A synergistic vegetation restoration substrate coating technology in arid desert region

Abstract

This invention discloses a substrate-coated vegetation restoration technology for arid desert regions, belonging to the field of arid desert ecological restoration technology. It aims to solve the technical problems of existing desert vegetation restoration methods, such as single substrate function, easy loss under wind and sand conditions, low vegetation survival rate, and short-lived soil improvement effects. The core of this technology is a composite substrate adapted to the extreme site conditions of arid deserts. Through multi-component synergistic design, it integrates water retention, alkalinity reduction, and soil stabilization functions, and can be adapted and adjusted according to the desert soil salinity, aridity, and particle composition. The substrate preparation process includes key steps such as raw material processing, mixing, coating and molding, and temperature-controlled drying. The resulting substrate can be effectively combined with vegetation cultivation carriers. During the construction phase, through site pretreatment, precise layout, and supporting irrigation and maintenance, efficient vegetation restoration in desert areas is achieved. After applying this technology, the survival rate of vegetation in desert areas is significantly improved compared with traditional technologies. The soil pH value can be effectively reduced to a suitable range for vegetation growth. The substrate loss rate is low in wind and sand environments. Moreover, the construction and subsequent maintenance costs are reduced by more than 30%. It has both ecological benefits and engineering economy, and is suitable for scenarios such as sand control and desertification prevention in arid desert areas, wasteland restoration, and ecological management of slope protection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ecological restoration technology for arid and semi-arid regions. Specifically, it relates to a vegetation restoration technology that addresses problems such as poor soil water retention, high salinity, and difficulty in seed germination in Gobi deserts. It is particularly suitable for Gobi areas with annual precipitation <250mm and soil pH value of 8.5-10.0, such as the edge of the Junggar Basin in Xinjiang, the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, and the Alashan Desert in Inner Mongolia. It can also be used for the ecological restoration of abandoned mining sites and highway and railway slope protection in arid regions. Background Technology

[0002] The Gobi Desert in arid regions, due to its extreme climate, infertile soil, severe salinization, and frequent wind and sand activity, has become a challenging area for vegetation restoration. Current technologies for vegetation restoration in the Gobi Desert mainly suffer from the following shortcomings: Low seed germination rate: After traditional naked seed sowing, seeds are easily affected by drought, salinity stress and wind and sand burial, with germination rate generally below 30% and seedling survival rate less than 20%; Poor soil improvement effect: When desulfurized gypsum is used alone to reduce alkali, its particles are easily blown away by wind and sand, and have poor binding with the soil. The alkali reduction effect only lasts for 3-6 months. When water-retaining agents are used alone, the water-retaining agents are easily ineffective due to excessive soil salinity, and the water absorption ratio decreases by more than 50%. Low water use efficiency: Plant transpiration inhibitors are mostly applied by foliar spraying. In the strong wind environment of the Gobi Desert, the retention rate of the agent is less than 40%, and it cannot provide protection for the seed germination stage. Insufficient technological synergy: Existing technologies mostly address water retention, alkalinity reduction, or transpiration suppression in isolation, failing to form an integrated solution of "seed protection - soil improvement - water maintenance," resulting in high vegetation restoration costs and long cycles, making large-scale promotion difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a technical solution that can achieve the synergistic effects of "water retention, alkali reduction, transpiration inhibition, and seed fixation" to improve the efficiency and stability of vegetation restoration in the Gobi Desert. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Composition and preparation of seed complex The seed complex of this invention consists of "plant seeds + coating matrix". The coating matrix contains soil water retention agent, desulfurized gypsum, plant transpiration inhibitor, and bio-adhesive in a mass ratio of 2:5:1:2. The synergistic effects of each component are as follows: Soil water retention agent: Made of polyacrylamide polymer material, with a water absorption ratio of 200-300 times, it can absorb rainwater or irrigation water and release it slowly, providing continuous moisture for seed germination while preventing rapid evaporation of water; Desulfurized gypsum: an industrial by-product with a fineness of 100-200 mesh and a purity of ≥85%. Its main component, CaSO4・2H2O, can react with Na2CO3 and NaHCO3 in the soil to generate Na2SO4, reducing soil alkalinity. At the same time, Ca²⁺ can promote the formation of soil aggregate structure and improve permeability. Plant transpiration inhibitor: A compound preparation of potassium humate and high molecular weight polymers, which is coated on the seed surface and gradually released as the seedling grows, forms a transparent protective film on the leaves, reducing the transpiration rate by 30%-50%, while potassium humate can promote root development. Bio-adhesives: Environmentally friendly adhesives based on starch or cellulose can tightly bind the above components to the seeds, prevent the substrate from being lost to wind and sand, and provide organic nutrients for seedlings after degradation.

[0004] Preparation steps Seed pretreatment: Select plump seeds of Artemisia argyi, Hippophae rhamnoides, Haloxylon ammodendron or Caragana korshinskii, and remove damaged or moldy seeds; soak in 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 15-20 minutes, rinse 3 times with clean water, and then air dry in a ventilated environment at 25℃ for later use. Matrix mixing: Weigh 2 parts soil water retention agent, 5 parts desulfurized gypsum and 1 part plant transpiration inhibitor by mass ratio, put them into a twin-shaft mixer and dry mix for 5-8 minutes to ensure uniform composition; then slowly add 2 parts bio-adhesive and wet mix for 10-15 minutes until there are no obvious lumps. Coating and drying: The pretreated seeds and paste-like matrix are put into the coating machine at a mass ratio of 1:3. The matrix is ​​evenly coated on the seed surface by a spraying device, and the coating thickness is controlled to be 0.5-1mm. Then the coated seeds are sent to a hot air dryer and dried at 30-35℃ and 1.5m / s for 2-3 hours until the moisture content of the composite is ≤15%. After cooling, the seeds are screened to obtain the seed composite.

[0005] Matrix ratio adjustment rules Depending on the different soil conditions in the Gobi Desert, the ratio of the coating substrate can be adjusted accordingly, as follows: For high salinity and alkalinity soils (pH > 9.5): increase the amount of desulfurized gypsum to 6-7 parts and reduce the amount of bio-adhesive to 1.5-2 parts; In extremely arid regions: increase soil moisture retention agent to 3 parts and plant transpiration inhibitor to 1.5-2 parts; Coarse-grained Gobi soil: Add 5-10 kg / acre of humus to the substrate to improve the bonding between the substrate and the soil and enhance nutrient supply capacity.

[0006] Application methods of seed complex (I) Preparations before sowing Site clearing: Remove gravel and weed roots with a diameter >5cm from the target area, and modify areas with a slope >15° into a stepped shape to prevent soil erosion; Soil testing: Collect soil samples from the 0-20cm layer, measure pH value, moisture content, and alkalinity, and determine the substrate adjustment plan. (II) Sowing Implementation Sowing time: Spring (March-April) is preferred. If the number of windy and sandy days in spring is greater than 15 days / month, autumn (September-October) can be chosen. Sowing method: Row sowing: Suitable for flat areas. Make furrows with a row spacing of 20-30cm, evenly scatter the seed complex, and cover with a 2-3cm thick mixed mulch. Hole planting: Suitable for areas with a slope of 5-15°. Dig holes with a plant spacing of 20cm×20cm, put 2-3 composite particles in each hole, and cover with the above-mentioned mixed mulch. Compaction and Irrigation: After sowing, compact the soil with a light roller to ensure close contact between the composite and the soil; immediately apply drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation at a rate of 20-30 m³ / acre to ensure that the soil moisture content in the 0-10 cm layer reaches 20%-25%. (III) Post-Management Irrigation regulation: Irrigate every 10-15 days for 1-2 months after sowing; irrigate every 20-30 days for 3-6 months; after 6 months, rely on natural rainfall and supplement irrigation only when there is a continuous drought of more than 30 days. Weed and pest control: Manually remove weeds every 15-20 days for 1-2 months after sowing; release ladybugs during aphid outbreaks; place poison bait during cutworm outbreaks; spray with 800-1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim wettable powder when powdery mildew occurs. Reseeding: 30 days after sowing, for areas with a germination rate of <60%, reseed using the same ratio of seed complex, with the reseeding amount being 50%-80% of the original amount.

Claims

1. A seed complex for vegetation restoration in arid Gobi desert regions, characterized in that, It is composed of plant seeds and a coating substrate, wherein the coating substrate is composed of the following components by mass ratio: 2 parts soil water retention agent, 5 parts desulfurized gypsum, 1 part plant transpiration inhibitor, and 2 parts bio-adhesive. The preparation steps of the seed complex include: (1) Seed pretreatment: Select plant seeds, disinfect them, rinse them with clean water and air dry them; (2) Matrix mixing: First, dry mix the soil water retention agent, desulfurized gypsum and plant transpiration inhibitor for 5-8 minutes, then add the bio-adhesive and wet mix for 10-15 minutes to form a paste matrix; (3) Coating and drying: Mix the pretreated seeds with the paste matrix so that the matrix is ​​evenly coated on the seed surface with a coating thickness of 0.5-1 mm. Then dry at 30-35℃ for 2-3 hours until the moisture content of the composite is ≤15%.

2. The seed complex according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soil water-retaining agent is a polyacrylamide-based polymer material with a particle diameter of 1-3 mm; the desulfurized gypsum has a fineness of 100-200 mesh and a purity of ≥85%; the plant transpiration inhibitor is a compound preparation of potassium humate and a polymer; the bio-adhesive is made from starch or cellulose; and the plant seeds are at least one of Artemisia argyi, Hippophae rhamnoides, Haloxylon ammodendron, and Caragana korshinskii.

3. The seed complex according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the coating substrate can be adjusted according to the soil conditions of the Gobi Desert: when the soil pH value is >9.5, the amount of desulfurized gypsum should be adjusted to 6-7 parts, and the amount of bio-adhesive should be adjusted to 1.5-2 parts; when the annual precipitation in the region is <150mm, the amount of soil water-retaining agent should be adjusted to 3 parts, and the amount of plant transpiration inhibitor should be adjusted to 1.5-2 parts; when the soil is coarse-grained Gobi soil, an additional 5-10kg / mu of humus should be added to the substrate.

4. The seed complex according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disinfection treatment in step (1) involves soaking the seeds in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 15-20 minutes; the drying in step (3) involves ventilated drying, and the particle size of the composite increases by 0.8-2 mm compared to the original seeds after drying.

5. A method for applying the seed complex according to any one of claims 1-4 in vegetation restoration in arid Gobi desert regions, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Sowing time selection: spring (March-April) or autumn (September-October); (2) Sowing method: row sowing or hill sowing is adopted. When row sowing, the row spacing is 20-30cm and the furrow depth is 3-5cm. After sowing the seed complex, cover it with 2-3cm thick covering material. When hill sowing, the plant spacing is 20cm×20cm and the hill depth is 3-5cm. Place 2-3 seed complexes in each hill and cover it with the covering material. After sowing, compact the soil to ensure that the complex is in close contact with the soil. (3) Irrigation management: Irrigate immediately after sowing, with an irrigation amount of 20-30 m³ / mu, so that the soil moisture content of 0-10cm reaches 20%-25%; irrigate once every 10-15 days thereafter, and gradually adjust to irrigate once every 20-30 days.

6. The application method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The covering material is a mixture of fine sand and well-rotted organic fertilizer in a mass ratio of 8:2; it also includes post-planting maintenance steps: removing weeds every 15-20 days for 1-2 months after sowing; releasing ladybugs to target aphids; using a poison bait of wheat bran and trichlorfon mixed at a ratio of 10:1 to target cutworms; spraying 800-1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim wettable powder to target powdery mildew; and reseeding the seed complex in areas with a germination rate of <60% one month after sowing.