In order to investigate the root-specific genes regulating root growth of alfalfa （Medicago sativa），transcriptome sequencing was performed to analyze differentially expressed genes （DEGs） and their functions between the aerial parts （stems and leaves） and root system of alfalfa cultivar Zhongmu No. 1. The results showed that compared to aerial parts，a total of 15258 DEGs were identified in root system，including 5095 up-regulated and 10163 down-regulated. The GO functional annotation demonstrated significant enrichment of these DEGs in cellular process，metabolic regulation，and biocatalytic activities. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment of these DEGs in pathways related to porphyrins and chlorophyll metabolism，photosynthesis-antenna protein synthesis，and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. Six candidate up-regulated genes exhibiting significant differential expression were selected for real-time quantitative PCR validation. The results indicated high concordance between their expression patterns and transcriptome sequencing data.
To investigate the genetic variation characteristics and agronomic potential of the polycotyledon trait in alfalfa （Medicago sativa L.），this study evaluated the phenotypic diversity of alfalfa cotyledonous mutations under field cultivation. Eleven agronomic quantitative traits were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test，mean analysis method，and the entropy-weight TOPSIS method. The results showed that： （1） The polycotyledonous mutation rate in the test population was 1.44%，with 29 phenotypic variation patterns were identified；（2） the B8 type （tricotyledon-one unifoliolate true leaf-normal main stem-erect branches） exhibited the highest mutation rate （41.28%），followed by the B2 type （dicotyledon-two unifoliolate true leaves-normal main stem-erect branches） at 8.74%；（3） Mean analysis indicated that differences among variant types were mainly associated with branch number and plant height；（4） The entropy-weight TOPSIS evaluation ranked the B2 type highest （score： 0.8389），followed by the B8 type （0.6297），whereas the B12 type （tricotyledon-one unifoliolate true leaf-clustered branch） scored lowest. This study provides the first systematically characterization of phenotypic diversity and agronomic polycotyledonous alfalfa variants and offers novel mutant germplasm resources for breeding innovation.
This research aimed to explore the alleviating effects of exogenous abscisic acid （ABA） and hydrogen sulfide （H2S） treatments on aluminum toxicity in perennial ryegrass.Growth and photosynthetic parameters of perennial ryegrass 'Mathilde' seedlings exposed to 500 mg/kg aluminum stress were measured under five treatments： CK，aluminum （Al），Al+0.4 mmol/L ABA，Al+1.2 mmol/L H2S，and Al+0.4 mmol/L ABA+1.6 mmol/L H2S. The results showed that the growth of ryegrass was significantly inhibited under aluminum stress，with 43.33% decrease of the root length compared with CK. Compared to aluminum treatment alone，exogenous ABA and H2S significantly increased root length，plant height，aboveground and underground biomass of ryegrass. Specifically，the root lengths under the ABA treatment，H2S treatment，and ABA+H2S treatment were increased by 63.92%，58.83%，and 71.37%，respectively，and the plant heights were increased by 18.86%，27.43%，and 33.71%，respectively. Individual or combined application of exogenous ABA and H2S significantly increased the contents of chlorophyll a，chlorophyll b，and total chlorophyll. In addition，the intercellular CO2 concentration decreased significantly，while the net photosynthetic rate，stomatal conductance，and transpiration rate increased significantly. Among them，after the combined addition of ABA and H2S，the chlorophyll b，total chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased the most. In contrast，individual application of ABA induced transpiration rate even exceeded that of the CK. Exogenous ABA and H2S were considered to mitigate aluminum-induced growth inhibition in perennial ryegrass，to enhance leaf photosynthetic pigments accumulation，to reduce photosystem damage，and to improve photosynthesis. Comprehensive evaluation revealed that the aluminum toxicity mitigation effects followed the order of ABA+H2S>ABA>H2S.
To evaluate the salt tolerance of eight Trifolium repens germplasms，this study applied a continuous salt stress treatment using saline water with an electrical conductivity （EC） of 12 dS/m，while a nutrient solution （EC=0.8 dS/m） as the control. Morphological，physiological，and photosynthetic traits were determined to provide baseline data for breeding salt-tolerant T. repens varieties. The results showed that saline irrigation significantly inhibited seedling growth and photosynthesis across all germplasms，reducing plant height，stem diameter，branch number，leaf length，leaf width，petiole length，net photosynthetic rate （Pn），transpiration rate （Tr），stomatal conductance （Gs），and intercellular CO2 concentration （Ci） to varying degrees. In contrast，soluble sugar，proline，and hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） contents increased significantly （P<0.01）. Germplasm TRYJ010 exhibited minimum reductions in plant height，Pn，Tr，and Gs，together with the greatest increase in soluble sugar and the smallest increase in H2O2. Conversely，germplasm TRYJ065 showed pronounced declines in plant height and Pn，the smallest increase in proline，and the largest reductions in Tr and Gs. Principal component analysis indicated H2O2 content，plant height，Pn，and branch number as key indicators of salt tolerance. Based on D-value comprehensive evaluation，the salt tolerance ranking was： TRYJ010>XJ03>Kaola>TRYJ014>XJ08>XJ07>XJ04>TRYJ065. Among them，TRYJ010 represents a promising parental line for breeding salt-tolerant T. repens varieties in Xinjiang.
In order to provide scientific basis for precise fertilization of sorghum，Sorghum sudanense and Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense hybrid in China，this study was carried out by using a new method of crop soil testing and recommended fertilization system research. The results showed that the regression equations of relative yield of sorghum，S. sudanense and S. bicolor × S. sudanense hybrid under nitrogen deficiency treatment in China with the contents of soil total nitrogen （TN），soil alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen （AHN） and soil organic matter （OM） were as follows： y＝14.533ln（x TN） + 79.118，y＝16.607ln（x AHN）-0.035，y＝-0.056x OM 2 + 3.126x OM + 45.625. The 1st to 7th grade indicators of AHN for sorghum，S. sudanense and Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense hybrid in China were ≥414，227-414，124-227，68-124，38-68，21-38 and <21 mg/kg，respectively. The 1st to 7th grade indicators of TN were ≥4.3，2.2-4.3，1.1-2.2，0.6-1.1，0.3-0.6，0.15-0.3 and <0.15 g/kg in sequence. The 3st to 7th grade indicators of OM were 16-41，（10-16，41-47），（6-10，47-51），（2-6，51-55） and （<2，≥55） g/kg，respectively. When the nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency was 30%-50%，and the target yield of sorghum and S. sudanense seeds was determined to be 4.5-15 t/hm2，the suitable nitrogen application rate for soil grades 1 to 7 were 0，21-115，41-230，62-345，83-460，104-575 and 124-690 kg/hm2，respectively. When the target yield of fresh grass for sorghum，S. sudanense and Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense hybrid was determined to be 45-240 t/hm2，the suitable nitrogen application rates for soil grades 1 to 7 were 0，27-240，54-480，81-720，108-960，135-1200 and 162-1440 kg/hm2，respectively. When the target yield of silage for sorghum，S. sudanense and Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense hybrid was determined to be 30-120 t/hm2，the suitable nitrogen application rates for soil grades 1 to 7 were 0，33-220，66-440，99-660，132-880，165-1100 and 198-1320 kg/hm2，respectively.
To investigate the effects of plateau zokor （Eospalax baileyi） disturbance on soil stoichiometry and plant diversity，as well as changes in their interrelationships，this study established three disturbance intensities （light，moderate，and heavy），using undisturbed grassland （without zokor mounds） as the control. We assessed plant species richness and abundance，Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s diversity indices，and evenness，alongside measurements of soil organic carbon （SOC），total nitrogen （TN），and total phosphorus （TP） contents. Differences and variation patterns in plant diversity and soil stoichiometric traits across disturbance levels were analyzed to determine whether plateau zokor disturbance alters the relationship between soil stoichiometry and plant diversity. The results showed as follows： （1） Under heavy disturbance，SOC and TN contents were significantly lower than those at other disturbance intensities，while TP content was significantly lower under light disturbance compared to other treatments （P<0.05）. （2） The soil C∶P ratio under light disturbance was significantly higher than in all other treatments （P<0.01）. Similarly，the soil N∶P ratio was significantly higher than in both the control and heavy disturbance treatments （P<0.01）. However，no significant difference was observed in the soil C∶N ratio across treatments. （3） Plant species richness，Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s diversity indices，and evenness all exhibited an upward trend with increasing disturbance intensity，being significantly higher than in the control （P<0.05）. （4） In the undisturbed area，species richness was positive correlated with soil C∶N and N∶P ratios；however，these relationships were not observed under zokor disturbance. Under heavy disturbance，the relationships between species diversity indices and soil N∶P and C∶P ratios were significantly affected，with positive correlation between evenness and the N∶P ratio becoming stronger. In conclusion，plateau zokor disturbance significantly influenced SOC，TP，and TN contents，promoted higher plant species diversity，and modified the relationships between plant diversity and soil stoichiometric characteristics.
The overexploitation of agro-pastoral systems has driven widespread grassland reclamation in northern China，accelerating soil carbon and nutrient depletion. However，the mechanisms underlying the responses of soil organic carbon （SOC） and its fractions to grassland cultivation remain unclear. In this study，we investigated the effects of grassland reclamation on soil physicochemical properties and SOC fractions across three representative sites in the agro-pastoral ecotone： Jianping （Liaoning），Youyu （Shanxi），and Yuzhong （Gansu）. Cultivation significantly increased soil nitrate nitrogen but reduced SOC content by 24.17%. Among SOC fractions，labile free particulate organic carbon （fPOC） decreased significantly，whereas occluded particulate organic carbon （oPOC） and mineral-associated organic carbon （MAOC） remained unchanged. Random forest analysis identified soil electrical conductivity，moisture，and the carbon-to-nitrogen （C/N） ratio as the primary regulators of SOC and its fractions. Specifically，SOC and MAOC were mainly influenced by soil electrical conductivity and moisture，while the C/N ratio was the dominant driver of SOC and fPOC dynamics. Overall，grassland cultivation selectively depleted labile carbon pools while maintaining oPOC and MAOC，a process largely mediated by shifts in soil electrical conductivity，moisture，and the C/N ratio，ultimately reshaping SOC distribution and stability.
Rational utilization of native grass species supports sustainable grassland development and ecological conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Understanding the effects of phosphorus （P） application on soil bacterial community composition，diversity，and assembly processes is essential for advancing native grass cultivation. This study focused on Elymus nutans ‘Baqing’ to evaluate the impact of different P application rates （CK： 0 kg/hm2，P1： 60 kg/hm2，P2： 120 kg/hm2，P3： 180 kg/hm2） on soil bacterial communities. The results showed that Proteobacteria，Acidobacteriota，and Actinobacteriota accounted for more than 75% of the cumulative relative abundance at the phylum level across P treatments and served as core taxa in the co-occurrence network. Compared to CK，P application significantly reduced richness indices while increasing evenness indices. Notably，the P2 treatment resulted in further reductions in both Shannon and Simpson diversity indices （P < 0.05）. Variations in community diversity were significantly correlated with total P，total potassium，and available P （P < 0.01）. Changes in bacterial composition at the phylum level were significantly associated with soil organic matter，total nitrogen，total P，total potassium，available P，and available potassium （P < 0.05）. The co-occurrence network was dominated by positive interactions （93.71%），with only 6.29% being negative. Neutral community model analysis indicated that stochastic processes dominated bacterial community assembly. Overall，this study demonstrates how P application alters soil bacterial communities，providing a theoretical basis for improving native species cultivation and guiding the ecological restoration of alpine grasslands.
To explore the effects of different grazing intensities on soil microbial biomass in alpine meadow，this study investigated the variation characteristics in soil microbial biomass and interactions between soil physicochemical properties and microbial parameters including biomass，microbial quotient，and stoichiometric ratios under no grazing （CK），light grazing （LG），moderate grazing （MG），heavy grazing （HG），and extreme grazing （EG） conditions in the alpine meadow of Tianzhu Zangzu Autonomous County on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that both microbial biomass carbon （MBC） and phosphorus （MBP） reached the maximum levels under LG，which were significantly higher compared with EG condition （P<0.05）. Soil microbial biomass nitrogen （MBN） was highest under HG，followed by MG，while MBN was significantly lower under EG compared with HG （P<0.05）. Soil microbial quotient carbon （qMBC），microbial quotient phosphorus （qMBP） and the MBC∶MBN ratio were all highest under LG，whereas microbial quotient nitrogen （qMBN），MBC∶MBP ratio，and MBN∶MBP ratio were highest under MG. Soil bulk density emerged as the predominant factor influencing microbial biomass，microbial quotients，and their stoichiometric ratios. These findings indicate that both light and moderate grazing intensities benefit the accumulation of microbial biomass and promote efficient utilization and transformation of soil nutrient in alpine meadows. In contrast，extreme grazing leads to soil fertility decreasing and a reduction of microbial biomass. A win-win scenario of ecology sustainability and economic benefits will be achieved when apporiate grazing intensities adopted.
This study aimed to reveal the effects of three carbendazim concentrations on physiological characteristics and bacterial community of silage maize in three maturity stages （big trumpet stage，milk stage，and dough stage）. Results showed that the net photosynthetic and transpiration rate at the big trumpet stage and dough stage decreased by 9.50 µmol/（m2·s） and 15.2 µmol/（m2·s），1.75 mmol/（m2·s） and 2.59 mmol/（m2·s），respectively （P<0.05） compared with milk stage. Compared with at the big trumpet stage and dough stage，the moisture retention capacity at the milk stage increased by 24.50% and 13.20%，respectively （P<0.05）. The numbers of aerobic bacteria，Escherichia coli，and lactic acid bacteria at the milk stage and dough stage were significantly reduced （P<0.05） compared with the big trumpet stage. The concentration of carbendazim had no significant impact on the physiological characteristics or bacterial numbers of silage maize. At the genus level，the four bacteria with the highest relative abundance were Sphingomonas，Massilia，Rhodococcus，and Frigoribacterium. Different concentrations of carbendazim significantly affected the relative abundances of Pseudonocardia，Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1，Friedmanniella，unclassified_o_Micrococcales，Luteimonas，Steroidobacter，and Acinetobacter （P<0.05）. Considering the utilization of maize silage and the need to prevent the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria，this study recommends applying low concentration carbendazim on silage maize.
Previous studies have extensively investigated the nature of collective action problems and the roles of actor attribute in the formation of collaborative governance networks of natural resource，however，due to the difficulty of measurement，there is often limited quantitative testing of the impact of local background factors. As a rational person embedded in social relations，the development of collaborative partnership of herdsmen is often affected by the existing local formal and informal social network. This study takes Dongtan village，Menyuan county，Qinghai province as a case，and adopts the whole-village investigation method to respectively construct the formal and informal social networks among herders and the collaborative governance network of grassland resources among herders. The exponential random graph model is used to empirically test the driving effect of formal and informal social networks on the formation of the collaborative network. The results show that： （1） Collaborative networks present a distinct transfer triangle configuration，but there was no tendency of relationship centralization；（2） Informal social networks formed based on emotional relationships had a significant positive promoting effect on the formation of collaborative networks. Emotional bonds facilitated the establishment of long-term mutually beneficial and trusting relationships，reduced transaction costs and risks，and were conducive to the development of collaborative relationships among herders. Although the formal rules can effectively avoid the problem of unfair distribution of resources by imposing constrains on power and factions，the formal social network based on the organizations have not had a significant impact on the formation of pastoral collaborative networks. To strengthen the effectiveness of collaborative governance of grassland resources，it is necessary to leverage the role the key leaders in the informal social network to activate the formal social network，facilitate the establishment of more collaborative organizations similar to cooperatives，and provide new ideas，information and technologies for the informal social network through the formal social network.
As a high-value cool-season grass species cultivated worldwide，perennial ryegrass （Lolium perenne L.） frequently faces various abiotic stresses. Fructans are the primary reserve carbohydrates in perennial ryegrass，which play a crucial role under abiotic stress conditions and significantly enhance stress tolerance. This article reviews research progress on fructan metabolism in perennial ryegrass in China and internationally，focusing on its biosynthesis and degradation pathways，as well as the regulatory mechanisms of certain biomolecules on fructan metabolism. In addition，metabolic changes and underlying mechanisms of fructans in perennial ryegrass were illustrated under various abiotic stresses including drought，low temperature，salinity，waterlogging，nitrogen deficiency，and mowing，with prospects on future research directions.
Erosion control blanket technology is a practical and environmentally friendly ecological restoration method. This article systematically reviews nearly a century of global application history of erosion control blankets. The application of erosion control blanket demonstrates significant ecological benefits for soil and water conservation，soil improvement，and vegetation restoration. Advantages of erosion control blanket in ecological restoration are illustrated as wide material availability，high construction efficiency，ease of maintenance，low cost，and environmental friendliness. Regarding challenges in erosion control blanket application such as the lack of standardization in producing，weak long-term ecological data，poor performance on difficult sites，and outdated instillation techniques and equipment，this review proposes prospects to provide theoretical foundations for advancing the sustainable application of erosion control blankets in ecological restoration. Future research will focus on establishing standardized production systems，investigating medium-to-long-term ecological effects，and developing technological process and mechanical construction equipment.
Moisture content is a key indicator of seed quality，and its accurate and rapid determination is essential for seed grading. With the increasing use of seed coating technology in seed production and trade，traditional high （low） constant-temperature method often severely underestimated the actual moisture content of coated seeds due to the influence of coating materials. To address this issue，four coated forage species： Medicago sativa，Elymus dahuricus，Lolium perenne and Dactylis glomerata，were selected as experimental materials. By analyzing the relationship between water activity of coated seeds and the moisture content of naked seeds，a predicted model for coated seeds moisture content based on water activity was developed. The goodness-of-fit values of the prediction models for the four species were 0.9003，0.9124，0.9076，and 0.9323，respectively，with relative errors of 2.87%，4.08%，3.07% and 4.14%. These results indicated that seed water activity can serve as a reliable，non-destructive，and rapid indicator for determining the moisture content of coated seeds.
