Table of Content

20 August 2026, Volume 35 Issue 8

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Characteristics of understory herbaceous soil seed banks in Caragana korshinskii sand-fixation thickets of different ages in the Mu Us Sandy Land

Wen-jie SHI, Xiao-wei LI, Zhen-qiang REN, Ji-de LIU, Ling LIU, Shu-xiang HAO, Yun-xia LI

2026, 35(8):  1-13.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025329

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The soil seed bank serves as a crucial seed source for vegetation restoration in sandy areas. Investigating how it changes during prolonged periods of sand fixation holds significant scientific importance for combating desertification. This study focused on Caragana korshinskii sand-fixing thickets of different ages （10， 30， 50， and 70 years） in the Mu Us Sandy Land. By integrating field surveys， seed bank germination experiments， and soil physicochemical property analysis， we systematically analyzed the evolution of the soil seed bank and its driving factors across different periods of sand fixation. The results show that 28 plant species germinated from the soil seed bank. These 28 species belonged to 22 genera and 8 families， predominantly Asteraceae， Poaceae， and Amaranthaceae. As the period of sand fixation increased， the proportion of annual herbaceous plants gradually decreased， while that of perennial herbaceous plants progressively rose. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index， Margalef richness index， and Simpson dominance index all exhibited increasing trends with prolonged sand fixation， whereas the Pielou evenness index gradually declined. The soil seed bank density increased significantly as the period of sand fixation increased， from 303.31 to 5719.72 seeds·m?2. The seed bank was primarily concentrated in the 0-2 cm and 2-5 cm soil layers， and decreased progressively with increasing soil depth. The similarity between the soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation exhibited moderate levels across all sites， except in the 30-year-old thicket， and showed a fluctuating increase with prolonged sand fixation. A redundancy analysis revealed that aboveground vegetation species evenness （F=4.0， P=0.016） was the significant vegetation factor affecting the seed bank， while soil available nitrogen （F=13.7， P=0.002） was the primary soil factor driving the seed bank. In conclusion， as the duration of sand fixation increased， the soil seed bank exhibited a successional trend characterized by enhanced diversity and increased density. This study provides a scientific basis for vegetation restoration and potential ecological enhancement in the Mu Us Sandy Land.

The impact of soil moisture on litter decomposition and soil organic carbon deposition in the temperate grasslands of the Loess Plateau

Huan LUO, Yu-qi JIANG, De-cao NIU, Ding GUO, Xu-dong LI

2026, 35(8):  14-21.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025420

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Litter decomposition is a key process affecting the formation of soil organic carbon （SOC）， and soil moisture conditions exert a significant influence on this process. Investigating the effects of soil moisture changes on grassland litter decomposition and its role in soil organic carbon formation is conducive to clarifying the dynamic changes in soil carbon pools and their stabilization mechanisms in the context of climate change. In this study， Stipa bungeana， a dominant species in the temperate grasslands of the Loess Plateau-was selected for study. S. bungeana leaves （SL） and S. bungeana roots （SR） were co-cultured with soil for 3 years under different moisture conditions ［W₁： annual average soil moisture content （gravimetric water content of 7.16%）； W₂： 50% of soil field capacity （gravimetric water content of 23.55%）］. The decomposition characteristics of litter and the changes in soil organic carbon and organic carbon in soil aggregates under the different moisture conditions were analyzed. It was found that， compared with W₁， the soil microbial biomass carbon in the SL and SR treatments in the W₂ treatment increased （P<0.05） by 25.2% and 40.7%， respectively. The W₂ treatment not only significantly accelerated the litter decomposition rate but also significantly increased the SOC content （P<0.05）. In addition，adequate moisture conditions facilitate the formation of mineral-associated organic carbon in soils of semi-arid regions. Specifically， in the W₂ treatment， the new carbon formation efficiency of the SL and SR treatments increased significantly by 6.5% and 8.0% respectively compared with W₁ （P<0.05）. These findings indicate that in the temperate grasslands of semi-arid regions， an increase in soil moisture can not only promote litter decomposition， but also promote a greater allocation of litter carbon to soil aggregates <0.053 mm， thereby facilitating the formation of mineral-associated organic carbon.

Study of suitable seeding time and seeding density of milk vetch in machine-harvested late rice in the Poyang Lake Basin

Li WAN, Xiao-fen CHEN, Guo-peng ZHOU, Xiao-lin HE, Wen-jing QIN, Wen-wen LUO, Jia LIU

2026, 35(8):  22-31.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025357

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The widespread adoption of machine-harvesting in rice （Oryza sativa） crops has had a negative impact on the production of intercropped milk vetch （Astragalus sinicus）， often resulting in damage to milk vetch in the belt rolling area. High milk vetch yield is an important objective when growing green manure crops， and sowing date and sowing rate are the key factors affecting milk vetch yield. Therefore this research investigated the effects of different sowing dates and seeding rates on the biomass and nutrient uptake of milk vetch interplanted into machine-harvested late rice， in order to clarify the optimal planting parameters of milk vetch in paddy fields in the Poyang Lake Basin. The experiment comprised a randomized block design， with five sowing dates （4， 3， 2， and 1 weeks before the harvest of late rice， and sowing milk vetch on the same day after the harvest of late rice； T₁-T₅） and five seeding densities （1， 2， 3， 4， and 5 g·m^-2； D₁-D₅）. The results of two consecutive years of experiments in 2020-2021 showed that seeding time and seeding density had significant effects on biomass and nutrient uptake of milk vetch. In terms of seeding time， the biomass and nutrient uptake of milk vetch showed a tendency to decreasing and then increasing with delayed seeding time. Compared with the treatment sown three weeks before the harvest of late rice （T₂）， the fresh grass yield of the other treatments （T₁， T₃， T₄， T₅） decreased by 0.9%-18.0%， and the grass fresh biomass yields ranked T₂>T₁>T₅>T₄>T₃. The T₅ treatment achieved the highest dry grass biomass. This indicated that the traditional practice of rice intercropping （sowing milk vetch at 1-2 weeks before the harvest of late rice） which was greatly affected by the machine-harvesting of late rice， it is no longer appropriate. Rather， milk vetch should be sown 3 weeks before or immediately after the harvest of late rice to obtain higher yields of milk vetch. In terms of seeding density， the biomass and nutrient uptake of milk vetch showed a trend of increasing initially and then decreasing with increased seeding density. Compared with the seeding density of 3 g·m^-2 treatment （D₃）， the milk vetch dry grass biomass in other seeding density treatments （D₁， D₂， D₄， D₅） was decreased by 5.2%-24.7%， and the milk vetch dry grass biomass ranked D₃>D₅>D₄>D₂>D₁. This indicates that in order to mitigate plant damage during machine-harvesting of late rice， the milk vetch biomass can be managed by manipulating the sowing density to ensure that the yield of milk vetch between rice crops is optimized. In conclusion， when planting milk vetch in machine-harvested rice fields in the Poyang Lake Basin， it is preferable to sow milk vetch 3 weeks before or immediately after the harvest of late rice and adopt a seeding density of 3 g·m^-2， in order to help achieve a high yield and efficient use of milk vetch. These research results provide tested recommendations for milk vetch planting in rice fields in the Poyang Lake Basin， and should enhance farmer adoption of milk vetch planting between rice crops and improve the agro-ecological status sustainability of rice cropping in the region.

Effects of nano-iron priming and biochar encrusting on the salt tolerance of Festuca sinensis at the seed germination and seedling growth stages

Ruo-hong LI, Chang-ran LI, Jia-yi FU, Xin-yu HU, Pei-sheng MAO

2026, 35(8):  32-44.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025331

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The utilization of saline-alkali lands in China’s inland regions has become a focal point in the development and construction of sown grasslands and in ecological restoration. Enhancing seed germination rates and seedling stress tolerance under saline-alkali stress conditions are important factors for successful grassland construction. In this study， Festuca sinensis seeds were treated with nano-iron particle suspensions at concentrations of 50， 75， 100， and 125 mg·L^-1， for 10 or 108 hours during saline-alkali stress （a 75 mmol·L^-1 mixed salt solution of NaCl and Na?SO? at a solution ratio of 5∶1）. In addition， four biochar crust coating treatments were applied （0.35， 0.50， 1.00， and 1.15 g biochar per 5 g bare seeds）. We analyzed and compared the seed germination and seedling growth characteristics of F. sinensis seeds in the various treatments， as well as antioxidant enzyme activity， and determined the optimal conditions for tolerance to saline-alkali stress. The main results were as follows： 1） Treatment with 100 mg·L^-1 nano-iron for 10 h effectively enhanced the germination rate， germination index， and vitality index of F. sinensis seeds. Seeds with a biochar crust （0.50 g biochar per 5 g bare seeds） showed significantly improved seedling emergence rate， emergence speed index， and seedling root length. Multispectral imaging-derived normalized canonical discriminant analyses （nCDA） images correlated with these seed germination traits； the priming treatment （nano-iron particles） and coating treatment （biochar crust） significantly elevated the activities of catalase， peroxidase， monodehydroascorbate reductase， glutathione reductase， and ascorbate peroxidase activity in seedlings， indicating enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity and improved antioxidant capacity under salt stress. 2） The combination of priming and coating treatments did not have a synergistic effect. Combining the optimal priming and encrusting treatments did not significantly outperform the corresponding single-factor treatments in terms of enhancing seed germination characteristics or seedling antioxidant capacity. Multispectral imaging also failed to reveal further improvements in seedling vigor in the combined treatments compared with the single-factor treatments. The combined treatment showed no significant effect on enhancing the salt tolerance of F. sinensis. Among all the treatments， exposure to 100 mg·L^-1 nano-iron for 10 hours and biochar crust formation with 0.50 g biochar per 5 g bare seeds effectively enhanced the seed germination and seedling vigor of F. sinensis under salt stress. However， the combined treatment did not exhibit synergistic effects.

Effect of CeO₂ NPs on the salt tolerance of alfalfa seedlings

Jin-hui YANG, Xiao-tong WANG, Yong-long MA, Dong-wen YU, Yu-hua TONG, Shu-xia LI

2026, 35(8):  45-54.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025330

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The aim of this work was to determine whether treatment with cerium dioxide nanoparticles （CeO₂ NPs） increases the salt tolerance of alfalfa （Medicago sativa）. A 50 mg·L^-1 solution of CeO₂ NPs was applied by foliar spraying to ‘Zhongmu No.1’ alfalfaseedlings， and the seedlings were then subjected to a 10-day salt stress treatment with 300 mmol·L^-1 NaCl. A range of parameters， including growth， photosynthetic characteristics， membrane lipid peroxidation， antioxidant enzyme activities， and osmotic regulatory substance contents were measured to comprehensively evaluate the effect of CeO₂ NPs on the salt tolerance of alfalfa plants. Salt stress significantly inhibited seedling growth， reduced biomass， and photosynthetic capacity， and increased reactive oxygen species accumulation. When plants in the control group and those sprayed with CeO2 NPs were subjected to the salt treatment， those in the treatment group showed significantly milder symptoms of salt damage， increased seedling growth and biomass accumulation， and higher relative water content and photosynthetic performance. Under salt stress， the plants sprayed with CeO₂ NPs exhibited significantly reduced relative conductivity， malondialdehyde content， and hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion accumulation， and elevated activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， ascorbate peroxidase （APX）， catalase （CAT）， and peroxidase （POD）， as well as increased soluble sugar and proline contents. Specifically， in the CeO₂ NPs-treated plants compared with control plants， the SOD， APX， CAT， and POD activities were increased by 20.0%， 29.9%， 41.4%， and 54.3%， respectively， while the soluble sugar and proline contents were increased by 39.4% and 16.5%， respectively， under salt stress. Collectively， these results show that CeO₂ NPs promote photosynthesis and growth by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities， promoting the accumulation of osmoprotectants， and decreasing oxidative damage， thereby enhancing alfalfa’s salt tolerance.

Effects of exogenous melatonin on endogenous hormones and organic acids in alfalfa seedlings under low-phosphorus stress

Zhao-peng HUANG, Rong HE, Li-li NAN, Jia-le LIU, Wen-ke YANG

2026, 35(8):  55-64.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025328

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This study aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin （MT） on endogenous hormones and organic acids in alfalfa （Medicago sativa） seedlings under low-phosphorus stress. Two alfalfa varieties， one tolerant to low-phosphorus conditions （7890） and one sensitive to phosphorus deficiency （15578）， were subjected to seven treatments： normal phosphorus （1.0 mmol·L?1， NP）， low phosphorus （0.01 mmol·L?1， LP， with KH?PO? as the phosphorus source）， and LP combined with root irrigation with MT at concentrations of 30， 60， 90， 120， and 150 μmol·L?1. Fourteen characteristics of alfalfa seedlings were evaluated： plant height， leaf area， aboveground biomass， underground biomass， leaf relative water content， and root zeatin， auxin， gibberellin acid， oxalic acid， lactic acid， citric acid， succinic acid， fumaric acid， and malic acid contents. The values of these 14 characteristics initially increased and then decreased with increasing MT concentration， reaching a maximum in the 90 μmol·L^-1 MT treatment. For alfalfa variety 7890， compared with the plants under LP stress， those in the 90 μmol·L^-1 MT treatment showed increases of 16.55%， 34.62%， 32.41%， 86.78%， 15.77%， 10.45%， 49.56%， 15.74%， 37.34%， 20.05%， 61.21%， 50.14%， 11.50%， and 39.06%， respectively， in the above 14 measured characteristics. For alfalfa 15578， these values were increased by 26.75%， 32.00%， 44.88%， 108.91%， 27.45%， 28.64%， 70.21%， 107.20%， 29.50%， 9.17%， 55.24%， 56.09%， 12.00%， and 30.71% respectively， in the 90 μmol·L^-1 MT treatment compared with the LP treatment. Abscisic acid content exhibited a trend of initially decreasing then increasing with rising MT concentrations， reaching its maximum in the 150 μmol·L^-1 MT treatment. The membership function analysis indicated that the 90 μmol·L^-1 MT treatment exerted the strongest effect to alleviate the symptoms of low-phosphorus stress in alfalfa plants. The trends in the responses of variety 7890 （tolerant to low phosphorus） and variety 15578 （sensitive to low phosphorus） to MT were the same， but variety 15578 showed a greater level of improvement with MT treatment under LP stress， indicating that the alleviating effect of MT is greater for materials that are sensitive to low-phosphorus conditions. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and technical approach for using MT to improve the phosphorus-use efficiency of crops.

A comparative study of the yield of alfalfa （Medicago sativa） varieties with different fall dormancy in the Yangtze-Huaihe region

Xia WANG, Meng-yu YAN, Qian-xi WANG, Zhen-wu WEI, Jia WEI, Zheng-feng CAO, Yan-yan LV, Chuan-jie ZHANG, Xue-yang MIN

2026, 35(8):  65-83.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025381

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Summer stress characterized by high temperature and humidity is a major constraint to achieving high yield and quality in alfalfa production in the Yangtze-Huaihe region. To identify stress-adapted germplasm， a field experiment was conducted in Yangzhou from 2023 to 2024， evaluating 42 alfalfa varieties with contrasting fall dormancy （FD） ratings. We investigated a range of agronomic and physiological traits， including phenology， plant height， forage yield， leaf∶stem ratio， regrowth capacity， summer survival， and crude protein content. Grey relational analysis （GRA） was employed for an overall performance assessment. Significant varietal differences （P<0.05） were observed at regreening time， and for regrowth vigor， cumulative seasonal yield， and summer persistence. While leaf crude protein content remained stable across seasons， the leaf∶stem ratio showed considerable seasonal variation. A significant negative correlation was found between FD rating and the summer relative yield reduction rate （r=-0.50）， indicating that less dormant varieties exhibit superior heat tolerance and summer survival. GRA identified WL525HQ， Huaiyang No.4， Magnum No.801， WL656HQ， and Saidi 10 as top-performing varieties， combining high yield potential with exceptional resilience to summer adversity. This study establishes fall dormancy as a valuable proxy for selecting alfalfa varieties suitable for the Yangtze-Huaihe region， and the top-performing varieties provide a reliable genetic resource for breeding programs aimed at enhancing alfalfa productivity in this challenging environment.

Evaluation of yield， nutritional quality and silage quality of 18 oat varieties in Shigatse

De-feng HUANG, Ke-ke LI, Ke LAI, Jie BAN, Shuo WANG, Bo-kang QI, Xiao-wen ZHANG, Zhi-qiang ZHONG, Xiao-chen DENG, Xian-jun YUAN

2026, 35(8):  84-96.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025360

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This research aimed to identify high-quality oat （Avena sativa） varieties suitable for the alpine climate in Shigatse. Eighteen forage oat varieties were selected and cultivated in Shigatse City， and their agronomic traits， yield， nutritional quality， and silage characteristics were determined. The results indicated that the oat variety Tianyan 75 had the highest hay yield （up to 13.40 t·ha^-1）， followed by Taike （11.39 t·ha^-1）. Taike had the highest crude protein content， at 12.17%. Dingyan No.2 had the lowest neutral detergent fiber （NDF） content， at 46.34%. Gaoyan 17， Dingyan No.2， Youmu No.1， Qianfeng， and Taike had lower acid detergent fiber （ADF） contents than the other tested varieties， with the ADF contents being 24.07%， 24.75%， 25.10%， 26.15%， and 26.36% respectively. After 80 days of natural ensiling， all varieties showed good fermentation except for Indimite， Longyan No.3， Gloria， Gaoyan 16， and Dingyan No.2， whose silage pH values were higher than 4.2. Taike and Tianyan 2+ had comparatively high lactic acid contents. The ammonia nitrogen content of all varieties was lower than 10%； Indimite and Youmu No.1 had the highest butyric acid contents at >1%， while the other varieties were all lower than 1%. Qianfeng， Youmu No.1， and Taike ranked the top three in terms of relative feeding value and forage grading index of their silages， exhibiting high forage value. Based on a multivariate consideration of yield， nutritional quality， and silage characteristics， and according to the results of principal component analysis， grey relational analysis， and entropy-weighted TOPSIS analyses， Qianfeng， Youmu No.1， and Taike are recommended as high performing varieties of forage oats in the alpine regions of Shigatse.

Regrowth and forage quality responses to stubble height in five oat varieties

Jia-yi YONG, Jia-xi YONG, Ying ZHANG, Hai-ying HU

2026, 35(8):  97-111.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025342

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Within China， Ningxia makes an important contribution to national animal husbandry and production for human benefit. Information on the regenerative capacity of forage species is essential to forage supply for the sustainable development of animal husbandry in the region. This study reports a pot experiment on five oat varieties denoted： ‘Challenger’ （TZZ）， ‘Tianyan No.1’ （TY）， ‘Molasses’ （MLS）， ‘Xiyun’ （XY）， and ‘Baiyan No.7’ （BY）， with stubble height treatments of 5， 10， and 15 cm， and a control treatment of cutting at ground level （CK）. The regenerative mechanisms and differences among the five varieties under the different stubble heights were analyzed at the heading stage. It was found that： 1） With increase in stubble height， the plant height， tiller number， leaf area， and stem and leaf biomass of the five oat varieties gradually increased， while the root biomass and root-shoot ratio gradually decreased. Under the 5 cm treatment， the stem and leaf biomass of TY and MLS was inhibited， while that of TZZ， XY， and BY showed equal-compensatory growth. Under the 10 cm treatments， the stem and leaf biomass of XY and MLS showed equal-compensatory growth， while that of TZZ， TY， and BY showed over-compensatory growth. Under the 15 cm treatments， the stem and leaf biomass of all five oat varieties showed over-compensatory growth. 2） The starch and soluble sugar contents in the leaves and roots of the five oat varieties increased with increase in stubble height. The soluble protein contents in the leaves and roots of TZZ， TY， and MLS increased with increase in stubble height， while those of XY and BY decreased. After cutting， the crude protein content of oats decreased， while the neutral detergent fiber （NDF） and acid detergent fiber （ADF） contents increased. The crude protein content significantly increased with increase in stubble height （P<0.05）， while the NDF and ADF contents decreased. The relative feeding value increased with increase in stubble height. 3） Principal component analysis results indicated that the variation range was MLS>TZZ>TY and BY>XY. The grey relational analysis showed that the weighted rankings of all varieties under the 15 cm treatments were higher than those under the 5 cm treatments. The rankings from high to low were MLS-15 cm>TZZ-15 cm>TY-15 cm>TY-10 cm>BY-15 cm>TZZ-10 cm>MLS-10 cm>XY-15 cm>BY-10 cm>TY-5 cm>BY-5 cm>XY-10 cm>XY-5 cm>MLS-5 cm>TZZ-5 cm.

Amino acid composition analysis and nutritional value evaluation of leaves of contrasting Psathyrostachys juncea germplasm lines

Bo-hua LI, Lan YUN, Yi-xin MU, Cheng-mei ZHOU, Qian AI, Zhen LI, Yu-hang HE

2026, 35(8):  112-122.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025400

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This study utilized germplasm lines of Psathyrostachys juncea with contrasting high and low crude protein （CP） content and determined the contents of 18 amino acids in the leaves. Through amino acid composition analysis and nutritional value evaluation， the aim was to elucidate the protein nutritional characteristics of the P. juncea germplasm lines， providing a basis for development and utilization of P. juncea as a high-quality forage resource. The hydrochloric acid hydrolysis method was employed， using an automatic amino acid analyzer to determine the content of 17 amino acids， while tryptophan content was determined separately by spectrophotometry. Parameters such as the ratio of essential amino acids （RAA）， score of ratio coefficient （SRC）， and essential amino acid index （EAAI） were calculated and compared with the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization （FAO/WHO） amino acid pattern and ideal protein standards to evaluate the nutritional value of P. juncea protein. The results showed significant differences in total amino acid content and essential amino acid content between high-CP and low-CP P. juncea germplasm lines. P. juncea leaves contained 10 pharmacologically active amino acids， with a total content exceeding 65%， indicating potential medicinal value. Most essential amino acid contents in both germplasm types were close to or exceeded the FAO/WHO pattern standards， except for lysine （Lys） and methionine+cysteine （Met+Cys）， which were below the standards. In high-CP germplasm lines， the ratio of essential amino acids to total amino acids （E/T） ranged from 40.55% to 42.04%， and the ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids （E/N） ranged from 68.21% to 72.52%. In low-CP germplasms， E/T ranged from 42.20% to 43.22%， and E/N ranged from 73.01% to 76.11%， both exceeding the FAO/WHO recommended values. The SRC values of high-CP germplasm lines （47.17-57.37） were significantly higher than those of low-CP germplasm lines （35.31-43.47）. The average EAAI of both germplasm lines was close to 1， indicating high protein quality in P. juncea. Overall， high-CP germplasm lines outperformed low-CP germplasm lines in terms of protein nutritional supply， while low-CP germplasm lines had a slight advantage in the proportion of essential amino acids. Met+Cys were the first limiting amino acids in both lines of P. juncea. High-CP germplasm lines exhibited superior overall performance in SRC and EAAI， with germplasm lines “578854-8” and “531828-17” showing outstanding amino acid composition and nutritional balance， making them important candidate materials for future quality improvement. This study demonstrates that P. juncea leaves possess a complete profile of amino acids， a reasonable composition， and high nutritional value， making them a high-quality protein forage resource worthy of further development. The findings provide scientific data to support utilization of P. juncea in animal diets and its genetic breeding.

Effects of additives on the quality and microbial diversity of tea residue silage

Ping-dong LIN, Fu-rong MIAO, Jing LIU, Wen YUE, Xin-zhu CHEN

2026, 35(8):  123-133.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025315

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of additives on the quality of tea （Camellia sinensis） residue silage and its associated microbial diversity. Tea residue was used as the primary raw material， and six additive treatment groups were established： a lactic acid bacteria （LAB）-only treatment group （T₁）， a brown sugar-only treatment group （T₂）， a cellulase-only treatment group （T₃）， a combined treatment group of LAB and brown sugar （T₄）， a combined treatment group of LAB and cellulase （T₅）， and a combined treatment group of LAB， brown sugar， and cellulase （T₆）. The experiment also included a control group with no additives （CK）. Each treatment group was replicated three times independently， and ensiled for 30 days. Upon completion of the silage process， silages were sampled to analyze their nutritional composition， fermentation quality， anti-nutritional factors， and microbial diversity. The main results were： 1） Additive treatments significantly increased the contents of lactic acid， soluble protein， and soluble sugar， as well as phytase activity in the tea residue silage （P<0.05）， while significantly reducing pH， propionic acid content， and phytic acid content （P<0.05）. Compared with the CK group， the T₄ and T₅ groups exhibited significantly higher dry matter and total sugar contents （P<0.05）； and the T₁， T₂， and T₅ groups exhibited significantly higher acid detergent fiber content （P<0.05）. The total phenol content in the T₆ group was significantly decreased （P<0.05） and tannase activity was significantly increased in the T₃ group （P<0.05） compared with the CK group. Additionally， the volatile fatty acid content was significantly higher in the T₂， T₄， and T₆ groups than in the CK group （P<0.05）. 2） In the microbial community analysis， the dominant phyla across all groups were Firmicutes， Bacteroidetes， Proteobacteria， and Actinobacteria. At the genus level， the dominant bacteria included Lactobacillus （relative abundance range： 20.0%-81.9%）， Acetobacter （0.4%-24.7%）， Bifidobacterium （1.1%-16.7%）， and Bacillus （7.0%-11.3%）. The relative abundance of Veillonella was lower in the T₁， T₄， and T₅ groups than in the CK group. Additionally， the Alpha diversity index of the T₄ group was significantly different from that of the other groups （P<0.05）. In summary， the use of additives significantly enhanced the quality of tea residue silage and effectively modulate microbial community structure during silage fermentation. Moreover， the combined use of multiple additives demonstrated superior performance compared with single additive treatments. These findings offer a practical reference for the resource-efficient utilization of tea residue.

Effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ on growth performance and expression of genes related to protein synthesis in muscle of dairy bulls

Hao-dong ZHANG, Yu-qian JING, Jia-xin FENG, Bai-qiao LIU, Jiang FENG, Nan SUN, Wen-jie HUO, Gang GUO, Qiang LIU, Cong WANG

2026, 35(8):  134-143.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025334

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We evaluated the effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D? （CAL） and coated CAL （CCAL） on the average daily weight gain， nutrient digestibility， rumen fermentation， blood metabolites， and transcript profiles of genes related to protein synthesis in muscle of dairy bulls. Fifty Holstein bulls with （175.6 ± 16.81） kg body weight and （6.0 ± 0.2） months of age were assigned in a randomized block design to five groups with 10 bulls per group. Bulls in the control group received no supplementation， and those in the low CAL （LCAL）， high CAL （HCAL）， low CCAL （LCCAL）， and high CCAL （HCCAL） groups received supplementation of 0.5 or 1.0 mg·d?¹ in the form of CAL or CCAL， respectively. The experimental period was 70 days， with 10 days for adaptation. During the data and sample collection period， the body weights of bulls were measured， and samples of feed， feces， ruminal fluid， blood， and muscle were collected. 1） It was found that with increasing CAL or CCAL supplementation， the average daily gain （ADG） increased linearly （P<0.05）， and the feed-to-gain ratio decreased linearly （P<0.05）. The apparent digestibility of dry matter， organic matter， and neutral detergent fiber increased linearly （P<0.05） with increasing CAL or CCAL supplementation. Ruminal total volatile fatty acid （TVFA） content and molar proportions of isobutyrate and isovalerate increased linearly （P<0.05）， but the acetate-to-propionate ratio decreased linearly （P<0.05） with increasing CAL or CCAL supplementation. Blood total protein， albumin， insulin-like growth factor-1 （IGF-1）， total antioxidant capacity （T-AOC）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， CAL， and 1，25-dihydroxyvitamin D? increased linearly （P<0.05）， but the malondialdehyde content decreased linearly （P<0.05） with increasing CAL or CCAL supplementation. The transcript levels of IGF-1， IGF-1R， PI3K， mTOR， and P70S6K （encoding insulin-like growth factor-1， insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase， mechanistic target of rapamycin， and ribosomal protein S6 kinase， respectively） in muscle increased linearly （P<0.05） with increasing CAL or CCAL supplementation. 2） Compared with bulls in the CAL groups， those in the CCAL groups had higher ADG， blood T-AOC， GSH-Px， CAL， and 1，25-dihydroxyvitamin D? levels and higher transcript levels of IGF-1， IGF-1R， PI3K， mTOR and P70S6K inmuscle， similar nutrient digestibility and ruminal TVFA contents， but lower feed-to-gain ratio. These results indicate that CCAL is more effective than CAL for increasing the growth performance of bulls and decreasing the feed-to-gain ratio.

Identification of the sucrose transporter gene family in oats and its response to drought and saline-alkali conditions

Jin-di LIU, Shi-yong CHEN, Jin LI, Tao JIANG, Guo-ling LIANG, Qing-ping ZHOU

2026, 35(8):  144-156.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025345

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Sucrose transporters （SUT） are critical transmembrane carriers in higher plants， responsible for the long-distance transport of sucrose from source to sink organs， and sucrose loading and unloading. They play vital roles in plant growth， development， and stress resistance. In this study， we employed bioinformatics methods to identify 9 AsSUTs gene family members in the oat （Avena sativa） genome and analyzed their physicochemical properties， gene structures， chromosomal distributions， phylogenetic relationships， promoter cis-elements， and expression patterns under various abiotic stresses. It was found that the encoded AsSUTs proteins ranged in length from 490 to 687 amino acids， with predicted molecular weights （Mw） of 52.51-73.45 kDa and theoretical isoelectric points （pI） of 6.13-9.72. The genes are distributed across eight chromosomes， with promoter elements primarily involved in hormone response， growth and development， and abiotic stress response. The gene and protein structures of AsSUT members exhibit high conservation. Expression pattern analysis revealed that expression levels of AsSUTs family members under drought and alkaline stress were generally higher than under salt stress. Under drought stress， except for AsSUT6， all other AsSUTs family members showed significantly higher expression in stressed leaves compared to normal leaves. Under salt stress， AsSUT1， AsSUT4， and AsSUT6 exhibited significantly higher expression in stressed leaves than in normal leaves， while under alkaline stress， all AsSUTs members except AsSUT7 showed significantly elevated expression in stressed leaves. Notably， AsSUT1 demonstrated stronger responsiveness to various abiotic stress environments， suggesting its potential critical role in oat stress resistance. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further research on the SUT family members in oats and their response to environmental stresses.

MfERF053 enhances drought resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana by improving reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity and promoting expression of stress-resistance-related genes

Qian LI, Wei DUAN, Xue-li ZHANG, Li-jun LIU, Yu-xiang WANG

2026, 35(8):  157-169.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025359

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Drought stress restricts plant growth and agricultural production， and mining drought-tolerannce genes and analyzing their mechanisms are crucial for molecular breeding. Medicago falcataMfERF053 belongs to the AP2/ERF transcription factor family. Previous studies have shown that its expression is upregulated under drought stress， and Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing this gene exhibits a drought-tolerant phenotype. However， the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study， A. thaliana Col-0 wild type （Col） and MfERF053-overexpressing lines （#19， #20， #33） were used as materials. After natural drought stress treatment， plant phenotypic， physiological， and molecular indicators were determined to clarify the drought-tolerance mechanism of MfERF053. The results showed that under drought stress： the overexpressing lines exhibited delayed leaf wilting and better recovery ability after rehydration； their relative water content （RWC） was significantly higher than that of Col （P<0.05）， while their relative electrical conductivity （REC） and malondialdehyde （MDA） content were significantly lower than those of Col （P<0.05）； the function of photosystem Ⅱ （PSⅡ） was more stable， with the maximum photochemical efficiency （F_v/F_m） and electron transport rate （ETR） significantly higher than those of Col （P<0.05）； the degree of nitroblue tetrazolium （NBT） ［for superoxide anion （·O??） localization］ and 3，3'-diaminobenzidine （DAB） ［for hydrogen peroxide （H?O?） localization］ staining in leaves of the overexpressing lines was significantly lighter than that in Col， indicating reduced accumulation of ·O?? and H?O?， and the activities of catalase （CAT） and peroxidase （POD） were significantly higher than those in Col （P<0.05）. At the molecular level， under drought stress， the expression levels of stress-tolerance-related genes in MfERF053-overexpressing lines， including reactive oxygen species （ROS）-scavenging-related genes （AtCAT1， AtPOD3， AtSOD4）， drought-responsive genes （AtRD22， AtRD29A）， cold/drought cross-responsive genes （AtCOR15A， AtCOR47）， potassium ion transport gene （AtHAK5）， and abscisic acid （ABA） signaling pathway gene （AtABI5）， were all significantly up-regulated （P<0.05）. Most of these genes exhibited significantly higher expression levels in overexpressing lines than in Col （P<0.05）， except that AtRD29A and AtABI5 in individual overexpressing lines showed no significant difference compared with Col. In conclusion， MfERF053 was found to enhance ROS scavenging capacity， upregulate the expression of stress-tolerant-related genes， and synergistically improve the physiological homeostasis and molecular response of A. thaliana under drought， ultimately improving its drought tolerance. This study provides important genetic resources and a theoretical basis for the molecular breeding of drought-tolerant crops/forages.

Functional analysis of quinoa NAC transcription factor CqNAC66 in response to drought and salt stress

Feng LI, Xu-hu GUO, Hui-fen CAO, Xiang-rui KONG, Dong-xue YANG, Dong-xu ZHANG, Yong-fang ZHANG

2026, 35(8):  170-181.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025088

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This research explored the function of quinoa （Chenopodium quinoa） NAC family member， CqNAC66 involved in drought resistance and salt tolerance. CqNAC66 was subcellularly localized in this study， and transgenic lines of Nicotiana benthamiana overexpressing CqNAC66 were obtained to compare the morphological and physiological responses of wild-type （WT） and transgenic plants after exposure to drought （20% PEG-6000） and salt （200 mmol·L^-1 NaCl） stress. The results showed that CqNAC66 protein was subcellularly localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of CqNAC66 significantly decreased the water loss rates of excised leaves of tobacco plants. Under drought and salt stress treatment， overexpression of CqNAC66 in tobacco plants significantly decreased the leaf wilting index， and significantly increased the leaf surface area and aboveground fresh weight. In addition， overexpression of CqNAC66 significantly increased the relative content of chlorophyll （SPAD） and the activities of peroxidase， and significantly decreased the content of malondialdehyde in leaves of the studied tobacco plants. In conclusion， the heterologous expression of CqNAC66 in N. benthamiana improved the drought and salt tolerance of plants and CqNAC66 appeared to improve the resistance of transgenic tobacco by maintaining the stability of chlorophyll， regulating the plant antioxidant enzyme system and alleviating the cellular oxidative damage caused by stress.

Characteristics of the bud bank in and around plateau pika mounds in the alpine meadow on the northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains

Yu-feng TENG, Jian MA, Bin CHEN, Yan-fang LU, Jing LI, Xing LI, Ning LI, Hong-ru LI

2026, 35(8):  182-192.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025259

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The aim of this work was to explore the pattern of changes in aboveground vegetation and the characteristics of the underground bud bank in plateau pika （Ochotona curzoniae） mounds and their peripheries after different restoration periods in the alpine meadow at the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains. Analyses of aboveground vegetation and the underground bud bank were conducted for plateau pika mounds at four stages of restoration； new mounds， old mounds， abandoned mounds， and native vegetation （as the control）. The results show that： 1） The underground bud bank of the mounds included three types of buds， namely tiller buds， rhizome buds， and root sprout buds， with rhizome buds and tiller buds being the dominant types. 2） The number of plant species colonizing the bare patches of the mounds gradually increased as the restoration period for the mounds became longer. The species richness， vegetation cover， and plant density of the aboveground vegetation， as well as the number of species and total density of the underground bud bank in the mounds showed the same trends across different restoration stages； that is， new mounds<old mounds<abandoned mounds<native vegetation （control）. Moreover， there were extremely significant differences in the values of those parameters among the mounds at different restoration stages； 3） For the peripheral areas of the mounds， there were no significant differences in the species richness， vegetation cover， or plant density of the aboveground vegetation， nor were there significant differences in the number of species and total density of the underground bud bank among mounds at different stages of restoration， and the vegetation characteristics of the mound edge areas were consistent with those of the native vegetation； 4） The number of species in the underground bud bank of the mounds was extremely significantly and positively correlated with that in the underground bud bank of the mound edge areas. The species richness， vegetation coverage， and plant density of the aboveground vegetation in the mounds were extremely significantly and positively correlated with the number of species， total bud density， number of tiller buds， and number of rhizome buds in the underground bud bank in the mounds； positively correlated with the total bud density and number of tiller buds of the underground bud bank in the mound edge areas； and extremely significantly and negatively correlated with the number of rhizome buds of the underground bud bank in the mound peripheries. The alpine meadow at the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains has relatively low temperatures and abundant precipitation. The presence of pika mounds alters the original relative competition intensity of the grassland， allowing for natural restoration of vegetation and renewal of grassland vegetation by regulating the composition （proportion） of the underground bud bank in the mounds and their peripheries. This has a profound impact on the structure and dynamics of grassland plant communities and on ecosystem functions.

Response of the soil arthropod community to nitrogen and phosphorus inputs during the maturity-senescence period of Sophora alopecuroides

Lu-yao LIU, Dong CUI, Shu-qi LIU, Zhi-cheng JIANG, Yun-hao WU, Ze-zheng LIU, Jun-qi LIU

2026, 35(8):  193-206.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025319

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This study focused on the soil fauna in Sophora alopecuroides degraded grassland in Yili， Xinjiang. A controlled experiment was conducted in freely grazed grassland where S. alopecuroides was the dominant species， with treatments including nitrogen addition （N）， phosphorus addition （P）， nitrogen and phosphorus addition （NP）， and a control （no nitrogen and phosphorus addition； CK）. The overall aim was to study the responses of soil fauna communities and soil environmental factors and their key driving factors under nutrient addition during the maturity and senescence periods of S. alopecuroides. It was found that： 1） Nitrogen， phosphorus， and nitrogen+phosphorus additions reduced the density and number of groups of soil fauna. During the maturity period， nitrogen， phosphorus， and nitrogen+phosphorus additions decreased the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the species richness index. During the senescence period， nitrogen， phosphorus， and nitrogen+phosphorus additions increased the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the evenness index but decreased the dominance index. Nitrogen， phosphorus， and nitrogen+phosphorus additions significantly reduced the number of predatory fauna individuals （P<0.05）. 2） Soil organic carbon， total phosphorus， ammonium nitrogen content， and soil moisture were higher during the maturity period than during the senescence period across all treatments （N， P， NP， and CK）. 3） During the maturity period， soil moisture and organic carbon were the main environmental factors influencing the soil fauna community structure， while during the senescence period， pH was the main environmental factor. In short， nutrient addition， maturity/senescence period， and environmental factors collectively drive changes in soil fauna diversity and functional groups in S. alopecuroides degraded grassland. The findings of this study provide important insights for understanding and managing degraded grassland ecosystems in Yili.

Progress in research on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of seed dormancy in legumes

Hao-zhen LIU, Shi-qin ZHAO, Shu-rong FENG, Cheng WANG, Jing-hong ZHANG, Shou-jiang SUN

2026, 35(8):  207-220.  DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025337

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Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait that developed during long-term evolution， enabling plants to survive under adverse conditions. Legumes are a core crop group in global agricultural production （encompassing food， forage， and green manure）， and the dormancy characteristics of their seeds directly affect sowing quality， field emergence rate， and yield stability. The molecular regulation of seed dormancy in legumes primarily revolves around the balance between abscisic acid （ABA） and gibberellin （GA） levels， involving a complex system that integrates the expression of genes involved in seed coat development and transcription factor networks， as well as epigenetic modifications and environmental signals. This mechanism ensures seed survival under unfavorable conditions while enabling precise germination under suitable circumstances. Physiological dormancy is the primary factor in seed dormancy， where ABA and GA do not directly interact but instead exhibit antagonistic effects-ABA promotes “dormancy maintenance” while GA triggers “germination initiation”. In Arabidopsis thaliana， many downstream targets of the ABA-responsive germination inhibitor ABI3 have been identified， including the ABI5， DELLA， and bHLH transcription factors. However， the corresponding regulatory network in legumes remains unclear， and further research is required to explore the interactions between ABI3 and other factors in the ABA signaling pathway. Based on recent research， this paper systematically reviews the types of seed dormancy in legumes， dormancy-breaking techniques， and molecular regulatory networks， with a focus on legume-specific dormancy traits. Furthermore， drawing on advances in research on the molecular regulation of seed dormancy in model plants， we propose a hypothetical model for the molecular regulation of seed dormancy in legumes. This review provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of seed dormancy in legumes while offering insights for cultivation practices and varietal improvement.