Effects of soil pH on seed germination of Leymus chinensis

摘要

Leymus chinensis is a perennial rhizome plant and mainly distributes in the eastern region of the Eurasian steppe zone. This grass is economically and ecologically important. It is rich in high-quality protein, minerals, and carbohydrates. It grows rapidly, and is highly tolerant to drought, high pH and saline-alkaline soil, and low fertility conditions. For plants, saline-alkaline soil is a complex abiotic stress factor characterized by high pH and high salt concentration (Kopittke et al 2005). However, the effects of soil pH and saline-alkaline components on seed germination of L. chinensis remain largely unknown (Ma et al 2007). In this study, we investigated the effect of soils with different pH and soil extracts of nonsaline-alkali soil and saline-alkali soil on the germination and seedling growth of L. chinensis.