Effect of marginal land types and transplanting methods on the growth of switchgrass seedlings

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a widely adapted perennial (C4) grass and a potential bioenergy crop. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of marginal land types and transplanting methods on the establishment of switchgrass seedlings. One loam soil (CK) and three typical marginal land soils(sandy soil, coarse sand, and gravel soil) as well as three transplanting methods(nutrition pot, rootnaked and rootnaked plus nutrient soil) were used in this study, which was carried out using potted experiment in greenhouse. Switchgrass was suitable for planting on marginal lands, and plant height, tiller numbers, leaf numbers of main stem and dry weight were significantly reduced along with the decline of soil nutrient. Compared with the nutrition pot seedlings, the rootnaked seedlings were in poor growth status with significantly lower survival rate, plant height, tiller numbers and dry matter weight, but the seedlings of rootnaked plus nutrient soil had better survival rate and growth status than the rootnaked ones. In summary, rootnaked plus nutrient soils is the preferred transplanting method for switchgrass planting on marginal lands.