Effects of different coating agents on seed growth and planting of native grasses in alpine grassland

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2024.0155

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Seed coating is an effective measure to enhance seedling establishment and growth in extreme environment. Currently, seed coating is most commonly used in crops, this study designed multiple seed coating formulations to address poor field emergence and low establishment rates of major reseeding grass species on the Qingzang Plateau. Our work aims to providing technical support for efficient application of native grass species in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qingzang Plateau.

Methods We designed multiple seed coating formulations using different levels of nutrients (N), microbial inoculants (MC), and growth regulators (G). We performed laboratory growth experiment and field experiments to evaluate the effects of different seed coating treatments on the seed emergence and growth of three grass species.

Important findings Emergence rates of Elymus nutans and Poa pratensis treated with microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator (NMCG) were higher than those treated with other formulations. Such a formulation increased the emergence rates by 27% and 44% compared with the control (filler coating, CK3), respectively. Both the aboveground and belowground biomasses of Elymus nutans treated with microbial nutrients + microbial inoculant (NMC) were the highest. The above-ground biomasses of Festuca sinensis treated with compound microbial inoculant (MC2) were the highest, and the below-ground biomasses of Festuca sinensis treated with NMC were the highest. The above-ground and below-ground biomasses of Poa pratensis treated with NMCG were the highest. The field experiment showed grasslands reseeded with seeds treated using NMCG, they had the highest height, coverage, and above-ground/below-ground biomass. The restoration effects of other formula-coated reseeding were also better than those of grassland (CK1). Finally, all coating formulation containing microbial inoculants significantly increased the proportion of high-quality forage grass species in the restored grassland.

Key words: grassland restoration, microbial agents, growth regulators, carbon powder, Qingzang Plateau

WANG Lin, LI Xue, WANG Yu, WANG Xin, HU Xiao-Wen, YANG Mei, ZHU Jian-Xiao. Effects of different coating agents on seed growth and planting of native grasses in alpine grassland[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2025, 49(1): 118-128.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2024.0155

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2025/V49/I1/118

Figures/Tables 7

Table 1 Effect of adding carbon powder on the active concentration of effective bacteria in the compound microbial inoculant (mean ± SD)

处理方式 Treatment approach	复合微生物菌剂有效菌活性浓度 Effective active concentration of compound microbial inoculant (×10¹² cfu·mL^-1)
菌剂+养分+生长调节剂 Microbial inoculant + nutrient + growth regulator	3.0 ± 0.4^b
菌剂+养分+生长调节剂+杀菌剂 Microbial inoculant + nutrient + growth regulator + fungicide	2.0 ± 0.8^b
菌剂+碳粉+杀菌剂 Microbial inoculant + carbon powder + fungicide	4.7 ± 1.0^a
菌剂+养分+生长调节剂+碳粉 Microbial inoculant + nutrient + growth regulator + carbon powder	6.2 ± 0.6^a

Fig. 1 Cross-sectional view of layered coated seed.

Table 2 Seed coating formulations for different treatments in field experiments

编号 Number	处理方式 Treatment approach	具体配方 Detailed recipe
CK1	不补播 No reseeding
CK2	不包衣、补播 No seed coating, reseeding
CK3	种子填充剂包衣 Seed coating filler	高岭土 Kaolin
N	复合肥+微肥 Compound fertilizer + microbial fertilizers	农用复合肥2.5%、微肥0.1% Agricultural compound fertilizer 2.5%, microbial fertilizers 0.1%
G	生长调节剂 Growth regulator	赤霉素+水杨酸+吲哚乙酸(等比) 1% Gibberellin + salicylic acid + 3-indoleacetic acid (equal ratio) 1%
MC1	单一微生物菌剂+碳粉 Single-strain microbial inoculant + carbon powder	蕈状芽孢杆菌5%、碳粉5% Bacillus mycelioides 5%, carbon powder 5%
MC2	复合微生物菌剂+碳粉 Compound microbial inoculant + carbon powder	复合微生物菌剂5%、碳粉5% Compound microbial inoculant 5%, carbon powder 5%
NMC	复合肥+微肥+复合微生物菌剂+碳粉 Compound fertilizer + microbial fertilizers + compound microbial agents + carbon powder	农用复合肥2.5%、微肥0.1%、复合微生物菌剂5%、碳粉5% Agricultural compound fertilizer 2.5%, microbial fertilizers 0.1%, compound microbial inoculant 5%, carbon powder 5%
NMCG	复合肥+微肥+复合微生物菌剂+生长调节剂+碳粉 Compound fertilizer + microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator + carbon powder	农用复合肥2.5%、微肥0.1%、赤霉素+水杨酸+吲哚乙酸(等比) 1%、复合微生物菌剂5%、碳粉5% Agricultural compound fertilizer 2.5%, microbial fertilizers 0.1%, gibberellin + salicylic acid + 3 - indoleacetic acid (equal ratio) 1%, compound microbial inoculant 5%, carbon powder 5%

Fig. 2 Germination rates of three types of grasses under different seed dressing formulations (mean ± SD). A, Elymus nutans. B, Festuca sinensis. C, Poa pratensis. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences in the 14-day seedling emergence rates among different formulations (p < 0.05). CK2, no seed coating; CK3, seed coating fillers; G, growth regulator; MC1, single-strain microbial inoculant; MC2, compound microbial inoculant; N, compound fertilizer; NMC, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant; NMCG, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator.

Fig. 3 Aboveground and belowground biomass of three types of grasslands (mean ± SD). A, Elymus nutans. B, Festuca sinensis. C, Poa pratensis. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences in aboveground/belowground biomass among different formulations (p < 0.05). CK3, seed coating fillers; G, growth regulator; MC1, single-strain microbial inoculant; MC2, compound microbial inoculant; N, compound fertilizer; NMC, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant; NMCG, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator.

Fig. 4 Coverage, height, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass of reseeded grassland after treatment with different seed coating formulations (mean ± SD). A, Height. B, Coverage. C, Aboveground biomass. D, Belowground biomass. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among the indicators among different formulations (p < 0.05). The dotted line represents the mean, and the solid line represents the median. CK1, no reseeding; CK2, no seed coating; CK3, seed coating fillers; G, growth regulator; MC1, single-strain microbial inoculant; MC2, compound microbial inoculant; N, compound fertilizer; NMC, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant; NMCG, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator.

Fig. 5 Contribution to community coverage by plant functional groups and seed coating formulations. A, Role of microbial agent. B, Roles of microbial agent, compound fertilizer and growth regulator. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences in various indicators among different formulations (p < 0.05). CK1, no reseeding; MC1, single-strain microbial inoculant; MC2, compound microbial inoculant; NMC, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant; NMCG, microbial fertilizers + compound microbial inoculant + growth regulator.

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