Search Results (36)

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a herbaceous species that is commonly used for ecological slope restoration in China. However, water scarcity often constrains its growth due to the unique site conditions of steep slopes and climate-induced drought stress. This study aims to compare the ameliorative effects of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on drought stress in tall fescue and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action. The results indicated that drought stress impaired photosynthesis, restricted nutrient absorption, and increased oxidative stress, ultimately reducing biomass. However, Si NPs and CNCs enhanced drought tolerance and promoted biomass accumulation by improving photosynthesis, osmotic regulation, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Specifically, Si NP treatment increased biomass by 48.71% compared to drought-stressed control plants, while CNCs resulted in a 33.41% increase. Transcriptome sequencing further revealed that both nanomaterials enhanced drought tolerance by upregulating genes associated with photosynthesis and antioxidant defense. Additionally, Si NPs improved drought tolerance by stimulating root growth, enhancing nutrient uptake, and improving leaf structure. In contrast, CNCs play a distinct role by regulating the expression of genes related to cell wall synthesis and metabolism. These findings highlight the crucial roles of these two nanomaterials in plant stress protection and offer a sustainable strategy for the maintenance and management of slope vegetation. Full article

The aim of this research carried out in the period 2021–2023 was to analyse the influence of competitiveness between Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and Trifolium pratense L., cultivated in simple mixtures, on the quality of the fodder obtained, under the conditions of the northern Romanian forest steppe. In the experiment organized at the Ezăreni Student Research and Practice Station of Iasi University for Life Sciences, at an altitude of 117 m, with coordinates 47°07′27″ N latitude and 27°30′25″ E longitude, on a cambic chernozem soil, with 2.40% humus, 0.178% Nt, 26 ppm P_AL and 242 ppm K in the 0–30 cm layer, two factors were studied, namely the cultivation system used, with five graduations: a₁—Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (100%—control); a₂—Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (75%) and Trifolium pratense L. (25%); a₃—Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (50%) and Trifolium pratense L. (50%); a₄—Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (25%) and Trifolium pratense L. (75%); and a₅—Trifolium pratense L. (100%), and mineral fertilization, with five graduations, respectively: b₁—unfertilized (control), b₂—N₅₀P₅₀; b₃—N₇₅P₇₅; b₄—N₁₀₀P₁₀₀; and b₅—N₁₅₀P₁₅₀. The obtained results showed that the process of interspecific competitiveness was greatly influenced by the percentage of participation in the sowing norm of the species in the mixture and the biological peculiarities of the species under study, as well as the climatic conditions specific to each agricultural year, with consequences for the quality of the feed. The crude protein quantity (Q_CP) obtained in the mixture of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (25%) and Trifolium pratense L. (75%), fertilized with N₁₅₀P₁₅₀, was higher by 788.7 kg·ha⁻¹ than that in the control variant, represented by the Festuca arundinacea Schreb. species (100%), unfertilized. The lowest values of NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and ADF (acid detergent fiber) were recorded in the variants where the Trifolium pratense L. species was present and low doses of mineral fertilizers were used, determining a better quality of the forage. In the third year of vegetation, relative forage quality (RFQ) had values of 113.7 in the variant represented by the mixture of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (25%) + Trifolium pratense L. (75%), unfertilized, and only 91.2 in the variant represented by the Festuca arundinacea Schreb. species (100%), fertilized with N₁₅₀P₁₅₀. Full article

The soil water and nitrogen (N) levels are the important factors affecting turfgrass growth. However, the impact of the water–N interaction on tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) in terms of the N metabolism and plant morphology remains uncertain. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of different N and water levels on the physiological and morphological responses of tall fescue. The experiment was designed with N (N₀, N₂, and N₄ representing N application rates of 0, 2, and 4 g m^–2, respectively) and irrigation [W₁, W₂, W₃, W₄, and W₅ representing field water capacities (FWCs) of 90~100%, 75~85%, 60~70%, 45~55%, and 30~40%, respectively] treatments, and the relevant indexes of the soil water content and soil NH₄⁺–N and NO₃⁻–N levels as well as the physiology and morphology of the tall fescue were determined. The results demonstrated significant changes in the contents of soil water (SWC) and N and the physiological and morphological indexes, except for the enzymes related to N metabolism, including nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and glutamate synthetase (GOGAT). The water stress significantly enhanced the water and N use efficiencies (WUE and NUE), except the NUE in the W₅ treatment. The N stress significantly influenced the SWC, soil NO₃⁻–N content, and physiological and morphological indexes, excluding malondialdehyde, NiR, GOGAT, and above- (AGB) and below-ground biomass, resulting in the increased WUE and NUE. The application of a low N rate effectively alleviated the detrimental impacts of water stress on the SWC and glutamine synthetase activity. In conclusion, W₂ and N₂ are deemed more appropriate treatments for the low-maintenance measures of tall fescue turf. Among all the treatments, N₂W₂ is recommended as the optimal water–N interaction treatment due to its ability to conserve resources while still ensuring high turf quality. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation can promote plant growth, but specific research on the difference in the symbiosis effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant combination is not yet in-depth. Therefore, this study selected Medicago sativa L., Bromus inermis Leyss, and Festuca arundinacea Schreb., which were commonly used for restoring degraded land in China to inoculate with three AMF separately, to explore the effects of different AMF inoculation on the growth performance and nutrient absorption of different plants and to provide a scientific basis for the research and development of the combination of mycorrhiza and plants. We set up four treatments with inoculation Entrophospora etunicata (EE), Funneliformis mosseae (FM), Rhizophagus intraradices (RI), and non-inoculation. The main research findings are as follows: the three AMF formed a good symbiotic relationship with the three grassland plants, with RI and FM having more significant inoculation effects on plant height, biomass, and tiller number. Compared with C, the aboveground biomass of Medicago sativa L., Bromus inermis Leyss, and Festuca arundinacea Schreb. inoculated with AMF increased by 101.30–174.29%, 51.67–74.14%, and 110.67–174.67%. AMF inoculation enhanced the plant uptake of N, P, and K, and plant P and K contents were significantly correlated with plant biomass. PLS-PM analyses of three plants all showed that AMF inoculation increased plant nutrient uptake and then increased aboveground biomass and underground biomass by increasing plant height and root tillering. This study showed that RI was a more suitable AMF for combination with grassland degradation restoration grass species and proposed the potential mechanism of AMF–plant symbiosis to increase yield. Full article

Turfgrasses are essential landscape plants with social, environmental, and aesthetic services for urban ecosystems. However, more is needed to know how to establish them so that they can benefit from their ecosystem services in urban environments. This research examined some quality and morphological and physiological factors for the establishment and social and environmental service assessment of three warm-season turfgrasses, including Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), and buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), compared to the cool-season grass of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The experiment was split-plot in time, based on a randomized complete block design with eight replications. The main plot was the season with four levels, and the subplot was the four turfgrass species types. The results indicated that seasons and turfgrass types and their interaction significantly impacted most measured variables (p ≤ 0.01). Some quality measurements like turf density, color, texture, coverage, and quality after clipping and establishment confirmed the superiority of Buchloe dactyloides over the other species. Also, kikuyu grass showed higher turfgrass density, more potential for weed control, and higher coverage and growth rate but also showed invasiveness features. Tall fescue had the lowest visual aesthetic compared with the other turfgrass species. Warm-season turfgrasses adaptable to the ecology of the region should be used compared to tall fescue to achieve better turfgrass quality and social and ecosystem services for the sustainable development of arid urban environments. Full article

Organic soil amendments are a sustainable option for modifying soil structure and improving plant performance in the face of abiotic stressors such as drought and soil salinity. Of these amendments, biochar and compost have the added benefits of carbon sequestration and waste recycling. Establishment studies were conducted on tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) (syn., Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort and Lolium arundinaceum (Scop.) Holub) to assess the potential inhibition of establishment by compost and biochar products. Both green waste and biosolid compost impaired establishment rates, while biochar did not. In the field study, the green waste treatments were slower to reach 50% coverage than the untreated control or when biochar was added to the soil, but all treatments reached 75% and final coverage at a similar rate. Field application of compost had a positive effect on final root length and volume but a negative effect on tall fescue roots in the greenhouse. The negative effect of higher salts and volatiles in the biosolids compost was reduced when biosolids and biochar were incorporated into the soil simultaneously. This work represents one of the only large-scale field studies on turfgrass establishment comparing the impact of biochar and compost products on turfgrass establishment. Full article

As urbanization intensifies environmental challenges in contemporary cities, widespread green roof installations emerge as a potential solution. This study explores irrigating tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) turfgrass with saline water in extensive green roof systems, aiming to conserve freshwater resources. The objectives include determining the period of saline water tolerance and identifying the leachate electrical conductivity threshold affecting tall fescue’s green coverage. This greenhouse study comprised 24 lysimeters equipped with extensive green roof layering. Treatments included three NaCl irrigation solutions with an electrical conductivity of 3 dS m⁻¹, 6 dS m⁻¹, and 9 dS m⁻¹, while tap water served as the control. Additionally, irrigation treatments were applied at two different regimes, resulting in an average leaching fraction of 0.3 for the low irrigation regime and 0.5 for the high irrigation regime. Tall fescue’s tolerance to saline water was evaluated through the determination of green turf cover (GTC) as well as the clipping dry weight and the leachate electrical conductivity (EC_L) draining from the lysimeters. It was found that tall fescue turfgrass growing in extensive green roof systems can tolerate irrigation with water of electrical conductivity up to 9 dS m⁻¹ for extended periods, approximating three months, without GTC declining below 90%, provided that a minimum leaching of 30% is maintained. Furthermore, irrigating with water at 9 dS m⁻¹ resulted in a 24.5% reduction in cumulative clipping dry weight over the four-month study period. The regression analysis between GTC and EC_L highlighted a substantial decline in GTC when EC_L surpassed the critical threshold of 12.5 dS m⁻¹. Full article

Biochar, a fine-grained porous material, exhibits properties that improve soil quality on agricultural land. Biochar, in combination with mineral fertilizers in perennial mixed crops, has so far not been studied for its effect on biomass production and feed value. The study, conducted in 2021 and 2022, aims to investigate the impact of different biochar application rates (alone and in combination with high and low NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertilizer dosages) on the yield and structural carbohydrate content in grass–legume mixtures. Thus, a two-factorial pot study consisting of 36 pots was established in 2021. The study was set up in a randomized block design with nine fertilization treatments in four replicates. The factors studied were the rate of biochar (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha⁻¹) and the rate of NPK mineral fertilizer application (0, 105, and 185 kg ha⁻¹). First, biochar was applied and then the grass–legume mixture was sown, consisting of Lolium perenne L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dectylis glomerata L., Lolium multiflorum Lam., Phleum pratense L., Festuca rubra L., Festuca ovina L., Poa pratensis L., Trifolium repens L., and Medicago sativa L. In both years of the study, during the growing season, plant biomass was harvested three times to assess biomass production and structural carbohydrate content. In the collected samples, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were examined, and, based on these, dry matter digestibility (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed value (RFV) were calculated. Compared to the control, the biochar addition increased the biomass production by 6.7–14.4% in the first year and by 49–59% in the second year after application. The addition of biochar in combination with NPK fertilization caused an increase in biomass production—22–45% in the first year and 71–136% in the second year after application. The structural carbohydrate content in the mixture depended neither on the biochar dose nor on fertilization. On the other hand, the most significant differences for the studied parameters were observed due to different harvest dates. Full article

Soil salinity is one of the particularly important environmental factors, which limits the growth and development of plants, reduces the amount of crops and causes serious economic damage. The study found that Festuca arundinacea can be successfully used for the management and bioremediation of saline habitats, and it is characterized by a very well-developed root system and an average high biomass production of approx. 14.8 Mg∙ha⁻¹, which can be used for industrial applications. Tall fescue biomass from soils with different levels of salinity was used to obtain bioethanol using 1.5% NaOH pretreatment and for the process of simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation (SSF). It was found that the content of Na⁺ ions in the tall fescue biomass had no significant effect on the amount of ethanol obtained (the average 19.32 g∙100 g⁻¹ of raw material). F. arundinacea biomass was also used as a natural filler to obtain green composites using a biodegradable polylactide (PLA) matrix. It has been shown that tall fescue biomass with the lowest sodium content in biomass (approx. 2.5 mg∙g⁻¹) from an area with high saline (above 6 g NaCl∙L⁻¹) has the smallest effect on reducing the tensile and flexural strength of composites. Moreover, the highest value of bioethanol concentration (21.2 g∙100 g⁻¹ of raw material) for this biomass sample was obtained. Full article

Plant height and tillering are the key traits of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), a perennial turf grass widely used for forage and turf worldwide. It exhibits excellent abiotic stress tolerance. However, the investigation of these traits at the genetic level is limited by the lack of a completely sequenced genome of tall fescue. Here, we generated genome-wide transcriptome data using PacBio isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) technology. We obtained 73,628 transcripts with an average length of 2410 bp. Among these transcripts, 42,265 (60.09%) were predicted as complete full-length open reading frames. The dataset contained 11,520 simple sequence repeats; 737 bp long non-coding RNAs; and 1599 alternative splicing sites in unigenes. Sixty-three unigenes involved in abscisic acid biosynthesis, catabolism, and signaling pathways were identified. The Illumina-sequencing analysis results, further verified using qRT-PCR, revealed the significant upregulation of nine unigenes under drought stress. Ninety-three unigenes involved in controlling plant height and tillering were also identified, of which FaMAX1 was functionally verified to regulate plant tillering. Our results provide a valuable genetic resource about the complete transcriptome of tall fescue; the identified candidate genes can aid in improving the drought tolerance and agronomic traits in tall fescue and other related plants. Full article

Soil nitrogen (N) is a common limiting factor where soil N-cycling is a key component of agroecosystems. Soil N transformation processes are largely mediated by microbes, and understanding bacteria involvement in soil N-cycling in agricultural systems has both agronomic and environmental importance. This 2 yr field-scale study examined the abundances and spatial distributions of the total bacterial community (16S rRNA), bacteria involved in nitrification (amoA) and denitrification (narG, nirK, and nosZ), and soil physicochemical properties of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–soybean (Glycine max L.) double-crop with 2–3 weeks of spring grazing (WGS) and without grazing (WS) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (L.) Schreb.) pasture (TF) managed to near-natural conditions with similar grazing. The TF soil had a significantly higher abundance of 16S rRNA, amoA, narG, nirK, and nosZ genes than the WS and WGS soils, which had similar levels between themselves. Soil organic matter (OM) and soil pH had stronger effects on the N-cycling bacteria gene abundance. All bacterial gene concentrations and soil pH showed nonrandom distribution patterns with a 141–186 m range autocorrelation. These results indicate that biological N transformation processes are more important in natural agricultural systems and the abundance of N-cycling bacteria can be manipulated by field-scale management strategies. Full article

The Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is one of the most used forage grasses due to its duration, productivity, great ecological breadth, and adaptability. Livestock has been criticized for its large production of greenhouse gases (GHG) due to forage. The advancement of science has led to an increase in the number of studies based on nanotechnologies; NPs supplementation in animal nutrition has found positive results in the fermentation of organic matter and the production of fatty acids and ruminal microorganisms. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the in vitro digestibility of forage containing selenium (Se) nanoparticles (NPs), and to identify the specific behavior of the ruminal fermentation parameters of F. arundinacea Schreb. and (2) quantify the production of greenhouse gases (total gas and methane) (3) as well as the release of bioactive compounds (phenols, flavonoids, tannins, and selenium) after fermentation. Three treatments of SeNPs were established (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 ppm). The effects of foliar fertilization with SeNPs son digestion parameters were registered, such as the in vitro digestion of dry matter (IVDM); total gas production (A_{total gas}) and methane production (A_CH4); pH; incubation time(to); the substrate digestion rate (S); t_Smax and the lag phase (L); as well as the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), total phenols, total flavonoids, and tannins in ruminal fluid. The best results were obtained in the treatment with the foliar application of 4.5 ppm of SeNPs; IVDMD (60.46, 59.2, and 59.42%), lower total gas production (148.37, 135.22, and 141.93 mL g DM⁻¹), and CH₄ (53.42, 52.65, and 53.73 mL g DM⁻¹), as well as a higher concentration of total VFA (31.01, 31.26, and 31.24 mmol L⁻¹). The best results were obtained in the treatment with the foliar application of 4.5 ppm of SeNPs in the three different harvests; concerning IVDMD (60.46, 59.2, and 59.42%), lower total gas production (148.37, 135.22, and 141.93 mL g DM⁻¹), and CH₄ (53.42, 52.65, and 53.73 mL g DM⁻¹), as well as a higher concentration of total VFA (31.01, 31.26, and 31.24 mmol L⁻¹). The F. arundinacea Schreb. plants fertilized with 4.5 ppm released—in the ruminal fluid during in vitro fermentation—the following contents: total phenols (98.77, 99.31, and 99.08 mgEAG/100 mL), flavonoids (34.96, 35.44, and 34.96 mgQE/100 g DM), tannins (27.22, 27.35, and 27.99 mgEC/100g mL), and selenium (0.0811, 0.0814, and 0.0812 ppm). Full article

Vineyard growth and grape yield can be significantly reduced by weeds, especially when these are located in the under-vine zone. Traditional weed management consists of recurrent tillage, which is associated with soil erosion and high fuel consumption, or herbicide applications, associated with damage to the environment and human health. In order to find alternative weed management methods, three field trials were carried out in Raimat (Lleida, NE Spain) with the aim of evaluating the suppressive effect of four mulches against weeds. Treatments included (1) straw mulch of Medicago sativa L., (2) straw mulch of Festuca arundinacea (L.) Schreb, (3) straw mulch of Hordeum vulgare L., (4) chopped pine wood mulch of Pinus sylvestris L., (5) mechanical cultivation and (6) herbicide application. The results showed that all mulches were efficient at controlling weeds (<20% of weed coverage) in the first year, compared with the two traditional methods, as long as the percentage of soil covered by mulches was high (>75%). In this way, pine mulch stood out above the straw mulches, as it achieved high soil cover during the three growing seasons of the study (>80%), with weed coverage values under 18%. This, together with the multiple benefits of mulches (improvements in the water balance and increases in soil organic matter, among others), make them a sustainable tool to be considered as an alternative to traditional under-vine weed management in vineyards. Full article

The current study investigated the influence of mixture composition on the biomass yield and early establishment of legume–grass mixtures. The legume species alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. (A)), white clover (Trifolium repens L. (WC)), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L. (RC)) and grass species orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L. (O)), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (TF)), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. (PR)) were grown in monocultures and in different legume–grass mixtures. Legume–grass mixtures (M1: WC + O + TF; M2: A + O + TF; M3: A + WC + O + TF; M4: RC + WC + O + TF; M5: A + WC + O + TF + PR; M6: RC + WC + O + TF + PR; and M7: A + RC + WC + O + TF + PR) were sown in a legume–grass seeding ratio of 3:7. The results showed that M2 had the greatest two-year average biomass yield (12.92 t ha⁻¹), which was significantly (p < 0.05), 4.7%, 5.4%, 15.8%, and 29.1% greater than that of WC monoculture, M7, M4, and M1, respectively. The grass biomass yield proportions of all mixtures significantly decreased, while legume biomass yield proportions significantly increased in the second year compared to the first year of establishment. The land-equivalent ratio values of M2 and M4 were greater than 1 in each cutting period. The competition rate of grasses gradually decreased with prolonged establishment time. Overall, the biomass yield, legume and grass biomass yield proportions, land equivalent ratio, and competition rate data highlighted that M2 is the best choice to achieve greater productivity and early establishment in southwest China. Full article

Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is a widely used type of forage due to its great ecological breadth and adaptability. An agricultural intervention that improves the selenium content in cultivated plants has been defined as bio-fortification, a complementary strategy to improve human and non-human animals’ nutrition. The advancement of science has led to an increased number of studies based on nanotechnologies, such as the development of nanoparticles (NPs) and their application in crop plants. Studies show that NPs have different physicochemical properties compared to bulk materials. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the behavior of F. arundinacea Schreb. plants cultivated with Se nanoparticles, (2) to identify the specific behavior of the agronomic and productive variables of the F. arundinacea Schreb. plants, and (3) to quantify the production and quality of the forage produced from the plant (the bioactive compounds’ concentrations, antioxidant activity, and the concentration of selenium). Three different treatments of SeNPs were established (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 mg/mL). The effects of a foliar fertilization with SeNPs on the morphological parameters such as the root size, plant height, and biomass production were recorded, as well as the effects on the physicochemical parameters such as the crude protein (CP), lipids (L), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), carbohydrates (CH), the content of total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, quantification of selenium and antioxidant activity 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between treatments in all the response variables. The best results were obtained with foliar application treatments with 3.0 and 4.5 mg/mL with respect to the root size (12.79 and 15.59 cm) and plant height (26.18 and 29.34 cm). The F. arundinacea Schreb. plants fertilized with 4.5 mg/L had selenium contents of 0.3215, 0.3191, and 0.3218 mg/Kg MS; total phenols of 249.56, 280.02, and 274 mg EAG/100 g DM; and total flavonoids of 63.56, 64.96, and 61.16 mg QE/100 g DM. The foliar biofortified treatment with a concentration of 4.5 mg/mL Se NPs had the highest antioxidant capacities (284.26, 278.35, and 289.96 mg/AAE/100 g). Full article