Background Dendrobium nobile demanding growing environment, unstable yield and high management cost are the key factors restricting the development of its imitation wild cultivation industry. Through the study, it was found that the growth of Dendrobium nobile is closely related to the microenvironment of Danxia stone, in which the different associated bryophytes have different effects on the growth of Dendrobium nobile. The present study aimed to explore the effects of different associated bryophyte species on the yield and quality of Dendrobium nobile, and to clarify the dominant bryophyte species associated with Dendrobium nobile, and to provide a scientific basis for the rational cultivation and quality evaluation of Dendrobium nobile.
Results It is a rich variety of associated bryophyte with Dendrobium nobile. There are identified a total of 15 families, 24 genera and 31 species of bryophyte in the study area, including 13 families, 22 genera and 29 species of mosses and 2 families, 2 genera and 2 species of liverworts, and mosses predominated in the association with Dendrobium nobile; Usually 3-9 species of bryophyte were mixed with Dendrobium nobile, of which 5-6 species of bryophyte were more common, and the associated bryophyte with Dendrobium nobile were only related to the species to which they belonged; The dry matter accumulation, quality and mineral content of Dendrobium nobile differed significantly among different species of bryophyte. The coefficients of variation of dry matter accumulation, dendrobine and content of 11 mineral elements of Dendrobium nobile in the 35 quadrats were 25.00%, 21.08%, and 11.33%-57.96%, respectively. The biomass, dendrobine and mineral content of Dendrobium nobile were analysed by principal component analysis and affiliation function. The results showed that each evaluation method initially screened Trachycystis microphylla and Leucobryum juniperoideum as the preliminary identification of dominant associated bryophytes, and the frequency and coverage of the two bryophytes were significantly higher than that of the rest of the bryophytes, and it was determined that Trachycystis microphylla and Leucobryum juniperoideum were the dominant associated bryophytes.
Conclusions It is a rich variety of associated bryophyte with Dendrobium nobile. The yield and quality of Dendrobium nobile differed significantly among different species of bryophyte. It was determined that Trachycystis microphyllaand Leucobryum juniperoideum were the dominant associated bryophytes, which were the two bryophytes associated with Dendrobium nobile through mixed growth.