaluation of the tested B. inermis germplasm， to provide formal testing of B. inermis lines intended for cultivation around Qinghai Lake. It was found： 1） At two years old， variety GN-2210 exhibited greater plant height， stem diameter， leaf area， and seed yield per plant than other lines， measuring 137.20 cm， 5.18 mm， 30.69 cm2， and 114.29 g·plant^-1， respectively. At three years old， the plant height， stem diameter， leaf area， and seed yield per plant of GN-2210 reached their maximum values of 111.80 cm， 4.33 mm， 25.73 cm2， and 106.30 g·plant^-1， respectively. 2） Analysis using a piecewise SEM indicated that leaf area and tiller number were key factors affecting the forage yield of B. inermis， while the key factors influencing its seed yield were leaf area and stem diameter. 3） The TOPSIS multi-criteria decision model demonstrated that the GN-221 germplasm lines was significantly superior to other varieties in terms of biomass accumulation and seed yield per plant， making it suitable for cultivation and promotion in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Adaptation of maize varieties in saline and alkaline land in Ningxia based on growth-nutrient accumulation-yield synergistic regulation

Yue-qi LI, Tao MA, Yu-ping DING, Ming SU, Tao LI, Xiao-ying MA, Feng-lan MA, Meng-hu WAN, Qing-yun LI, Dan ZHANG, Na WU, Ji-li LIU

2026, 35(6):  93-107.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025276

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This study aimed to investigate the growth， physiological characteristics， nutrient accumulation， and yield performance of different maize varieties under saline-alkali stress conditions to address issues such as reduced maize （Zea mays） yields in such soils within the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation District. By establishing a multi-trait evaluation system， the study sought to identify superior varieties suited to cultivation in saline-alkali soil， thereby providing a scientific basis for variety selection and cultivation management for efficient maize production on saline-alkali land. The experiment was conducted in Pingluo County， Ningxia， in 2023， with two main areas set up： mild saline-alkali （QS） and moderate saline-alkali （ZS） soil conditions. The varieties tested were Xianyu 335 （V₁）， Yinyu 238 （V₂）， Jindan 73 （V₃）， Deke 622 （V₄）， DK815 （V₅）， Heyu 157 （V₆）， Xianyu 1321 （V₇）， Jinrun 919 （V₈）， Tianci 19 （V₉）， and Xianyu 1225 （V₁₀）. It was found that under the tested contrasting saline-alkali stress conditions， the 10 maize varieties exhibit variety-specific differences in growth， physiology， nutrient accumulation， and yield， with different varieties demonstrating distinct advantages for various traits； Among them， under QS conditions， V₃ achieved optimal net photosynthetic rate （P_n）， kernel weight， and yield， with average increases of 4.90%-57.48%， 1.36%-35.97%， and 9.70%-40.26%， respectively， compared to other varieties； V₅ exhibited the highest PSⅡ potential maximum photosynthetic capacity （F_v/F_o） and K⁺ content， with increases of 3.50% to 27.29% and 2.54% to 6.02%， respectively， compared to other varieties； V₁₀ had the highest PSⅡ maximum photochemical efficiency （F_v/F_m）， proline （Pro） content， and total phosphorus content， with increases of 0.25% to 3.77%， 0.14% to 46.16%， and 12.59% to 48.48%， respectively， compared to other varieties. Under ZS conditions， the relative chlorophyll content （SPAD） and PS Ⅱ potential maximum photosynthetic capacity （F_v/F_o） of V₃ was increased by 2.88% to 35.30% and 4.30% to 35.37%， respectively， compared to other varieties； V₅ yield was increased by 3.56% to 61.80% compared to other varieties； P_n， peroxidase （POD） activity， and K⁺ content of V₁₀ were increased by 3.39% to 32.24%， 1.11% to 15.05%， and 1.32% to 5.19%， respectively， compared to other varieties. A multivariate evaluation was conducted using the entropy weight-TOPSIS method and principal component analysis （PCA）， with results showing consistent trends. Under the QS conditions， the three maize varieties with the optimal multivariate scores were V₃， V₅， and V₁₀， while under the ZS condition， the three maize varieties with the optimal scores were V₁₀， V₃， and V₅. Therefore， based on the combined score of the two statistical methods， Jindan 73 （V₃） demonstrated outstanding adaptability and stable yield under mild （QS） saline-alkali conditions， while Xianyu 1225 （V₁₀） performed relatively well under moderate （ZS）saline-alkali conditions. These two varieties provide a scientific basis for variety selection in saline-alkali maize cultivation in Ningxia and are suitable as core varieties for regional demonstration of contrasting saline-alkali soil tolerance and extension agency promotion.

Effects of flavonoids from Taraxacum mongolicum and of Bacillus subtilis addition on fermentation quality， antioxidant activity， and aerobic stability of Avena sativa silage

Tao WANG, Jing LI, Qiang LU, Wen-can KE, Shuai HUANG

2026, 35(6):  108-121.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025300

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This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of flavonoids from Taraxacum mongolicum （FT） and addition of Bacillus subtilis （BS） on the fermentation quality， antioxidant activity， aerobic stability， and microbial community structure of oat （Avena sativa） silage. The following treatments were established： 1） Control treatment （CK）； 2） FT addition treatment （FT）； 3） BS addition treatment （BS）； 4） Combined FT and BS treatment （FT+BS）. After 60 days of ensiling at room temperature， the fermentation quality， antioxidant activity， aerobic stability， and microbial community structure of the A. sativa silage were determined. It was found that： 1） Compared with the control treatment， the additive treatments exhibited significantly lower pH， propionic acid content， ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen （NH₃-N/TN） ratio， yeast count， neutral detergent fiber content， and dry matter loss （P<0.05）， the pH and NH₃-N/TN ratio values in the FT+BS treatment were significantly lower than those in the BS treatment （P<0.05）， while the lactic acid （LA） content and lactic acid bacteria （LAB） counts in the FT+BS treatment were significantly higher than those in the CK treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with the control treatment， the flavonoid content， total antioxidant capacity， and antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher in the FT and FT+BS treatments （P<0.05）. The aerobic stability of the FT+BS treatment was significantly higher than that of the other three treatments （P<0.05）. 2） The absolute abundance of Firmicutes was significantly higher in the BS and FT+BS treatments compared to the CK and FT treatments （P<0.05）. The absolute abundance of Enterococcus was significantly higher in the FT treatment than in the BS and FT+BS treatments （P<0.05）， while the absolute abundance of Levilactobacillus was significantly higher in the FT+BS treatments than in the FT and BS treatments （P<0.05）. The total absolute abundance of LAB in all additive treatments was significantly higher than that in the fresh sample and CK treatments （P<0.05）. In conclusion， both FT and BS contributed to improvement of the fermentation quality， antioxidant activity， and aerobic stability of A. sativa silage， while also promoting beneficial shifts in the microbial community structure for silage fermentation. Overall， the combined addition of FT and BS yielded the best improvement in A. sativa silage quality.

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth characteristics and sugar content of Bromus inermis

Rui GAN, Jiererge, Xiao-qing SUI, Hai-jun LIU, Yu-xuan LIU, Gui-li JIN, MAIMAITI·Mu-yesaier

2026, 35(6):  122-130.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025272

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In this study， we inoculated Bromus inermis ‘Wusu No.1’ with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF） and determined its effects on the growth characteristics and sugar content of the host plant. A pot experiment was conducted using B. inermis ‘Wusu No.1’ and three AMF species-Funneliformis mosseae， Rhizophagus intraradices， and Rhizophagus irregularis. These AMF were inoculated alone or in various combinations onto B. inermis plants. The results show that AMF， whether inoculated singly or co-inoculated， effectively colonized the roots of B. inermis， with colonization rates ranging from 69.83% to 80.29%. Compared with non-inoculated plants， those inoculated with AMF showed higher values for growth indicators and chlorophyll content， and higher values for total root length， root surface area， root volume， root tip number， and root cross number. Among the various treatments， the combined inoculation of F. mosseae and R. intraradices had the most significant effect， increasing the total biomass， total root length， and root surface area by 107.67%， 73.34%， and 79.63%， respectively， compared with the control group. Both single and co-inoculation of F. mosseae and R. intraradices resulted in significantly increased sucrose and glucose contents in the leaves and roots of B. inermis plants， with higher values in the co-inoculation treatment. A comprehensive analysis using the membership function method revealed that the co-inoculation treatment with F. mosseae and R. irregularis yielded the best results in terms of establishing root architecture and improving sugar content in B. inermis.

Changes in non-structural carbohydrates of rice straw between before and after ensiling and additive effects on ensilage fermentation and microbial community structure

Ji-peng TIAN, Xin WANG, Mudasir NAZAR, Bei-yi LIU, Si-ran WANG, Cheng-long DING, Yun-hui CHENG, Jie LI

2026, 35(6):  131-144.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025289

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Modern breeding techniques have developed rice varieties with straw rich in non-structural carbohydrates （NSC）， including glucose， fructose， sucrose， and starch. However， in the high temperature and humidity conditions of southern China， such straw decomposes rapidly， leading to significant loss of available sugars. Ensiling offers a solution by converting NSC into organic acids. Nevertheless， direct ensiling of rice straw proves ineffective due to dominant Clostridium fermentation. This experiment investigated the changes in NSC of rice straw between before and after ensiling and evaluated the impacts of additives on fermentation quality， nutritive value， microbial community composition and mycotoxin load after 90 d of ensiling. Four treatments were used in this experiment： 1） Control group （CK）； 2） Lactic acid bacteria inoculants mixed with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei （HLAB）； 3） Calcium propionate （PACA）； 4） Mixture of two additives （HLAB_PACA）. Three replicates per treatment. The addition rates of HLAB and PACA groups were 5×10⁵ CFU·g^-1 and 4 g·kg^-1 of fresh materials， respectively. After 90 days of fermentation， all groups exhibited significant reductions in glucose， fructose， and starch （P<0.05）. HLAB， PACA and HLAB_PACA groups preserved higher （P<0.05） residual glucose levels than the control group. These three additive groups also had significantly lowered pH， acetic acid， butyric acid， and ammonia nitrogen （P<0.05）， with increased lactic acid production （P<0.05）. Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents were notably decreased by additives （P<0.05）. PACA and HLAB_PACA groups had increased bacterial community diversity as measured by Ace and Chao1 indices （P<0.05）. The HLAB and HLAB_PACA groups comprised natural fermentative lactic acid bacteria， initially composed of 8 zero-radius operational taxonomic units （ZOTU） belonging to Ligilactobacillus， Lactiplantibacillus and Lacticaseibacillus， which evolved into a Lacticaseibacillus-dominant bacterial community （ZOTU1/ZOTU318）. All additives suppressed the relative abundance of Clostridium. Fungal diversity metrics showed elevated Simpson and reduced Shannon indices （P<0.05） in HLAB_PACA group versus HLAB and PACA groups. Although the use of additives significantly increased the relative abundance of Aspergillaceae and total mould counts （P<0.05） compared to the CK， it did not cause a significant increase in mycotoxin levels， such as aflatoxin and zearalenone， which remained extremely low. Therefore， the use of lactic acid bacteria and calcium propionate additives plays an important role in improving the NSC structure， fermentation quality， and microbial community structure of rice straw silage. These data provide scientific information relevant to the efficient production of rice straw silage.

Screening of manganese-tolerant endophytic fungi from seeds and their ability to promote seed germination and seedling growth under manganese stress

Zi-xin YU, Wei-zheng SHEN, Gao PAN, Wen-yin WANG, Wen-sheng LIU

2026, 35(6):  145-154.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025255

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In this study， we first evaluated the tolerance of endophytic fungi isolated from seeds of several plant species to manganese （Mn） stress， and then determined whether they were able to promote the growth of the same plants under Mn stress. Four culturable dominant endophytic fungi （Corynespora cassiicola， Curvularia lunata， Pestalotiopsis microspora， and Alternaria sp.） that had previously been isolated and screened from seeds of plants growing at a Mn mine in Xiangtan were used in this study. These fungi had been isolated from seeds of plants belonging to different life forms （Lespedeza davidii， a shrub； Miscanthus floridulus，a giant grass； Celosia argentea， a tropical herbaceous plant；and Chenopodium album， an annual flowering plant）. The Mn tolerance of the seed endophytic fungi was evaluated， and then their ability to promote seed germination and growth of the four plant species under Mn stress was evaluated. When the fungi were grown under control conditions and under Mn stress， the colony diameter and the biomass of Alternaria sp. changed the least among the four endophytic fungi （C. cassiicola， C. lunata， P. microspora， and Alternaria sp.）. For Alternaria sp.， the minimum inhibitory concentration of Mn was 50 mmol·L^-1 and the Mn²⁺ adsorption rate was 75.6%； these values were higher than those determined for the other three endophytic fungi. These findings indicated that Alternaria sp. had the strongest Mn tolerance. In addition， under Mn stress， inoculation with Alternaria sp. increased the seed germination rates and germination potential of L. davidii， M. floridulus， C. argentea， and C. album， and promoted their seedling growth. The seed germination rates of the inoculated group of L. davidii， M. floridulus， C. argentea， and C. album were 4.9%， 12.9%， 88.9%， and 93.3% higher， respectively， than those of the non-inoculated group， and the total biomasses of the inoculated group were 4.0%， 117.1%， 31.5%， 35.7% higher， respectively， than those of the non-inoculated group. The results show that Alternaria sp. can promote seed germination and seedling growth of many plant species under stress. Consequently， this fungal strain is a promising candidate strain for environmental remediation.

Isolation and growth-promoting effects of rhizobia from the Sesbania cannabina seed trial area in saline-alkali land in Kashi， Xinjiang

Yuan-yuan LIU, Jun-feng YANG, Qi-wen CUI, Ming-yuan LI, Ji-lian WANG

2026, 35(6):  155-165.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025254

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The aim of this work was to expand microbial fertilizer strain resources and develop rhizobial agents suitable for Sesbania cannabina cultivation in saline-alkali soils. To this end， Rhizobium strains were isolated from the root nodules of S. cannabina growing in a trial planting area in saline-alkali land in Kashi， Xinjiang. The isolates were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction， and by phylogenetic analyses. The effects of the isolated strains， alone or in mixed combinations， on the growth of S. cannabina and the properties of salt-alkali soil were determined. A total of 17 strains were isolated， belonging to the genera Ensifer， Enterobacter， and Brucella， with Ensifer being the dominant genus. The strains Ensifer sp. B-3-1， Ensifer sp. C-3-2， Enterobacter sp. A-5-1， and Brucella sp. C-4-1 exhibited the ability to solubilize both organic and inorganic phosphorus. Inoculation of Ensifer as single strains or mixed with other strains positively affected the growth of S. cannabina； the plant height， stem diameter， aboveground dry weight， chlorophyll content， and root dry weight were increased by 21.2%-56.2%， 22.3%-67.8%， 4.5%-43.5%， 26.8%-149.5%， and 18.2%-100.0%， respectively， and the number of root noduleswas also significantly increased （P<0.05）. The properties of salt-alkali soil were also improved by Ensifer strains， alone or in combinations； the pH value and total salt， total phosphorus， and total potassium contents were decreased by 2.4%-4.1%， 23.6%-39.1%， 23.3%-69.4% and 2.2%-21.2%， respectively， and the available nitrogen and available phosphorus contents were increased by 63.5%-98.4% and 0.1%-9.0%， respectively. After inoculation with Ensifer sp. B-3-1， the available potassium content in soil was lower than that of the control group， but inoculation with other Ensifer strains increased the available potassium content in soil by 8.4%-99.7%. Among the various tested combinations， the combination E （Ensifer sp. C-3-2， Ensifer sp. B-3-1， and Brucella sp. C-4-1） had the best effect. The strains re-isolated after inoculation were highly homologous to the inoculated strains B-3-1 and C-3-2， demonstrating their successful colonization of the host. The Rhizobium strains obtained in this study have potential applications in developing microbial fertilizers suitable for reclamation and ecological restoration of saline-alkali land.

Effects of intercropping the weed Artemisia lavandulaefolia on soil microbial structure and diversity in tea gardens

Hui ZHANG, Hui-ling LI, Qing-sen WANG, Feng-jing LIU, Jin-yu LI, Liang-de LI, Qiu-sheng ZHONG, Ding-feng WANG

2026, 35(6):  166-180.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025246

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Weed management in tea （Camellia sinensis） plantations is a critical issue affecting tea yield and quality， with long-term chemical weed control leading to soil ecological degradation. In this study， we determined how intercropping with Artemisia lavandulaefolia， a dominant weed in tea plantations， affects soil physicochemical properties， soil microbial communities， and soil fertility in tea gardens. We used Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing to analyze the bacterial （16S rDNA） and fungal （ITS） community structures in soils of tea gardens with and without A. lavandulaefolia intercropping. It was found that intercropping with A. lavandulaefolia significantly increased the contents of organic matter （18.66%）， total nitrogen （23.08%）， and available potassium （30.63%） in the rhizosphere soil of tea plants. Intercropping with A. lavandulaefolia did not significantly alter the α-diversity （Shannon and Chao 1 indices） of bacterial and fungal communities， but it significantly affected their composition. Among the dominant fungal genera， the relative abundance of Metarhizium was increased by 8.22-fold in the rhizosphere soil and by 93.92% in the inter-row soil of tea plants intercropped with A. lavandulaefolia. Among the soil bacteria， Gemmatimonas， Sorangium， and Roseiarcus were significantly enriched in the soil of tea plants intercropped with A. lavandulaefolia. Additionally， intercropping with A. lavanduleafolia had a more pronounced impact on rare fungal and bacterial taxa with low relative abundances. In conclusion， the presence of the weed A. lavandulaefolia increased the contents of organic matter， total nitrogen， and available potassium in the rhizosphere soil of tea plants， changed the structure of the soil microbial community， and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria， specifically Metarhizium， Gemmatimonas， Sorangium， and Roseiarcus. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for ecological grass control and sustainable management of tea gardens.

Synergistic effects of added maize steep liquor and lactic acid bacteria during fermentation on the nutritional value， rumen fermentation characteristics， and in vitro degradability of maize stover

Hai-yang HONG, Zhi-hang SHA, Ming-ming JIANG, Xiao-long SU, Wen-yi REN, Wei-hao KONG, Li-li ZHANG, Xiao-feng XU, Yu-lin MA

2026, 35(6):  181-189.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025299

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This experiment aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of added maize steep liquor and lactic acid bacteria during fermentation on the nutritional composition， rumen fermentation characteristics， and in vitro degradability of maize stover. Maize stover was prepared with four different pretreatments based on dry matter： no pretreatment for the control treatment （CON）； 1.0×10¹¹ CFU·g^-1 lactic acid bacteria pretreatment for the CL treatment （CL）； 5% maize steep liquor pretreatment for the CC group （CC）； and a 5% CC+ lactic acid bacteria treatment （CCL）. Distilled water was added to the maize stover to adjust the moisture content to 65%， and each group had four replicates. The nutritional composition， in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics， and in vitro digestibility of the maize stover were analyzed after 56 days of anaerobic fermentation. Results showed that： 1） The crude protein and acetic acid contents in the CL， CC and CCL groups were significantly higher than in the CON group （P<0.001）， and the pH values in the CL and CCL groups were significantly lower than that in the CON group （P<0.05）. 2） Compared with the CON group， the in vitro fermentation ammonia nitrogen concentration in the CL， CC and CCL groups was significantly increased （P<0.05）， the acetic acid and the total volatile fatty acid concentration in the CCL group was significantly increased （P<0.05）. 3） Compared with the CON group， the in vitro dry matter degradability in the CL， CC and CCL groups were significantly higher than that in the CON group （P<0.001）， and the in vitro crude protein degradability in the CC and CCL groups were significantly higher than in the CON group （P<0.05）. In conclusion， the addition of synergistic fermentation of maize steep liquor and lactic acid bacteria enhanced the nutritional value of maize stover， improved its fermentation quality， and increased the degradability of nutrients.

Effects of supplemental feeds with different energy contents on the productive performance， blood biochemical indices， and ruminal microbial community of growing yaks

Jian-bo ZHANG, Lei WANG, Qiang-long ZHANG, Pei-lin YE, Wei-hua HUANG, Fu-nian ZHANG, Rong LI, Yong SHI

2026, 35(6):  190-201.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025240

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This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplemental feeds with different energy levels on the growth rate of yaks. A total of 27 one-year-old yaks with similar initial body weights were randomly divided into three groups， with nine yaks per group. The three groups were fed concentrate feeds with low （LG）， medium （MG）， and high （HG） energy levels. The pre-feeding period lasted for 7 days， followed by a formal feeding period of 110 days. The production performance， blood biochemical indices， and rumen microbial communities of growing yaks were measured during the growth period. The results show that： 1） At the end of the trial， there were no significant differences in final body weight， average daily gain， and average daily feed intake among the LG， MG， and HG groups （P>0.05）. However， compared with the initial body weight， the final body weight of yaks in the LG， MG， and HG groups was increased by 79.91%， 82.27%， and 86.16%， respectively. 2） The concentrations of growth hormone， insulin-like growth factor 1， and insulin-like growth factor 2 in serum were significantly higher in the HG group than in the LG group （P<0.05）， whereas the total antioxidant capacity in serum was significantly lower in the HG group than in the LG group （P<0.05）. Other serum biochemical indicators tended to increase with increasing energy levels in the diet but the differences among the three groups were not significant （P>0.05）. 3） There was no significant difference in the alpha and beta diversity of rumen microbial communities among the three groups. However， taxa such as Atopobium， UCG-005， Lachnospiraceae_UCG-008， and Eubacterium were significantly enriched in the rumen of the HG group （P<0.05）， and microbial communities dominated by norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 were significantly enriched in the rumen of the LG group （P<0.05）. 4） Mantel tests revealed that the abundance of Succiniclasticum in the rumen was significantly negatively correlated with the total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the blood （P<0.05）， and the abundance of Xylanibacter was significantly negatively correlated with the non-esterified fatty acid concentration in the blood （P<0.05）. The results of this study indicate that increasing the energy level of concentrated feed can increase the levels of hormones such as growth hormone and enhance the diversity of rumen microbial communities， thereby improving the growth rate of yaks.

The effect of alfalfa meal on the average daily gain， slaughter performance， meat quality， and serum biochemical indicators of two different hybrid lines of Liangsan pigs

Jiang-bo XU, Chang-wei MEI, Dong CHEN, Run-yao JIANG, Song-chang GUO, Xiu-hong WU, Ju-ying LUO, Hai-yuan HUANG, Fang LIU

2026, 35(6):  202-215.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025279

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This experiment investigated the effects of alfalfa （Medicago sativa） meal on the production performance， slaughter performance， meat quality， and serum biochemical indicators of different hybrid lines of Liangsan pigs. A two-factor experimental design was adopted， dividing animals into four groups： EGⅠ （Zangliang F₁， fed alfalfa diet）， CGⅠ （Zangliang F₁， fed basal diet）， EGⅡ （Baliang F₁， fed alfalfa diet） and CGⅡ （Baliang F₁， fed basal diet）. Each group consisted of three replicates， with 10 pigs per replicate， and the experiment lasted 49 days. The basal diet was formulated by the experimental farm， and the alfalfa diet was prepared by replacing 9.6% of the basal diet with alfalfa meal. The experimental animals were selected from healthy 8-month-old Liangsan hybrid pigs with good body condition and similar body weight （91.20±10.07 kg）. This study systematically evaluated the effects of the two hybrid combinations and two dietary types on production performance， slaughter performance， meat quality， and serum biochemical indicators， and explored their interactions. It was found that： 1）When comparing hybrid lines， the average daily gain， slaughter rate， lean meat percentage， eye muscle area， glutamic acid content， arginine content， and total antioxidant capacity of group CGⅡ were significantly higher than those of group CGⅠ （P<0.05）. The slaughter rate， ether extract content， and glutathione peroxidase activity of group EGⅡ were significantly higher than those of group EGⅠ （P<0.05）. The crude protein and docosanoic acid content in group EGⅠ were significantly higher than those in group EGⅡ （P<0.05）， while the crude protein and glucose content in group CGⅠ were significantly higher than those in group CGⅡ （P<0.05）. 2） When comparing alfalfa and basal diets the malondialdehyde content in group CGⅡ was significantly higher than that in group EGⅡ （P<0.05）， and the arginine content and total antioxidant capacity in the longissimus dorsi muscle of the EG groups were significantly higher than those in the CG groups （P<0.05）. 3） A significant interaction between diet type and hybrid combination was observed for arginine and α-linolenic acid （P<0.05）. 4） No significant differences were found in the other indicators； however， compared with the basal diet group （CG group）， the alfalfa diet group （EG group） showed a decrease in feed conversion ratio， ether extract content， drip loss， yellowness value， pentadecanoic acid， heptadecanoic acid， docosanoic acid， and tetracosanoic acid content （P>0.05）， while the contents of crude protein， aspartic acid， glycine， alanine， proline， tyrosine， leucine， and butyric acid， as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase and alkaline phosphatase， were increased （P>0.05）. In conclusion， dietary supplementation with alfalfa meal during the late fattening phase reduced the feed conversion ratio， improved feed utilization， enhanced total antioxidant capacity， and effectively improved meat quality in both hybrid lines.