Use of cyanobacterial polysaccharides to promote shrub performances in desert soils: a potential approach for the restoration of desertified areas

• Published in: Biology and fertility of soils Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 143 - 152
• Main Authors: Xu, Yanhong, Rossi, Federico, Colica, Giovanni, Deng, Songqiang, De Philippis, Roberto, Chen, Lanzhou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.02.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Caragana; carbohydrate content; Desert soils; Deserts; electron transport chain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; ion transport; Life Sciences; nitrate reductase; nitrogen content; Nutrient retention; Original Paper; Phormidium tenue; photosynthesis; Plant propagation; polysaccharides; reactive oxygen species; Saccharides; Seed germination; Seedlings; shrubs; Soil conditioners; soil crusts; Soil nutrients; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; soil stabilization; superoxide dismutase; vascular plants; Biofertilizer; Seedling metabolism; Biological soil crusts (BSCs); Cyanobacterial polysaccharide; Seed germination; Germination; Plant juvenile growth stage; Desertification; Shrub; Metabolism; Soil crusts; Biological fertilizer; Restoration; Desert soil; Cyanobacteria; Bacteria; Soil science; Polysaccharide
• ISSN: 0178-2762; 1432-0789
• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-012-0707-0

The importance of cyanobacterial polysaccharides of biological soil crusts in sand surface stabilization and soil nutrient retention has been long acknowledged. However, the role of cyanobacterial polysaccharides as a source of nutrition to vascular plants in crusted areas is ignored. In this study, the chemical composition of the polysaccharide synthesized by Phormidium tenue and the effects of its presence on seed germination and seedling metabolism of the shrub Caragana korshinskii were investigated. The crude polysaccharide synthesized by P. tenue was composed of 15 % protein and 58 % carbohydrate and showed the presence of 12 different types of monosaccharides. The addition of the polysaccharide significantly ( P  < 0.05) increased seed germination and metabolic activity of the seedling of the shrub C. korshinskii . The optimal concentration for vigor index, root length, root vigor, and total N and P contents was 10 mg/L polysaccharide; for the germination rate, nitrate reductase activity, carbohydrate content, chlorophyll, and Mg 2+ content, the optimal was 60 mg/L polysaccharide, while for K + and Ca 2+ contents, photosynthetic efficiency and superoxide dismutase activity was 120 mg/L. The presence of the polysaccharide increased seed germination rate, ion uptake, and photosynthetic activity by affecting the electron transport chain and decreased oxidative damage by eliminating reactive oxygen species in C. korshinskii , thus promoting shrub performance in crusted desert areas.