Grasses

The degradation of alpine meadows on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has seriously affected the structure and productivity of grassland communities. In this experiment, a sample area was set up in Keqihetan of Zexiong Village, Youganning Town, Henan County, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. The degraded alpine meadow was divided into three plaque types, bare patches (BP), short-term recovered patches (SRP), and long-term recovered patches (LRP), and Native alpine meadows (NM) as controls, in order to reveal the effects of grassland degradation on community structure and aboveground/belowground biomass allocation in alpine meadow. Here, we measured total biomass (TCB), aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), and root/shoot ratio (R/S) of alpine meadows on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and investigated plant community cover and height. The results showed that with the restoration of the patchy alpine meadow, the height decreased first and then increased, the amount of AGB increased first and then decreased, while the coverage and BGB increased in turn, and BGB decreased with the deepening of soil depth. We also found that R/S decreased first and then increased with the patch recovery of the alpine meadow. The overall distribution of AGB and BGB belongs to allometric growth distribution, but the native meadow belongs to isometric growth distribution, while other recovery stages belong to allometric growth distribution. By studying the biomass and its distribution of degraded grassland, we can understand the impact of grassland degradation on the community structure and productivity of the alpine meadow.

Sward height is a practical indicator for defining management targets that reflect pasture structure. The complexity of integrated systems, including the coexistence of trees, crops, and livestock, can modify animal grazing distribution and microhabitat conditions, leading to different degrees of sward heterogeneity and botanical composition. This study investigated sward-height distribution and species composition in four systems: livestock (L), livestock–forestry (LF), crop–livestock (CL), and crop–livestock–forestry (CLF). Data were collected over two years in pastures of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), Aries grass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aries), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and other tropical grasses during summer, transition, and winter. Sward heights were classified into three categories (low, optimal, high) according to seasonal thresholds (winter: <18.0; 18–29.9; >30 cm; summer: <15.0; 15–24.9; >25 cm) and fitted to four probability distributions (normal, log-normal, Gamma, Weibull). Management based on target-height maintained 46% of observations within the optimal class, a satisfactory proportion for continuous stocking systems where structural heterogeneity is inherent. The CL system presented greater species diversity due to a higher frequency of Italian ryegrass and other grasses. Across systems and seasons, the Gamma distribution provided the best fit for sward-height frequencies. These findings offer a practical statistical tool for evaluating grazing management efficiency.

There is an urgent demand for sustainable agricultural practices that minimize environmental impacts and reduce the reliance on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Endophytes represent a largely untapped resource of beneficial microorganisms with multiple potential applications as natural biocontrol agents and promoters of plant growth and development. This paper aimed at identifying new fungal strains and performing a series of preliminary in vitro screenings to evaluate their potential use for plant-growth promotion and antifungal activity. A total of 102 fungal endophytes were isolated from different plant tissues of seven wild relatives of barley (Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus sterilis, Elymus farctus, Elymus repens, Leymus arenarius and Lolium perenne) that were sourced from 22 contrasting wild habitats. Fungal endophytes were isolated using standard culture-based methods and identified via DNA barcoding of the nrITS marker. Based on a literature search, a sub-group of endophytes were selected and evaluated for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis, ammonia production and phosphorous (P) solubilization. From these, 15 endophytes were also tested for antifungal activity against Ramularia collo-cygni, Pyrenophora teres, and Gaeumannomyces tritici. All the endophytes were positive for ammonia production at variable rates, but no P solubilization nor IAA synthesis without L-tryptophan were observed. On the contrary, five promising isolates (2 Daldinia concentrica, Metapochonia suchlasporia, Chaetomium sp., and Ophiocordyceps sinensis) had mean pathogen growth inhibition rates above 80%, compared to the untreated negative controls. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first published report that investigates natural antagonism against Ramularia collo-cygni and expands the list of endophytic strains with natural antagonism on the tested cereal pathogens. Results are discussed in the context of endophytes application to barley cultivation within the European regulatory framework.