Effects of Mixed Cropping of Prunus serrulata with Ground Cover Sasa fortunei and Ophiopogon japonicus on Plant Growth Characteristics and Soil Nutrients

【Objective】 In order to explore the effects of different planting patterns on the physiological characteristics of Prunus serrulata，Ophiopogon japonicus and Sasa fortunei and the soil nutrsents. 【Method】 In this study，field experiments were carried out with five planting patterns：P. serrulata monoculture，S. fortunei monoculture，O. japonicus monoculture，mixed planting of P. serrulata and S. fortunei，mixed planting of P. serrulata and O. japonicus. The photosynthetic index，leaf nitrogen content and soil nutrient content of three plants were measured at the blooming stage of P. serrulata. 【Result】 The results showed that，compared with the single cropping groups，the mixed cropping of P. serrulata and S. fortunei or P. serrulata and O. japonicus could lead to significant changes in soil chemical properties. The contents of total nitrogen and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen significantly decreased by 5.98% and 11.64% in the soil of the mixed cropping of P. serrulata and S. fortunei compared with the single cropping of P. serrulata，while the contents of ammonium nitrogen，total phosphorus and available phosphorus significantly increased by 8.91%，22.22% and 29.57% in the soil of the mixed cropping of P. serrulata and S. fortunei compared with the single cropping of S. fortunei. P. serrulata and O. japonicus mixed planting of organic matter，total nitrogen，alkali solution nitrogen，ammonium nitrogen，total phosphorus，effective phosphorus content compared with their own monoculture were significantly lower，while the P. serrulata and S. fortunei mixed cropping significantly increased the soil nutrient content. P. serrulata mixed with different ground cover plants showed different photosynthetic characteristics. The cherry blossoms mixed with different ground cover plants showed different photosynthetic characteristics. The net photosynthetic rate，transpiration rate and stomatal conductance of the leaves of P. serrulata mixed with S. fortunei were higher than those of P. serrulata monoculture，while the total chlorophyll content of P. serrulata mixed with O. japonicus significantly decreased by 25.85%，and the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration significantly increased by 11.83%. After being mixed with P. serrulata，the photosynthesis of the two types of ground cover plants had a positive effect，and the nitrogen nutrient absorption and chlorophyll content of the leaves were significantly increased. 【Conclusion】 The mixed cultivation of P. serrulata and S. fortunei could effectively promote the increase of leaf nitrogen content and net photosynthetic rate，and effectively improve soil nutrient fertility，so it could be popularized and applied as a cultivation mode with better ecological benefits.