Morchella importuna is a highly priced edible and medicinal mushroom. Crop rotation is an important management technique to improve soil health. In this study, the morphological characteristics, chemical composition, and nutritional quality of the M. importuna fruitbody under five different rotation systems (named RSA to RSE) were investigated. The results showed that the fruitbodies of M. importuna in rotation system C (RSC, Rice–Pea–M. importuna rotation) grew best (with the highest yield of 6804.90 kg/hm²) and were of higher quality, which showed significant increases in crude protein (37.32 g/100 g) and decreases in crude fat (4.04 g/100 g), crude fiber (10.06 g/100 g), and total ash (9.32 g/100 g). The heavy metal contents (Pb, Cd, and Hg) in the fruitbodies from all rotation systems were rare or none, which meets the standards of the Chinese Green Food Standard and the maximum limit in foodstuffs of the European Union Standard. In addition, the free amino acid compositions of morel under different rotation systems were analyzed. The ratio of essential amino acids to total amino acids (EAA/TAA) was highest in RSC (37.11%). The tested morels were abundant in umami, sweet, aromatic, and medicinal amino acids (UAA, SAA, AAA and MAA). Combining amino acid score, chemical score, and other nutrition indexes, RSC had the best impact on the yield and quality of morel. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the cultivation model of rotating “Rice–Vegetables–Fungi” for the production of M. importuna in a way that develops high-quality agriculture.

Long-term plant residue retention can effectively replenish soil quality and fertility. In this study, we collected rhizosphere soil from the residual roots of annual Cenchrus fungigraminus in the Ulan Buh Desert over the past 10 years. The area, depth, and length of these roots decreased over time. The cellulose content of the residual roots was significantly higher in the later 5 years (2018–2022) than the former 5 years (2013–2017), reaching its highest value in 2021. The lignin content of the residual roots did not differ across samples except in 2015 and reached its highest level in 2021. The total sugar of the residual roots in 2022 was 227.88 ± 30.69 mg·g⁻¹, which was significantly higher than that in other years. Compared to the original sandy soil, the soil organic matter and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) contents were 2.17–2.41 times and 31.52–35.58% higher in the later 3 years (2020–2022) and reached the highest values in 2020. The residual roots also significantly enhanced the soil carbon stocks from 2018–2022. Soil dehydrogenase, nitrogenase, and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase (S-NAG) were significantly affected from 2019–2022. The rhizosphere soil community richness and diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities significantly decreased with the duration of the residual roots in the sandy soil, and there was a significant difference for 10 years. Streptomyces, Bacillus, and Sphigomonas were the representative bacteria in the residual root rhizosphere soil, while Agaricales and Panaeolus were the enriched fungal genera. The distance-based redundancy analysis and partial least square path model results showed that the duration of residual roots in the sandy soil, S-NAG, and SMBC were the primary environmental characteristics that shaped the microbial community. These insights provide new ideas on how to foster the exploration of the use of annual herbaceous plants for sandy soil improvement in the future.

Helvella leucopus, a wild mushroom species, is considered a valuable food by local residents. In the present work, the nutritional value of H. leucopus was evaluated against some commonly cultivated edible and medicinal fungi as controls. H. leucopus showed significantly higher crude protein content. The amino acid composition of H. leucopus met the FAO/WHO ideal protein standard, with the highest ratio of essential amino acid to total amino acid (EAA/TAA) reaching 58.27%. H. leucopus showed the highest correlation with Ganoderma lucidum. The contents of flavour amino acid (FAA) and medicinal amino acid (MAA) in H. leucopus were significantly higher than those in the controls, and a high ratio of branched-chain amino acid to aromatic amino acid (BCAA/AAA) was observed in H. leucopus. The EAA composition of H. leucopus was 54.74%, 1.56- and 1.10-fold higher than that of the FAO/WHO model and the egg model, respectively. On the basis of the amino acid score, nutrition index, and other indices, H. leucopus could be a good protein source rich in amino acids, particularly in EAA and MAA. Therefore, this mushroom species is worthy of further investigation and utilisation, with huge market potential.

Soil salinization and alkalization are serious global challenges that adversely affect crop growth and yield. In this study, six genotypes of giant reed (Arundo donax) seedlings (LvZhou_No.1, LvZhou_No.3, LvZhou_No.6, LvZhou_No.11, LvZhou_No.12 and LvZhou_Var.) originating from different regions of China and Rwanda were utilized as experimental materials. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses of various genotypes to saline–alkali stress and to identify stress-tolerant resources. A mixture saline–alkali solution with a molar ratio of NaCl: Na₂SO₄: NaHCO₃: Na₂CO₃ = 1:1:1:1 was prepared at three concentrations (75, 150 and 225 millimolar (mM)) for a 7-day pot experiment. Growth and physiological indices were measured at the seedling stage, and salt tolerance was evaluated accordingly. The results indicated the following: the growth indices were significantly reduced across seedlings of all genotypes when the concentration of stress exceeded 150 mM (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and maximum photochemical efficiency of PS II (F_v/F_m) with increasing saline–alkali stress. However, the photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (G_s) and transpiration rate (T_r) exhibited decreasing trends, reaching their lowest levels at 225 mM. In contrast, the intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i) value decreased to its lowest at 150 mM but increased at 225 mM. Relative electrical conductivity (REC) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline (Pro) and soluble sugar (SS) increased progressively with higher stress concentrations. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) were significantly enhanced at stress concentrations above 150 mM. The saline–alkali tolerance of A. donax seedlings was comprehensively evaluated using principal component analysis and membership function analysis based on 15 parameters. The results indicate that P_n, T_r and G_s are effective physiological indicators for assessing saline–alkali tolerance of A. donax seedlings. The six genotypes were ranked for saline–alkali tolerance as follows: LZ_No.1 > LZ_No.11 > LZ_No.12 > LZ_Var. > LZ_No.3 > LZ_No.6. This indicates that LZ_No.1 shows the highest resistance to saline–alkali stress, whereas LZ_No.6 is the most severely affected, classifying it as a salinity-sensitive genotype. In conclusion, LZ_No.1 exhibits robust saline–alkali tolerance and represents a valuable germplasm resource for improving saline–alkali tolerance in A. donax propagation. The results not only support the development of resilient plants for saline–alkali environments but also offer insights into the mechanisms of salinity tolerance.

Inonotus is a globally distributed genus within the Hymenochaetales, with certain species widely used in traditional herbal medicine. Here, a new species, I. chrysosporus, was identified as a sister clade to I. hispidus based on morphological, molecular, and vegetative incompatibility characteristics. The growth of I. chrysosporus on two substrate formulations—(1) 60% (wt:wt) Dicranopteris dichotoma, mixed with 18% corncob, 20% wheat bran, 1% gypsum, and 1% lime (GS), and (2) 78% sawdust wood chips (SS)—was compared in terms of the accumulation of bioactive components and the corresponding biological activities. On both substrates, I. chrysosporus exhibited high nutritional value, with high protein and mineral contents, low fat content, and a high proportion of medicinal amino acids. However, significant variations in the profiles of active constituents were observed, with cultivation on the GS formulation promoting the accumulation of bioactive polysaccharides, whereas growth on SS resulted in the accumulation of polyphenols. Aqueous extracts of I. chrysosporus mushrooms derived from both growth substrates exhibited potent antioxidant activities. Correlation analyses indicated that polysaccharide content was positively associated with ·OH scavenging activity and that polyphenol content was correlated with strong DPPH radical scavenging activity and high ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). This study provides a foundation for the comprehensive development and utilization of the newly described I. chrysosporus species.