An experimental device suitable for studying the processes at the soil-animal-plant interface

Abstract

The present invention discloses an experimental device suitable for studying the processes at the soil-animal-plant interface, which includes a circular cover plate, a cylindrical barrel, a cylindrical mesh barrel and iron stakes. The cylindrical mesh barrel is located in the middle inside the cylindrical barrel, with a layer of nylon net closely attached to its inner wall, and the upper edges of the two barrels are kept at the same horizontal level and fixed with the circular cover plate and iron stakes. The circular cover plate is provided with plant planting holes, ventilation holes and handle insertion holes. Before planting the plants, seedlings can be first raised in the cylindrical planting sponge, and after the seedlings grow, the seedlings and the planting cotton can be inserted into the soil together. The device of the present invention can limit the activity ranges of plant roots and soil animals within a suitable soil range, while not affecting the normal activities of soil animals and effectively preventing the animals from escaping, thereby greatly increasing the contact opportunities between the soil animals and the plant roots interface. This device can also be used to study the indirect influence of the activities of soil animals on the plant interface process without contacting the roots.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of soil ecological test devices, and particularly relates to a test device suitable for studying the processes at the soil-animal-plant interface. Background Art

[0002] Biodiversity in soil accounts for more than 25% of the total global biodiversity. A large number of studies have shown that higher soil biodiversity is crucial for improving soil fertility and maintaining soil health, and is regarded as one of the key indicators for measuring soil ecological health. As an essential part of the soil ecosystem, soil animals can improve soil structure, regulate the growth environment of soil microorganisms and plant roots, and significantly affect the biogeochemical cycling processes of nutrient elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the soil, thereby significantly promoting plant growth and development. Therefore, the important role of the diversity and biomass of soil animals in maintaining soil ecological health and promoting plant growth and development in the soil ecosystem is attracting more and more widespread attention.

[0003] During the growth and development process, plants continuously absorb various essential nutrients from the soil environment, and at the same time, a large amount of organic substances such as root exudates and litter enter the soil environment, providing a rich food source for soil microorganisms and soil animals, and ultimately being converted back into available nutrients for plant root absorption and utilization. There is evidence that plants can recruit some specific root growth-promoting bacteria to enrich in the roots by secreting special signal substances according to their own needs, thereby significantly improving soil nutrient availability and root nutrient absorption efficiency, and rhizosphere microorganisms also play an important role in the process of plants resisting diseases and pests. Another study shows that not only rhizosphere microorganisms, but also the community structures of plant endophytes in roots, endophytes in leaves, and phyllosphere microorganisms are also affected by the soil environment and significantly affect the process of plant growth and development. At present, the regulatory role of soil animals on the soil environment and their impact on the soil microbial community have been widely recognized, but how soil animals further affect the process of plant growth and development remains to be further studied. Therefore, studying the interaction relationship among soil animals, microorganisms, and plants in the soil environment helps us further understand the mechanism of soil organisms in regulating soil nutrient cycling and promoting plant growth and development, and is of great significance for promoting soil ecological health, improving soil fertility, and ensuring the safety of agricultural products.

[0004] At present, rhizoboxes are often used as the main research tools in the study of soil-microbe-plant interface processes. Rhizoboxes generally use multiple layers of nylon mesh, allowing plant roots to grow closely against the nylon mesh, enabling accurate collection of rhizosphere soil samples near the roots. However, since plant roots in rhizoboxes generally grow densely in a relatively small space, it is not suitable for inoculating large and medium-sized soil animals. Moreover, because most plant roots are closely attached to the nylon mesh wall, the contact probability between soil animals and roots is greatly restricted, thereby reducing the accuracy of the experiment. Existing research mostly directly inoculates soil animals into pot experiments. However, due to the wide range of activities of soil animals, this method cannot precisely control the activity range of soil animals, weakening the influence of soil animals on plants and also unable to further explore the influence of soil animals on plant interface processes without contacting the soil roots. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an experimental device suitable for studying soil-animal-plant interface processes in view of the deficiencies of the prior art. The present invention is applicable to studying biological, chemical and other processes among various large and medium-sized soil invertebrates (such as earthworms, dung beetles, snails, pill bugs, millipedes, etc.), soil microorganisms and plants. Using the experimental device of the present invention can effectively limit the activity ranges of plant roots and soil animals within a suitable range, greatly increasing the contact opportunities between soil animals and plants, and being able to study the indirect influence of soil animals on the biological processes of the plant interface and the growth status of plants without contacting the plants.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: An experimental device suitable for studying soil-animal-plant interface processes, comprising a circular cover plate 1, a cylindrical mesh barrel 2, a cylindrical barrel 3, iron skewers 4 and a planting sponge 5. The cylindrical mesh barrel 2 is located in the cylindrical barrel 3.

[0007] The circular cover plate 1 is provided with a planting hole 103, a ventilation hole 104 and a handle insertion hole 105. The cylindrical mesh barrel 2 comprises an inverted concave-shaped handle 201, a circular barrel upper edge 202, cubic column bars 203, a barrel bottom 204 and a nylon mesh 205. The barrel bottom 204 is provided with square tooth grooves along the outer circular edge, and a long strip hole is also provided in the middle part; the circular barrel upper edge 202 is provided with a plurality of square tooth grooves along the inner circular edge; the cylindrical barrel 3 comprises a cylindrical barrel body 301 and a drainage hole 302. The drainage hole 302 is located at the bottom of the cylindrical barrel body 301. The planting sponge 5 is provided with a cut slit from top to bottom.

[0008] The concave-shaped handle 201 is installed on the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel and inserted into the handle insertion hole 105 on the circular cover plate 1; the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel is connected to the barrel bottom 204 through the cubic column bar 203, and both ends of the cubic column bar 203 are respectively clamped into the square tooth grooves of the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel and the barrel bottom 204; a cup-shaped nylon net 205 is covered on the inner side of the cubic column bar 203 and above the barrel bottom 204, and the circular cover plate 1 is placed on the cylindrical barrel body 301. Both ends of the iron skewer 4 pass through the concave-shaped handle 201 at the same time to connect the circular cover plate 1 and the cylindrical net barrel 2 together. The planting sponge 5 is inserted into the planting hole 103.

[0009] Furthermore, soil is laid both between the cylindrical net barrel 2 and the cylindrical barrel 3 and inside the cylindrical net barrel 2; among them, there is at least a 1-cm gap between the soil in the cylindrical net barrel 2 and the circular cover plate 1, and the volume or mass of the soil on both the inner and outer sides of the cylindrical net barrel 2 is equal; according to the experimental requirements, soil animals are inoculated between the two barrels or inside the cylindrical net barrel 2.

[0010] Furthermore, before transplanting the plants, first wrap the plant seeds in the planting sponge 5 for germination, and then insert the plants and the planting sponge 5 together into the planting hole 103. The idle planting holes 103 are also plugged with the planting sponge 5 to prevent soil animals from escaping.

[0011] Furthermore, the iron skewer 4 is made of stainless steel; except for the nylon net 205, the planting sponge 5, and the iron skewer 4, the materials of other components are acrylic plates, hard plastics, or PP plates; the thickness is between 3 and 5 mm.

[0012] Furthermore, the planting hole 103 is for plant growth; the ventilation hole 104 is for air circulation and to prevent soil animals from escaping; the spacing between adjacent cubic column bars 203 and the diameter of the drainage hole 302 are determined by the body size of the inoculated soil animals, which is used to increase air permeability and water permeability, and also prevent soil animals from entering the gaps between the cubic column bars 203 and the drainage hole 302; the planting sponge 5 is used to prevent soil animals from escaping from the planting hole 103 and transplanting plants, and the lower part needs to be in contact with the soil.

[0013] Furthermore, the diameter of the circular cover plate 1 is 14 - 20 cm; the diameter of the ventilation holes 104 is 2 - 3 mm; the diameter of the planting holes 103 is 1 - 2 cm; the aperture of the nylon mesh 205 is 200 - 400 mesh; the diameter of the barrel bottom 204 is 9.4 - 15.6 cm; the width of the long strip holes is 2 - 3 mm; the outer diameter of the circular barrel upper edge 202 is 10 - 16 cm, and the inner diameter is 9 - 15 cm; the length of the cubic column bars 203 is 13 - 19 cm, and the cross-section is a square with a side length of 2 - 3 mm; the distance between adjacent cubic column bars 203 is 2 - 5 mm; the outer diameter of the cylindrical barrel 3 is 14 - 20 cm, the height is 14 - 20 cm, and it is at least 1 cm higher than the cylindrical mesh barrel 2; the diameter of the drainage holes 302 is 2 - 3 mm; the diameter of the iron skewers 4 is 2.5 - 3 mm, and the length is 15 - 20 cm; the cross-sectional width of the cut seam of the planting sponge 5 is 1 - 1.5 cm.

[0014] Furthermore, the circular cover plate 1 is composed of two semi-circular covers 101 and a rounded rectangular cover 102 in the middle. The planting holes 103 are opened between the semi-circular cover 101 and the rounded rectangular cover 102; the handle insertion holes 105 are opened on the semi-circular cover 101.

[0015] Furthermore, the width of the rounded rectangular cover 102 is 5 - 7 cm. The centers of the planting holes 103 on the same side of the rounded rectangular cover 102 are 4 - 6 cm apart; the handle insertion holes 105 are located on the central axis of the semi-circular cover 101 and are 2 - 4 cm away from the straight edge.

[0016] Furthermore, the planting sponge 5 is a cylinder with a diameter of 2 - 3 cm and a height of 2 - 3 cm. The cut seam of the planting sponge 5 is cut along the radius.

[0017] Furthermore, the cylindrical barrel body 301 is black to simulate a dark environment suitable for the growth of soil animals.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] 1. The top of the device is completely covered with a lid, and ventilation holes and plant planting holes are provided, which can effectively prevent soil animals from escaping while ensuring the normal growth of plants and unrestricted air circulation. The design of the three lids that can move freely also facilitates the filling of soil, plant planting, inoculation of soil animals, water and fertilizer supplementation, observation of the living conditions of soil animals, and soil sampling in the later stage;

[0020] 2. The design of the two inverted "concave" shaped handles, iron skewers, and lids on the cylindrical mesh barrel can accurately control the position of the mesh barrel to ensure that the width of the outer annular area is consistent and prevent the mesh barrel from moving up and down. At the same time, it can also prevent gaps from appearing between the top lid and the mesh barrel, effectively preventing soil animals from escaping to the other side;

[0021] 3. Dividing the soil into an inner plant growth area and an outer soil animal activity area can avoid direct contact between the outer soil animals and plant roots. Meanwhile, the flow of water and nutrients between the two sides of the soil is not affected, and the indirect effects of soil animal activities on plants can be further explored without direct contact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the test device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the three lids of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the cylindrical wire barrel of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the cylindrical barrel of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional structural diagram of the test device of the present invention;

[0027] In the figure: circular cover plate 1, cylindrical wire barrel 2, cylindrical barrel 3, iron rod 4, planting sponge 5, semi-circular cover 101, rounded rectangular cover 102, planting hole 103, ventilation hole 104, handle insertion hole 105, concave-shaped handle 201, circular barrel upper edge 202, cubic column strip 203, barrel bottom 204, nylon net 205, cylindrical barrel body 301, drain hole 302. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the specific structure and test implementation manner of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0029] As Figure 1 shown, a test device of the present invention suitable for studying the soil-animal-plant interface process includes a circular cover plate 1, a cylindrical wire barrel 2, a cylindrical barrel 3, an iron rod 4, and four cylindrical planting sponges 5. The cylindrical wire barrel 2 is located in the cylindrical barrel 3. In the present invention, except for the nylon net 205, the planting sponge 5, and the iron rod 4, all other accessories are customized from materials such as acrylic plates, hard plastics, or PP plates, and the thickness is between 3 and 5 mm.

[0030] As Figure 2As shown in the figure, the circular cover plate 1 is composed of two semi-circular covers 101 and a rounded rectangular cover 102 in the middle. There are two planting holes 103 opened between each semi-circular cover 101 and the rounded rectangular cover 102; a plurality of ventilation holes 104 are evenly opened on the circular cover plate 1, and a handle insertion hole 105 is opened on each of the two semi-circular covers 101. The intersection point of the connection lines between the centers of the two pairs of planting holes 103 at the diagonal positions is the center of the circular cover plate 1, so as to ensure that the four planting holes 103 are evenly distributed around the center of the circular cover plate 1. Among them, the plant planting holes 103 are used for the normal growth of plants, the ventilation holes 104 are used for air circulation and to prevent soil animals from escaping, and the handle insertion holes 105 are used to fix the cylindrical net barrel. The diameter of the circular cover plate 1 is 14 - 20 cm; the diameter of the ventilation holes 104 is 2 - 3 mm; the diameter of the planting holes 103 is 1 - 2 cm; the horizontal distance between the centers of the four planting holes 103 is 5 - 7 cm, and the vertical distance is 4 - 6 cm; the handle insertion hole 105 is located on the axis of the semi-circular cover 101 and is 2 - 4 cm away from the straight edge.

[0031] In this embodiment, the circular cover plate 1 is mainly made of a circular plate with a diameter of 14 cm. 168 ventilation holes 104 with a diameter of 3 mm are evenly drilled on the circular plate to maintain air permeability and prevent soil animals from escaping. Four planting holes 103 with a diameter of 1.5 cm are cut out around the center of the circular cover plate 1. The horizontal distance between the centers of the four planting holes 103 is 5 cm, and the vertical distance is 4 cm. The circular cover plate 1 is cut into three pieces along the connection lines of the centers of the two adjacent pairs of planting holes 103 on the circular cover plate 1, respectively forming two semi-circular covers 101 and a rounded rectangular cover 102, and a rectangular handle insertion hole 105 with a length of 1 cm and a width of 0.5 cm is cut out at a position 2.5 cm away from the straight edge on the axis of the two semi-circular covers 101.

[0032] As Figure 3As shown in the figure, the cylindrical mesh bucket 2 is mainly composed of two concave-shaped handles 201, a circular bucket upper edge 202, cubic column bars 203, a bucket bottom 204, and a nylon mesh 205 pasted together. The bucket bottom 204 is provided with a plurality of square grooves along the outer peripheral edge, and a plurality of long holes are also opened in the middle part of the bucket bottom 204; the circular bucket upper edge 202 is provided with a plurality of square grooves along the inner peripheral edge; the concave-shaped handles 201 are symmetrically installed on the circular bucket upper edge 202 and inserted into the handle insertion holes 105 on the circular cover plate 1; the circular bucket upper edge 202 is connected to the bucket bottom 204 through the cubic column bars 203, and both ends of the cubic column bars 203 are respectively clamped into the square grooves of the circular bucket upper edge 202 and the bucket bottom 204; a cup-shaped nylon mesh 205 is covered above the inner side of the cubic column bars 203 and the bucket bottom 204. The distance between each cubic column bar 203 is 2-5 mm, which is specifically determined according to the body size of the inoculated soil animals, so as to maximize the air permeability and water permeability of the bucket wall, and at the same time prevent soil animals from entering the gaps between the cubic column bars 203; the connection between the nylon mesh 205 above the inner side of the cubic column bars 203 and the bucket bottom 204 is fixed with glue or stitched and sealed with a needle and thread to prevent soil animals and plant roots from drilling into the other side from the gaps. Among them, the aperture of the nylon mesh 205 is 200-400 meshes, preferably 350 meshes; the diameter of the bucket bottom 204 is 9.4-15.6 cm; the width of the square groove is 2-3 mm, and the depth is 2-3 mm, and the specific dimensions are consistent with the cross-section of the cubic column bar 203; the number of long holes is 12-15, and the width is 2-3 mm; the outer diameter of the circular bucket upper edge 202 is 10-16 cm, and the inner diameter is 9-15 cm; the length of the cubic column bar 203 is 13-19 cm, and the cross-section is a square with a side length of 2-3 mm.

[0033] In this embodiment, the bottom 204 of the cylindrical wire barrel 2 is made of a circular plate with a diameter of 10 cm. 50 square tooth grooves with a width of 3 mm and a depth of 3 mm are evenly cut along the edge of the circular plate, and 12 long strip holes with a width of 3 mm are evenly cut in the middle of the circular plate to ensure the air and water permeability of the bottom 204 to the greatest extent. The upper edge 202 of the circular barrel is made of a circular ring with an outer diameter of 10.5 cm and an inner diameter of 9.3 cm. 50 square tooth grooves with the same position, the same number and the same size as those on the bottom of the barrel are cut on the inner edge of the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel. Two inverted concave-shaped handles 201 are glued at opposite positions above the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel. The outer diameter of the inverted concave-shaped handle 201 is a square with a side length of 9 mm. A rectangle with a length of 6 mm and a width of 3 mm is cut along the middle position of the bottom edge to form an inverted concave shape. The inverted concave-shaped handle 201 can just pass through the handle insertion hole 105. The bottom 204 and the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel are connected to each other by 50 cubic column bars 203 with a length of 13 cm and a cross-section of a square with a side length of 3 mm. Each cubic column bar 203 can just be inserted into the square tooth grooves pre-cut on the bottom 204 and the upper edge 202 of the circular barrel and fixed with glue to ensure that there is at least a 3-mm gap between the root system inside the cylindrical wire barrel 2 and the activity range of soil animals outside the cylindrical wire barrel 2.

[0034] As Figure 4 shown, the cylindrical barrel 3 includes a cylindrical barrel body 301 and drainage holes 302. The outer side of the circular cover plate 1 is placed on the cylindrical barrel 3; drainage holes 302 are opened at the bottom of the cylindrical barrel body 301 to facilitate soil drainage. Among them, the outer diameter of the cylindrical barrel 3 is 14 - 20 cm, the height including the bottom is 14 - 20 cm, and it is at least 1 cm higher than the cylindrical wire barrel 2 to ensure that there is still space for soil animals to move at the bottom of the wire barrel; the diameter of the drainage holes 302 is 2 - 3 mm, which is specifically determined according to the size of the inoculated soil animals.

[0035] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the cylindrical barrel 3 is 14 cm, the height including the bottom is 14 cm, and several drainage holes 302 with a diameter of 3 mm are evenly opened at the bottom to facilitate soil drainage and prevent soil animals from escaping at the same time; if the material of the cylindrical barrel 3 is a transparent material, a layer of black light-shielding sticker should be pasted on the outer side wall of the cylindrical barrel 3 to prevent external light from penetrating, so as to simulate a dark environment suitable for the growth of soil animals.

[0036] The iron rod 4 passes through the two inverted concave-shaped handles 201 at the same time to connect the circular cover plate 1 and the cylindrical wire barrel 2 together. Among them, the diameter of the iron rod 4 is 2.5 - 3 mm and the length is 15 - 20 cm.

[0037] In this embodiment, the iron rod 4 is a stainless steel iron rod with a diameter of 2.5 mm and a length of 15 cm. After covering the circular cover plate 1, the iron rod 4 can just pass through the two inverted concave-shaped handles 201 at the same time.

[0038] During plant transplantation, the planting sponge 5 is directly inserted into the planting hole 103 to prevent soil animals from escaping through the planting hole 103. A cut is made along the axial direction of the planting sponge 5 to form a slit for facilitating the large-scale transplantation of plant seedlings. The lower part of the planting sponge 5 only needs to be in full contact with the soil. The planting sponge 5 is a cylinder with a diameter of 2-3 cm and a height of 2-3 cm, and the length of the cross-section of the slit is 2-3 cm and the width is 1-1.5 cm.

[0039] In this embodiment, the planting sponge 5 is a cylindrical sponge with a diameter of 2 cm and a height of 2 cm, and a cross-section with a length of 2 cm and a width of 1 cm is vertically cut along the radius.

[0040] As Figure 5 shown, the working process of the present invention is specifically as follows:

[0041] First, at least 1 cm thick soil is evenly spread on the bottom of the cylindrical barrel 3 so that when the cylindrical net barrel 2 is placed on the soil, the upper surface of the upper edge 202 of the circular ring barrel can be exactly at the same horizontal line as the upper edge of the cylindrical barrel body 301. Then, two semi-circular covers 101 are covered on the cylindrical net barrel 2 so that the inverted concave-shaped handle 201 passes through the handle insertion hole 105, and the semi-circular covers 101 and the cylindrical net barrel 2 are fixed with an iron rod 4. The semi-circular covers 101 and the cylindrical net barrel 2 are placed together in the cylindrical barrel 3 so that the arc edges of the two semi-circular covers 101 can be tangent to the edge of the cylindrical barrel 3. At this time, the cylindrical net barrel 2 can be exactly located at the central position of the cylindrical barrel 3, and there is a certain distance between the two barrels. Then, soil is added inside the cylindrical net barrel 2 and between the two barrels, and it is only necessary to ensure that the volume and mass of the soil on both the inner and outer sides of the cylindrical net barrel 2 are equal; there is at least a 1 cm gap between the soil in the cylindrical net barrel 2 and the circular cover plate 1. According to the experimental requirements, soil animals are inoculated between the two barrels or inside the cylindrical net barrel. After the inoculation of the soil animals is completed, the rounded rectangular cover 102 is pushed in from the side.

[0042] Before transplanting plant seedlings, the plant seeds can be first wrapped inside the planting sponge 5 and placed in water or nutrient solution for germination. When the roots are about to extend to the bottom of the sponge, the seedlings and the planting sponge 5 are inserted into the planting hole 103 together, so that the bottom of the planting sponge 5 is in contact with the soil below or inserted into the soil, enabling the roots of the plant seedlings to grow naturally in the soil. The test device of this embodiment can plant at most four plants, and the specific number of plants can be determined according to the physiological characteristics and root morphology of the plants, etc. The idle planting holes 103 should be plugged with the planting sponge 5 to prevent soil animals from escaping.

[0043] During the sampling period, first pull out the iron rod 4, fully open the circular cover plate 1, and carefully loosen the soil around the plant roots with a small shovel. After taking out the plant, carefully lift out the cylindrical net bucket 2 with both hands. After removing the soil attached to the outside of the cylindrical net bucket 2, gently pour the soil in the cylindrical net bucket 2 into a clean container and pick out the plant roots and soil animals. Use the artificial shaking method or the phosphate buffer centrifugation method to collect the soil attached to the plant root surface as the rhizosphere soil sample; if the roots cover the entire cylindrical net bucket 2, all the soil in the cylindrical net bucket 2 can also be regarded as rhizosphere soil, and the soil outside the cylindrical net bucket 2 can be regarded as non-rhizosphere soil entirely.

[0044] The present invention has the following characteristics:

[0045] 1. This test device is detachable and reusable.

[0046] 2. The soil volumes on the inner and outer sides of this test are basically equal to eliminate the test error caused by the different soil masses on the inner and outer sides. When the food source is sufficient, the soil on both the inner and outer sides can support the long-term normal survival of soil animals.

[0047] 3. The thickness of each square column of the net bucket is 2 - 3 mm, and the gap between each square column can be adjusted by itself (2 - 5 mm), which can be set according to the average body width of the inoculated soil animals. The purpose is to prevent soil animals from approaching and directly contacting the inner nylon net, so as to eliminate the influence of a small amount of rhizosphere soil at the edge of the nylon net bag on the soil animals on the outer side, and at the same time ensure that the exchange of soil moisture and nutrients on both the inner and outer sides is not restricted.

[0048] 4. The upper cover can prevent soil animals from escaping while ensuring air circulation, and the cover and the cylindrical net bucket can be fixed together with an iron rod to avoid the bottom soil being compacted due to the sinking of the bucket body, which affects the activities of the soil animals on the outer side. At the same time, the circular upper edge of the cylindrical net bucket can expand the contact area between the bucket edge and the cover, which can further prevent gaps from appearing between the net bucket and the cover, causing soil animals on one side to cross into the other side.

[0049] 5. First, the plant seeds can be wrapped inside the planting sponge and placed in water or nutrient solution for germination. After the seeds germinate, insert the sponge into the planting hole on the cover, so that the bottom of the sponge contacts the soil below or is inserted into the soil, enabling the roots to extend into the soil and grow naturally. This design helps to quickly plant a large number of plant seedlings in batches and can effectively prevent the soil animals inside from escaping through the planting holes.

Claims

1. An experimental device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes, characterized in that, It includes a circular cover plate (1), a cylindrical mesh barrel (2), a cylindrical barrel (3), iron skewers (4) and a planting sponge (5); the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) is located in the cylindrical barrel (3); The circular cover plate (1) is provided with planting holes (103), ventilation holes (104) and handle insertion holes (105); the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) includes an inverted concave-shaped handle (201), a circular barrel upper edge (202), cubic column bars (203), a barrel bottom (204) and a nylon mesh (205); the barrel bottom (204) is provided with square tooth grooves along the outer circular edge, and a long strip hole is also opened in the middle part; the circular barrel upper edge (202) is provided with a plurality of square tooth grooves along the inner circular edge; the cylindrical barrel (3) includes a cylindrical barrel body (301) and a drainage hole (302); the drainage hole (302) is located at the bottom of the cylindrical barrel body (301); the planting sponge (5) is provided with a slit from top to bottom; The inverted concave-shaped handle (201) is installed on the circular barrel upper edge (202) and inserted into the handle insertion hole (105) on the circular cover plate (1); the circular barrel upper edge (202) is connected to the barrel bottom (204) through the cubic column bars (203), and both ends of the cubic column bars (203) are respectively clamped into the square tooth grooves of the circular barrel upper edge (202) and the barrel bottom (204); a cup-shaped nylon mesh (205) is covered above the inner side of the cubic column bars (203) and the barrel bottom (204), and the circular cover plate (1) is placed on the cylindrical barrel body (301); the iron skewers (4) pass through the inverted concave-shaped handle (201) at both ends, connecting the circular cover plate (1) and the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) together; the planting sponge (5) is inserted into the planting hole (103); Soil is laid both between the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) and the cylindrical barrel (3) and inside the cylindrical mesh barrel (2); among them, there is at least a 1 cm gap between the soil in the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) and the circular cover plate (1), and the volume or mass of the soil on the inner and outer sides of the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) is equal; soil animals are inoculated between the two barrels or inside the cylindrical mesh barrel (2) according to experimental requirements; The planting holes (103) are for plant growth; the ventilation holes (104) are for air circulation and to prevent soil animals from escaping; the spacing between adjacent cubic column bars (203) and the diameter of the drainage holes (302) are determined by the body size of the inoculated soil animals, for increasing air permeability and water permeability, and at the same time preventing soil animals from entering the gaps between the cubic column bars (203) and the drainage holes (302); the planting sponge (5) is for preventing soil animals from escaping from the planting holes (103) and transplanting plants, and the lower part needs to be in contact with the soil.

2. The test device applicable to the study of the soil-animal-plant interface process according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before transplanting plants, first wrap the plant seeds in the planting sponge (5) for germination, and then insert the plant and the planting sponge (5) together into the planting hole (103), and the idle planting holes (103) are also plugged with the planting sponge (5) to prevent soil animals from escaping.

3. The test device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The iron skewers (4) are made of stainless steel; except for the nylon mesh (205), the planting sponge (5) and the iron skewers (4), the materials of other components are hard plastic or PP board; the thickness is between 3 - 5 mm.

4. The test device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the circular cover plate (1) is 14 - 20 cm; the diameter of the ventilation holes (104) is 2 - 3 mm; the diameter of the planting holes (103) is 1 - 2 cm; the aperture of the nylon mesh (205) is 200 - 400 meshes; the diameter of the bottom of the barrel (204) is 9.4 - 15.6 cm; the width of the long strip holes is 2 - 3 mm; the outer diameter of the circular barrel upper edge (202) is 10 - 16 cm, and the inner diameter is 9 - 15 cm; the length of the cubic column bars (203) is 13 - 19 cm, and the cross-section is a square with a side length of 2 - 3 mm; the distance between adjacent cubic column bars (203) is 2 - 5 mm; the outer diameter of the cylindrical barrel (3) is 14 - 20 cm, the height is 14 - 20 cm, and it is at least 1 cm higher than the cylindrical mesh barrel (2); the diameter of the drainage holes (302) is 2 - 3 mm; the diameter of the iron skewers (4) is 2.5 - 3 mm, and the length is 15 - 20 cm; the cross-section width of the cut seam of the planting sponge (5) is 1 - 1.5 cm.

5. The test device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circular cover plate (1) is composed of two semi-circular covers (101) and a rounded rectangular cover (102) in the middle; the planting holes (103) are opened between the semi-circular cover (101) and the rounded rectangular cover (102); the handle insertion holes (105) are opened on the semi-circular cover (101).

6. The test device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the rounded rectangular cover (102) is 5 - 7 cm; the centers of the planting holes (103) on the same side of the rounded rectangular cover (102) are 4 - 6 cm apart; the handle insertion holes (105) are located on the central axis of the semi-circular cover (101) and are 2 - 4 cm away from the straight edge.

7. The test device applicable to the study of soil-animal-plant interface processes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The planting sponge (5) is a cylinder with a diameter of 2 - 3 cm and a height of 2 - 3 cm; the cut seam of the planting sponge (5) is cut along the radius.

8. The test device applicable to the study of the soil-animal-plant interface process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylindrical barrel body (301) is black to simulate a dark environment suitable for the growth of soil animals.

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