Multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot and preparation method and application thereof
The multifunctional mycorrhizal pot technology has solved the problem of low plant survival rate in cold and semi-arid regions of northern China, achieving efficient greening and soil remediation in rare earth mining areas, improving plant survival rate and reducing soil pollution, and has significant economic and social benefits.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INNER MONGOLIA UNIV OF SCI & TECH
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
In the cold and semi-arid regions of northern my country, the low survival rate of plants makes it difficult to implement greening projects. This is especially true in rare earth mining areas, where soil pollution and water and soil shortages are severe, and existing technologies are insufficient to effectively improve plant survival rates and restore soil.
A multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot is used, which includes a soil ball eco-friendly bag, plants to be planted, mycorrhizal fungi, tolerant earthworms, earthworm castings, and a water-retaining agent. By selecting the optimal combination and inoculation method, the survival rate of plants is improved and the soil is restored. The specific steps include investigating soil conditions, selecting plants and mycorrhizal fungi, adding water-retaining agents and earthworm castings, and using soil ball bags made of biodegradable non-woven fabric.
In rare earth mining areas, the project increased plant survival rate by 32.44%, reduced soil pollutant content, improved the ecological environment, and achieved standardized operation of greening projects, resulting in significant economic and social benefits.
Smart Images
Figure CN116530357B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of plant cultivation technology, specifically relating to a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology
[0002] In the cold, semi-arid regions of northern my country, plant survival rates are low, making afforestation projects under these special habitat conditions extremely difficult. Mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic organisms between plant roots and certain fungi in the soil. Mycorrhizae expand the absorption area of plant roots and enhance the absorption capacity of the original root hairs (especially phosphorus). Mycorrhizae connect with the host plant and expand outwards in the soil, absorbing nutrients from the host plant while simultaneously increasing the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil by the plant roots. Based on morphological and anatomical characteristics, mycorrhizae are divided into two main categories: ectomycorrhizae and endomycorrhizae. Ectomycorrhizae form a fungal sheath around the plant roots, tightly surrounding and protecting the newly formed roots while simultaneously extending mycelium into the surrounding soil, absorbing water and nutrients in place of the root hairs. Approximately 3% of plants possess ectomycorrhizae, the majority of which are tree species, including angiosperms and gymnosperms. Endomycorrhizae (also known as AM fungi or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) are the mycelia of fungi that do not form a fungal mantle with the plant roots. They enter the interior of the root cells and exist between the cortical parenchyma cells. Endomycorrhizae all retain root hairs. Arbuscular mycorrhizae, also known as vesicalar-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VA mycorrhizae), are symbiotic systems formed between some fungi of the Endogonaceae family and plant roots.
[0003] Mycorrhizae enhance plants' ability to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, thus strengthening their resilience. Mycorrhizae are a crucial element of the ecosystem, playing a vital role in plant growth and development, community establishment, succession, and floristic distribution.
[0004] (1) Effects on plant growth and development: Mycorrhizae mainly affect individual plants by promoting growth and enhancing their stress resistance. The ectomycorrhizal fungus *Boletus luridus* can significantly increase the biomass, survival rate, and stress resistance of seedlings after transplanting, especially enhancing their drought and cold resistance after transplanting. In semi-arid and cold northern regions, mycorrhizae are of great significance to the growth and development of individual plants. Therefore, mycorrhizae improve the stability of plant communities by enhancing the stress resistance of individual plants.
[0005] (2) Impact on plant communities: In extreme habitat conditions, the establishment of artificial communities, combined with mycorrhizal methods, can accelerate the succession and restoration of these communities. Different plants inoculated with the same mycorrhizae exhibit significant differences; therefore, different plants require inoculation with different mycorrhizae. This accelerates the succession and reconstruction of plant communities, and mycorrhizae also play an important role in the stability of plant communities. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi is of great significance for maintaining species diversity in ecosystems and for the ecological restoration of polluted areas.
[0006] Therefore, this invention aims to design an ecological restoration demonstration technology based on "garden enrichment plants + mycorrhizal fungi + tolerant earthworms + earthworm castings + water-retaining agent + soil ball bags" to achieve plant growth in stress-resistant or extreme environments, and to effectively extract and transfer pollutants from the soil into garden plants to remediate soil pollution. Summary of the Invention
[0007] To address the problems of existing technologies, this invention develops a plant survival and soil remediation technology for the Bayan Obo rare earth mining area. The specific steps are as follows: First, tolerant (or enriched) plants, plant communities, and mycorrhizal resources in the Bayan Obo mining area have been screened. The physical and chemical properties of the local soil, heavy metals (rare earth elements), and other elements are investigated, and soil fertility and spatial distribution are calculated. Second, after determining the main plants, the optimal combination is accurately selected through the isolation, classification, and infection rate observation of mycorrhizal fungi, molecular identification of mycorrhizal fungi, mycorrhizal fungi propagation, preparation of fungal solutions, inoculation of mycorrhizae with plants, and experiments under different environmental stresses. Infection rate calculation, biotransfer coefficient, bioabsorption coefficient, and root retention coefficient are used to accurately select the optimal combination. Third, after inoculation, the optimal combination is supplemented with materials such as tolerant earthworms, earthworm castings, water-retaining agents, and biodegradable soil balls. Field experiments are then conducted using these mycorrhizal bags to collect data.
[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the problems existing in the prior art is as follows:
[0009] A multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot includes: a soil ball eco-friendly bag and plants to be planted, mycorrhizal fungi, tolerant earthworms, earthworm castings and a water-retaining agent placed inside the soil ball eco-friendly bag, wherein the plants to be planted are enriching plants or tolerant plants.
[0010] The soil ball eco-friendly bag is made of biodegradable non-woven fabric.
[0011] The water-retaining agent is an acrylamide-acrylate copolymer crosslinker and an inorganic mineral attapulgite.
[0012] When the plant selected is the arborescent Pinus tabuliformis, the mycorrhizal fungi are selected from the ectomycorrhizae collected on-site, specifically the pale purple mycorrhizae.
[0013] When plants choose Lespedeza bicolor, mycorrhizal fungi choose the root glochids.
[0014] This invention patent relates to a technology for plant survival and soil remediation developed in the Bayan Obo rare earth mining area. Preliminary research primarily selected trees and shrubs, including: Pinus tabuliformis + Inocybe lilacina + tolerant earthworms + earthworm castings + water-retaining agent (composed of acrylamide-acrylate copolymer crosslinking + inorganic mineral attapulgite) + soil ball eco-friendly bag (biodegradable non-woven material).
[0015] Lespedeza + Rhizophagus intraradices + tolerant earthworms + earthworm castings + water-retaining agent (composed of acrylamide-acrylate copolymer crosslinking + inorganic mineral attapulgite) + soil ball eco-friendly bag (biodegradable non-woven material).
[0016] A method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot includes the following steps:
[0017] Step 1: Investigate local climate factors, soil physicochemical properties and pollutant content, enriching plants and tolerant plants, mycorrhizal fungi resources, etc.
[0018] Step 2: Based on the selected plants and their mycorrhizal fungi vegetation inoculants, screen the optimal combination of plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Screening criteria include inoculation rate, plant growth, etc. After determining the plants to be planted, the optimal combination is accurately screened by isolating, classifying and observing the infection rate of mycorrhizal fungi, molecularly identifying mycorrhizal fungi, propagating mycorrhizal fungi, preparing fungal solutions, inoculating mycorrhizae with plants, conducting experiments under different environmental stresses, and using infection rate calculation, biotransfer coefficient, bioabsorption coefficient and root retention coefficient.
[0019] Step 3: Select and inoculate the plants with mycorrhizal fungi, add tolerant earthworms and earthworm castings. This step is to increase the nutrients needed for plant growth and improve the physical properties of the soil. Then add a water-retaining agent. This step is to improve the problem of water shortage in the mine. Then cover the soil ball with an eco-friendly bag. This step is to solve the problem of soil pollution or lack of soil in the mine. Finally, you get a functional plant mycorrhizal pot.
[0020] An application of a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot is as follows: the prepared plant mycorrhizal pot is planted in a mine that needs improvement to increase the survival rate of the mine plants.
[0021] This invention involves planting fully equipped multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pots in local mines. Within 0-3 years, it addresses the challenges of plant survival rate and soil conservation. Within 3-5 years, mycorrhizal fungi assist in the enrichment and establishment of initial plant communities, achieving nutrient cycling within the ecosystem and increasing ecosystem productivity and stability. Within 5-10 years, the plants take root and can complete self-succession under resistant environments, increasing soil biodiversity, reducing soil pollutant content, and constructing a complete plant community with self-renewal capabilities.
[0022] This invention has already completed field trials at the Bayan Obo mine, increasing plant survival rate by 32.44%. Current data indicates that under other mining habitat conditions, this invention can significantly improve plant survival rate while simultaneously reducing soil pollutant levels.
[0023] The present invention has the following advantages:
[0024] 1. This invention can increase the survival rate of crops by about 32.44% in the special habitat of cold and semi-arid rare earth mines.
[0025] 2. This invention can complete greening projects under special habitat conditions, such as soil shortage, water shortage, and severe pollution.
[0026] 3. The process of this invention is simple and can be standardized.
[0027] 4. This invention has the following economic benefits: The plant community-mycorrhizal fungi-tolerant earthworm synergistic restoration technology can increase plant survival rate by 32.44% (experimental results); based on a greening cost of 150 yuan per square meter, the current greening survival rate in Baiyun Obo is approximately 56%. Using this technology can save approximately 105.36 yuan per square meter at one time (increasing survival rate 150 * 32.44% = 48.66 yuan, the total cost of removing, transporting, and purchasing seedlings for the 44% dead plants is 66 yuan, and the cost of the synergistic technology is approximately 9.3 yuan per square meter. 48.66 + 66 - 9.3 = 105.36 yuan per square meter), which can save the mining area more than 30 million yuan.
[0028] 5. The present invention has the following social benefits: each square meter of plant community can restore 34.18 mg / kg of rare earth pollutants in the soil; each square meter of plant community can absorb 100 g / day of carbon dioxide. Calculated on an annual average basis, one square meter of plant community can absorb approximately 30,000 g of carbon dioxide per year.
[0029] By using the synergistic bioremediation technology of this invention to plant artificial plant communities and guide the vegetation to restore the natural succession process through artificial communities, the rare earth element pollutants can be reduced by 34.18 mg / kg per square meter and carbon dioxide by about 30,000 g per year, which greatly improves the local living environment. Attached Figure Description
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the plant mycorrhizal basin structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0031] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0032] The environmentally friendly pots, i.e., the root balls and environmentally friendly bags used in this embodiment, are made of high-quality non-woven fabric, which has the following advantages: 1. Good air permeability, free from pests, preventing secondary pollution, and high survival rate of transplanted seedlings; 2. Time and labor saving, no need to cut roots or wrap the root ball during transplanting; 3. Reduced cost, biodegradable; 4. The root ball bag begins to decompose 3 months after planting, and the root system can come into contact with the external environment after 2 years, and decomposition is completed in about 3 years; 5. Pioneer or enrichment trees with strong resistance can use the cheapest non-woven fabric root ball bags, mainly protecting the root system from soil and cold damage within 2 years of planting. Ordinary trees, due to their poor resistance, need to be protected with root control pots for about 3 years. Shrubs use non-woven fabric root ball troughs. Tree bags weigh 170g each, with a diameter of 58cm and a height of 43.5cm; shrub bags weigh 140g each, with a diameter of 23cm and a height of 20cm, as shown in Table 1.
[0033] Table 1 Dimensions of Non-woven Fabric Eco-friendly Basins
[0034]
[0035] Before sowing, the surfaces of both *Pinus tabuliformis* (tree) and *Lespedeza bicolor* (shrub) need to be disinfected and then placed in a constant temperature incubator for germination before sowing. The ectomycorrhizae of *Pinus tabuliformis*, *Inocybe lilacina* (boud.) Kauffm., belonging to the family Inocybaceae and the genus *Inocybe*, were collected on-site for inoculation of *Pinus tabuliformis*. *Lespedeza bicolor* was inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. This product was propagated under aseptic conditions using a dual culture system of root hairs and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, resulting in a large number and purity of spores. Each 100ml of liquid inoculum contains approximately 10,000–20,000 pure spores, achieving an infection rate of over 80% with *Lespedeza bicolor*. The inoculation agent was obtained through experimental propagation and consisted of a rhizosphere sand mixture, spores, mycelia, and infected plant root segments (see Table 2).
[0036] Table 2 Three AM Fungi
[0037]
[0038]
[0039] Note: BGC is the germplasm of Chinese arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
[0040] The water-retaining agent is composed of acrylamide-acrylate copolymer crosslinking agent and inorganic mineral attapulgite. Its key features include repeated absorption and release, a soil lifespan exceeding 6 years, and the ability to absorb up to 400 times its own weight in water. It maintains a neutral pH and is available in powder or granular form. The water-retaining agent rapidly and extensively stores water in the soil, slowly releasing it when plants require it, ensuring their normal growth. It also improves soil physicochemical properties and soil microorganisms, and has an improving effect on saline-alkali soils. Furthermore, it is an eco-friendly product that will not cause secondary soil pollution, preventing root rot and mold growth in plants. Studies have shown that the maximum water absorption capacity of this water-retaining agent is as high as 13-14 kg / cm³. 2 The water absorption capacity of tree roots is mostly 17-18 kg / cm³. 2 Tree roots can directly absorb water from the water-retaining agent without backflow of water from the plant roots. The tree roots can also directly absorb the water and nutrients stored in the water-retaining agent. See Table 3 for usage and dosage.
[0041] Table 3. Instructions for using water-retaining agents
[0042]
[0043]
[0044] This study employed a plant-mycorrhizal pot experiment method. One species of ectomycorrhiza was inoculated into Pinus tabuliformis, and the mycorrhizal infection rate and heavy metal absorption effect were analyzed under different concentrations of heavy metal (rare earth) pollution. Three species of AM fungi were inoculated into Lespedeza bicolor plants under different levels of heavy metal pollution, and the mycorrhizal infection rate and heavy metal absorption effect were analyzed. A water-retaining agent was added, and the experiment screened for mycorrhizal pot remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil under high pollution conditions. Temperature and moisture stress experiments were also conducted, providing an innovative method for ecological restoration to ensure plant survival and treat soil pollution.
[0045] The experiments were conducted in a glass greenhouse at the Joint Experimental Base of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology. For soils contaminated with different concentrations of heavy metals, *Pinus tabuliformis* was used to prepare uninoculated control (CK) and pale purple *Cryptocoryne* samples. Each soil sample treatment was set up with 10 replicates, totaling 400 pots. For *Lespedeza bicolor*, three types of *Aureobasidium* fungi (root glochids, *Moses glochids*, and surface glochids) were used to prepare 370 pots. Each soil sample treatment was set up with 10 replicates.
[0046] Before sowing, soak the seeds in water until the surface is completely moistened. Then, sprinkle them with water-retaining agent powder to coat the surface with a layer of water-retaining agent before sowing in environmentally friendly pots. The dosage of water-retaining agent is 0.0004g / pot for *Pinus tabuliformis* and 0.0002g / pot for *Lespedeza bicolor*. Select plump seeds for sowing, and sow 10 seedlings per pot. During the plant growth period, maintain the soil substrate moisture content at 8% to simulate actual soil moisture. ICP testing of the plants and soil will be conducted after 150 days.
[0047] Plant-mycorrhizal pot analysis, sample determination and analysis:
[0048] Method for determining mycorrhizal infection rate: 1.0 g of fresh root system from the experimental plant was randomly selected and preserved in 50% ethanol. The mycorrhizal infection rate was determined using the root segment frequency method. The prepared experimental samples were stained with 0.05% trypan blue lactic acid glycerol solution, preserved, and slides were prepared. The glycerol to lactic acid ratio was 1:1. The infection rate was calculated using the following formula:
[0049] Mycorrhizal infection rate = (number of infected root segments / total number of observed root segments) × 100%;
[0050] Effects of ectomycorrhizae on the absorption of heavy metals from soil by Pinus tabuliformis: The experimental results are shown in Table 4. In the inoculation treatment, all ectomycorrhizae established a good relationship with Pinus tabuliformis, with an inoculation rate of 64.16% for La and 54.13% for Ce. The lower the concentration of La and Ce pollution in the soil, the stronger the ability of Pinus tabuliformis to absorb pollutants, and the greater the difference between it and the blank sample CK.
[0051] Table 4. Inoculation rate and absorption effect of ectomycorrhizae on *Pinus tabuliformis* mycorrhizal infection in soils contaminated with different concentrations of La and Ce.
[0052]
[0053]
[0054] Note: The data in the table are the average of 10 repetitions ± standard error.
[0055] Mycorrhizal infection rate is an important indicator for evaluating the symbiotic relationship between Pinus tabuliformis and ectomycorrhizae. With increasing La and Ce concentrations, the mycorrhizal infection rate continuously decreases. In four different soil concentrations, the infection rate of *I. lilacina* (boud.) kauffm. increased with decreasing concentration.
[0056] Under ectomycorrhizal inoculation, different concentrations of La and Ce elements in the soil were observed. After 150 days of growth and development, the inoculated Pinus tabuliformis absorbed more La and Ce elements than the control sample. In soils of different regions, the absorption of La element was higher than that of Ce element, which was related to the concentration of pollutants.
[0057] Effects of Lespedeza bicolor and AM fungi on the absorption of heavy metals in soil:
[0058] The experimental results are shown in Table 5. All AM fungi established a good relationship with Lespedeza bicolor during the inoculation treatment. In the NS3 zone, the inoculation rate of La was 88.54% and that of Ce was 79.81%. Only R. intraradices inoculated Lespedeza bicolor absorbed more than the original measured amount, as shown in Table 5.
[0059] Table 5. Effects of AM fungal inoculation on Lespedeza mycorrhizal infection rate and uptake in soils contaminated with different concentrations of La and Ce.
[0060]
[0061]
[0062] Note: The data in the table are the average of 10 repetitions ± standard error.
[0063] Mycorrhizal infection rate is an important indicator for evaluating the symbiosis between Lespedeza bicolor and AM fungi. With increasing La and Ce concentrations, the mycorrhizal infection rate decreased. Among the three AM fungi, R. intraradices showed the highest infection rate in the four different soil concentrations.
[0064] After 150 days of growth and development, different concentrations of La and Ce in the soil were inoculated with three AM fungi. The uptake of La by Lespedeza bicolor inoculated with *R. intraradices* exceeded that of amycorrhizal inoculation, and the uptake increased with decreasing soil pollution concentration. In different regions, the uptake of La by inoculated Lespedeza bicolor was higher than that of Ce, which was related to the concentration of the pollutant.
[0065] The scope of protection of this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its scope and spirit. If these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, then the intent of this invention also includes these modifications and variations.
Claims
1. A method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot, characterized in that: The plant mycorrhizal pot includes a soil ball eco-friendly bag and plants to be planted, mycorrhizal fungi, tolerant earthworms, earthworm castings and water-retaining agent placed inside the soil ball eco-friendly bag. The plants to be planted are enrichment plants or tolerant plants. Its preparation method includes the following steps: Step 1: Investigate the climate factors, soil physicochemical properties and pollutant content, enriching plants and tolerant plants, and mycorrhizal fungi resources in the Bayan Obo mining area; Step 2: Based on the selected plants to be planted and their mycorrhizal fungi vegetation inoculants, screen for the optimal combination of plants and mycorrhizal fungi; Step 3: Select and inoculate the plants with mycorrhizal fungi, add tolerant earthworms and earthworm castings, add a water-retaining agent, cover with a soil ball and an eco-friendly bag, and finally obtain a functional plant mycorrhizal pot. When the plant to be planted is the arborescent Pinus tabuliformis, the mycorrhizal fungus selected is the pale purple Hylocereus undatus. When the plant to be planted is Lespedeza bicolor, the mycorrhizal fungi select the root glochids.
2. The method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The soil ball eco-friendly bag is made of biodegradable non-woven fabric.
3. The method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The water-retaining agent is an acrylamide-acrylate copolymer crosslinker and an inorganic mineral attapulgite.
4. The method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal pot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: After determining the plants to be planted in step two, the optimal combination is accurately screened by isolating, classifying and observing the infection rate of mycorrhizal fungi, molecularly identifying mycorrhizal fungi, propagating mycorrhizal fungi, preparing fungal solutions, inoculating mycorrhizae with plants, conducting experiments under different environmental stresses, and using infection rate calculation, biotransfer coefficient, bioabsorption coefficient and root retention coefficient.
5. The application of the method for preparing a multifunctional plant mycorrhizal basin as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: Specifically, the prepared mycorrhizal pots are planted in mines that need improvement to increase the survival rate of the mine plants.