Recently, Announcement No.703 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China unveiled the Grass Variety Catalogue upon the appraisal of National Grass Variety Appraisal Committee in 2023. The new variety of “Tengger” Lespedeza potaninii hosted for breeding selection by Professor Zhang Jiyu of College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology is included, with Variety Registration No.652. This is a new variety of another bred “Tengger” serial desert xeric native grass passing national appraisal following new variety of the first ultra-xerophyte native grass—“Tengger” Cleistogenes songorica bred in 2016.

The new variety of “Tengger” Lespedeza potaninii has desert xeric feature, developed root system and strong regeneration, defying drought, barren, wind and sand resistant, suitable for arid and semi-arid areas with rainfall of 100-400mm in North China, applied in ecological restoration of desert steppe and degraded grassland, as well as artificial grassland planting. From 2003 onwards, Professor Zhang Jiyu’s team has focused on high biomass and strong drought tolerance as the breeding target, and managed to select for breeding after two decades of unrelenting efforts. Nowadays, this team has established 50+ mu of original seed propagation expanding field around the new variety of “Tengger” Lespedeza potaninii, and set up the corresponding high-yield seed production technology system and “bean-grass” mixed sowing technology system combined with “Tengger” Cleistogenes songorica. At present, this variety and relevant technical system have been promoted and applied in the project for ecological restoration of deserts and restoration of mines, showing excellent stress resistance and broad promotion prospect, and 2 relevant result transfers have been achieved.