[Ecological adaptability of Hordeum jubatum to magnesite dust]

Hordeum jubatum was pot-cultured with the soil sprayed with different amounts of magnesite dust (0, 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%) to study the magnesium (Mg) tolerance of the plant. After sprayed onto soil surface, the magnesite dust could rapidly form a crust. When the amount of the sprayed dust was bigger than 20%, soil pH increased significantly, soil conductivity had a gradual decrease, whereas soil organic matter content increased after an initial decrease. With the increasing amount of sprayed magnesite dust, the leaf chlorophyll content of H. jubatum increased first and decreased then, while the leaf soluble protein content showed a trend of increase-decrease-increase. H. jubatum had stronger tolerance to Mg. When the soil Mg content was as high as 4.61 g x kg(-1), H. jubatum could still grow well, indicating that this plant species could be used as an appropriate candidate for the ecological restoration of waste lands in magnesite mining areas.