Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum on the ensiling quality and in vitro rumen fermentation of sudangrass silage prepared with or without wilting.Methods: The ensiling experiment, measured with 3 replicates, was carried out according to a 2×4 (wilted stages×additives) factorial treatment structure. Dry matter of the fresh (210 g/kg fresh matter) or wilted (305 g/kg fresh matter) sudangrass were ensiled (packed into 5.0-L plastic jars) without additive (control) or with molasses (M), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), or molasses + Lactobacillus plantarum (M+LP). After 60 days of ensiling, the silages were analyzed for the chemical, fermentation, and in vitro characteristics.Results: After 60 days of ensiling, the fermentation parameters were affected by wilted, the additives and the interactions of wilted with the additives (p<0.05). The M+LP treatment at wilted had higher lactic acid levels and V-score (p<0.05) but lower pH values and butyric acid concentrations than the other treatments. In comparison with sudangrass before ensiling, after ensiling had lower dry matter and higher non-fibrous carbohydrate. The in vitro gas production, in vitro dry matter digestibility, in vitro crude protein digestibility, and in vitro acid fiber detergent digestibility changed under the effects of the additives. Significant interactions were observed between wilted and the additives in terms of in vitro gas production at 48 h, asymptotic gas production, gas production rate, half time, and the average gas production rate. The total volatile fatty acid levels in the additive treatments were higher than those in the control.Conclusion: Wilting and supplementation with molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum had the ability to improve the ensiling quality and in vitro nutrient digestibility of sudangrass silage. The M+LP treatment at wilted exhibited the strongest positive effects on silage quality and in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics.

Mixed legume/grass grasslands are the most significant type of artificial grassland in rain-fed semi-arid regions. Understanding the contributions of legumes and grasses to grassland productivity, as well as the nitrogen-sharing mechanisms between them, is crucial to maintaining the sustainability, stability, and high yield of mixed grasslands. In this study, four commonly used cultivated species were selected: smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Combinations of two and three species of legumes and grasses were established, with monoculture serving as the control. The results revealed that in all the monocultures and mixed grasslands comprising two or three species, the average dry matter yield (DMY) of mowed grasslands in 2017 was significantly higher than in 2018, while the average DMY of grazed summer regrowth in 2018 surpassed that of 2016 and 2017. Over the period from 2016 to 2018, smooth bromegrass and sainfoin gradually dominated the mixed grasslands, while orchardgrass and red clover exhibited a declining abundance. Over time, the ratio and amount of nitrogen (N) fixation in legumes significantly increased in both the monoculture and mixed grasslands. Similarly, the amount of nitrogen (N) received by grasses also increased significantly in mixed grasslands. However, the proportion of nitrogen fixed by legumes remained below 10% in 2016, 20% in 2017, and 30% in 2018. In contrast, nitrogen transfer from legumes to smooth bromegrass was less than 10%, while in orchardgrass, it was even lower, at less than 2%. The interannual variability in dry matter yield (DMY) and nitrogen contribution in the mixed grasslands of rain-fed semi-arid areas is primarily influenced by forage adaptability and average annual precipitation. Increasing the proportion of grazed forage relative to hay in annual forage consumption should be considered, as more extensive grazing can reduce damage from field rodents and provide higher forage quality at lower costs and energy consumption. To maintain grassland productivity, targeted grazing should be carefully planned and implemented.

Drought and soil nutrient deficiency are critical constraints on plant growth and ecological restoration in desert steppes; however, the interactive mechanisms between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphorus fertilization remain poorly elucidated. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms governing root system architecture (RSA) remodeling and regrowth capability in Agropyron under drought stress, a controlled experiment was conducted using two genotypes: Inner Mongolia (NM) and Xinjiang (XJ). The experimental design comprised three water regimes (70%, 50%, and 30% field capacity [FC]), two P levels (P0, P1), and two inoculation treatments (A0, A1). The results indicated the following: (1) Although drought significantly inhibited Agropyron growth, the combined application of AMF and P (A1P1) induced a highly significant synergistic effect, augmenting total aboveground biomass by 66.08–160.58% compared to the control. This synergy exhibited distinct “environmental dependency,” being most pronounced under moderate drought conditions (50% FC). (2) Mechanistic analysis revealed that A1P1 optimized RSA by significantly increasing total root length, root surface area, and root volume (e.g., total root length increased by 281.4–375.1% under severe stress), thereby enhancing water and nutrient acquisition. (3) The A1P1 treatment significantly mitigated the decline in regrowth potential induced by successive clipping, sustaining a higher tiller number (increasing by up to 1.8-fold in the 3rd clipping). (4) The XJ genotype was characterized by higher basal biomass and root investment “high-yield phenotype”, whereas the NM genotype demonstrated greater sensitivity to AMF-P regulation “highly responsive phenotype”. In conclusion, the synergistic interaction between AMF and P mitigates drought stress by reshaping RSA and enhancing regrowth capability, providing a theoretical basis for the efficient management of arid grasslands.

Crops frequently endure diverse environmental stresses that negatively impact their growth and yield. Understanding the mechanisms underlying stress responses is crucial for developing stress-tolerant crop varieties, thereby improving their adaptability and productivity. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most prevalent and reversible internal modification found in eukaryotic mRNA, and is installed, removed, and recognized by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m⁶A-binding proteins (readers), playing crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, and environmental stress response. However, the role of m⁶A in alfalfa remains largely unexplored. In this work, we conducted comprehensive whole genome identification and expression analysis of the m⁶A gene family in alfalfa under abiotic stress conditions. There are 11 writers, 6 erasers, and 9 readers were identified in the alfalfa genome. Through comparative genomic analysis, we uncovered the evolutionary relationships of the m⁶A gene family across different species. Additionally, we characterized the gene structures, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory elements, chromosomal localization, and expression patterns specific to tissues and under various abiotic stress treatments. Furthermore, we conducted a transcriptome-wide analysis of m⁶A methylome under drought stress. We identified 10,855 hyper-methylated peaks in shoots and 3,262 in roots, along with a global increase in m⁶A levels during drought stress, individually highlighting the significant role of m⁶A modification in drought stress responses. Notably, we found that ABA signaling-related genes, such as ABA2, SnRK2.1, SnRK2.3, and SnRK2.4, exhibited m⁶A hypermethylation in shoots after drought stress treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrated that m⁶A modifications of ABA2, SnRK2.1, SnRK2.3, and SnRK2.4 enhance their mRNA stability, suggesting that m⁶A modification may regulate drought stress responses through the ABA signaling pathway. Above all, these findings provide new insights into the adaptive mechanism of alfalfa under drought stress and highlight the potential of regulating m⁶A modifications as a novel approach for alfalfa stress resistance breeding strategies.

Elymus sibiricus is widely utilized for establishing of high-yield artificial grasslands due to its remarkable productivity and strong resistance to enviro

Arid regions of Xinjiang are characterized by abundant solar and thermal resources but limited precipitation, making appropriate matching of silage maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars with planting density an important strategy for improving the productivity and feeding quality of silage maize. To characterize cultivar-specific responses to planting density and identify cultivar–density combinations with superior overall performance, a two-year field experiment was conducted in Bole, Xinjiang, China, during 2025–2026. A two-factor randomized block design comprising four maize cultivars and five planting densities was used. Growth traits, yield, and feeding quality were evaluated at the milk stage, and Pearson correlation analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and a hierarchical combined-weight TOPSIS method were used for comprehensive assessment. Cultivar and planting density significantly affected multiple growth, yield, and feeding-quality traits, whereas cultivar × planting density interactions were trait-dependent. C3 (Xinsiyu 12) generally exhibited higher fresh forage yield, dry matter yield, and crude protein content, whereas D3 (105,000 plants ha⁻¹) performed favorably in terms of fresh forage yield, dry matter yield, and dry-to-fresh ratio. Among the cultivar–density combinations, C3D3 (Xinsiyu 12 × 105,000 plants ha⁻¹) produced the highest fresh forage and dry matter yields in both years, exceeding those of the locally conventional C1D3 treatment (Xianyu 1321 × 105,000 plants ha⁻¹) by 22.38% and 15.60% and by 19.10% and 13.04% in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Its crude protein and starch contents were also higher than those of C1D3 by 29.86% and 33.90% and by 18.72% and 17.77%, respectively. SEM indicated positive associations of LAI and plant height with fresh forage yield. The hierarchical combined-weight TOPSIS analysis ranked C3D3 first, with the highest comprehensive score of 0.7937. Overall, Xinsiyu 12 grown at 105,000 plants ha⁻¹ provided a favorable balance between yield and feeding quality and represents a promising cultivar–density combination for Bortala, Xinjiang, and other arid irrigated regions with similar agroecological conditions.