Jiang et al. (2026) Legume-grass mixture synergistically boosts production, water use, and resilience in water-stressed artificial grasslands

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-14
• Authors: Yuanbo Jiang, Yanxia Kang, Minhua Yin, Guangping Qi, Yanlin Ma, Yayu Wang, Haiyan Li, Wenjing Yu, Boda Li, Yujie Shang, Jiapeng Zhu, Jinxi Chen, Junxian Chen, Yanbiao Wang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110693

Research Groups

• College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University
• Gansu Provincial Agricultural Smart Water-Saving Technology Innovation Center

Short Summary

This study investigates the synergistic effects of legume-grass mixture combined with mild deficit irrigation on forage productivity, quality, and water use efficiency in artificial grasslands. The results show that the mixture can buffer moisture fluctuations, promote soil organic matter accumulation, and improve forage yield and quality under water stress conditions.

Objective

• Investigate the synergistic effects of legume-grass mixture combined with mild deficit irrigation on forage productivity, quality, and water use efficiency in artificial grasslands.
• Evaluate the regulatory mechanisms of RDI and planting pattern on soil-plant-system multiple interface processes.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiment conducted at a 5 m × 5 m plot scale in an arid region of northwest China.
• Temporal Scale: Three-year field experiment from April 2018 to October 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) and entropy weight-TOPSIS multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation method were employed to analyze the data.
• Data sources: Field measurements of soil water content, growth parameters, physiological parameters, yield, quality, and water use efficiency.

Main Results

• The legume-grass mixture under mild deficit irrigation (MW1) showed superior performance in terms of forage yield, quality, and water use efficiency compared to monoculture systems.
• The mixture exhibited greater plant height, stem diameter, and photosynthetic rate than monocultures under identical irrigation levels.
• Yield reduction under W1 was relatively small, while water use efficiency (WUE) was significantly improved; the mixture increased average WUE by 12.86%–28.44% over A monoculture.

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic effects of legume-grass mixture combined with mild deficit irrigation on forage productivity, quality, and water use efficiency in artificial grasslands.
• The results provide a theoretical basis for sustainable artificial grassland production in arid regions.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51809248), the Gansu Provincial Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 20JR2RA460), and the Gansu Agricultural Smart Water-Saving Technology Innovation Center.

Citation

@article{Jiang2026Legumegrass,
  author = {Jiang, Yuanbo and Kang, Yanxia and Yin, Minhua and Qi, Guangping and Ma, Yanlin and Wang, Yayu and Li, Haiyan and Yu, Wenjing and Li, Boda and Shang, Yujie and Zhu, Jiapeng and Chen, Jinxi and Chen, Junxian and Wang, Yanbiao},
  title = {Legume-grass mixture synergistically boosts production, water use, and resilience in water-stressed artificial grasslands},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110693},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110693}
}