Effects of Artificial Cyanobacterial Crust on Soil Wind Erosion Control in Arid Regions

[Objective] The influence factors of artificial cyanobacterial crust on soil threshold wind velocity and wind erosion rate, and the effects of wind erosion prevention and control were analyzed, and the feasibility of using artificial cyanobacterial crust to prevent and control wind erosion on farmland soil was explored, in order to provide a new idea for farmland soil wind erosion prevention and control. [Methods] The effects of five inoculum amounts of cyanobacterial liquid, which were 400, 600, 800, 1 000, 1 200 ml/m2, on the formation of cyanobacterial crust on farmland soil were investigated. The effects and feasibility of using artificial cyanobacterial crust to reduce soil wind erosion were tested and estimated using wind tunnel tests. [Results] Cyanobacterial crusts of different coverages could be formed under outdoor conditions by inoculating the soil with cyanobacteria liquid having different inoculum amounts. When the cyanobacteria inoculum amount was 1 200 ml/m2, the coverage could reach 30% after 14 days of cultivation, and the coverage was greater than 60% after 50 days of cultivation. The biomass and thickness of the artificial cyanobacteria crust were 52 and 9 times of that of the control, respectively (p