Effect and evaluation of water regulation on the sta⁃ bility of bean-grain mixed seeding grassland communities in the inland dry zone of Northwest China
Based on the characteristics of drought and less rainfall in the inland arid region of Northwest China, grassland yield is low and unstable,so it is of great significance to explore more high-yield and water-saving grassland communities to realize the stability of ecological environment. Through two years of field experiments(2019 and 2020),four water regulation gradients(fully irrigated W0,75%~85% FC(field water capacity);Mild water deficit W1,65%~75% FC;Moderate water deficit W2,55%~65% FC;Severe water deficit W3,45%~55% FC)were compared and analyzed for the effect on the community stability. Three bean-grain mixed seeding combinations(Al- falfa/Brumos inermis(A1),Alfalfa/B. inermis/Elytrigia elongata(A2)and Alfalfa/B. inermis/E. elongate/Poa pra- tensis.(A3)were studied in the field experiments. The results showed that the combination of water regulation and mixed seeding had no significant effect on the component stability of mixed seeded grass,but significantly affected the functional stability(yield and crude protein content),and interspecific compatibility of mixed seeded grass. The inter- action effect of water regulation and mixed sowing combination didn’t significantly affect the component stability, functional stability or interspecific compatibility of the grasses. The comprehensive evaluation showed that under mild water deficit conditions,A2 mixed sowing treatment had the highest weighted correlation and the best comprehensive ranking,which is a suitable bean-grain mixed sowing combination and irrigation management mode in the northwest inland arid zone.