Na compound fertiliser improves growth performance, drought resistance, and water-saving efficiency of the succulent xerophyte Haloxylon ammodendron in the Alxa Desert region of China
Jian-jun Kang
A , Jian-long Yu B , Jin-lin Zhang D , Jian-hua Xu C and Suo-min Wang D E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology of inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, PR China.
B Enshi animal husbandry and Veterinary Service Centre, Enshi Prefecture, 445000, Hubei Province, PR China.
C Forestry Workstation of Alxa Right County, Alxa Right County, 737300, Inner Mongolia, PR China.
D State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, Gansu Province, PR China.
E Corresponding author. Email: smwang@lzu.edu.cn
Australian Journal of Botany 69(5) 318-327 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT20107
Submitted: 22 August 2020 Accepted: 19 June 2021 Published: 30 July 2021
Abstract
For Haloxylon ammodendron – a typical succulent xerophyte that accumulates Na+ to resist drought stress– the use of a Na-compound fertiliser (NaCF) at small scales could increase drought resistance. In this study we compared the effects of NaCF, NP (with N and P contents the same as in NaCF), diammonium phosphate (DP), and a control (C) on growth of H. ammodendron in the Alashan Desert regions of China. Results indicated that NaCF significantly increased plant height (PH) by 56, 27 and 12%, main root length (MRL) by 72, 60 and 45%, dry weight (DW) of whole plant by 291, 124 and 89%over the C, NP and DP treatments respectively in the nursery. NaCF also significantly improved drought resistance of H. ammodendron in large-scale desert afforestation, where it increased PH by 4.6 and 1.8 cm plant–1, main root length (MRL) by 4.5 and 4.1 cm plant–1, and DW by 17.9 and 15.9 g plant–1 compared with the C and DP treatments respectively. Furthermore, compared with the seedlings treated with DP in the nursery and in the desert afforestation, seedlings treated with NaCF resulted in water saving potentials of 50 and 33% respectively. These findings indicate that NaCF could be beneficial if widely applied in eco-restoration of the degraded vegetations in desert regions of China.
Keywords: Na-compound fertiliser, Haloxylon ammodendron, nursery, afforestation, application, Alxa desert regions, China, eco-restoration, desert, drought stress.
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