This study aimed to identify drought-tolerant resources from wild germplasm of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Four accessions (three wild and one cultivated) previously selected from over 300 wild germplasm accessions, together with the forage-type check cultivar 'Fawn' (control), were subjected to two water treatments: normal water supply (70%-80% of field capacity) and drought stress (30%-40% of field capacity). The results showed that significant differences in drought tolerance existed among the germplasm accessions at the seedling stage, with the membership function U values ranking as follows: CF017317 (0.823)>Fawn (0.658)>CF017326 (0.646)>CF017267 (0.423)>CF017242 (0.360). Analysis of the physiological mechanisms underlying drought tolerance revealed that CF017317 maintained a high net photosynthetic rate at the late stress stage (21 d) and balanced antioxidant enzyme activities, indicating a drought tolerance strategy involving synergistic regulation of osmotic adjustment, photosynthetic stability, and antioxidant defense, with CF017317 showing the best overall drought tolerance. The accession CF017317, which exhibited the strongest overall drought tolerance, is a high-quality breeding material for developing new drought-tolerant forage varieties of tall fescue.

In this study, nine triticale varieties were exposed to four salt types (NaCl, KCl, Na₂CO₃, and K₂CO₃) at five concentrations (0‰, 3‰, 6‰, 9‰, and 12‰). Germination rate, germination energy, simple vigor index, seedling length, and root length were measured, and a comprehensive evaluation was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) combined with the membership function method. The results showed that based on the comprehensive evaluation value (D-value) obtained by PCA and membership function analysis, ‘Gannong No.2’ and ‘Gannong No.8’ were tolerant to NaCl, ‘Gannong No.2’, ‘Gannong No.7’, and ‘Gannong No.9’ were tolerant to KCl, ‘Gannong No.2’ and ‘Gannong No.9’ were highly tolerant to Na₂CO₃, and ‘Gannong No.2’, ‘Gannong No.4’, ‘Gannong No.8’, and ‘Zangsi No. 1’ were tolerant to K₂CO₃. In conclusion, ‘Gannong No.2’ demonstrated good tolerance to all four salt types. ‘Gannong No.9’ showed good tolerance to KCl and Na₂CO₃, while ‘Gannong No.8’ showed good tolerance to NaCl and K₂CO₃. These accessions can serve as candidate resources for future salt‑tolerance breeding.

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the salt-alkali tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) at the germination stage under complex saline-alkali environments and to screen germplasm resources with broad adaptability and stress resistance. Twenty-six alfalfa accessions from different sources were selected and subjected to three stress treatments determined by concentration-gradient screening: 200 mmol/L NaCl (salt stress), 60 mmol/L NaHCO₃ (alkali stress), and a combined stress of 50 mmol/L NaCl+50 mmol/L NaHCO₃. Eight germination indices, including germination potential, germination percentage, root length, and vigor index, were measured. The membership function method and cluster analysis were used to comprehensively evaluate the salt-alkali tolerance of the tested accessions, and representative accessions were further validated using physiological indices. The results showed that different stress types exerted distinctly different inhibitory effects on alfalfa at the germination stage. To obtain an equivalent inhibitory effect, alkali stress required a far lower molar concentration than salt stress, with stronger damaging effects per unit concentration. Cluster analysis revealed significant differences in salt-alkali tolerance among the tested accessions under the three stresses. Although 'WL3251HQ' performed best under single salt stress, it was extremely sensitive to alkali stress. 'Felicia' and 'Aurora' ranked among the top in D values under all three stress environments, demonstrating excellent and stable comprehensive salt-alkali tolerance, and were classified as strongly salt-alkali-tolerant accessions. 'Dripperstar (Multi-Leaf)' and 'WL366HQ' were identified as salt-alkali-sensitive accessions. Physiological verification showed that the strongly salt-alkali-tolerant accession Aurora could maintain high antioxidant enzyme activities under stress and effectively alleviate membrane lipid peroxidation, and its physiological response patterns were consistent with the results of the comprehensive evaluation. This study screened accessions with stable performance under multiple salt-alkali stresses, thereby providing a theoretical basis and material foundation for alfalfa breeding and cultivation in salt-alkali land.

Soil salinization, a serious challenge to global agricultural ecosystem, has become a critical abiotic stress factor that restricts crop yield and sustainable agricultural development. Vitamin B₆ (VB₆) is a key coenzyme involved in various enzymatic reactions and can enhance environmental adaptability by regulating multiple metabolic pathways. To clarify the regulatory mechanism of VB₆ on the growth and physiological metabolism of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seedlings under salt stress, this study used the cultivar ‘Zhongmu No.1’ as the test material in a pot control experiment. In a preliminary experiment, we established a control (CK, normal water management), a 150 mmol/L NaCl salt stress treatment, and salt-stressed groups with foliar application of VB₆ at different concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100, 200 mg/L). Based on systematic measurements of growth and physiological parameters, the optimum VB₆ concentration for alleviating salt stress was determined to be 50 mg/L. Based on these results, the formal experiment included four treatment groups: CK (normal water), V (50 mg/L VB₆), S (150 mmol/L NaCl ), and VS (50 mg/L VB₆ + 150 mmol/L NaCl). The results showed that salt stress significantly inhibited seedlings growth, reduced photosynthetic pigments content, compromised cell membrane integrity, induced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and significantly affected antioxidant enzymes activities and osmotic regulators synthesis (P<0.05). However, foliar VB₆ application significantly alleviate the salt-induced growth inhibition. Specifically, growth parameters (plant height, stem diameter, leaf area) and photosynthetic pigments contents (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid) were significantly increased. The relative conductivity, malondialdehyde, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide decreased by 24.26%, 34.15%, 23.54% and 22.17%, respectively. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase increased by 14.84%, 16.04%, 27.28%, and 16.11%, respectively. Proline and soluble sugar contents increased by 16.76% and 30.64%, respectively. In conclusion, exogenous VB₆ effectively alleviated salt-induced growth inhibition in alfalfa seedlings by activating antioxidant enzyme system, promoting the osmotic adjustment substances accumulation, maintaining photosynthetic pigment metabolism balance, and reducing membrane lipid peroxidation. This provides a theoretical basis for physiological regulation in forage cultivation on saline soil.

To evaluate the growth adaptability of different Pennisetum forage cultivars and lines in the dry-hot valley region of the Jinsha River, eight Pennisetum forage cultivars and lines were assessed in a three-year field experiment. Agronomic traits, production performance, and nutritional quality were compared, structural equation modeling was used to analyze relationships among cultivar, yield, and nutritional quality, and grey relational analysis was used for comprehensive evaluation. The results showed that the mean annual fresh forage yield of the eight cultivars (lines) ranged from 235.42 to 305.40 t/hm², with hybrid Pennisetum ‘Minmu No.6’ showing the highest yield and red elephant grass showing the lowest yield. The three-year mean plant height per cutting was highest in ‘Guiminyin’ elephant grass, reaching 223.99 cm, and lowest in red elephant grass, at only 181.06 cm (P<0.05). The crude protein and ether extract contents of ‘Guiminyin’ elephant grass were higher than those of the other cultivars, whereas neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents were both significantly lowest in ‘Guimu No. 1’. Grey relational analysis indicated that ‘Guiminyin’ elephant grass and ‘Guimu No. 1’ hybrid elephant grass were suitable as recommended cultivars for planting in the dry-hot valley region of the Jinsha River.

Cenchrus pauciflorus is an invasive alien plant that severely threatens both ecological security and economic development in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. In recent years, increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has exerted increasingly pronounced effects on the growth and spread of invasive plants. In this study, N deposition was simulated using a 1∶1 mixture of KNO₃ and NH₄Cl (M/M) at five levels: 0, 5, 20, 40, and 120 kg/(hm²·a). The effects of N deposition on phenotypic traits, biomass allocation, and allometric growth of C. pauciflorus were analyzed. The results demonstrate that with increasing N deposition, plant height, leaf width, basal stem diameter, node number, root biomass, and leaf biomass tended to increase. Leaf length, leaf number, stem biomass, and fruit biomass initially increased and then decreased, peaking at 40 kg/(hm²·a), while leaf thickness and spike number peaked at 20 kg N/(hm²·a). The allocation of fruit biomass decreased with increasing deposition, whereas the biomass allocation patterns of roots, stems, and leaves differed. Except for the 40 kg/(hm²·a) treatment, where fruit biomass and total biomass exhibited isometric growth, all other treatments showed allometric growth with an exponent greater than 1. In conclusion, with increasing N deposition, C. pauciflorus shifts its resource allocation from reproduction to vegetative growth, and dynamically adjusts the allocation patterns of roots, stems, and leaves according to N levels, thereby enhancing its resource acquisition and competitive capacity and promoting population expansion. Moreover, the allometric relationship between fruit and total biomass (a>1) indicates that larger individuals contribute disproportionately to reproduction, thus achieving efficient reproductive resource allocation during rapid population expansion. Therefore, these resource allocation strategies form an important ecological basis for the successful invasion of C. pauciflorus under N deposition, and the findings provide scientific support for ecological risk assessment and targeted prevention and control of this species under regional N deposition levels.

To investigate the effects of different cellulase additive levels on the nutritional quality of Desmodium multiflorum hay and the fungal community after 30 d of storage, the aboveground tender stems and leaves of D. multiflorum were used as materials, and five cellulase addition levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) were set up. Nutrient composition was determined at 0, 30, and 60 d of storage, and fungal community analysis was performed on samples stored for 30 d. The results showed that cellulase addition had extremely significant effects on the contents of soluble sugar, crude protein, ether extract, and crude ash (P<0.01), a significant effect on neutral detergent fiber content (P<0.05), and no significant effect on acid detergent fiber and tannin contents. Overall, cellulase addition increased crude protein content and decreased neutral detergent fiber content, whereas soluble sugar, ether extract, and crude ash contents fluctuated to varying degrees among cellulase addition levels.Storage time had extremely significant effects on ether extract, crude ash, and tannin contents (P<0.01), and significant effects on neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents (P<0.05). With prolonged storage, ether extract content decreased, while crude ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and tannin contents increased. After 30 d of storage, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungal phyla in all treatments, and the predominant genera included Cladosporium, Cercospora, Remotididymella, Vishniacozyma, Setophoma, and Fusarium, with certain differences in relative abundance among cellulase addition levels. The fungal species richness in the 75 mg/kg treatment was significantly lower than that in the control (P<0.05), while the other α-diversity indices showed no significant differences from the control. Grey relational analysis based on nutrient composition and fungal community characteristics showed that the 25 mg/kg cellulase treatment had the highest equal-weight relational degree, indicating a relatively superior comprehensive evaluation.

To assess the ecological effects of short-term turf stockpiling following turf stripping during photovoltaic project construction in an alpine region, this study was conducted in an alpine meadow in Qamdo, Xizang. Six treatments were established: flat stacking (P2), hollow stacking (CT2), overlapping stacking (LT2), conventional frame stacking (Z2), soil-and-water-conservation frame stacking (ZS2), and an in situ control (CK). After one year of stockpiling, soil samples were collected from the 0-10 cm layer. Soil physicochemical properties, high-throughput sequencing, α- and β‑diversity analysis, co-occurrence network analysis, and functional trophic guild prediction were used to assess the responses of soil fungal communities. A total of 2 450 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated with 11 phyla were detected, with Ascomycota and Basidiomycota as the dominant taxa. Stockpiling methods had no significant effect on fungal α-diversity, but significantly shifted β-diversity (P<0.05). Environmental factors together explained 8.7% of the community variation, of which available phosphorus (AP) accounted for 67.1% of the explained variation. The CT2 treatment exhibited the lowest network modularity (0.49), a reduced positive-to-negative link ratio, and an increased proportion of pathogenic parasitic fungi, suggesting a stronger disturbance to both community structure and functional balance. By contrast, the P2 treatment showed lower potential pathogen risk and more balanced community properties. Overall, stockpiling methods with better aeration conditions were more favorable than overlapping or relatively enclosed frame-based methods for maintaining soil fungal community stability. Therefore, the turf stockpiling duration should preferably not exceed one year to minimize ecological risks and maintain the relative stability of soil fungal communities.

This study isolated and identified pathogens causing alfalfa root rot and evaluated their pathogenicity in the high-altitude region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau to determine the causal agents of alfalfa root rot in Nyingchi, Xizang. The findings provide a scientific basis for accurate disease diagnosis, resistant cultivar breeding, and integrated field control in high-altitude areas of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Through field sampling, isolation, purification, and morphological and molecular identification, four major pathogenic fungi were identified from 38 fungal isolates: Fusarium solani, F.equiseti, F.redolens, and F.oxysporum. Pathogenicity assays showed that all four pathogens caused alfalfa root rot to varying degrees. F.solani and F.oxysporum showed stronger pathogenicity, with disease indices of 78 and 68, respectively.

Clarifying the effect of digital literacy on herders' livelihood resilience has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting sustainable development in pastoral areas. Based on micro survey data from 384 herders in four cities and six counties in Xinjiang, this study constructed an index system of herders' livelihood resilience from three dimensions, including self-organization capacity, buffering capacity, and learning capacity, within the framework of sustainable development theory. The entropy method, ordinary least squares (OLS), and instrumental variable approaches were used to analyze the effect of digital literacy on herders' livelihood resilience and its underlying mechanisms. The results showed that digital literacy had a significant positive effect on herders' livelihood resilience. Further analysis indicated that digital literacy improved livelihood resilience by increasing livelihood diversification and promoting herders' participation in grassland tenure confirmation mechanisms. The enhancing effect of digital literacy was stronger for female herders and high-income herders. Accordingly, differentiated training should be implemented to improve herders' core competencies, and digital technologies should be coordinated with institutional arrangements such as grassland tenure confirmation. A sound digital ecosystem support mechanism should also be established to fully leverage the enabling effect of digital literacy on herders' livelihood resilience and support rural revitalization.

The value of grassland ecological products and herders' income are two key elements of sustainable development in pastoral areas. Existing studies have mainly focused on either the valuation of grassland ecological products or the growth of herders' income, with insufficient attention to the dynamic coupling coordination relationship between the two systems and the driving mechanisms of regional heterogeneity. Based on panel data from nine pastoral banner counties in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, from 2001 to 2023, this study used the equivalent factor method to calculate the value of grassland ecological products. A comprehensive evaluation index system was constructed for the value of grassland ecological products and herders' income, and the entropy weight method and coupling coordination degree model were used to quantitatively analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and coupling coordination relationship of the two systems. The results showed that the two systems had a high coupling degree, ranging from 0.85 to 1.00, indicating strong interdependence. However, the coupling coordination degree was relatively low, ranging from 0.24 to 0.66, indicating that highly coordinated development had not yet been achieved. Marked regional heterogeneity was observed. East Ujimqin Banner and West Ujimqin Banner were in a basically coordinated state and had entered the stage of transformation and development, whereas the other banners remained in mild or severe imbalance. Extended analysis based on the results showed that herders' income structures were relatively simple, with high dependence on animal husbandry and weak income risk-resistance capacity. In addition, imperfect market mechanisms for grassland ecological products constrained the conversion of ecosystem services into economic income and affected the coordinated development of the two systems. Therefore, herders' income sources should be broadened, market-oriented mechanisms for ecological products should be improved, herders' enthusiasm for participating in ecological conservation should be strengthened, and differentiated regional policies should be implemented to promote coordinated development between the value of grassland ecological products and herders' income.

Mixed-sowing grasslands, established by sowing two or more forage species in combination, are widely used in forage production and ecological restoration of degraded grassland. Compared to monocultures, multispecies mixtures markedly enhance the ecological functions and ecosystem stability of grassland plant communities. However, the adaptive responses and underlying mechanisms of mixed-sowing grasslands under different environmental stresses remain insufficiently synthesized. Based on domestic and international research, this review explores how resource complementarity, interspecific competition, and species asynchrony mediate community function and stability in mixed-sowing grasslands. Three typical abiotic stress factors, such as drought, soil salinization, and heavy metal contamination, are used to examine the community-scale adaptive responses of mixed-sowing grasslands and the ecological mechanisms underlying these responses. Practical approaches to remediating saline-alkali soils and heavy metal-contaminated sites are also summarized, with the aim of providing a theoretical reference for degraded grassland restoration and the efficient and sustainable use of grassland resources.

Seeds of two alfalfa cultivars, ‘Zhongcao No. 3’ and ‘Juneng’, were pretreated with 0, 0.01, 0.10, or 1.00 µmol/L 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR) and then germinated under PEG-induced drought stress at an osmotic potential of -0.6 MPa. Germination rate, root length, activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured to evaluate the effects of exogenous EBR pretreatment on alfalfa seed germination under drought stress. The results showed that PEG stress significantly inhibited germination of ‘Zhongcao No.3’ but had a weaker inhibitory effect on ‘Juneng’. Exogenous 0.01 µmol/L EBR promoted recovery of the germination rate of ‘Zhongcao No.3’ under stress, whereas 0.01, 0.10, and 1.00 µmol/L EBR reduced the germination rate of ‘Juneng’ under PEG stress. At the optimal EBR concentration, SOD, POD, CAT, and APX activities increased significantly in both cultivars, while MDA content decreased markedly (P<0.05), indicating that EBR alleviated oxidative damage by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activities. Overall, exogenous EBR can effectively alleviate drought stress during alfalfa germination, but its final effect depends on cultivar and concentration. Cultivar-specific seed-soaking protocols should therefore be developed for practical application.

This study investigated the effects of different additives on the fermentation quality, protein fractions, bacterial community, and in vitro digestibility of grapevine cane silage, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the resource utilization of agricultural wastes. Five treatments were established: control group (CK); Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inoculation (LP, 10⁶ cfu/g FM); molasses (MO, 30 g/kg FM); combined L. plantarum and molasses (LPMO, 10⁶ cfu/g FM+30 g/kg FM); and formic acid (FA, 2 mL/kg FM). After 45 days of ensiling at room temperature, the relative physicochemical and microbial indicators were measured. The results showed that compared with CK, MO and LPMO significantly increased lactic acid and peptide nitrogen contents and in vitro dry matter digestibility (P<0.05), while the pH, acetic acid, non-protein nitrogen, and ammonia nitrogen contents significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with LPMO, FA had lower lactic acid and peptide nitrogen contents (P<0.05), and higher non-protein nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen contents (P<0.05). Compared with CK, LP and LPMO increased the relative abundance of Lactiplantibacillus and decreased the relative abundance of Weissella and Enterococcus. In conclusion, the combined treatment of L. plantarum and molasses can more effectively improve the fermentation quality of grapevine cane silage.