Management Effects on the Vegetation of Rangeland in the Middle of Southern Slope of Tianshan Mountains

Rangeland degradation is a widespread problem and its restoration remains a major challenge. In recent years, many scientists have discussed the primary causes of over-grazing and approaches to restoration of China’s grasslands (e.g. Harris 2010; Wang and Han 2005; Lu et al. 2005). The major evidence of grassland degradation is lower plant productivity, reduced biodiversity and increase in poisonous weeds (Zhao et al. 2010), increased frequency of rodent and grasshopper infestations, and large scale dust storms (Lu et al. 2005). Restoration of these impacted ecosystems is an important and challenging task, especially in Xinjiang Province, China, where the natural grassland is rapidly degrading year by year (Yuan et al. 2011). Many strategies have been used to restore condition to these degrading grasslands, but since not all have proved successful, efforts are continuing to find methods that promote vigorous growth low soil disturbance and minimal vegetation destruction. In this study we investigated the response of grassland species and soils to strategic rest and shallow cultivation relative to current overgrazed grassland in the Tianshan Mountains of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Alfalfa Cover Crops Influence the Soil Fungal Community and Function in Apple Orchards in Arid Desert Oases in Northwest China

The present study investigated the effects of alfalfa cover crops on soil fungal communities and function in apple orchards in arid desert oases. A five-year apple orchard was subjected to two treatments: Intercropping with an alfalfa cover crop (A) and clean tillage (QG). The soil fungal ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region was analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology, and fungal function was determined using FUNGuild. Changes in the fungal community structure, diversity, and metabolic function in the 0–60 cm soil layer of the apple orchard were compared. The results showed that the alfalfa cover crops enhanced fungal richness but reduced diversity. The alfalfa cover crops improved fungal copy numbers but reduced the relative abundance of the dominant phylum, Ascomycota. Correlations between soil fungi and soil factors revealed that total nitrogen and total carbon were the most important nutrient factors in positively regulating the fungal community. The main negative factors were soil total salts and pH. The FUNGuild functional prediction showed that Ectomycorrhizal-Wood Saprotroph and Endophyte-Undefined Saprotroph only appeared in the alfalfa cover crops. The abundance of endophytes was enhanced (p < 0.05), but the abundance of plant pathogens and wood saprotrophs decreased (p < 0.01). Alfalfa cover crops could increase the copy numbers and richness in arid oasis apple orchards

Effects of hairy vetch cultivation on soil quality and productivity in Chinese orchards: a meta-analysis

Abstract To find out the effects of hairy vetch cultivation on soil quality and productivity in Chinese orchards, all relevant papers in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) published from 2000 to 2021 were collected to quantitatively analyze the effects of hairy vetch cultivation in orchards on soil physicochemical properties and nutrient content, soil enzyme activity, microbial activity, fruit yield and quality based on meta-analysis. The results showed that the effect sizes of hairy vetch cultivation on soil quality and productivity changed in a positive direction, but part of the effect sizes did not change significantly. This paper provides some support and reference for the development of grass cultivation in orchards

Simulation and Test of “Separated Burying Device” of Green Manure Returning Machine Based on the EDEM Software

Today, China’s orchard area covers 11,874,850 ha. With China’s progress in implementing the strategy of “quality-based and environmental-friendly agricultural development”, green manure has been developed as a modernized green soil management method for use in orchard areas. Green manure shows the highest decomposition rate with a ploughing depth of 150 mm. To efficiently utilize green manure in orchard areas, a “separated burying device” was designed, which can realize “stalk falling and soil falling” simultaneously. The device was composed of rotary blades, an iron chain separation curtain, soil retaining board and compacting machine. The cooperation parameters of different parts of the proposed device were designed through a discrete element simulation test, and a cooperative parameter model of the proposed device was constructed. According to the simulation test, the highest coverage of the prototype (95.16%) was achieved only when the knife roller center of rotary tillage moved to the point where it had a horizontal distance of 378.76 mm from the root of the “iron chain separation curtain”, the width of the transverse soil retaining board was 187.78 mm and the included angle of the soil retaining board θ was 116.48°. Based on a model verification test, the burying rate was found to be 94.36%, which differed slightly from the simulation test results. The burying rate increased by 4.84% upon the application of a “separated burying device”. The “separated burying device” was able to increase the burying rate of green manure between rows in the orchard area. It is conducive to the full utilization of green manure resources and lays good sowing foundations for green manure resowing. The construction of a “separated burying device” and its cooperative parameter model can provide insight into the research, development and optimization of relevant machines, such as the stalk returning machine

Simulation and Test of “Separated Burying Device” of Green Manure Returning Machine Based on the EDEM Software

Today, China’s orchard area covers 11,874,850 ha. With China’s progress in implementing the strategy of “quality-based and environmental-friendly agricultural development”, green manure has been developed as a modernized green soil management method for use in orchard areas. Green manure shows the highest decomposition rate with a ploughing depth of 150 mm. To efficiently utilize green manure in orchard areas, a “separated burying device” was designed, which can realize “stalk falling and soil falling” simultaneously. The device was composed of rotary blades, an iron chain separation curtain, soil retaining board and compacting machine. The cooperation parameters of different parts of the proposed device were designed through a discrete element simulation test, and a cooperative parameter model of the proposed device was constructed. According to the simulation test, the highest coverage of the prototype (95.16%) was achieved only when the knife roller center of rotary tillage moved to the point where it had a horizontal distance of 378.76 mm from the root of the “iron chain separation curtain”, the width of the transverse soil retaining board was 187.78 mm and the included angle of the soil retaining board θ was 116.48°. Based on a model verification test, the burying rate was found to be 94.36%, which differed slightly from the simulation test results. The burying rate increased by 4.84% upon the application of a “separated burying device”. The “separated burying device” was able to increase the burying rate of green manure between rows in the orchard area. It is conducive to the full utilization of green manure resources and lays good sowing foundations for green manure resowing. The construction of a “separated burying device” and its cooperative parameter model can provide insight into the research, development and optimization of relevant machines, such as the stalk returning machine