COMBINED SHEEP MANURE AND VINEGAR RESIDUE IMPROVES SOIL PROPERTIES, YIELD AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF Morchella sextelata Authors: Qing Li, Yuhao Bai, Xiaoyu Zhang, Yong Zhang, Haishun Li, Fengjun Ma Journal: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences (JAPS) ISSN: 1018-7081 (Print), 2309-8694 (Online) Volume: 36 Issue: 6 Year: 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0148 URL: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0148 Publisher: Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum Abstract:

Morchella sextelata is a high-value edible fungus with a growing cultivation area across China. Shanxi produces abundant vinegar residue and sheep manure, while studies on their combined application for morel cultivation remain insufficient. This field greenhouse experiment was carried out in Shanxi with a randomized complete block design and three biological replicates. Four treatments were arranged: topsoil as the control (CK), sole application of decomposed sheep manure (YF), sole application of vinegar residue (CZ), and combined application of sheep manure and vinegar residue (YF+CZ). The YF+CZ treatment increased soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen by 47.59% and yielded the highest morel output of 332.56 g m-2. It also raised the contents of essential, umami and functional amino acids, calcium, magnesium, crude protein, and crude polysaccharides, and reduced crude fat content. Soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen was positively correlated with morel yield, crude protein and total amino acids. This study provides data and technical support for the resource recycling of both sheep manure and vinegar residue as well as eco-friendly morel cultivation in Shanxi. Further research is suggested to explore soil microbial mechanisms and optimize substrate formulas.

Keywords: Morchella; vinegar residue; yield; quality