Get reliable rangeland science

Legumes, acting as important fixers of nitrogen (N), are characterized by high forage quality. However, these key species are suffering from substantial declines in rangeland worldwide, especially in degraded ecosystems, with subsequent constraints on livestock performance. There is an urgent need to restore legumes to improv e forage quality and quantity. We developed a cutting-edge reseeding technology, and a new re-seeding machine, to introduce legumes into degraded rangeland. Compared with traditional no-tillage reseeding, the new reseeding technology can dramatically improve germination rates of re seeded legumes by creating suitable micro-habitat for seed germination and seedling establishment, e.g., higher soil temperature and moisture. Legume-reseed ed rangeland was more productive than non-reseeded rangeland, primarily due to enhanced ecological niche complementarity and compensatory growth through interspecific facilitation. Four years after legume reseeding, soil nitrogen and organic matter content were increased by more than 10%. Beneficial soil microbes, e.g., the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, was significantly increased by 31% after legume reseeding. In general, introducing legumes into degraded rangeland can improve forage production and quality, and simultaneously enhance rangeland sustainability by promoting soil health.