Effect of Balanced fertilization on Reviving Degraded Grasslands in Sichuan

Sichuan has 16 million hectares (M ha) of grassland, which ranks it as the fifth largest grassland province in China. Yet only 14 M ha are considered suitable for grazing. Major portions of these lands are located within the predominately mountainous landscape of the Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Animal husbandry is the region’s most important economic industry. Unfortunately, rapid development and overstocking have caused large-scale degradation of the region’s grasslands, making it a great concern within China and internationally. The objective of this study is to investigate the nutrient limitations for the region’s soils and to examine balanced fertilization (BF) technology and methods for reviving degraded grasslands.

Soil testing has revealed the major nutrient deficiencies to be nitrogen (N), followed by phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Field trials showed that application of 90-30-60 kg N-P₂O₅-K₂O/ha significantly increased grass yield by 3.7 times compared to the Check (no fertilizer). After one season, test plots under this regime are considered fully recovered, confirming that BF is critical. Future field experiments will examine the residual effect of fertilizers on established grass stands. Sichuan-NMS02