The distribution characteristics of trace elements in wheat were analyzed in order to provide scientific basis for scientific regulation of trace element content in wheat and cultivation of new wheat varieties. The distribution characteristics of trace elements, including iron ( Fe ), manganese ( Mn ), copper ( Cu ) and zinc ( Zn ) in different organs of wheat at maturity stage were analyzed by using wheat varieties popularized in large area in northern Henan as experimental materials. The content of Fe in wheat plants ranged from 42.31 to 80.66 mg/kg, the content of Mn ranged from 212.11 to 604.89 mg/kg, the content of Cu ranged from 12.31 to 16.35 mg/kg, and the content of Zn ranged from 48.77 to 87.08 mg/kg. The variation coefficients of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn contents in roots, stems, leaves, glume and grains of wheat plants showed different rules. The order of Mn enrichment ability of different organs of wheat was leaf > root > grain > stem > glume, and the order of Cu and Zn enrichment ability was root > grain > leaf > stem > glume. The order of Fe, Cu and Zn transport capacity of wheat organs was grain > leaf > stem > glume, and the order of Mn transport capacity was leaf > grain > stem > glume. The order of enrichment ability of trace elements in wheat roots, stems, glume and grains was Zn > Cu > Mn > Fe, and the order of enrichment ability of trace elements in leaves was Mn > Zn > Cu > Fe. The transport capacity of trace elements Cu, Mn, Zn in stems, leaves and glume of wheat was greater than that of Fe, and the order of transport capacity of trace elements in grains was Zn > Cu > Fe > Mn. The results of correlation analysis showed that there was a significant interaction between trace elements. The distribution of trace elements in wheat plants in northern Henan showed a vertical distribution pattern. The enrichment ability of trace elements in roots, leaves and grains was strong, and the transport ability of trace elements in leaves and grains was strong.

This study aims to investigate the effects of different irrigation methods and fertilizer treatments on the population dynamics, dry matter accumulation and distribution, and yield of winter wheat. A field experiment was conducted during the 2017-2018 growing season by using the winter wheat variety 'Zimai 28'. The experiment employed a split-plot design, with the main plots consisting of two irrigation methods: traditional furrow irrigation and on-demand supplementary irrigation. The subplots included two fertilizer treatments, including conventional fertilization and reduced fertilization. Growth, development indicators and yield of winter wheat were measured. The results showed that compared with the conventional fertilization treatment, the combination of on-demand supplementary irrigation and reduced fertilization significantly increased the dry matter accumulation of grains and glumes plus rachis at maturity, with increases of 11.98% and 12.47%, respectively. It also enhanced the contribution rate of post-anthesis assimilated dry matter to grain, with an increase of 10.87%, which is conducive to yield formation and ultimately improves overall economic returns. It is recommended that in regions with natural environments and production conditions similar to those of this experiment, adopting on-demand supplementary irrigation and appropriately reducing fertilization levels is an effective approach to balancing yield and economic benefits.

To reveal the characteristics and high-yield stability of the new wheat variety 'Jirumai 20', and to provide theoretical guidance for its promotion and cultivation management, variance analysis, high stability coefficient (HSC), and variety deviation degree were employed to analyze the data on yield, and the yield components, stability and adaptability of it from 2021-2023 regional trials in the North Huang-Huai Region irrigated land. The results showed that the yield of ' Jirumai 20 ' was significantly positively correlated with the number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight (the correlation coefficients were 0.470 and 0.372, respectively, both reaching extremely significant levels). The HSC values of this variety in the two-year regional trials were 85.62% and 87.38%, The varietal superiority distance values were 2750.3 and 1080.4, showing an average reduction of 52.11% compared to the control. These results demonstrate that 'Jirumai 20' exhibits excellent yield stability, low superiority distance, and high potential for high, stable, and abundant yields, making it suitable for large-scale cultivation in irrigated land of the National Huang-Huai Winter Wheat Region.

Based on the occurrence of wheat scab in Chaohu, Anhui, in 2024, an analysis was conducted on the causes of its severe outbreak. Additionally, a “1+2” chemical control demonstration was carried out in affected wheat fields, and its effectiveness was summarized. In 2024, wheat scab in the study area was characterized by early maturation of ascocarps on rice stubbles, a high pathogen carrier rate, and severe field disease severity. The main reasons for the severe outbreak of wheat scab in the study area were identified as abundant pathogen sources, favorable weather conditions from April to May (daily average temperature >15 °C, more than 11 days with precipitation >0.1 mm), weak resistance (or tolerance) of wheat varieties, and the development of fungicide resistance in the scab pathogens. The “1+2” chemical control model involved an additional third application (during the wheat booting stage in mid-to-late March, combined with the control of sharp eyespot) on the basis of the conventional two applications (the first at the initial wheat flowering stage and the second 7-10 days later). The experimental results showed that the relative control efficacy of diseased panicle rate and disease index of wheat scab by the “1+2” chemical control model was 92.14% and 95.94%, respectively, demonstrating good prevention effects. This study provides a reference for selecting an appropriate chemical control strategy for wheat scab.

The intensified kernel position effect is a common phenomenon in maize production under higher plant density, which limits crop productivity.  Subsoiling is an effective agronomic practice for improving crop productivity.  To clarify the effect of subsoiling before winter wheat on the kernel position effect of densely grown summer maize and its regulatory mechanism, field experiments were conducted during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons using a split-plot design.  The main plots included two tillage practices: conventional tillage practice (CT) and subsoiling before the sowing of winter wheat (SS); and the subplots consisted of three plant densities (D1–D3 at 6.0×10⁴, 7.5×10⁴, and 9.0×10⁴ plants ha^–1).  Compared with CT, SS alleviated the kernel position effect by increasing the weight ratio of inferior to superior kernels (WR) in the D2 and D3 treated plants.  The higher WR of SS treated plants contributed largely to the improved filling of inferior kernels.  Under the same plant density, SS significantly improved the root dry matter accumulation (DMA) and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)), and it reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, especially for the plants grown under higher plant densities.  These results indicated that SS delayed the root senescence, which is associated with the reduced soil bulk density.  In addition, compared with CT, SS increased the leaf chlorophyll content from 20 days after silking to physiological maturity and the post-silking leaf area duration, and it reduced the post-silking leaf chlorophyll reduction rate and leaf area reduction rate, indicating that the post-silking leaf senescence had been alleviated.   Under the same plant density, the post-silking DMA of SS was obviously higher than that of CT, which was probably related to the improved leaf area duration and photosynthetic enzyme activities (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and Rubisco).   The correlation analysis revealed that the main mechanism of SS in alleviating the kernel position effect of densely grown summer maize is as follows: SS delays the post-silking root–shoot senescence by regulating soil physical properties, and further improves the post-silking DMA and filling of inferior kernels, which ultimately alleviates the kernel position effect and improves grain yield.  The results of this study provide new theoretical support for the promotion of summer maize yield by subsoiling before winter wheat. 

Drought is becoming a common threat to crop production.  Identifying and utilizing excellent drought-resistant genes is crucial to combating this stress and ensuring global food security by developing drought-resistant crop varieties.  Although sugar transporters are involved in stress tolerance in many plants, the sugar transporter gene family of Tartary buckwheat has yet to be systematically analyzed.  This study identified 140 sugar transporter genes from the ‘Pinku’ Tartary buckwheat genome and classified them into 10 subfamilies.  Structural analysis showed that subfamily SGB/pGlcT had the highest number of introns compared to other subfamilies, and abundant abiotic stress-related cis-acting elements existed in the promoter region.  Collinear analysis revealed relatively ancient genes FtSUT7, FtSTP28, FtPLT1, and FtINT2.  The expression of sugar transporter genes was screened under various abiotic stresses, which revealed the association of stress tolerance with different sugar transporter genes, i.e., FtERD23, FtINT2, FtpGlcT2, and FtSTP27.  Further, we observed that the overexpression of FtERD23 maintains osmotic pressure through glucose transport, which may enhance drought stress tolerance.  Moreover, gene co-expression analyses using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and fuzzy c-means algorithm (FCMA) identified six transcription factors that may regulate FtERD23 expression and are involved in plant drought tolerance.  Our systematic analysis provides a theoretical basis for the further functional characterization of sugar transporter genes to improve drought tolerance in Tartary buckwheat and its related species.

Excellent nitrogen (N) management techniques can improve crop yields while mitigating reactive N (Nr) losses.  The synergistic effects of applying paired N management techniques have important implications for designing excellent N management strategies, but the interaction effects remain poorly known.  Here, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the effects of optimized N management techniques (optimized N application rate, optimized topdressing, and applying enhanced-efficiency fertilizers) on wheat yield, N use efficiency (NUE), and Nr losses, as well as the interactive effects of paired N management techniques (combining an optimized N rate with topdressing or enhanced-efficiency fertilizers).  The results demonstrated that an optimized N fertilizer rate reduced Nr losses by 28–31% while the wheat yield declined by 2%; however, the wheat yield increased by 2% when the reduction of N fertilizer was less than 20%.  The adoption of topdressing and enhanced-efficiency fertilizers significantly increased wheat yields by 4–8% and NUE by 8–14%, while reducing Nr losses by 28–40%, and high topdressing frequency and nitrification inhibitors showed stronger positive effects on wheat yield.  Paired N management techniques increased wheat yields by 3–4% and NUE by 37–38%, with additive or synergistic effects; and they also reduced Nr losses by 5–66% but showed an antagonistic effect.  Such non-additive interactions amplified the positive effects on wheat production, but the benefits in terms of environmental risk reduction were weakened.  Overall, this study highlights the importance of synergistic effects in innovative N management to address the trade-off between crop yield and Nr losses.

【Objective】Thinopyrum intermedium, a tertiary gene pool of wheat, harbors valuable genetic resources for wheat improvement. This study aimed to develop novel wheat germplasms by transferring elite chromosomes from Thinopyrum intermedium into wheat via distant hybridization, investigating their impacts on disease resistance and agronomic traits to establish a theoretical foundation for wheat breeding. 【Method】A wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium disomic addition line, CH71 (2n=44), was developed from the BC₁F₆ progeny of a cross between common wheat cultivar Yannong 999 and the partial amphidiploid TAI8047 (2n=58). Non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) with oligonucleotide probes (Oligo-pSc119.2, Oligo-pTa535, Oligo-B11, Oligo-pDb12H) was employed for karyotype analysis. Synteny-based (Synt) Oligo-FISH painting and Th. intermedium-specific STS markers were utilized to identify the homologous group and validate the origin of the alien chromosome. Disease resistance to powdery mildew (race E09) and stripe rust (mixed races CYR32, CYR33, CYR34) was evaluated under artificial inoculation. Agronomic traits, including plant height, spike length, spikelet number, thousand-grain weight, grain length, and grain width, were systematically measured.【Result】The wheat parent Yannong 999 exhibited a standard karyotype of 21 wheat chromosome pairs. TAI8047 contained 58 chromosomes (21 wheat pairs + 8 alien pairs), while CH71 harbored 44 chromosomes (21 wheat pairs + 1 alien pair, J^S-1). Synt-FISH and PCR amplification using 183 STS primers specific to Th. intermedium chromosome 7J^S confirmed J^S-1 as a 7J^S-derived chromosome. Twelve STS markers consistently amplified diagnostic bands in Th. intermedium, TAI8047, and CH71. CH71 displayed moderate resistance to powdery mildew and immunity to stripe rust, with genetic analysis indicating both resistances were conferred by the 7J^S chromosome. Compared to Yannong 999, CH71 exhibited significant increases in plant height (+24.0 cm), spike length (+3.44 cm), spikelet number (+1.6), and grain length (+0.68 mm), but reductions in thousand-grain weight (-6.78%) and grain width (-2.70%). 【Conclusion】The novel disomic addition line CH71 (wheat-Th. intermedium 7J^S) demonstrates dual resistance to powdery mildew and stripe rust, serving as a valuable germplasm resource for disease-resistant breeding and the cloning of alien resistance genes. The 12 STS markers identified herein provide an efficient molecular tool for rapid tracking of the 7J^S chromosome in wheat backgrounds.

This study systematically reviews the scientific and technological advancements in wheat breeding for saline-alkali farmland in China, analyzes current technical bottlenecks, and provides theoretical support for enhancing wheat productivity in saline-alkali soils. Through literature review and empirical analysis, we integrated research achievements in salt-alkali-tolerant germplasm development, gene discovery, variety breeding, and demonstration promotion, while considering regional saline-alkali soil characteristics and policy orientations. The results demonstrate significant progress in salt-alkali-tolerant wheat breeding innovations in China. A series of novel salt-alkali-tolerant germplasms have been developed, with key functional genes such as TaSRO1 and TaHKT1;5-D being identified. Ten nationally certified salt-alkali-tolerant wheat varieties, including 'Jingmai 189', have been bred, achieving an average yield of 7410 kg/hm² in regional trials with a 7.3% yield increase. Two major saline-alkali tolerance testing systems have been established in the Bohai Rim and Southern Xinjiang, with demonstration and promotion areas exceeding 18700 hm². However, the study also reveals existing challenges, including suboptimal breeding efficiency, incomplete technical systems, and inadequate promotion efforts. Therefore, future efforts should focus on enhancing gene discovery and molecular design breeding, establishing an efficient technical system, and promoting large-scale application of salt-alkali-tolerant varieties to provide scientific and technological support for China's food security strategy in saline-alkali regions.

This paper delineated the integrated technological work process (encompassing cultivar selection, soil amelioration and cultivation management) developed for drought-alkali wheat expansion on saline soils in Cangzhou. It reviewed the consecutive growth trajectory in which the cropped area rose from 5.9×10⁴ hm² in 2020 to 1.2×10⁵ hm² in 2024, and the grain yield increased from 3.1×10³ to 4.3×10³ kg/hm². The inhibitory effects exerted by drought, high salinity-alkalinity and low temperature-low light stresses during the growing season on seed germination, tiller formation and grain filling were summarized. The latest mechanisms of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), silicon formulations and cerium oxide nanoparticles in enhancing root Na⁺ exclusion, maintaining foliar K⁺ homeostasis and scavenging reactive oxygen species were analyzed. A full-cycle, targeted green-regulation technical system centered on a framework of ‘seed treatment for stress-resilient germination and tillering stem-strengthening chemical regulation at jointing; culm-strengthening chemical regulation at jointing to improve lodging resistance and stress resilience; flag-leaf-sustaining and grain-filling-promoting regulation during the grain-filling stage’ was proposed, offering a replicable technological route for yield enhancement and green, efficient production of drought-alkali wheat.

Wheat powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a destructive fungal disease that significantly reduces wheat yield and grain quality worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate powdery mildew resistance in Sichuan wheat varieties (lines) and characterize their resistance genes, which will provide an important theoretical basis and practical guidance for disease-resistant wheat breeding. A total of 168 Sichuan wheat varieties (lines) were screened for seedling powdery mildew resistance under artificial climate chamber, which were inoculated with Bgt isolate E09, and the resistance gene was analyzed by molecular marker detection and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). The result showed that 35 wheat materials (20.8%) were resistant. Molecular marker analysis showed that 34 materials carries the Pm21 gene, and ‘Shumai 2352’ carries Pm56. GISH analysis further confirmed that wheat cultivar ‘Mianmai 367’ carries a whole-arm chromosomal translocation of V chromosome (6VS·6AL) harboring Pm21, and ‘Shumai 2352’ possesses a whole-arm translocation of R chromosome (6RS·6AL) containing Pm56. The study highlights the limited genetic diversity of powdery mildew resistance in Sichuan wheat germplasm which are mainly relying on the Pm21 resistance gene, and emphasizes the urgent need to diversify resistance sources by introducing more Pm genes to broaden the genetic basis of disease resistance sources.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a cornerstone of global food security, feeding over a third of the world’s population and functioning as a critical economic crop across diverse agroecological zones (FAO 2022).  However, wheat production faces mounting challenges from climate volatility, resource depletion, and the pressing demand for sustainable intensification.  This special issue presents seven cutting-edge studies that bridge scales from molecular mechanisms to field-level management, offering integrative solutions to enhance wheat’s resilience, productivity, and sustainability.  Structured into three thematic sections, these contributions advance both fundamental understanding and practical applications for the future of wheat cultivation.

 

I. Stress priming for drought resilience

 

Drought stress during critical reproductive stages remains a primary constraint to global wheat productivity, often causing significant yield losses and quality deterioration (Simane et al. 1993).  Emerging research on stress priming - where controlled pre-exposure to moderate stress enhances subsequent stress tolerance - has opened promising avenues for crop improvement (Wang et al. 2014; Li et al. 2023).  The current issue presents two pivotal studies that substantially advance the fundamental understanding and practical application of priming technology in wheat systems.  Li et al. (2025a) decode the molecular basis of drought priming, identifying 416 differentially expressed genes and 27 transcription factors governing hormone signaling, osmoprotection, and cuticular wax biosynthesis.  These findings establish the molecular architecture of stress memory in wheat, explaining how priming induces a persistent state of enhanced drought readiness.

Li et al. (2025b) further demonstrate that priming benefits extend beyond yield protection to safeguard grain quality parameters.  Primed plants maintain starch functionality, preserve protein composition balance, and minimize quality deterioration under stress conditions.

These discoveries transform priming from a physiological curiosity into a practical field solution, though challenges persist in developing cost-effective delivery systems suitable for diverse farming contexts.

 

II. Precision agronomy for enhanced resource efficiency

 

Achieving sustainable yield gains in wheat systems necessitates innovative approaches to optimizing critical resources, particularly nitrogen and water, as current approaches remain key constraints to productivity (Chen et al. 2023).  Recent studies in this issue demonstrate significant advances in precision management strategies that address these challenges while maintaining yield potential.

Liang et al. (2025) elucidate the role of 24-epibras-sinolide in improving nitrogen use efficiency under limited nitrogen conditions.  Their work reveals how this plant growth regulator fine-tunes fructan metabolism, reducing floret abortion and maintaining yields with less nitrogen input.  This hormonal approach represents a novel pathway to overcome one of the most persistent challenges in wheat production.  Complementing these findings, Guo et al. (2025) present compelling evidence through a 13-year field study that integrated soil–crop management systems can simultaneously boost yields and increase soil organic carbon annually while improving nitrogen recovery efficiency.  Their detailed soil fractionation analysis yields critical insights into the microbial mechanisms underlying these improvements, offering a scientific foundation for sustainable intensification strategies.

Water scarcity, particularly in semi-arid wheat-growing regions, demands innovative irrigation solutions that maximize efficiency without compromising yield (Wasson et al. 2012).  Che et al. (2025) demonstrate that deficit irrigation can reduce water use by 25%, extending photosynthetic activity and improving yield stability under water stress conditions.  Similarly, Li et al. (2025c) validate the effectiveness of micro-sprinkler irrigation technology, which enhances water productivity through precise synchronization of water delivery with critical growth stages, outperforming conventional flood irrigation methods.  

These studies illustrate how precision agronomy - whether hormonal regulation, soil health management, or optimized irrigation - can successfully decouple input reduction from yield penalties.  The findings provide actionable insights for reducing the environmental footprint of wheat production while maintaining productivity under increasingly constrained resource availability.

 

III. Climate adaptation through systems modeling

 

The impact of climate change on wheat production systems is escalating, manifested through shifting temperature regimes, altered precipitation patterns, and changing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (Lesk et al. 2021).  Traditional static models of agronomic management are increasingly ineffective under dynamic climate conditions.  Preparing wheat systems for future climates demands immediate attention through adaptive strategies grounded in robust data and predictive modeling.  

By integrating 10 years of comprehensive field data with robust crop simulation models, Liu et al. (2025) provide critical insights into future yield constraints under projected climate scenarios.  Their analysis reveals two notable findings.  First, growing degree days and solar radiation will emerge as primary yield-limiting factors in many current production regions.  Second, the potential benefits of elevated CO₂ concentrations are highly contingent on complementary management interventions.  These results challenge simplistic assumptions about climate change impacts and underscore the need for nuanced, context-specific adaptation strategies.  

The study’s most valuable contribution lies in its development and validation of a genotype×environment× management (G×E×M) framework for climate adaptation.  This integrated approach transcends conventional breeding or agronomic solutions considered in isolation, emphasizing instead their synergistic interactions.

This collection exemplifies how multidisciplinary science can reconcile productivity with sustainability.  Integrating discoveries from molecular biology to systems modeling generates the knowledge and tools needed to transform wheat production.  The path forward demands continued innovation coupled with effective translation, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs are transformed into practical solutions for farmers worldwide.  In this era of global change, such integrative approaches will define the future of sustainable agriculture.

To investigate the alleviating effect of exogenous proline on drought stress in wheat seedlings, wheat variety Jimai 22 was used as the experimental material, with CK and blank control set up; T1，15% PEG-6000； T2, 15% PEG-6000+10 mmol/L proline; T3, 15% PEG-6000+30 mmol/L proline; T4, 15% PEG-6000+60 mmol/L proline, 5 treatments were used to study the effects of different concentrations of proline on photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic characteristics, and protective enzyme systems of wheat seedlings under drought stress. The results showed that drought stress reduced the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, and protective enzyme activity of wheat seedling leaves; the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll a+b, and carotenoids in wheat leaves treated with T3 was the highest, increasing by 63.95%, 74.42%, 67.44%, and 51.35% respectively compared to T1 treatment. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance of leaves treated with T3 were the highest, with increases of 38.16%, 27.50%, and 19.63% compared to T1 treatment. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in the leaves treated with T3 were the highest, increasing by 47.01%, 55.15%, and 54.87% respectively compared to T1 treatment. It can be seen that exogenous proline can effectively alleviate the inhibitory effects of drought stress on photosynthetic pigments, net photosynthetic rate, and protective enzyme activity in wheat seedlings, with the best effect observed at a proline concentration of 30 mmol/L.

【Objective】 To provide high-quality parental materials for broadening the genetic foundation of Xinjiang wheat resources as well as parental selection and cultivar development in breeding programs, the genetic diversity and relationships of protein quality traits and storage protein components in Xinjiang wheat germplasm resources were analyzed in this study. 【Method】 A total of 303 Xinjiang wheat accessions were evaluated for variation, correlation, and cluster analysis of protein quality traits and storage protein component contents. Genetic diversity indices (H') and membership function values were calculated to comprehensively assess the materials.【Result】 The coefficients of variation (CV) for protein quality traits and storage protein component contents in Xinjiang wheat resources ranged from 5.52% to 60.99% and 9.17% to 23.69%, respectively. The highest CV for protein quality traits was observed in 8-minute width (60.99%), while the highest CV for storage protein components was found in unextractable polymeric protein (UPP, 23.69%). Genetic diversity indices ranged from 1.06 to 2.15 with an average of 1.78. In addition, the gluten index (GI) exhibiting the highest value (2.15) and peak time (PT) the lowest (1.06). Correlation and multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the comprehensive evaluation value (F₁₅) effectively assessed protein quality (gluten quality). Key traits for protein quality evaluation included gluten index (GI), peak time (PT), 8 minute width, sedimentation value (SV), and unextractable polymeric protein (UPP), which are applicable for future breeding applications. Cluster analysis classified the 303 accessions into three groups (15.84%, 43.23%, and 40.92%, respectively). Group I exhibited the highest comprehensive evaluation value (F₁₅) and optimal quality indices, with significantly superior means for seven parameters, including percentage of unextractable polymeric protein (%UPP), unextractable polymeric protein (UPP), gluten index (GI), peak time (PT), 8 minute width, 8 minute area, and sedimentation value (SV). This confirmed the reliability of F₁₅ in evaluating gluten quality. 【Conclusion】 The genetic diversity distribution patterns and relationships of protein quality traits and storage protein components in Xinjiang winter wheat resources were elucidated. Critical traits for protein quality evaluation were identified, and a set of accessions with superior comprehensive performance in storage protein components and protein quality traits were selected based on F₁₅. These resources hold significant potential for utilization in future wheat breeding programs of Xinjiang.

【Objective】 Based on varying climate, soil, tillage, and field management conditions in different wheat-producing regions of China, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of soil-applied selenium (Se) fertilizer on Se enrichment in wheat and the available Se content in soil. Furthermore, the regional factors contributing to differences in the enhancement of Se content in wheat grain across these diverse areas were analyzed. These findings would provide a foundation for the efficient utilization of Se fertilizer and the scientific advancement of biofortified Se in wheat grain. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in four representative wheat-producing regions of China, including Yongshou County of Shaanxi Province, Baixiang County of Hebei Province, Zitong County of Sichuan Province, and Shucheng County of Anhui Province. Five different levels of selenite fertilizer were applied: 0 (Se0), 100 (Se100), 200 (Se200), 300 (Se300), and 400 (Se400) g·hm^-2. At the flowering and maturity stages of wheat, wheat plant and soil samples in each plot were collected. The wheat biomass, grain yield, Se content of different wheat organs, Se uptake and soil available Se content in different wheat-producing regions were determined and analyzed. 【Result】 Soil-applied Se fertilizer had no significant effect on wheat yield and aboveground biomass. Selenium content and accumulation in wheat organs were significantly increased with the increase of Se application rate. There was a linear positive correlation between Se content and Se application rate, and the selenium enrichment effect was in the order of Baixiang of Hebei Province > Yongshou of Shaanxi Province > Shucheng of Anhui Province > Zitong of Sichuan Province, and the Se content of grain was increased by 1.03, 0.57, 0.35, and 0.33 μg·kg^-1, respectively with each application of 1 g·hm^-2 selenium. Under the same Se application level, TF_{spike/stem and leaf} value at flowering stage was higher than TF_{stem and leaf/root} value, and TF_{grain/stem and leaf} value at maturity stage was increased with the increase of Se application rate, indicating that selenite was not easily transferred from root to stem and leaf, but easily transferred from stem and leaf to ear. The soil available Se content was significantly increased with the increase of Se application rate and the increasing effect was in the order of Yongshou of Shaanxi Province > Baixiang of Hebei Province > Shucheng of Anhui Province > Zitong of Sichuan Province, and the soil available Se content at the four sites was increased by 1.141, 0.077, 0.008, and 0.008 μg·kg^-1, respectively with a rate of 1 g·hm^-2 selenium application. The Se fertilizer application rate to meet the enrichment of grain selenium (150 μg·kg^-1) in Yongshou of Shaanxi Province, Baixiang of Hebei Province, Zitong of Sichuan Province and Shucheng of Anhui Province were 232, 0, 376, and 354 g·hm^-2, respectively. 【Conclusion】 In the wheat fields with low soil Se content, the application of Se fertilizer could lead to the production of Se-enriched wheat grain and an increase in the soil Se content in various wheat-producing regions of China. However, in alkaline soils, the enrichment of Se in wheat grain was more effective and the enhancement of soil available Se content was greater. The input rate of Se fertilizer for selenium enrichment requirement of wheat (>150 μg·kg^-1) was lower in the alkaline soil than that in the acid soils.

To investigate the utilization efficiency of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers for wheat in the lime-concretion black soil region of Northern Anhui, a field experiment was conducted using the wheat cultivar Houde Mai 981. Five treatments were established: NPK (combined N, P, and K fertilization), PK (N-deficient), NK (P-deficient), NP (K-deficient), and CK (no fertilizer). The wheat agronomic traits, yield and yield components, nutrient uptake, fertilizer use efficiency, and output-input ratio were measured.The results showed that the NPK treatment exhibited superior performance in plant height (78.7 cm), stem diameter (0.69 cm), spike length (9.2 cm), and spike diameter (5.0 cm). Additionally, the NPK treatment achieved the highest values in spike number (5.775 1 million spikes/hm²), grains per spike (33.42 grains per spike), 1 000-grain weight (45.61 g), and grain yield (8 790 kg/hm²). Nutrient uptake in grains, straw, and whole plants was also highest under NPK fertilization, with N, P, and K use efficiencies reaching 42.57%, 19.67%, and 44.13%, respectively. Furthermore, the NPK treatment demonstrated the highest output-input ratio (4.79). These findings indicate that balanced N, P, and K fertilization significantly enhances wheat yield and nutrient use efficiency in the study region, making it a recommended practice for sustainable wheat production in lime-concretion black soils of Northern Anhui.

Random sampling, typical field investigation, and monitoring station monitoring methods were used to conduct wheat seedling condition and soil moisture status in Funan County, Anhui Province from December 24, 2024 to January 3, 2025. The survey found that the overall wheat seedling condition in the study area was good, with first, second, and thrid type seedling areas of 4.40 million, 3.03 million, and 1.10 million hm², respectively, accounting for 51.6%, 35.5%, and 12.9% of the total wheat sowing area. The overall soil moisture in the research area was moderately deficit. The relative moisture content of the 0-20 cm cultivated layer soil at monitoring points A and F was 67.12% and 60.70%, the soil moisture is slightly low. Other monitoring points were moderately deficit. Based on this, field management measures such as controlling excessive growth and strengthening seedlings (mechanical suppression, combing seedlings, and spraying foliar fertilizers and chemical control regulators), supplementing soil moisture for seedlings (irrigating overwintering water to supplement soil moisture), preventing and controlling diseases, pests and weeds (monitoring and timely applying targeted pesticides to prevent wheat sheath blight, etc.), and preventing cold and freezing (spraying potassium dihydrogen phosphate+aminoethyl ester+humic acid water-soluble fertilizer 1-2 days before the arrival of cold waves) were proposed to ensure the safe overwintering of wheat. This article provides references for improving wheat yield and quality in similar regions.

Using humic acid water-soluble fertilizer produced by Zhongcheng Guolian (Henan) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. as the test material, this study investigated the impact of foliar application of humic acid water-soluble fertilizers on the yield and yield factors of wheat and summer maize under different soil texture types in Shangqiu City. The paired test design was used, and the effects on economic benefits were also analyzed. The results showed that with foliar spraying of humic acid water-soluble fertilizer, the number of grains per ear, 1000-grain weight and both yield and economic benefits significantly increased. Statistical analysis revealed a highly significant increase in yield for both wheat and summer maize. The increase in yield and economic benefit varied across different soil texture types. For wheat, the highest yield increase and lowest yield increase rate occurred on silty soil. The highest increase rate and smallest yield increase were found on sandy soil. The order of net increase in economic benefit was silty soil> loamy soil> sandy soil. For summer maize, the yield increase ranking was silty soil> sandy soil> loamy soil, while the orders of increase rate and net increase in economic benefit were loamy soil> silty soil> sandy soil.

Increasing grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat in the Huaibei Plain (HP) is essential.  However, the effects of micro-sprinkler irrigation and topsoil compaction after wheat seeds sowing on the GY and WUE are unclear.  Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted during the 2021–2023 winter wheat growing seasons with a total six treatments: rain-fed (RF), conventional irrigation (CI) and micro-sprinkler irrigation (MI), as well as topsoil compaction after seeds sowing under three irrigation methods (RFC, CIC, and MIC).  The two years’ results indicated that MI significantly increased GY compared to CI and RF, which averagely increased by 17.9 and 42.1%, respectively.  The increase in GY of MI was due to its significant increase in the number of spikes, kernels per spike, and grain weight.  Chlorophyll concentration in flag leaves of MI after anthesis stage was maintained higher levels than CI and RF, RF was the lowest.  This was due to the dramatically enhanced catalase and peroxidase activity and lower malondialdehyde content under MI.  Compared with RF and CI, MI significantly promoted dry matter remobilization and production after anthesis as well as its contribution to GY.  In addition, MI significantly boosted root growth, and root activity during grain filling stage was remarkably enhanced than CI and RF.  In 2021–2022, there was no significant difference in WUE between MI and RF, but the WUE of RF was significantly lower than MI in 2022–2023.  However, WUE in MI was significantly improved compared to CI, that averagely increased by 15.1 and 17.6% for the two years.  Topsoil compaction significantly increased GY and WUE under rain-fed conditions due to improved spike numbers and dry matter production.  Overall, topsoil compaction is advisable for enhancing GY and WUE in rain-fed conditions, whereas micro-sprinkler irrigation can be adopted to achieve high GY and WUE simultaneously in the HP.

Integrated agronomic optimization (IAO) adopts suitable crop varieties, sowing dates, planting density and advanced nutrient management to redesign the entire production system according to the local environment, which can achieve synergistic improvements in crop yields and resource utilization.  However, the intensity and magnitude of the impacts of IAO on soil quality under long-term intensive production and high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) require further clarification.  Based on a 13-year field experiment conducted in Dawenkou, Tai’an, China, we investigated the effects of four cultivation modes on the grain yield, NUE, soil aggregate structure, as well as the fraction of organic matter (SOM) and soil quality, reflected by integrated fertility index (IFI) during the winter wheat maturation period in 2020–2022.  The four cultivation modes were traditional local farming (T1), farmer-based improvement (T2), increased yield regardless of production cost (T3), and integrated soil–crop system management (T4).  As IAO modes, T2 and T4 were characterized by denser planting, reduced nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rates, and delayed sowing compared to T1 and T3, respectively.  In this long-term experiment, IAO was found to maintain aggregate stability, increase SOM content (by increasing organic carbon and total nitrogen of the light fraction (LF) and the particulate organic matter fraction (POM)), and improve SOM quality by increasing the proportions of LF and POM and the ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen in SOM.  Compared to T1, the IFI of T2, T3, and T4 increased by 10.91, 23.38, 25.55%, and by 17.78, 6.41, 28.94% in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers, respectively.  The grain yield of T4 was 22.52% higher than that of T1, reaching 95.98% of that in T3.  Furthermore, NUE of T4 was 35.61% higher than that of T1 and T3.  In conclusion, our results suggest that T4 synergistically increases grain yield and NUE in winter wheat, while maximizing soil quality.

The impact of drought stress on crop yield and quality is substantial.  Drought priming during the early growth stage of plants has been shown to improve tolerance to drought stress during the reproductive stage, although its effects on grain quality remains elusive.  This study aimed to investigate the influence of drought priming on starch and protein levels in grains under drought stress during grain filling.  Our results reveal that drought stress results in a reduction in starch content and its constituents, while simultaneously increasing glutenin macropolymers and protein fractons.  Notably,, drought primed plants under drought stress (PD) exhibit mitigated declines in starch content and its components, leading to improvements in starch swelling power and pasting properties.  Additionally, PD results in a slight increase in protein fractions, limiting the overall rise in total protein content compared to drought stress alone.  Collectively, our study underscores the efficacyof drought priming as a strategy to counteract the negative effects of drought stress on grain quality, particularly by minimizing starch losses and restraining protein content elevation.

Frequent drought events especially those occur in the reproductive stages severely restrict global crop productivity.  Moderate drought priming during the earlier growth stages is a promising strategy for plants to resist to recurrent severe drought stress.  However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.  Here, we subjected wheat plants to drought priming during the vegetative growth stage and to severe drought stress at 10 days after anthesis.  We then collected leaf samples at the ends of the drought priming, recovery periods, and at the ends of drought stress for transcriptome sequencing in combination with phenotypic and physiological determination.  The drought-primed wheat plant maintained a lower plant temperature, with higher stomatal openness and photosynthesis, thereby resulting in much less 1,000-grain weight and grain yield losses under the later drought stress than the non-primed plants.  Interestingly, 416 genes of which 27 transcription factors (e.g., MYB, NAC, HSF) seemed to be closely related to the improved drought tolerance as indicated by the dynamic transcriptome analysis.  Moreover, the candidate genes showed six temporal expression patterns and significantly enriched in several stress response related pathways such as plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and wax synthesis.  These findings illustrate new insights into physiological and molecular mechanisms of the long-term effects of early drought priming to effectively improve drought tolerance in wheat, which proved potential approaches to challenge the increasing abiotic stresses and secure food safety under global warming scenarios.

Reducing nitrogen application rates can mitigate issues such as environmental degradation and resource wastage.  However, it can also exacerbate problems such as wheat floret degeneration, leading to reduced yields.  Therefore, investigating wheat floret degeneration mechanisms under low nitrogen stress and identifying mitigation measures are conducive to achieving high yields and sustainable development.  To investigate the physiological mechanism of low nitrogen stress affecting wheat floret degradation and whether exogenous brassinosteroids can alleviate this stress, three nitrogen application rates (N0, no nitrogen application; N1, 120 kg ha^-1 pure nitrogen; and N2, 240 kg ha^-1 pure nitrogen) and exogenous spraying experiments (N0CK, no nitrogen with water spraying; N0BR, no nitrogen with 24-epibrassinolide (an active brassinosteroids) spraying; and N1, 120 kg ha^-1 pure nitrogen with water spraying) were designed.  The results indicated that low nitrogen stress induced a large amount of reactive oxygen species generation.  Although wheat spikes synthesized flavonoids to combat oxidative stress, their energy metabolism (glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle) and ascorbate-glutathione cycle were inhibited, keeping reactive oxygen levels elevated within the spike, inducing cell death and exacerbating floret degeneration.  Furthermore, brassinosteroids played a role in regulating wheat floret degeneration under low-nitrogen stress.  Exogenous foliar spraying of 24-epibrassinolide promoted energy metabolism and the ascorbate-glutathione cycle within the spike, enhancing energy charge and effectively mitigating a portion of reactive oxygen induced by low nitrogen stress, thereby alleviating floret degeneration caused by low nitrogen stress.  In summary, low-nitrogen stress disrupts the redox homeostasis of wheat spikes, leading to floret degeneration.  Brassinosteroids alleviate floret degeneration by improving the redox state of wheat spikes.  This research provides theoretical support for balancing the contradiction between high yields and sustainable development and is beneficial for the application of low nitrogen in production.

The Rpd3 histone deacetylase complex is a multiple-subunit complex that mediates the regulation of chromatin accessibility and gene expression. Sin3, the largest subunit of Rpd3 complex, is conserved in a broad range of eukaryotes. Despite being a molecular scaffold for complex assembly, the functional sites and mechanism of action of Sin3 remain unexplored. In this study, we functionally characterized a glutamate residue (E810) in FgSin3, the ortholog of yeast Sin3 in Fusarium graminearum (known as wheat scab fungus). Our findings indicate that E810 was important for the functions of FgSin3 in regulating vegetative growth, sexual reproduction, wheat infection, and DON biosynthesis. Furthermore, the E810K missense mutation restored the reduced H4 acetylation caused by the deletion of FNG1, the ortholog of the human inhibitor of growth (ING1) gene in F. graminearum. Correspondingly, the defects of the fng1 mutant were also partially rescued by the E810K mutation in FgSin3. Sequence alignment and evolutionary analysis revealed that E810 residue is well-conserved in fungi, animals, and plants. Based on Alphafold2 structure modeling, E810 localized on the FgRpd3-FgSin3 interface for the formation of a hydrogen bond with FgRpd3. Mutation of E810 disrupts the hydrogen bond and likely affects the FgRpd3-FgSin3 interaction. Taken together, E810 of FgSin3 is functionally associated with Fng1 in the regulation of H4 acetylation and related biological processes, probably by affecting the assembly of the Rpd3 complex.

Organic fertilizers have been widely used in farmland systems for reducing the adverse effects of fertilizer input on farmland environment and crop yield. A field study was conducted from 2022-2023 with the winter wheat ‘Jimai 44’ as the material, and four experimental treatments including 90% chemical fertilizer + 10% organic fertilizer, 80% chemical fertilizer + 20% organic fertilizer, 70% chemical fertilizer + 30% organic fertilizer, 60% chemical fertilizer + 40% organic fertilizer (represented by T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively) were set, and 100% chemical fertilizer was set as the control (represented by CK) to investigated the effects of fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer on yield components of winter wheat and soil physicochemical properties. The results showed that the content of soil water stability macroaggregates and soil organic matter increased with the increase of organic fertilizer application, and the soil water stability macroaggregates and soil organic matter under T3 and T4 treatment significantly higher than that under CK treatment. Meanwhile, a negatively correlation between soil electrical conductivity and organic fertilizer application was found, and there was no significant difference in soil pH under various fertilization treatments. The yield of winter wheat showed first increased and then decreased trend with the increase of organic fertilizer application, and the highest yield of winter wheat was found under T3 treatment (base fertilizer contained 70% chemical fertilizer + 30% organic fertilizer), the number of grains, the number of ears per hectare, thousand grain weight and grain yield of winter wheat under T3 treatment increased by 3.08%, 1.21%, 5.71% and 10.30% compared to those under CK treatment, respectively. Ultimately, T3 treatment had the best performance in improving the physicochemical properties of soil in wheat fields and increasing the yield of winter wheat based on TOPSIS method of entropy weight method, which can be considered as the recommended fertilization method for winter wheat production in experimental areas.

【Objective】 The excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers has led to ecological pollution and waste of agricultural resources. Developing nitrogen-efficient wheat varieties and improving nitrogen use efficiency are effective approaches for achieving sustainable agricultural development and environmental protection. Screening low-nitrogen-tolerant germplasm resources and identifying genetic loci and candidate genes associated with low-nitrogen tolerance can provide materials and theoretical foundations for breeding nitrogen-efficient wheat varieties. 【Method】 A natural population consisting of 389 wheat varieties was cultivated under high-nitrogen (HN) and low-nitrogen (LN) treatments in 10 field environments. Grain yield per plant (GYP) was measured to calculate the stress tolerance index (STI), thereby enabling the classification of varieties with differential low-nitrogen tolerance. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted using 660K SNP array genotyping data to identify stable genetic loci associated with low-nitrogen tolerance. Candidate genes were prioritized through haplotype analysis, expression profiling, and functional annotation. 【Result】 Twelve wheat varieties with strong low-nitrogen tolerance were identified, including Zhongluo 08-1, Jimai 15, Jinghua 2, Kehong 1, Mianyang 19, Jimai 22, Zhenmai 4, Yumai 35, Fengkang 7, Mianyang 11, Jinmai 31, and Lumai 5. Fourteen loci significantly associated with STI were detected, among which four (qSTI1A.1, qSTI3B, qSTI6A, and qSTI7A.2) overlapped with previously reported low-nitrogen tolerance or yield-related QTLs. Notably, qSTI3B-replicated across three environments-was identified as a key locus governing low-nitrogen tolerance. Functional annotation revealed that its candidate gene, TraesCS3B02G042400, encodes an AP2/EREBP (APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element-binding protein) transcription factor. Haplotype analysis showed significant STI divergence among varieties carrying distinct haplotypes, while expression levels of TraesCS3B02G042400 exhibited nitrogen dose-responsive upregulation. 【Conclusion】 Twelve wheat varieties with strong low-nitrogen tolerance were screened. A stable genetic locus, qSTI3B, and a candidate gene, TraesCS3B02G042400, associated with low-nitrogen tolerance were identified.

To elucidate the role of green manure in ameliorating production conditions in wheat fields, a field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2020 in the Southern Xinjiang region. High-fertility and low-fertility wheat fields were selected, and 4 cropping patterns were established: post-wheat relay-cropped maize (CK), summer fallow (BK), post-wheat planted and incorporated rapeseed (YC), and post-wheat planted and incorporated sunflower (YK). The impacts of green manure on soil enzyme activity and wheat yield under different fertility levels were analyzed. The results showed that incorporating green manure enhanced the activity of certain soil enzymes, while summer fallow had no significant effect on improving soil tillage conditions. For high-fertility wheat fields, the YC treatment increased soil urease and invertase activity by 69.6% and 52.6%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. The YK treatment increased soil alkaline phosphatase and catalase activity by 72.7% and 82.9%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. For low-fertility wheat fields, the YC treatment increased alkaline phosphatase activity by 148.4% compared to the CK treatment, while the YK treatment increased soil urease, catalase, and invertase activity by 97.2%, 124.3%, and 84.7%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. Regarding yield and yield components, no statistically significant differences in wheat yield were observed among the treatments in high-fertility wheat fields (P>0.05). In low-fertility wheat fields, the yields of the BK, YC, and YK treatments were increased by 4.5%, 24.1%, and 28.6%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. The number of grains per spike and thousand-grain weight were significantly higher in the YC and YK treatments than in the CK treatment (P<0.05). Overall, post-wheat planted and incorporated green manure was beneficial for improving soil tillage quality in low-fertility wheat fields and enhancing wheat yield.

Wheat sheath blight is a common soil-borne disease, occurs at moderate to severe levels annually, affecting wheat production safety, yield, and quality. Based on field survey data of wheat sheath blight occurrence in Xuanzhou District of Anhui Province from 2011 to 2024, its occurrence characteristics, influencing factors, and proposed control measures were analyzed. Field investigations revealed that the initial occurrence period of wheat sheath blight in this region remained stable from mid-to-late February to early March, with no significant differences in severity during the initial stage and mild incidence. Within the same growth stage across different years, the severity of wheat sheath blight varied: during the regreening-jointing stage, the average diseased plant rate showed minor differences across years, whereas more pronounced variations were observed during the full heading and flowering-filling stages. The disease severity was rated as level 2 (moderately light) in most years. In the same year, the disease incidence was mild during the tillering stage but became more severe during the heading-filling stage, with significant vertical expansion. The severity of wheat sheath blight is influenced by multiple factors, including field inoculum load, varietal resistance (main cultivars show no resistance), sowing density (excessive population exacerbates the disease), water and fertilizer management (excessive nitrogen fertilization and insufficient organic fertilizer application increase infection risk), field weeds (reducing basal permeability and weakening wheat stress resistance), and climatic conditions (high humidity environments above 10℃ favor disease development). Targeting these occurrence characteristics and influencing factors, comprehensive control technologies were proposed, including timely sowing (October 25 to November 10), seed dressing with chemicals (single or compound formulations such as difenoconazole), agricultural practices (deep soil tillage, ditch cleaning and drainage, rational planting density, balanced fertilization), biological control (Trichoderma, jinggangmycin, etc.), and chemical control (spraying difenoconazole·propiconazole and other chemicals at the early jointing stage). It provides a reference for the control of wheat sheath blight in Xuanzhou and similar regions.

【Objective】This study aimed to explore the effects of multiple cropping green manure combined with different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on the yield and grain quality of spring wheat, so as to provide the theoretical guidance for the construction of chemical fertilizer reduction and high-quality production mode based on green manure in Qinghai province.【Method】The split plot experiment was carried out in the experimental site of the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences of Qinghai University from 2023 to 2024. Two planting patterns were set up in the main area: multiple cropping green manure after wheat (W-G) and leisure after wheat (W), and three nitrogen fertilizer levels in the sub-area included: no nitrogen application (N0), nitrogen fertilizer reduction by 30% (N1, 157.5 kg N·hm^-2), and the local custom of nitrogen application (N2, 225 kg N·hm^-2). Wheat yield and grain quality (grain protein content, sedimentation value, formation time, stability time, wet gluten, etc.) were determined.【Result】The grain yield of spring wheat under W-GN1 treatment was 5.5% and 13.4% higher than that under WN1 in 2023 and 2024, and 2.0% and 5.3% higher than that under WN2 treatment, respectively; the biological yield under W-GN1 in 2023 and 2024 was 5.1% and 10.6% higher than that under WN1, and 1.5% and 4.6% higher than that under WN2, respectively. W-G could obtain higher harvest index than W. The compensation effect of multiple cropping green manure was negative under no nitrogen application level, and it was between 2.0%-14.0% under nitrogen application level. The contribution of multiple cropping green manure combined with 30% reduction of nitrogen fertilizer to increasing crop yield was the best. At the same time, W-GN1 could improve grain quality by increasing grain protein content, sedimentation value, formation time and stabilization time. The grain protein content under W-GN1 treatment was 10.62% and 9.48% higher than that under WN1, respectively. The grain sedimentation value increased by 25.05% and 18.13%, respectively. The grain formation time increased by 34.70% and 8.66%, respectively. The grain stability time increased by 41.30% and 13.68%, respectively. Through principal component analysis, it demonstrated that the multiple cropping of green manure after wheat had a more significant promoting effect in grain protein content, sedimentation value, formation time and stability time.【Conclusion】The grain yield and quality of spring wheat were significantly improved by 30% reduction of nitrogen fertilizer (N1,157.5 kg N·hm^-2) combined with green manure after wheat harvest, which could be used as a suitable planting mode and nitrogen application level for improving quality and stable yield of wheat under the condition of reducing chemical fertilizer in Qinghai Province.

To further improve the grain yield per unit area, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui Province had carried out demonstration planting of rice and wheat intensive cultivation. Its high yield cultivation techniques and the demonstration results were summarized. The high yield cultivation techniques of rice and wheat intensive cultivation include selecting high yield, stable, and early maturing rice and wheat seeds suitable for local planting according to local conditions to ensure the continuity of rice and wheat crop rotation; taking seed treatment measures such as sun drying, seed selection, seed soaking with pesticides, and seed mixing to improve seed germination rate and prevent diseases and pests during the seedling stage; rice seedlings were raised by stacking and darkening, transplanted with pesticides, while wheat was sown by drones and sprayed with paclobutrazol at appropriate times to improve seedling quality; reasonable dense planting to coordinate group growth; adopting soil testing formula fertilization method, rice field water was managed by alternating dry and wet cycles; timely carry out green prevention and control and unified control measures to prevent and control diseases and pests such as rice blast disease, rice false smut, rice stem borer, and wheat Fusarium head blight. From 2023 to 2024, Weiliangyou 8612 was selected as the rice variety and Yangmai 25 as the wheat variety. A demonstration planting of rice and wheat precision farming was carried out in the research area, achieving high yields of rice (12 631.5 kg/hm²) and wheat (8 685.45 kg/hm²), increased production by 11.65% and 26.25% respectively compared to the previous year,and significantly improving planting efficiency. This article provides a reference for promoting the rice and wheat precision farming model in relevant regions.

To clarify the drought resistance of the main wheat varieties cultivated in Shandong Province and to screen out wheat varieties suitable for dryland cultivation, this study used eight varieties, such as 'Jimai 60', as test subjects. Drought stress was simulated using 20% PEG-6000, and changes in various indicators during the germination period were measured. The membership function method was employed to comprehensively evaluate the relative coleoptile length, relative plumule length, relative radicle length, relative germination rate, relative germination potential, and stress germination index. The results showed that drought stress not only reduced the germination rate of wheat seeds but also inhibited the growth of the plumule, coleoptile, and radicle. The D values of the eight varieties were ranked as follows: 'Jimai 60' > 'Linmai 9' > 'Yannong 999' > 'Shannong 30' > 'Shannong 28' > 'Luyuan 502' > 'Yannong 1212' > 'Jimai 22'. Based on the D values, the eight main wheat varieties were classified into three categories: highly drought-resistant varieties were 'Linmai 9' and 'Jimai 60' ; moderately drought-resistant varieties were 'Yannong 999' and 'Shannong 30'; other varieties were sensitive. 'Linmai 9' and 'Jimai 60' are recommended as suitable varieties for dryland cultivation in Shandong Province.

Agricultural productive services as a crucial lever for integrating small farmers into modern agriculture, facilitate small farmers in achieving economies of scale. Drawing upon survey data from 247 wheat farmers in Shandong Province in 2023, this paper initially employed the Logit model to analyze the influencing factors of the adoption of productive services. Subsequently, it utilized the ISM model to stratify these factors for discussion, thereby delineating the decision-making pathway of outsourcing agricultural productive services from the transaction cost perspective. The empirical results showed that service cognition, organizational convenience, own agricultural tools, wheat yield, agricultural technology training, social network, number of disasters, joining cooperatives and paying attention to grain prices significantly influenced farmers’ outsourcing behavior. The decision-making drivers could be categorized into two distinct pathways: ‘externally-driven’ and ‘internally-driven’ mechanisms. In light of these findings, the study proposed three strategic recommendations: establishing a hierarchical service provider network with precision service mechanisms, enhancing the dual-drive system integrating digital empowerment and institutional coordination, and implementing systematic transformation of production factors.

To advance molecular marker-assisted breeding of high yellow pigment (YP) wheat, this study validated the effectiveness of molecular markers associated with key enzymes (PSY, PDS, ZDS, and LCYE) in the YP biosynthesis pathway and oxidative enzymes (LOX, POD) responsible for flour bleaching. This was achieved by measuring flour YP content in 46 wheat varieties (lines). Functional markers YP7A and YP7B2 at the Psy-A1 and Psy-B1 loci, as well as dominant complementary functional markers LOX16 and LOX18 at the Lox-B1 locus, detected distinct allelic variations across the 46 wheat varieties (lines). The differences in mean flour YP content between these allelic variants reached highly significant levels (P<0.01). However, codominant functional markers YP4B1 and YP4B2 at the Pds-B1 locus showed no significant correlation (P=0.063) between allelic variations and flour YP content. Similarly, codominant functional markers POD3A1 and POD3A2 at the Pod-A1 locus revealed no significant differences in YP content between allelic variants, though Pod-A1a materials (low POD activity) exhibited slightly higher mean YP content compared to Pod-A1b materials (high POD activity). Functional markers YP7A, YP7B2, LOX16, and LOX18 are recommended for molecular marker-assisted breeding of high-yellow pigment wheat, whereas codominant markers YP4B1, YP4B2, POD3A1, and POD3A2 should be applied cautiously in such breeding programs.

To evaluate the potential of Bacillus velezensis SX1302 for the biocontrol of wheat Fusarium head blight, plate antagonism assays were conducted to investigate its inhibitory effects against Fusarium graminearum. Additionally, the impacts of different bacterial culture components (cell suspension, cell-free supernatant, heat-treated cell-free supernatant, and cell lysate contents) on F. graminearum growth and deoxynivalenol (DON) production were examined. The field control effect plant growth-promoting traits and its effects on wheat growth of SX1302 were studied. The results demonstrated that B.velezensis SX1302 exhibited strong antagonistic activity against F.graminearum. The cell suspension effectively inhibited spore germination, mycelial growth, and DON production, with inhibition rates of 100%, 68.75%, and 86.89%, respectively. Field trials showed that, compared with spraying PBS, SX1302 treatment reduced the incidence and disease index of wheat Fusarium head blight by 15.20 percentage points and 65.8% , respectively. In terms of growth promotion, SX1302 was capable of producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), solubilizing phosphate, and exhibiting ACC deaminase activity. Compared to sterile water soaking, SX1302 inoculation significantly increased root length, stem height, fresh weight, and dry weight by 24.87%, 31.41%, 44.80%, and 17.91%, respectively. In conclusion, B. velezensis SX1302 possesses dual functionalities, including antagonism against F. graminearum and plant growth promotion, making it a promising candidate for developing microbial biocontrol agents and bio-organic fertilizers.

Cover cropping is a diversifying agricultural practice that can improve soil structure and function by altering the underground litter diversity and soil microbial communities. Here, we tested how a wheat cover crop alters the decomposition of cucumber root litter. A three-year greenhouse litterbag decomposition experiment showed that a wheat cover crop accelerates the decomposition of cucumber root litter. A microcosm litterbag experiment further showed that wheat litter and the soil microbial community could improve cucumber root litter decomposition. Moreover, the wheat cover crop altered the abundances and diversities of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and enriched several putative keystone OTUs, such as Bacillus spp. OTU1837 and Mortierella spp. OTU1236, that were positively related to the mass loss of cucumber root litter. The representative bacterial and fungal strains B186 and M3 were isolated and cultured. In vitro decomposition tests demonstrated that both B186 and M3 had cucumber root litter decomposition activity and a stronger effect was found when they were co-incubated. Overall, a wheat cover crop accelerated cucumber root litter decomposition by altering the soil microbial communities, particularly by stimulating certain putative keystone taxa, which provides a theoretical basis for using cover crops to promote sustainable agricultural development. 

Large grain is a favorable trait for appearance quality and large sink potential in wheat breeding.  A stable QTL QGl.caas-5BS for grain length was previously identified in a recombinant inbred line population from the cross of Zhongmai 871 (ZM871) and its sister line Zhongmai 895 (ZM895).  Here, a BC₁F₆ residual heterozygous line was selected from the cross of ZM871/ZM895//ZM871 population, and six heterozygous recombinant plants were identified in the BC₁F₇ population from self-pollination of the heterozygous line.  QGl.caas-5BS was delimited into an interval of approximately 2.2 Mb flanked by markers Kasp_5B33 and Kasp_5B2 (25.3-27.5 Mb) through phenotyping and genotyping the secondary mapping populations derived from these heterozygous recombinant plants.  Five genes were predicted as candidates of QGl.caas-5BS based on sequence polymorphism and differential expression analyses.  Further mutation analysis showed that TraesCS5B02G026800 is likely the causal gene of QGl.caas-5BS.  A gene-specific marker Kasp_5B_Gl for TraesCS5B02G026800 was developed, and a significant genetic effect of QGl.caas-5BS on grain length was identified in a validation population including 166 cultivars using the marker.  These findings lay a good foundation for map-based cloning of QGl.caas-5BS and provide a breeding-applicable marker for the improvement of grain length in wheat.

Late sowing is a critical factor that hinders achieving high-yield, good-quality wheat under rice-wheat rotation.  Understanding the physiological basis and regulatory pathways that lead to late-sown wheat of high yield and good quality is crucial for developing effective cultivation strategies.  A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing date, nitrogen (N) application rate, and planting density on wheat yield, grain quality, population characteristics, and the underlying physiological factors.  The results revealed significant interactions among the sowing date, planting density, and N application in regulating both yield and quality. Late sowing reduced grain yield primarily by reducing the number of spikes and kernels.  However, the latter was improved by increasing N application and the planting density, thus mitigating the yield losses caused by late sowing.  Moreover, the grain protein content (GPC) and wet gluten content (WGC) increased with delayed sowing dates and higher N rates, but decreased with increased planting densities.  For wheat yields over 9,000 or 7,500 kg ha^–1, the latest sowing date should not be later than Nov. 4 or 15, respectively.  In addition, specific criteria should be met, including a maximum of 1.5 and 1.0 million stems and tillers ha^–1, a maximum leaf area index of 6.7 and 5.5, and a dry matter accumulation (DMA) at anthesis of 14,000 and 12,000 kg ha^–1, respectively. For high-yield, good-quality late-sown wheat, the optimal combination is a 25% increase in the N rate (300 kg N ha^–1) and a planting density of 2.25 million (N300D225) or 3.75 million (N300D375) plants ha^–1 for 10- or 20-day delays in sowing, respectively.  These combinations result in higher leaf net photosynthetic rate; higher activities of leaf nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and grain glutamic pyruvic transaminase; and a lower sugar-N ratio during post-anthesis.

[Objective] Winter wheat yield is crucial for national food security and the standard of living of the population. Existing crop yield prediction models often show low accuracy under disaster-prone climatic conditions. This study proposed an improved hierarchical linear model (IHLM) based on a drought weather index reduction rate, aiming to enhance the accuracy of crop yield estimation under drought conditions. [Methods] HLM was constructed using the maximum enhanced vegetation index-2 (EVI2max), meteorological data (precipitation, radiation, and temperature from March to May), and observed winter wheat yield data from 160 agricultural survey stations in Shandong province (2018－2021). To validate the model's accuracy, 70% of the data from Shandong province was randomly selected for model construction, and the remaining data was used to validate the accuracy of the yield model. HLM considered the variation in meteorological factors as a key obstacle affecting crop growth and improved the model by calculating the relative meteorological factors. The calculation of relative meteorological factors helped reduce the impact of inter-annual differences in meteorological data. The accuracy of the HLM model was compared with that of the random forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models. The HLM model provided more intuitive interpretation, especially suitable for processing hierarchical data, which helped capture the variability of winter wheat yield data under drought conditions. Therefore, a drought weather index reduction rate model from the agricultural insurance industry was introduced to further optimize the HLM model, resulting in the construction of the IHLM model. The IHLM model was designed to improve crop yield prediction accuracy under drought conditions. Since the precipitation differences between Henan and Shandong provinces were small, to test the transferability of the IHLM model, Henan province sample data was processed in the same way as in Shandong, and the IHLM model was applied to Henan province to evaluate its performance under different geographical conditions. [Results and Discussions] The accuracy of the HLM model, improved based on relative meteorological factors (rMF), was higher than that of RF, SVR, and XGBoost. The validation accuracy showed a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.76, a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.60 t/hm², and a normalized RMSE (nRMSE) of 11.21%. In the drought conditions dataset, the model was further improved by incorporating the relationship between the winter wheat drought weather index and the reduction rate of winter wheat yield. After the improvement, the RMSE decreased by 0.48 t/hm², and the nRMSE decreased by 28.64 percentage points, significantly enhancing the accuracy of the IHLM model under drought conditions. The IHLM model also demonstrated good applicability when transferred to Henan province. [Conclusions] The IHLM model developed in this study improved the accuracy and stability of crop yield predictions, especially under drought conditions. Compared to RF, SVR, and XGBoost models, the IHLM model was more suitable for predicting winter wheat yield. This research can be widely applied in the agricultural insurance field, playing a significant role in the design of agricultural insurance products, rate setting, and risk management. It enables more accurate predictions of winter wheat yield under drought conditions, with results that are closer to actual outcomes.

In order to alleviate the problem of water resource shortage in central and southern Hebei Province, we identified high and stable yield wheat varieties suitable for water-saving irrigation conditions in this wheat region. In this experiment, the 2023 national approved new wheat variety ‘Shimai 34’ and the water-saving control variety ‘Shimai 22’ in Hebei Province were used as experimental materials. Under the condition of one irrigation at jointing stage throughout the whole growth period, comprehensive evaluation of various indicators of ‘Shimai 34’ was conducted by measuring yield, stem morphology indicators, stem strength, and quality related parameters. The results showed that the yield of ‘Shimai 34’ was significantly higher than that of ‘Shimai 22’, with an increase of 7.05%. Morphological analysis showed that the plant height and center of gravity height of ‘Shimai 34’ were 10.17% and 14.78% lower than those of ‘Shimai 22’, respectively. The length of the second internode at the base was 21.39% shorter and the diameter was 15.84% longer than those of ‘Shimai 22’. The stem strength, puncture stem strength, plumpness, and lodging resistance index of ‘Shimai 34’ were 54.95%, 18.10%, 21.34%, and 81.98% higher than those of ‘Shimai 22’, respectively. Further quality testing revealed that the grain hardness, wet gluten, and dry gluten content of ‘Shimai 34’ were superior to those of ‘Shimai 22’. Based on the above data, ‘Shimai 34’ shows better high yield, lodging resistance, and quality than the water-saving control variety ‘Shimai 22’ under water-saving irrigation conditions. ‘Shimai 34’ is expected to become the main wheat variety under the water-saving irrigation in Hebei Province.