Abstract: According to the characteristics of high pH, low nutrient concentration and large soluble Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratio in soil contaminated by Mg-rich dusts around magnesite regions, a pot experiment was conducted, in which different proportions of furfural residue and phosphogypsum were added to soil contaminated by Mgrich dusts. Effects of furfural residue and phosphogypsum addition on physicochemical properties of soil and growth of maize seedlings were analyzed. The results showed that furfural residue significantly decreased the contaminated soil pH and increased organic matter concentration. When its addition proportion was 5% to 30%, soil pH decreased from 9.34 to 8.96-7.61, and organic matter concentration increased by 1.19-13.19 times. Phosphogypsum significantly increased soil soluble Ca²⁺, and adjusted Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ in soil. When its addition proportion was 5% to 30%, soil soluble Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratio decreased by 92.4%-94.9%. Moreover, soil microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN), and growth characteristics of maize seedlings were more enhanced under phosphogypsum addition than under furfural residue addition with the same proportions. When 5% to 15% of furfural residue and phosphogypsum was added, soil MBC, MBN, the maximum root length, plant height, biomass and chlorophyll concentration of maize seedlings obviously increased, but gradually declined as the addition proportion increased from 15% to 30%. In 15% of furfural residue and phosphogypsum addition treatments, soil MBC increased by 2.02 and 2.27 times, MBN increased by 4.75 and 5.54 times, the maximum root length of maize seedlings increased by 1.05 and 1.14 times, the plant height increased by 1.15 and 1.34 times, the biomass increased by 1.47 and 1.58 times. Furthermore, the catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities were higher than in the other treatments. Therefore, furfural residue and phosphogypsum were potential materials for improving physicochemical properties of the contaminated soil around magnesite regions, and their amendment at 15% showed a better remediation effect under the condition of greenhouse experiment.

Key words: desert., photosynthetic capacity, ephemeral plant