Abstract:To clarify the effects of sodium alginate (SA) combined with enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) on the vegetation performance and soil microenvironment of engineering-disturbed loess, this study used disturbed loess from northern Shaanxi as the substrate and tall fescue as the test plant. Four SA concentrations and four EICP cementation-solution concentrations were combined in a full-factorial design, and a 120-day pot experiment was conducted. Germination, establishment and soil microenvironment indicators were measured, and variance and correlation analyses were performed. The results showed that the single application of 0.5 mol/L EICP significantly inhibited tall fescue germination and establishment. Germination energy decreased to 0%, the germination index decreased from 24.43 to 4.68, and 120-day coverage and biomass decreased to 50.37% and 276.01 g/m2, respectively. After 5.0 g/L SA was added, germination energy recovered to 64.00%, and the germination index and coverage reached 20.61 and 87.93%, respectively. High-concentration EICP increased soil electrical conductivity and ammonium nitrogen, whereas an appropriate SA dosage favored organic matter accumulation at the later stage. Among the treatments, the combination of 5.0 g/L SA and 0.3 mol/L EICP produced the highest organic matter content (5.86 g/kg). Bulk density, electrical conductivity and ammonium nitrogen were negatively correlated with vegetation indicators, whereas organic matter was positively correlated with them. The combination of 5.0 g/L SA with 0.1–0.3 mol/L EICP showed relatively good overall performance. Among the treatments, 5.0 g/L SA combined with 0.3 mol/L EICP was identified as a candidate combination for vegetation restoration and microenvironment improvement under the indoor pot experiment conditions.