To screen suitable wheat varieties for promotion and planting in Fengtai County, Anhui Province, variety display demonstration experiments were conducted with 15 wheat varieties including Zhengmai 136, Fengke 1205 and Yannong 19 (CK), analyzing the growth period, tillering dynamics, economic traits, and yield performance of each variety. The results showed that the growth period of each variety was around 214 days; in terms of tillering dynamics, 179-147, Huachengmai 1688, Nongda 761, and Weilong 169 had a relatively high number of tillers during the greening period, ranging from 1.329 to 1.470 million stems/667 m². In terms of economic traits and yield, each variety has an effective ear count of 326 000 to 582 000 ears/667 m², a thousand grain weight of 38.05 to 47.36 g, and a yield of 487.3 to 655.7 kg/667 m², among which Yannong 999, Wankenmai 22, Nongda 761, Weilong 169, and Huachengmai 1688 have higher yields and greater potential for yield increase compared to the control variety Yannong 19.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in wheat farmland is increasing at an alarming rate, posing threats to food security and public health.  Breeding and utilizing wheat varieties characterized by low Cd accumulation levels constitute an effective strategy in the battle against wheat Cd contamination.  The adoption of molecular marker-assisted approaches can greatly expedite the selection and enhancement of wheat varieties with low Cd accumulation.  Nonetheless, research concerning the genes associated with wheat cadmium accumulation remains scarce.  In this study, a high-density 660K SNP array was employed for conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on the grain Cd concentration (GCdC), bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) in 175 wheat germplasms.  The findings revealed 401 significant SNPs identified across three diverse environments.  Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed 30 core quantitative trait loci (QTLs) capable of reliably modulating wheat Cd accumulation phenotypes.  Through gene annotation, transcriptomics, and gene molecular features, four candidate genes (TraesCS7B02G000200, TraesCS4A02G035900, TraesCS4A02G040900, and TraesCS5D02G564000) were identified as potential constituents in the biological process of wheat Cd accumulation.  Furthermore, six wheat germplasms exhibiting low grain Cd accumulation were isolated, and two kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers conducive to breeding selection were developed.  These findings provide valuable genetic resources for cultivating wheat with low Cd accumulation and establish a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying low Cd accumulation in wheat.  The candidate genes and KASP markers elucidated in this research have potential for effective use in genetic enhancement and marker-assisted selection in the breeding of wheat with low Cd accumulation.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) quality is a major focus of wheat breeding, which is influenced by multiple factors. The Huang-Huai wheat region, one of the main wheat-producing areas in China, provides favourable conditions for cultivating wheat cultivars with strong-gluten and medium-strong-gluten. In this study, a systematic assessment of seven crucial quality traits and important genetic loci (Glu-1 and Sec-1) in 436 wheat cultivars in the Huang-Huai wheat region of China by principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) methods showed that the stability time (ST), stretch area (SA), and maximum resistance (MAXR) were identified as three key factors, which significantly influenced wheat quality. Glu-1 and Sec-1 primarily impacted these three traits and subsequently influenced wheat quality. Compared to Glu-A1 and Glu-B1, Glu-D1 has a more significant impact on the comprehensive evaluation value D, principal components PC1-PC3, and the main traits ST, SA and MAXR of PC1. Wheat cultivars carrying the high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) Dx5+Dy10 exhibited a notable improvement in ST, SA, and MAXR traits compared with those carrying HMW-GS Dx2+Dy12, suggesting that Dx5+Dy10 may enhance wheat quality by improving ST, SA, and MAXR. By combining the results of D value, GYT (genotype by yield×trait) index, and HMW-GS score, 20 high-quality and high yield wheat cultivars were identified, which can be used as elite parents for wheat quality breeding.

This paper summarized the key points of water-saving and fertilizer-saving cultivation techniques of wheat in Taihe County, Anhui Province, from the aspects of scientific seed selection, land preparation, pre-sowing seed treatment, and rational sowing. In production, varieties with strong drought resistance such as Yannong 1212 and Annong 98 should be selected. Deep ploughing or subsoiling machines are adopted for land preparation, with an appropriate depth of 25–35 cm. Drought-resistant and water-saving seed coating agents (polyacrylamide) are used for seed dressing, combined with amino acid water-soluble fertilizer. The suitable sowing date is from October 15 to 25, with a sowing depth of 3–5 cm and a row spacing of 20–23 cm. In field management, the application rates are 15–18 kg/667 m⊃2; of nitrogen fertilizer, 10–12 kg/667 m⊃2; of phosphate fertilizer, 8–10 kg/667 m⊃2; of potash fertilizer, and 200–300 kg/667 m⊃2; of organic fertilizer. Topdressing is carried out by drip irrigation with fertilizer application at the jointing stage and booting-filling stage. Integrated control measures, including agricultural control (disease-resistant varieties), physical control (insecticidal lamps, sex attractants), biological control (Bacillus thuringiensis, etc.) and chemical control (tebuconazole, triadimefon, etc.), are used to control pests and diseases such as aphids, wheat moths and root rot. Wheat is harvested from the middle to late dough stage, and then timely dried (moisture content below 12.5%) and stored. This paper provides a reference for the further popularization and application of water-saving and fertilizer-saving cultivation techniques in wheat production.

In this study, a combination of field investigation, questionnaire survey and interview was adopted to investigate wheat cultivation, disease and pest control, and the control application status of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control technologies in 5 representative major wheat-producing areas of Henan Province. Corresponding optimization strategies for the application of UAVs were proposed. The survey results showed that farmland fragmentation among farmers was relatively serious, and wheat and maize were the dominant crops. Diseases, insect pests and weeds such as spider mites (43.48%), powdery mildew (40.86%) and Galium aparine (23.81%) were predominant in the XX area. The three-level response system of “prevention, monitoring and intervention” was commonly adopted for pest control, which was characterized by low efficiency and high labor input. In total, 61.90% of farmers had a general understanding of UAV technologies, while 4.76% of growers knew little about such technologies. In view of the high degree of land fragmentation, insufficient cognition and acceptance of agricultural science and technology, and the need to further improve the UAV control system, corresponding countermeasures were put forward, including integrating scattered cultivated land resources through multiple subjects such as scientific and technological demonstration households, promoting plant protection UAV technologies via multiple channels such as short videos and official WeChat accounts, and strengthening in-depth cooperation among industry-university-research entities including enterprises, universities and research institutions. This paper provides a reference for the prevention and control of wheat diseases, pests and weeds as well as the optimization of UAV application in relevant regions.

To reduce yield losses caused by wheat powdery mildew, this paper summarized the occurrence characteristics of the disease in Qishan County, Shaanxi Province, analyzed the causes of its severe epidemic, and proposed integrated control strategies. The occurrence characteristics of wheat powdery mildew in the study area were early infection before winter, an average disease incidence of 18.5% at the peak occurrence stage, an average disease incidence of 3.67% in dense and vigorous wheat fields, and an average disease incidence in dryland that was 0.4 percentage points higher than that in the tableland irrigation area. Analysis of the occurrence causes indicated that warm winters, relatively high temperatures in early spring and abundant precipitation favored the survival and spread of wheat powdery mildew; the cultivation of wheat varieties with weak disease resistance increased the incidence of powdery mildew to a certain extent; pathogen inoculum accumulated in the soil due to the retention of diseased straw in fields; excessively early sowing dates and excessively high planting densities tended to trigger the outbreak of wheat powdery mildew; compared with the tableland irrigation area, the relatively low level of refined cultivation and management by dryland farmers exacerbated the occurrence and damage degree of wheat powdery mildew in dryland; and uneven fungicide spraying reduced the control efficacy. Accordingly, integrated control measures were proposed, including predicting disease development trends based on meteorological forecasts, selecting resistant varieties such as Xinong 226 according to local production conditions, adopting late sowing at an appropriate date, increasing phosphorus and potassium fertilizer application, and conducting chemical seed dressing and field control with suitable fungicides, so as to ensure safe wheat production and sustainable development.

The study aims to clarify the regulatory mechanisms of different tillage practices on soil physicochemical properties, rhizosphere microbial communities, and wheat yield in wheat fields under a wheat-maize rotation system, thereby providing a scientific basis for the regionalized and precision-oriented optimization of wheat field tillage regimes. Field experiments were conducted in Gaoling and Yanliang Districts of Xi'an, with three tillage treatments: no deep ploughing, deep ploughing combined with straw removal and deep ploughing combined with straw return. Soil physicochemical properties were determined, rhizosphere microbial community composition was analyzed via high-throughput sequencing, and wheat growth traits and yield parameters were measured. Statistical analyses were further performed to elucidate the correlations among the aforementioned variables. The results demonstrated that the no-deep-ploughing treatment significantly increased soil organic matter (Gaoling: 40.22% increase; Yanliang: 35.57% increase), total nitrogen (Gaoling: 56.70% increase; Yanliang: 32.29% increase), and available phosphorus contents in both experimental areas. In contrast, deep ploughing treatments were more conducive to elevating soil electrical conductivity and available potassium contents, with the most pronounced effect being observed in the deep-ploughing+straw-removal group in Yanliang (188.83% increase in available potassium). The impact of straw return on soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content exhibited distinct regional variations. At the phylum level, Pseudomonadota dominated the bacterial communities across all treatments, accounting for 28.78%-38.95% of the total bacterial sequences. Specifically, deep ploughing combined with straw removal enhanced bacterial richness in Gaoling (21.84% increase in the ACE index), whereas no deep ploughing maintained relatively high fungal diversity in both regions. As for the fungal communities, Ascomycota was the dominant phylum, with a relative abundance exceeding 48.99%, and the composition of dominant fungal genera showed significant regional specificity. Redundancy analysis revealed that available potassium and total nitrogen were the core edaphic factors driving the differentiation of rhizosphere microbial communities, collectively explaining 48.23% of the variation in fungal community structure. Correlation analysis indicated that soil electrical conductivity and pH were positively correlated with the relative abundance of plant-growth-promoting bacterial taxa, while soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents were positively associated with that of plant-growth-promoting fungal taxa. Moreover, deep ploughing combined with straw removal significantly improved wheat yield in both areas (Gaoling: 15.64% increase; Yanliang: 15.22% increase) and optimized key plant architecture traits. Tillage practices modulate rhizosphere microbial community structure by altering soil physicochemical properties, with available potassium and total nitrogen serving as the pivotal regulatory factors. The deep-ploughing+straw-removal treatment achieves a synergistic “soil-microbe-crop” interaction in both study regions, representing the optimal tillage regime for wheat production under the local wheat-maize rotation system. Although no deep ploughing helps retain soil nutrient reserves, it compromises wheat yield by reducing the abundance of functional microbial taxa that facilitate crop growth.

【Objective】Drought is one of the key factors causing wheat yield reduction, and developing wheat germplasm with strong drought resistance is a major challenge in current wheat breeding. Spring wheat plays a crucial role in safeguarding national food security. Clarifying the drought resistance of spring wheat germplasm will provide a basis for the exploration of drought resistant genes and drought germplasm innovation in spring wheat.【Method】In this study, a total of 396 spring wheat varieties (lines) treated with drought stress were used to determine the relative water content of leaves, chlorophyll content and leaf area index et al during the grain filling stage, and also measure plant height, spike length, and effective tillers et al in the maturity stage, the drought resistance coefficient of each index was calculated. A comprehensive evaluation of drought resistance for each spring wheat variety (line) was conducted based on descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, membership function method, cluster analysis and correlation analysis. 【Result】Compared with the normal irrigation conditions, all indices of each spring wheat variety in the grain filling stage and maturity stage decreased under drought stress. Among them, plot yield, leaf area index, and biomass showed higher decreases, while chlorophyll content, spike length, and relative water content of leaves exhibited the lower decreases. Significant differences were observed in drought resistance among the different varieties (lines). Under drought stress, the variation coefficient of each relevant index ranged from 6% to 34%, while the variation coefficient of each index ranged from 5% to 34% under normal irrigation condition. Principal component analysis was performed on the drought resistance coefficients of 4 indices at the grain filling stage and 8 indices at the maturity stage, 6 principal components were extracted with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 78.07%. The comprehensive drought resistance coefficient (D value) was calculated using the membership function value, and cluster analysis was conducted based on the D value to classify the 396 spring wheat varieties (lines) into 5 categories, followed by inter-group variance analysis, we found that the spring wheat varieties (lines) with strong drought resistance showed the highest plot yield, and it had the lowest decrease. Meanwhile, correlation analysis between the D value and the drought resistance coefficients of 12 indices revealed that the number of spikelets, biomass, flag leaf area, and effective tillers were considered as the effective comprehensive evaluation indices for spring wheat drought resistance identification. In addition, there were highly significant positive correlations between the relative water content of leaves and plant height, effective tillers, number of spikelets, biomass, the internode length below spike and plot yield, the chlorophyll content exhibited a highly significant correlations with 1000-grain weight, and flag leaf area had a remarkable positive correlations with spike length and 1000-grain weight under normal irrigation conditions. However, under drought stress, there were highly significant positive correlations between the relative water content of leaves and biomass, plot yield and 1000-grain weight, the flag leaf area had a remarkable positive correlations with spike length and biomass. Which indicated a close relationship between drought resistance indices in the grain filling stage and key agronomic indices in the maturity stage for spring wheat. 【Conclusion】There were 20 spring wheat germplasm resources with strong drought resistance that were selected in this study, which showed the highest yield and the lowest yield reduction under drought stress, and the number of spikes, biomass, flag leaf area, and effective tillers could be considered as the effective comprehensive evaluation indices for spring wheat drought resistance identification.

To investigate the impact of various tillage methods on soil properties and winter wheat yield when straw is returned to the field in conjunction with a straw decomposing agent, this study established five experimental treatments: rotary tillage with straw returning (CK), rotary tillage with straw returning (XH), subsoiling with straw returning (SH), subsoiling with straw returning and straw decomposing agent (SH+F), and rotary tillage with straw returning and straw decomposing agent (XH+F). The results indicated that compared to CK, other treatments improved soil pH, reduced soil conductivity and bulk density. Compared to CK, XH and SH treatments exhibited increases in soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium, although these differences were not statistically significant. Conversely, XH+F and SH+F treatments demonstrated significant improvements in soil organic matter, available nitrogen, and available potassium, thereby enhancing soil fertility. Moreover, compared to CK, XH treatment showed a modest increase in soil enzyme activity, whereas SH, XH+F and SH+F treatments significantly elevated the activities of urease, catalase, dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and invertase in the soil. Compared to the CK treatment, the number of spikes, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and theoretical yield increased to varying degrees in all treatments. Specifically, the XH treatment significantly enhanced the 1000-grain weight and theoretical yield. Additionally, SH, XH+F and SH+F treatments significantly boosted the number of spikes, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and theoretical yield per hectare of wheat. Notably, the SH+F treatment demonstrated the highest yield, with a 10.67% increase over the CK treatment. Soil urease activity emerged as the primary factor influencing yield and composition parameters based on correlation analysis. Therefore, soil urease played a pivotal role in determining yield and its composition under the experimental conditions. Considering soil properties and wheat yield, incorporating subsoil straw and implementing straw decomposition proved to be a more suitable tillage approach in this experimental context.

The dry farming area in the upper reaches of Weihe River in Gansu belongs to the semi-arid and semi-humid climate transition region. Soil moisture is the major factor affecting the growth of winter wheat in this region. Exploring the effect of soil moisture on the yield of winter wheat has great practical significance to ensure the food security production in dry farming areas. Based on the observation data of 0-50 cm soil moisture and yield of winter wheat experimental field from 1981 to 2020 in Tianshui Agrometeorological Experimental Station, which was a typical representative station, the variations of soil water and its effect on yield in 1981-2020 were calculated and analyzed by statistical method. The results showed that the variation trend of average soil water storage in 1981-2020 was not significant during the whole growth period of winter wheat in dry farming area in the upper reaches of Weihe River in Gansu. The period of maximum water storage was in the growth stage before winter, and the period of minimum water storage was from jointing stage to heading stage. The water storage showed a significant decreasing trend in 2010-2020 in the growth stage before winter of winter wheat, and it showed an increasing trend during the heading stage to maturity stage. The change of soil water content in each soil layer showed a sine wave trend with time, while the lowest soil water content in the plough layer was in early-May, and that in the deeper layer was in mid-May. The mid-June was the period with the lowest soil water storage during the whole growth period of winter wheat, and the accumulative dissipation was increasing fastest in this period. The thousand-grain weight and grouting speed of winter wheat in rainy years were generally higher and faster than those in dry years. Mid-July to early-September and early-Mar to mid-June were two most significant positive effect periods of soil water storage on yield, while the negative effect period was from late-June to early-July. The influence period of high altitude planting area is about 10 days later than that of low altitude area. The flowering and filling stage of winter wheat, which is late-May to mid-June, is the most affected period by water stress.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of soybean phospholipid amendments on crop yield and crop nutrients uptake, providing references for the crop yield and soil fertility improvement in the northwestern Shandong Province. A field experiment with five treatments was conducted in 2022 in Dezhou City, Shandong Province. The treatments were as follows: conventional management (T1), additional application of 300 kg/hm² (T2) and 600 kg/hm² (T3) soybean phospholipid amendments on the basis of T1, 20% (T4) and 30% (T5) reduction in chemical fertilizer input on the basis of T3. Crop yield, crop nutrient uptake and soil nutrient content were measured to evaluate the effects of soybean phospholipid amendments on crop yield and soil fertility. Compared with T1, T3 and T4 significantly increased maize yield by 11.3% and 16.0% through enhancing kernels per row and kernels per ear, while no significant effect was observed in T2 and T5. Wheat yield was significantly increased by 0.56 and 0.51 t/hm² through enhancing spike numbers. The application of soybean phospholipid amendments can increase soil available phosphorus content and plant phosphorus uptake. T3, T4 and T5 showed 31.0%-55.2% and 12.5%-15.4% enhancement in phosphorus uptake compared with T1 for maize and wheat, respectively. Therefore, in the maize-wheat rotation system of northwestern Shandong, it is recommended to apply 600 kg/hm² soybean phospholipid amendments on the basis of conventional management or with 20% reduction of chemical fertilizer.

This paper systematically reviewed the breeding process, characteristics and supporting cultivation techniques of wheat variety Wankenmai 66. As a semi-winter wheat variety, it was bred through sexual hybridization combined with the pedigree selection method., using the F₁ hybrid of Caizhi9888 and Wanmai 50 as the female parent and Jimai 22 as the male parent, and was approved by the Anhui Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2024 (Approval No. Wanshenmai 2024T018). Its total growth period is 223.7 days, with semi‑prostrate seedlings, and the yield components (spikes per mu, grains per spike, and 1000‑kernel weight) are well balanced. Resistance and quality evaluations from 2020 to 2022 showed moderate resistance to moderate susceptibility to Fusarium head blight, moderate susceptibility to moderate resistance to powdery mildew, and susceptibility to sheath blight. It is classified as a medium-gluten wheat in terms of quality type. In the 2020-2022 regional trials and production tests, its average yield ranged from 568.2 to 673.1 kg/667 m², 5.73%-7.38% higher than that of the control Jimai 22. The supporting cultivation techniques included seed coating and straw returning before sowing, suitable sowing date from October 15 to 25, seeding rate of 12.5-15 kg/667 m² and sowing depth of 3-5 cm, deep application of base fertilizer, emphasis on phosphate fertilizer, rational application of potassium fertilizer and the nitrogen application principle of “light at early stage, none at middle stage and heavy at late stage”, pre-emergence soil sealing and chemical weed control, prevention and control of sheath blight, crown rot, red spider, aphids and other diseases and pests at the 3-leaf-1-heart stage, early jointing stage and heading stage, optimized field management to prevent waterlogging and dry-hot wind, and harvesting when the grain moisture content drops to 16%. This study provides a reference for high yield and high quality cultivation of Wankenmai 66.

To establish an efficient method for the determination of aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ (AFB₁, AFB₂, AFG₁, AFG₂) in wheat flour, this study systematically optimized sample pretreatment and chromatographic conditions based on high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). The results showed that acetonitrile–water (80∶20, v/v) combined with sodium chloride salting-out as the extraction solvent significantly improved the recovery of target analytes. After purification with immunoaffinity columns and derivatization with trifluoroacetic acid, matrix interferences were effectively removed. Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, the four aflatoxins exhibited good linearity in the concentration range of 0.1–20.0 ng/mL, with correlation coefficients (r²) all greater than 0.999 9. Method validation results indicated that the limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.008 to 0.017 ng/g, and the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.026–0.055 ng/g. At spiked levels of 0.5–5.0 ng/mL, the average recoveries were 80.2%–89.5%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) all less than 2.0%. The RSD of the six-replicate stability test was below 1.5%, and the RSD for quality control sample analysis was less than 0.12%, demonstrating good method stability. In conclusion, the developed method featured simple pretreatment, high sensitivity, and satisfactory accuracy, and was suitable for the trace determination of multiple aflatoxins in wheat flour.

Following the implementation of China's "Zero-Growth Action Plan on Fertilizers" in 2015, research has predominantly focused on replacing synthetic fertilizers with organic amendments to address over-fertilization concerns. However, insufficient attention has been given to the sustainable supply capacity of soil residual nutrients accumulated from previous over-fertilization. To investigate the transformation dynamics and supply capacity of residual nutrients during crop production, a 6-year field experiment was conducted in the dryland wheat growing region of China's Loess Plateau. Five treatments were established: farmer's fertilization (FF), regulated fertilization (RF), regulated fertilization without N (RF-N), regulated fertilization without P (RF-P), and regulated fertilization without K (RF-K). The study examined wheat yield formation, variations and stability of soil N, P, and K fractions, and their correlations with yield. Results indicated that wheat yield sensitivity to nutrient deficiency followed the sequence N>P>K. During the six-year period, the average yield under RF-N decreased by 22.0% compared to RF, showing statistical significance (P<0.05). Mineral N, light fraction organic N (LFON), and heavy fraction organic N (HFON) in RF-N showed progressive decline relative to RF and initial 2018 levels. Dissolved organic N (DON) and easily oxidizable organic N (EON) in RF-N initially decreased but subsequently increased due to N fraction transformations. Under RF-P, H₂O-P, NaHCO₃-P, and NaOH-P levels decreased by 40.0, 51.5, and 10.3% respectively (P<0.05) compared to the RF treatment, while HCl-P, residual P, and total P (TP) remained stable. The absence of K application (RF-K) reduced water-soluble K (WSK) by 10.9% (P<0.05), whereas exchangeable K (EK), non-exchangeable K (NEK), mineral K (MK), and total K (TK) showed no significant changes compared to the RF treatment. These findings demonstrated that the soil nitrogen pool exhibits lower stability compared to phosphorus and potassium pools during continuous residual nutrient supply. Notably, NO₃-N and LFON significantly influenced spike number and kernels per spike, driving yield formation. This research advances our understanding of sustained residual nutrient supply capacity in soil and provides theoretical foundations for optimizing fertilization strategies in dryland agroecosystems.

Winter wheat is a key staple crop in Northwest China, yet optimizing its productivity and economic returns remains a challenge due to water constraints and suboptimal planting densities.  This study evaluates the combined effects of irrigation strategies and planting density (PD) on winter wheat yield, resource-use efficiency, and net economic benefits (NEB).  A two-year field experiments were conducted under four irrigation treatments (I1, no irrigation; I2, before winter and jointing; I3, jointing; I4, jointing and anthesis) and three PD treatments (PD1, 562.5×10⁴ plants ha^-1; PD2, 375 ×10⁴ plants ha^-1; PD3, 187.5×10⁴ plants ha^-1).  Through field trials, we identified optimal water-saving irrigation regimes and planting densities that maximize grain yield while enhancing water productivity. Our results demonstrated that lower PD (187.5×10⁴ plants ha⁻⊃1;) under reduced irrigation significantly improved dry matter accumulation (DMA), SPAD, and leaf area index (LAI), leading to higher grain yield.  Moderate irrigation at the jointing stage (I3) enhanced grain yield in higher planting densities by up to 18.42% compared to other irrigation regimes, while the highest overall yield (6,310 kg ha⁻⊃1;) was achieved in medium PD under I3 irrigation.  Water-use efficiency (WUE) was significantly improved by reducing irrigation at specific growth stages, mitigating excessive evapotranspiration.  The PD3-I3 achieved the highest NEB, exceeding I1, I2, and I4 by 11.9, 18.4, and 16.4% in 2022-23, and by 15.1, 14.0, and 8.4% in 2023-24, respectively.  The findings provide practical insights for sustainable wheat production, ensuring higher profitability while conserving water resources.  Implementing optimized irrigation and PD strategies offers a strategic pathway to improving food security and farm income in the semi-arid regions of Northwest China.

This study examined the involvement of cytokinins in the process by which moderate water limitation (MWL) mediates nitrogen (N) remobilization from source to sink during the grain-filling phase in wheat.  Field experiments were performed using N application rates of low (LN), medium (MN), and high (HN).  Two soil moisture regimes were implemented for each N rate: conventional well-watered (CWW) and MWL post anthesis. The MWL application optimized N, total free amino acids (FAA), trans-zeatin (Z)+trans-zeatin riboside (ZR) reallocation from the source organs (stems and leaves) to the sink organ (spikes) in wheat.  Compared to those in the CWW regime, the activities of proteolytic enzymes, including endopeptidase, carboxypeptidase and aminopeptidase within stems and leaves, and the expression levels of total FAA transporter genes in spikes were significantly elevated in the MWL regime, showing a close correlation with the Z+ZR levels in the spikes.  Application of kinetin to stems and leaves significantly inhibited proteolytic enzyme activity, promoting N retention in stems and leaves, decreasing N accumulation in the sink organ, and reducing the N harvest index.  In contrast, the applying kinetin to spikes significantly upregulated expression levels of FAA transporter genes, reducing N retention in stems and leaves, increasing N accumulation in the sink organ, and raising the N harvest index.  Such facilitation induced by the MWL in remobilization of N from source to sink was greater at HN than at LN or MN.  Results demonstrate that post-anthesis MWL can significantly intensify the remobilization of N from source to sink, while also synergistically enhancing grain yield and N use efficiency through strategically redistributing cytokinins (Z+ZR) between source and sink in wheat.

Ensuring the provision of adequate and nutritious food for humans through sustainable agricultural development poses a major challenge.  Optimized nitrogen supply is one of the key factors to improve crop grain yield and quality.  Green manure is often used to optimize nitrogen supply in crop production, but it is unclear whether green manure maintains grain yield and quality of spring wheat while reducing chemical nitrogen input.  A split-plot field experiment of various varieties of green manure and mixed cropping green manure was established in an arid area since 2018.  This study aimed to explore the feasibility of mixed common vetch and hairy vetch, which could simultaneously maintain high nutrition production and grain quality of spring wheat to reduce chemical nitrogen input and reveal the mechanism of nitrogen metabolism.  We discussed the effects of green manure and reduced chemical nitrogen on nutrition yields, amino acid contents, vitamin B contents, mineral contents, and processing quality of spring wheat grain, as well as nitrogen accumulation, remobilization, and assimilation from 2020 to 2022.  Our results showed that reduced chemical nitrogen input decreased nutrition production, but green manure could increase protein and starch yields of wheat grain.  HCVN2 (mixed hairy vetch and common vetch under 20% nitrogen reduction) displayed higher protein and starch yields, which increased by 35.9 and 16.2% compared to fallow after wheat harvest and conventional nitrogen application (FN3).  Meanwhile, reduced chemical nitrogen decreased wheat grain quality, but green manure improved wheat grain quality. HCVN2 had higher wheat grain quality, which improved by 13.2 and 10.0% in essential amino acid and non-essential amino acid contents, enhanced by 20.0 and 22.2% in vitamin B and zinc contents, and increased by 14.0 and 8.6% in falling number and wet gluten compared to FN3, respectively.  HCVN2 could simultaneously improve the nutritional production and quality of wheat grain.  This was attributed to significantly increasing nitrogen accumulation and distribution in grain, enhancing the contribution rate of leaf, stem-sheath, and cob-glume nitrogen to grain nitrogen, and promoting the activities of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase, respectively.  Therefore, mixed sown green manure under reduced chemical nitrogen by 20% was promising for improving nutrition production and quality of spring wheat grain by promoting nitrogen accumulation, remobilization, and assimilation.

Wheat is a staple cereal crop that is crucial for food security and human health.  Improving wheat quality has become an essential task for breeders to meet escalating market demand.  In this study, a set of wheat-Aegilops tauschii introgression lines was developed from a cross between the high-yielding wheat variety Jimai 22 and Ae. tauschii Y215.  A high-density genetic map containing 2,727 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was constructed using a 55K SNP array to conduct quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for grain quality-related traits.  Eight QTL were identified for grain protein content (GPC), starch content, and wet gluten content in the two environments.  Among them, a major and environmentally stable QTL, qGPC4D, for GPC was identified, with favorable alleles contributed by Ae. tauschii Y215.  Subsequently, qGPC4D was narrowed down to a 9.88 Mb physical interval through further fine mapping utilizing the introgression lines.  Additionally, three linked SNP of qGPC4D were converted into high-throughput kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers and validated in the introgression population.  These findings offer promising candidate genes, elite introgression lines, and KASP markers for wheat high-quality breeding. 

To address dietary zinc deficiency in populations dependent on wheat, publications related to wheat grain zinc and zinc fertilizers in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, 172 articles) and the Web of Science Core Collection (660 articles) from 1995 to 2024 were analyzed and visualized using CiteSpace and VOSviewer based on the bibliometric analysis. The study examined the top 10 contributing countries, institutions, and journals, as well as the top 10 most-cited publications and authors. Research hotspots were found by the keyword co-occurrence, cluster analysis, and timeline evolution, and international collaboration patterns were also identified. Results showed that English research focused on heavy metals and agronomic biofortification, whereas Chinese studies emphasized foliar zinc fertilization and grain quality. Timeline analysis revealed two phases in Chinese research: studies on grain quality, phytic acid, zinc concentration, and zinc speciation (2005-2016), followed by grain zinc uptake, novel zinc fertilizers, and zinc spray application methods(2016-2024). Similarly, English research early interested in wheat micronutrients, deficiency symptoms, nutrition, yield, and reproduction (1995-2015), and then concentrated on wheat zinc, zinc fertilizer application methods, yield enhancement, and reproduction (2016-2024). Pakistan, Australia, the United States, Canada, and Turkey were connected closely with China in the international collaboration network. From 1995 to 2024, global publication about wheat grain zinc was increased gradually, the publication and citation impact were obvious lead in Australia, the United States, China, and Pakistan. Although China produces a high number of publications in this field, it lacks high-impact, authoritative studies. Strengthening international research collaboration is efficiency to enhance the quality and influence for the future work.

To investigate the effects of different zinc fertilizer application rates on the yield and quality of wheat. Using the wheat cultivar Yangmai 25 as the material, 5 treatments with varying zinc sulfate application rates were designed: CK (no zinc fertilizer), T1 (1 kg/667 m²), T2 (2 kg/667 m²), T3 (3 kg/667 m²), and T4 (5 kg/667 m²). The wheat yield, quality, and economic benefits under different treatments were measured. The results indicated that the grain yield across all treatments ranged from 306 to 372 kg/667 m², with the highest yield being recorded in the T2 treatment. Regarding quality, the T1 treatment produced the highest values for several key parameters, including test weight (798.23 g/L), hardness (58.46%), dough stability time (7.12 min), sedimentation value (25.92 mL), wet gluten content (26.14%), protein content (13.95%), extensibility (95.83 mm), extension area (70.04 cm²), and maximum resistance to extension (273.26 B.U.), indicating superior quality. In terms of economic benefit, the net return across treatments ranged from 533.25 to 706.65 yuan/667 m², with the highest return also being achieved in the T2 treatment. For practical production, an appropriate fertilization method can be selected based on specific industry demands for wheat yield or quality. This study provides a scientific reference for achieving high yield and good quality in wheat production.

To investigate the effects of straw and nitrogen fertilizer application on soil fertility and nitrogen absorption in wheat, a two-factor experimental design of straw × nitrogen fertilizer was adopted, with a total of six treatments. Among them, straw had 2 gradient levels: no addition (0) and addition (2 g/kg); nitrogen fertilizer included 3 types: nitrate nitrogen (sodium nitrate), ammonium nitrogen (ammonium chloride), and amide nitrogen (urea). Soil nutrient content, soil enzyme activity, wheat agronomic traits, and wheat plant nitrogen content were measured. The results showed that the order of the effects of equal amounts of different forms of nitrogen fertilizers on soil fertility and wheat growth was amide nitrogen fertilizer > nitrate nitrogen fertilizer > ammonium nitrogen fertilizer. Compared with the separate treatment without straw addition, the contents of total nitrogen, organic matter, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen, as well as the activities of soil urease, sucrase and phosphatase, were increased to varying degrees in the amide nitrogen fertilizer, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen treatments combined with straw. The total dry weight of wheat in the amide nitrogen fertilizer plus straw treatment was 11.55% higher than that in the amide nitrogen fertilizer-only treatment. Compared with the treatment without straw addition, the wheat nitrogen uptake in the amide nitrogen fertilizer, nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen treatments combined with straw was increased by 20.19%, 17.69% and 18.12%, respectively. In conclusion, the combination of amide nitrogen fertilizer and straw application can effectively improve soil fertility, promote wheat growth and development, and increase nitrogen uptake. It is the optimal nitrogen fertilizer form for combination application model. This paper provides a reference for the development of an efficient nitrogen fertilizer management model.

To systematically promote multi-gene pyramiding breeding, this study reviewed the mapping methods, mapping achievements, challenges, and prospects of leaf rust resistance (Lr) genes in wheat. In the identification of disease resistance genes, numerous wheat leaf rust resistance genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance have been mapped using gene mapping strategies, including the construction of genetic linkage maps, genome-wide association study (GWAS), mutant library screening, and transcriptome sequencing. Some Lr genes were derived from wheat relatives, and most of the named Lr genes were seedling resistance genes. Several of these genes have been applied in breeding practice via marker-assisted selection. However, the large and complex wheat genome, the breakdown of most identified Lr genes by the pathogen, and the insufficient development of molecular markers have limited the efficient utilization of disease resistance genes. In the future, the combined application of multi-gene pyramiding, gene editing technology, regional germplasm resource sharing, and intelligent cultivation techniques is expected to breed high-quality wheat varieties with high and stable yield as well as broad-spectrum resistance. This paper provides a reference for the mining and breeding utilization of wheat leaf rust resistance genes.

In order to deeply understand the characteristics of yield formation and dry matter transport of wheat varieties in Shandong Province during the 1950s–2010s, 8 wheat varieties were selected for field tests, including Bima No.1, Jinan No.2, Taishan No.1, Lumai No.1, Yannong 19, Jimai 22, Tanmai 98, and Luyuan 502. The yield and its components, dry matter translocation characteristics, and changes in dry matter allocation among different organs of these varieties were comparatively analyzed. The results indicated that with variety improvement, wheat yield, grains per spike, and thousand-kernel weight showed an increasing trend, while the number of spikes remained relatively stable. The contribution rate of pre-anthesis dry matter storage and translocation to grain decreased, while the contribution rate of post-anthesis dry matter accumulation gradually increased. The proportion of dry matter allocated to leaves and spikes increased, while that allocated to stems decreased, indicating enhanced sink capacity and source strength in wheat. Coordinating yield components, promoting the re-translocation of pre-anthesis stored substances based on ensuring post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, and optimizing source-sink structure were identified as important objectives for future high yield wheat breeding.

【Objective】 The zinc (Zn) uptake and translocation in wheat have a significant impact on grain Zn concentration. The aim of this study was to understand the relationships between pre-anthesis and post-anthesis Zn uptake and translocation, grain Zn concentration, and Zn rates across different regions, so as to provide the support to the scientific application of Zn fertilizer and the enhancement of wheat grain Zn biofortification.【Method】 Based on the location-fixed field experiment initiated in major wheat-growing regions of China at 2022, including Yongshou of Shaanxi, Baixiang of Hebei, Zitong of Sichuan, and Shucheng of Anhui, soil available Zn concentration, wheat yield, biomass, yield components and Zn concentration in various plant parts were analyzed to understand the regions varies for grain Zn concentration, pre-and post-anthesis Zn uptake, and transportation responses to different Zn application rates during the wheat growing season of 2023-2024.【Result】 The grain yield and yield components did not change with Zn application, but grain Zn concentration increased significantly. The biofortified target of 40.0 mg·kg^-1 and the highest of 51.7 and 80.7 mg·kg^-1 was achieved respectively in Sichuan and Anhui, but Shaanxi and Hebei could not, with the highest of 32.2 and 34.5 mg·kg^-1, respectively. For each 1.0 kg Zn·hm^-2 input, Zn uptake in pre-anthesis increased by 9.8, 7.4, 3.0, and 3.0 g·hm^-2 at Anhui, Sichuan, Hebei, and Shaanxi, respectively; Zn uptake in post-anthesis increased by 9.8, 8.3, and 0.97 g·hm^-2 at Sichuan, Anhui, and Hebei, respectively, but no significant increase was found in Shaanxi; Zn translocation in post-anthesis increased by 5.6 and 2.5 g·hm^-2 at Anhui and Shaanxi, respectively, and decreased by 1.6 g·hm^-2 at Sichuan, but no significant increase was found in Hebei. For the Zn uptake and translocation efficiencies, with each 1.0 kg Zn·hm^-2 input, the increase of 0.71, 0.53, 0.47, and decrease of 0.40 percentage points in pre-anthesis Zn uptake efficiency was observed at Shaanxi, Hebei, Anhui and Sichuan, respectively; the decrease of 0.71, 0.53, 0.47, and increase of 0.40 percentage points in post-anthesis Zn uptake efficiency was observed at Shaanxi, Hebei, Anhui and Sichuan, respectively; the decrease of 1.41 and 0.44 percentage points in post-anthesis Zn translocation efficiency was observed at Sichuan and Hebei, respectively, but not decrease in Shaanxi and Anhui; the decrease of 0.06 and 0.13 in anthesis Zn transfer index from root to shoot was observed at Sichuan and Anhui, respectively, but not decrease in Shaanxi and Hebei. 【Conclusion】 Wheat grain Zn biofortification was collectively influenced by Zn uptake and translocation processes. Compared with efficiencies of the pre-anthesis and post-anthesis Zn uptake, Zn uptake contribution, post-anthesis Zn translocation, and translocation contribution, the pre-anthesis and post-anthesis Zn uptake and translocation exhibited greater impacts by regions variations of wheat grain Zn concentration. Zn fertilization increased pre-anthesis and post-anthesis Zn uptake, while its effect on post-anthesis Zn translocation varied with regions. Compared with post-anthesis Zn translocation, the pre-anthesis and post-anthesis Zn uptake, exhibited greater impacts in wheat grain Zn concentration, particularly the post-anthesis Zn uptake. Therefore, enhancing the soil Zn supply capacity in main wheat production regions of China and promoting Zn uptake in wheat, particularly post-anthesis Zn uptake, could effectively increase grain Zn concentration and achieve the wheat Zn biofortification target.

Nitrogen is a key nutrient for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and yield, particularly during the grain-filling stage, where most nitrogen is redistributed from vegetative organs to the grain, significantly influencing yield.  However, the period in which nitrogen translocation from the vegetative phase to grain maturation occurs and its correlation with flag leaf senescence remains unclear.  In this study, a field experiment was conducted using the winter wheat cultivar ‘Xinong 511’ under two nitrogen fertilizer treatments: regular nitrogen supply (240 kg ha^-1 [N₂₄₀]) and no nitrogen supply (0 kg ha^-1 [N₀]).  The results revealed that nitrogen accumulation in wheat flag leaves peaked at 7-14 days, with 4.55% nitrogen content, after which nitrogen was redistributed to the grains.  Nitrogen content in flag leaves decreased by 56% during 21-35 days, while that in the grains increased by 51%.  The Plant Analysis Development value (relative chlorophyll content), photosynthetic rate, free amino acid concentration, and soluble protein content in flag leaves peaked at 7-14 days, indicating nitrogen transportation from the flag leaves to the grains.  Nitrogen application significantly increased the nitrogen remobilization rate in flag leaves by 20% compared with that of N₀, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation by 21%, and delayed flag leaf senescence.  Under nitrogen deficiency, autophagy was induced earlier, with a 5–7-fold increase in the expression of autophagy-related genes (TaATG8), suggesting that regulating the autophagy pathway and enhancing autophagy activity optimizes nitrogen fertilization.  Our study demonstrates that the remobilization of nitrogen from vegetative parts to grains initiates leaf senescence and is closely correlated with the expression of autophagy-related genes.

Global climate warming is characterized by diurnal and seasonal asymmetry, with greater increases at nighttime and in winter and spring, and growing evidence has recognized that night-warming in winter and spring significantly impacts winter wheat production.  Pre-crop straw returning is the principal method for straw utilization currently and in the future, but the interactions between straw returning and night-warming on wheat yield and NUE (N use efficiency) still remain elusive.  Here, a consecutive three-year field experiment with two straw treatments (S0, straw removal; S1, straw returning) and two warming treatments (W0, no warming control; W1, night-warming) found that both S1 and W1 improved wheat grain yield and NUE, with W1 exhibiting more pronounced improvements.  Notably, the interaction between S1 and W1 (S1W1) further enhanced yield and NUE by 13.0 and 16.5% compared to S0W0 through increasing grain number and 1,000-grain weight, respectively (three-year average).  Additionally, root growth and topsoil inorganic N content exhibited reductions in S1 before jointing, thus reducing plant dry matter and N accumulation.  However, W1 exhibited an opposite trend, thereby mitigating these negative effects.  Simultaneously, under S1W1, increased N translocation to grain and post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, driven by greater N distribution to leaves and higher N metabolism enzyme activity, enhanced both yield and NUE.  This improvement was supported by better root morphology and biomass, particularly in the 0−40 cm soil layer, boosting plant N absorption.  Additionally, elevated soil N-acquiring enzyme activity after jointing increased the net N mineralization rate and microbial biomass N, enhancing soil N-supply capacity.  As a result, post-jointing inorganic N content rose in the 0−20 cm layer while decreasing at 20−60 cm, thus reducing the apparent N surplus.  Collectively, straw returning, night-warming, and their interactions enhanced more root distribution and N-supply capacity after jointing in the topsoil layer to increase plant N uptake and its translocation to grains, along with post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, ultimately improving grain yield and NUE.

To screen the suitable sowing date and planting density combination for ‘Xinmai 58’, a two factor split field experiment was conducted in the National Agricultural High Tech Zone Demonstration Park in Dancheng County, Henan Province from 2023 to 2024, with the sowing dates (October 17, October 25, November 1, November 8) being the main area and the sowing amounts (150 kg/hm², 187.5 kg/hm², 225 kg/hm²) being the sub area, to explore the effects of different sowing dates and planting densities on the growth stage, population at different stages, dry matter accumulation, plant height, yield, and yield of ‘Xinmai 58’. The results indicate that: as the sowing periodis postponed, all growth stages are delayed, but the growth period is shortened, and the impact of planting density on the growth period is relatively small. The impact of different sowing periods on the population at different stages is relatively small, and sowing amountis the main factor affecting the population. The effects of different treatments on dry matter weight and yield are inconsistent. Late sowing affects dry matter accumulation, but increasing sowing amount can compensate for the loss of yield. The main factor affecting the number of spikes is sowing amount, and sowing date has a significant impact on the number of grains per ear, thousand grain weight, and plant height. Different treatments and their interactions result in significant differences in yield. The suitable sowing period for ‘Xinmai 58’ is from October 17th to 25th, with a suitable sowing amount of 187.5 kg/hm². If the sowing period is too late,, increasing the sowing amount appropriately can improve the yield level.

To investigate the effects of combinations of fertilizer, microbial inoculant and immune inducer on soil carbon and nitrogen contents and wheat yield, Shengmai 711 was used as the test wheat variety. In terms of experimental design, 7 treatments were established, including organic compound fertilizer (D), Trichoderma compound microbial inoculant (J), immune inducer (Z), combined application of organic compound fertilizer and immune inducer (DZ), combined application of organic compound fertilizer and Trichoderma compound microbial inoculant (DJ), combined application of Trichoderma compound microbial inoculant and immune inducer (JZ), and combined application of organic compound fertilizer, Trichoderma compound microbial inoculant and immune inducer (DJZ), with the treatment of applying the compound fertilizer commonly used by local farmers, no microbial inoculant applied and foliar application of clear water set as the control (CK). In terms of experimental methods, soil samples from 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 cm layers were collected at the jointing stage, flowering stage and maturity stage of wheat by the “S”-shaped sampling method, and the contents of soil total nitrogen, organic carbon, urease activity, ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) as well as wheat yield were determined. The results showed that under the DJZ treatment, the total nitrogen content in the 0-30 cm soil layer (from shallow to deep) at the maturity stage increased by 51.42%, 46.85% and 93.41% respectively compared with the CK. Soil organic carbon content in all soil layers was higher under DJZ treatment at the jointing, flowering and harvest stages. The soil urease activity was relatively high at the flowering stage, and the DJZ treatment had higher urease activity in the 0-50 cm soil layer than other treatments. Overall, the contents of NH₄-N and NO₃-N in each soil layer at the maturity stage and flowering stage were lower than those at the jointing stage. Under the DJZ treatment, the NH₄-N content in all soil layers at the flowering stage and harvest stage was higher than that in the CK. For NO₃-N content, it was higher in all soil layers under the DJZ treatment than in the CK treatment at the jointing stage and harvest stage, except for the 20–30 cm soil layer at the harvest stage. The wheat yield under all treatments was higher than that of the CK treatment; among these treatments, the DJZ treatment resulted in the highest number of spikes per unit area (283 300 spikes/hm⊃2;) and the highest yield (5 698.14 kg/hm⊃2;). In conclusion, the combined application of organic compound fertilizer, Trichoderma compound microbial inoculant and immune inducer improved the physical and chemical properties of soil, increased the contents of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the 0-50 cm soil layer at the jointing, flowering and harvest stages, elevated NH₄-N content in the 0-50 cm soil layer at the harvest stage, and enhanced urease activity in the 0-50 cm soil layer at the flowering and harvest stages, thus contributing to increase wheat yield.

This paper systematically reviewed and analyzed the characteristics of wheat wide-precision sowing technology and its impacts on wheat growth and yield. As a high yield sowing technology centered on expanding sowing width and increasing row spacing (the planting row spacing was increased to 22–25 cm and the sowing width was expanded to 8–10 cm), it adopted the method of dispersed grain sowing (with a seeding rate of 112.5 kg/hm⊃2;). This technology enabled precise and uniform sowing of wheat seeds as well as one-time soil compaction operation, while reducing production costs. The specific effects of this technology on wheat growth and yield were as follows: under this technical mode, wheat seedlings emerged evenly with consistent growth, which improved seed survival rate and seedling emergence rate; it effectively optimized the ventilation and light transmission conditions among wheat plants, and the above-ground and below-ground indexes of wheat, such as tiller number, heading rate, root length density and root weight density, were all higher than those under conventional sowing; it fully utilized light resources, improved the utilization efficiency of water and fertilizers, and realized the efficient utilization of environmental resources; it significantly increased yield-related indexes including grain weight per spike and 1 000-grain weight of wheat, thus achieving the goal of high yield. This paper aims to provide a reference for the further popularization and application of wide-precision sowing technology for wheat by integrating existing research findings.

Liangxing 77 was used as the test wheat cultivar, and the field efficacy trials were conducted in Yinma Town (A), Fuchun Town (B) and Yanshi Town (C) of Juancheng County, Shandong Province. 4 treatments were set up, including 40% carbendazim SC at 1 875 g/hm⊃2; (T1), 430 g/L tebuconazole SC at 450 g/hm⊃2; (T2), 25% phenamacril SC at 2 400 g/hm⊃2; (T3), and water control (CK), with the first and second pesticide applications carried out on April 25 and 29, 2022, respectively, followed by investigations of the incidence of diseased spikes, control efficacy against diseased spikes, disease index, and control efficacy based on disease index for each treatment; strains were isolated, collected and identified from sites A, B and C in 2023 and 2024, and after activation, the tested strains were inoculated onto drug-free potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium (control plates) and drug-containing PDA medium (treatment plates) to determine the resistance frequency for evaluating the resistance level of Fusarium graminearum; the results showed that across the three test sites, the incidence of diseased spikes and disease index of all chemical treatments followed the order of T1 > T2 > T3, whereas the control efficacy against diseased spikes and that based on disease index showed the opposite order of T3 > T2 > T1; the resistance frequency of the pathogen causing wheat Fusarium head blight to carbendazim exceeded 50% in sites A and C (except for site C in 2024), that to tebuconazole was relatively high in site A, while the overall resistance frequency to phenamacril was low; correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between the pathogen resistance level and the field control efficacy of the fungicides, and this study provides a theoretical basis for the sustainable control of wheat Fusarium head blight, recommending the rotation of fungicides with high efficacy and low resistance risk as well as the strengthening of resistance monitoring and rational application of fungicides with emerging resistance trends.

【Objective】This study aimed to develop novel glyphosate-resistant wheat germplasm using EMS mutagenesis to mitigate weed infestation in wheat fields. Resistant mutant plants were selected through field screening, and the mutation profiles of the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene as well as optimal application conditions were characterized, offering a practical approach for breeding glyphosate-resistant wheat varieties.【Method】A mutant population was generated by treating newly germinated seeds of Zhenmai 9 with EMS mutagenesis. Resistant mutants were isolated through multiple rounds of glyphosate screening in the field across M₂ and M₃ generations. Promising lines, including GR1, GR19, and GR23, were identified via pedigree selection, combined with yield and resistance phenotype screening. Mutation sites in the EPSPS gene were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing, while expression levels of TaEPSPS-4A, TaEPSPS-7A, and TaEPSPS-7D were analyzed using RT-qPCR. Field trials involving different glyphosate doses and application growth stages were conducted to systematically evaluate herbicide efficacy and determine the appropriate dosage and timing for safe application.【Result】The resistance mutant frequency in the M₂ population was 6.53×10^-6. In the M₃ generation, 43 mutant plants exhibiting tolerance to 4× the recommended glyphosate dose were successfully obtained. Sequencing analysis revealed that resistant lines GR1 and GR19 harbored 5 and 3 mutation sites in TaEPSPS-7D, respectively, whereas GR23 carried 5 mutation sites in TaEPSPS-4A. Expression analysis indicated that glyphosate treatment significantly downregulated most homoeolog genes in the three mutation lines, irrespective of whether those genes carried resistance mutations. Field trials demonstrated 100% weed control efficacy across all glyphosate treatments, significantly superior to isoproturon. As the glyphosate doses increased, wheat seedling height and fresh weight showed a decreasing trend, but most differences with the untreated control were not significant, indicating no substantial adverse effects on growth. Yield analysis revealed that treatment with 1× and 2× doses did not cause significant yield reduction, whereas 4× and 8× doses led to significant reductions of 3.04% and 4.63%, respectively. Growth stage-specific trials further indicated that spraying a 2× dose of glyphosate from seedling to jointing stages had no significant impact on plant growth, but application at the booting stage significantly reduced plant height, fresh weight, and grain yield, resulting in a 6.48% yield loss.【Conclusion】The combination of EMS mutagenesis and field screening successfully generated new glyphosate-resistant wheat germplasm capable of withstanding 4× the recommended glyphosate dose. Multiple point mutations in the non-active center of the EPSPS enzyme confered enhanced glyphosate resistance without compromising yield. For practical application of such resistant varieties, the optimal weed control window is during wheat green-up (early March), using 41% glyphosate isopropylamine salt at 840-1 680 g ae·hm^-2, diluted in 450 L·hm^-2 of water, applied as foliar spray to weeds under rain-free conditions.

Combined with the planting practice of late-sown wheat in Southern Jiangsu Province, the causes of late sowing and its impacts on wheat growth and development were analyzed, and a targeted cultivation technical system was integrated for demonstration application. The main causes of wheat late sowing in the study area were the stubble conflict in rice-wheat rotation (the long growth period of high quality rice varieties) and climate change (precipitation gradually decreases in autumn and winter). The delayed sowing date led to a significant decline in the growth process and population quality of wheat, and ultimately caused wheat yield reduction. Based on this, this paper constructs a comprehensive cultivation technology system of “late-sowing tolerant variety + agronomic strong compensation + prevention and control of forward shift”. Specifically, the technical measures included the following aspects: selecting spring wheat varieties (e.g., Yangmai 25、Yangmai 33 and Zhenmai 10); dynamically adjusting the seeding rate (increasing by 4.0-7.5 kg/hm⊃2; for each day of delayed sowing); applying sufficient base fertilizer (containing 60%-70% of the total nitrogen fertilizer, all phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer); early applying green-up fertilizer (in early February, with a nitrogen application rate of 30-50 kg/hm⊃2;); lightly applying jointing fertilizer and booting fertilizer (in late February or early March, using 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate); timely spraying plant growth regulators such as paclobutrazol to prevent lodging; applying herbicides including 70% flucetosulfuron and 50% isoproturon to control weeds; applying 40% prothioconazole·tebuconazole suspension concentrate, 25% thiamethoxam·lambda-cyhalothrin microemulsion and amino acid foliar fertilizer to prevent and control diseases and insect pests like wheat scab and aphids; harvesting at the late dough stage to early maturity stage, and timely drying and storing after harvesting. The demonstration results in Lishui District Hefeng Town of Nanjing in 2024 showed that actual yield of wheat in the experimental plots (adopting late-sowing cultivation techniques) reached about 5 600 kg/hm⊃2;, in the control plots (using conventional techniques) was 5 100 kg/hm⊃2;. Practice showed that the late-sown wheat cultivation technology integrated in this paper could provide a reference for the efficient and green production of late-sown wheat.

Fusarium head blight, as one of the major diseases of wheat, significantly impacts both yield and quality. This study systematically reviewed the pathogen characteristics, occurrence patterns, disease development conditions, and associated hazards of Fusarium head blight, while proposed scientifically prevention and control strategies. The primary pathogen of Fusarium head blight was identified as fungi of the Fusarium genus, which have a wide range of hosts and strong pathogenic and spreading abilities. Wheat was most susceptible during the flowering to heading stages, and disease epidemics were strongly influenced by temperature and humidity. Persistent rainy weather and temperatures of 20-25 ℃ were found to favor disease development. The damage caused by head blight manifested as seedling rot, crown rot, stem rot, and head blight. Among these, head blight directly reduced yield and quality, and infected grains could produce deoxynivalenol, posing a threat to human and animal health. Based on the disease occurrence patterns and characteristics, control measures were proposed. These included the management of soil and crop residues to eliminate or reduce pathogens, the selection of disease-resistant or tolerant varieties such as Yangmai 28, the implementation of scientific field management practices (e.g., rational planting density and water-fertilizer regulation), precise spraying of beneficial bacterial agents such as Bacillus during the flowering period, and the judicious application of agents such as 50% carbendazim during the wheat heading and flowering stages. This study provided a reference for sustainable wheat production.

To clarify the control efficacy of 10 fungicides including 25% prothioconazole·pyraclostrobin suspension concentrate (SC) against wheat Fusarium head blight (FHB), using Yangmai 25 as the test variety and following a randomized block design, a total of 11 treatments were set up, which included clear water control, 25% prothioconazole·pyraclostrobin SC at 900 mL/hm⊃2; (T1), 30% prothioconazole·azoxystrobin SC at 750 mL/hm⊃2; (T2) and 30% prothioconazole·trifloxystrobin SC at 750 mL/hm⊃2; (T3), 40% prothioconazole·tebuconazole SC (Jiuyi) at 600 mL/hm⊃2; (T4), 40% prothioconazole·tebuconazole SC (Zhongnan) at 750 mL/hm⊃2; (T5), 30% prothioconazole OD at 675 mL/hm⊃2; (T6), 75% prothioconazole WG at 255 g/hm⊃2; (T7), 480 g/L fenoxanil·tebuconazole SC at 900 mL/hm⊃2; (T8), 200 g/L fluxapyroxad SC at 975 mL/hm⊃2; (T9), and 275 g/L fluxapyroxad·propiconazole SC at 1 200 mL/hm⊃2; (T10), and fungicide applications were performed twice, respectively at the early flowering stage of wheat (the first application) and 7 days after the initial spray (the second application), followed by investigations on the safety of each treatment to wheat and the field control efficacy against FHB. The results showed that all treatments were safe for wheat growth, the diseased spike rates of treatments T1 to T10 ranged from 2.35% to 7.85%, the diseased spike control efficacy was ranked in a descending order as follows: T9 > T6 > T5 > T10 > T4 > T7 > T1 > T2 > T3 > T8, and the control efficacy against disease index varied from 89.88% to 97.22%, among which treatment T9 achieved the highest efficacy while treatment T8 had the lowest one. In conclusion, all the tested fungicides are suitable for the field control of wheat FHB, but rotational application is recommended, so as to ensure the control efficacy and delay the development of resistance in Fusarium pathogens.

Microplastic accumulation after film mulching affects nutrients cycling in the soil-crop system.  Bulk soil (BS) and rhizosphere soil (RS) have two different community compositions which lead to their different microbial nutrient acquisition abilities. Microplastics influence the rhizosphere effect. However, the mechanism by which microplastic accumulation affects the net photosynthetic rate (NPR) through rhizospheric microbial communities remains unknown. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics at 0, 1, and 5% (w/w) on the NPR in the wheat-soil ecosystem using a pot experiment. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was reduced by 15.35–36.7%, and that of peroxidase (POD) was increased by 32.47–61.93%, causing reductions in NPR (17.94–23.81%) in the PE5% and PVC (1 and 5%) (w/w) treatments compared with the control. The Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson indices of the bacterial and fungal diversities were lower in BS than in RS at PE1% and PVC5% (w/w), respectively. The bacterial and fungal network complexities were reduced and increased, respectively, owing to alterations in the bacterial and fungal community compositions and structures for wheat growth. The Mantel test showed that the bacterial and fungal diversity indices in BS had positive correlations with Olsen-P and phosphatase; however, those in RS were positively correlated with NO₃^- and β-1,4-glucosidase. The structural equation model indicated that wheat enzymatic and soil hydrolytic activities negatively affected NPR. Wheat has a profound antioxidant defense strategy for PE and PVC microplastic stress, which produces a synergistic effect of POD by protecting organelles and reducing tissue damage to preserve the NPR.

Structural variation is an important source of genetic variation in wheat and have been important in the evolution of the wheat’s genome. Few studies have examined the relationship between structural variations and agronomy and drought tolerance. The present study identified structural chromosome variations (SCVs) in a doubled haploid (DH) population and backcross introgression lines (BC₅F₃) derived from Jinmai 47 and Jinmai 84 using fluorescence in situ hybridization.  There are one simple translocation, 10 present/absent variations (PAVs), and one copy number variation (CNV) between Jinmai 47 and Jinmai 84, which distributed in 10 chromosomes.  Eight SCVs were associated with 15 agronomic traits. A PAV recombination occurred on chromosome 2A, which was associated with grain number per spike (GNS). The 1BL/1RS translocation and PAV.2D were associated with significant reductions in plant height, deriving from the effects on LI2-LI4 and UI, LI2-LI4, respectively.  PAV.2D was also contributed to an increase of 3.13% for GNS, 1BL/1RS significantly increased spikelet number, grain length (GL), and grain thickness (GT). The effect of PAV.4A.1 on GL, PAV.6A on spike length (SL) and thousand-grain weight (TGW), PAV.6B on SL, GT and TGW were identified and verified. PAVs on chromosomes 2A, 6A, 1D, 2D, and a CNV on chromosome 4B were associated with the drought tolerance coefficients.  Additive and interaction effects among SCVs were observed. Many previously cloned key genes and yield-related QTL were found in polymorphic regions of PAV.2B, PAV.2D, and CNV.4B.  Altogether, this study confirmed the genetic effect of SCVs on agronomy and drought tolerance, and identification of these SCVs will facilitate genetic improvement of wheat through marker-assisted selection.

The development of wheat cultivars with improved nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) use efficiency is desirable for sustainable agriculture.  Genetic dissection and identification of causative genes for nutrient use efficiency is the ideal strategy to achieve this goal.  We conducted an extensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) employing a panel of 431 genotyped wheat cultivars, revealing 1659 significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (LOD>5) via genotyping-by-sequencing.  Our investigation uncovered 534 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with 12 nutrient use efficiency traits across five distinct environments, of which 14 QTLs were consistently identified in at least three environments.  Through the integration of meta-QTL analysis, it is noteworthy that QTL80 (72.12-74.24 Mb, chr2A), QTL387 (32.88-33.56 Mb, chr6A), and QTL500 (535.53-540.80 Mb, chr7B) manifest a distinct co-localization with MQTL-2A-2, MQTL-6A-1, and MQTL-7B-2, respectively.  This convergence underscores their substantive relevance across a spectrum of diverse environmental conditions.  Within these regions, pivotal candidate genes, such as the bZIP transcription factor family gene and potassium transporter gene, associated with nutrient use efficiency were discerned.  Furthermore, a novel locus, QTL234, emerged, housing key candidate genes like dof zinc finger protein, Ankyrin repeat family protein, and cytochrome P450.  To validate the SNP located within QTL234 associated with nitrogen harvest index (NHI), we developed a dCAPS marker for AX-109095537.  These findings underscore the efficacy of high-resolution SNP-based GWAS in swiftly identifying potential key candidate genes.  Additionally, they solidify the groundwork for large-scale QTL fine mapping, candidate gene validation, and the development of functional markers crucial for advancing nutrient use efficiency breeding in wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), mainly caused by fungus Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum), is a devastating wheat disease worldwide, leading to reduced yield production and compromised grain quality due to contamination by mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON). Manipulating the specific gene expression in microorganisms through RNA interference (RNAi) presents an opportunity for new-generation double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-based formulations to combat a large number of plant diseases. Here, we applied both spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) and host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) to target five virulence-related and DON-synthesized genes in F. graminearum, including protein kinase gene Gpmk1, zinc finger protein gene FgChy1, transcription factor FgSR, DON synthesis gene TRI5 and the cell-end marker protein gene FgTeaA, aiming to effectively control FHB in wheat. Direct spraying of individual or combined siRNAs (small interfering RNA) from the fungus showed reduced expression of target genes and suppressed pathogenic symptoms during F. graminearum infection in wheat leaves, with the combination of all five siRNAs demonstrating superior resistance. Furthermore, we generated transgenic wheat lines expressing chimeric RNAi cassettes targeting these five genes, and two independent lines exhibited strong resistance to FHB and Fusarium crown rot, and the reduced DON accumulation. Notably, the HIGS transgenic lines did not adversely impact plant growth and yield traits. Collectively, our findings support that SIGS and HIGS represent effective strategies targeting key pathogenic genes for bolstering disease resistance in crops.

【Objective】Thousand-grain weight (TGW), a key determinant of final wheat yield, is of great importance for genetic dissection. Precise identification of stable loci and key candidate genes controlling TGW provides theoretical foundations and genetic resources for marker-assisted breeding of high-TGW and high-yield wheat varieties. 【Method】A total of 291 wheat accessions from diverse origins were genotyped using a 100K SNP array. TGW phenotypic data collected over two consecutive years and their best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) were analyzed using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on a mixed linear model (MLM) incorporating both population structure (P) and kinship (K). Significant loci were further subjected to haplotype analysis. 【Result】TGW showed broad variation across years and BLUP values (mean: 38.24-38.82 g; coefficient of variation: 17.62%-19.93%). The correlation between years was 0.88 (P<0.01), and correlations with BLUP values reached 0.97 (P<0.01). Phenotypic data displayed normal distributions under different environments, meeting the basic requirements for GWAS. A total of 19 SNPs significantly associated with TGW were detected on chromosomes 3B, 5A, and 7A, explaining 6.85%-9.68% of the phenotypic variation; 16 of them were repeatedly detected across multiple environments, indicating stability. Haplotype analysis at locus 7A_145980808 revealed four haplotypes (Hap1-Hap4), of which Hap4 was associated with high TGW (P<0.01) and Hap2 with low TGW (P<0.01). The frequencies of Hap1-Hap4 were 72.36%, 14.55%, 8.73%, and 4.36%, respectively. Domestic accessions were enriched for Hap3 (95.83%) and Hap4 (83.33%), with Hap4 predominantly distributed in the Northwestern winter wheat region, especially in germplasm from Gansu. Candidate gene mining within 3.6 Mb regions flanking significant loci on chromosomes 3B, 5A, and 7A identified 95 genes, among which four were highlighted based on gene annotation and expression profiles. 【Conclusion】GWAS identified 16 stable SNP loci significantly associated with TGW, four distinct haplotypes, and four key candidate genes. These genes are mainly involved in carbohydrate synthesis and transport, cell wall polysaccharide assembly, protein homeostasis, and transcriptional regulation of starch biosynthesis, providing valuable targets for molecular breeding of high-yield wheat.

【Objective】Zn (Zinc) deficiency triggers ‘hidden hunger’. Enhancing Zn concentration in wheat grains and Zn fertilizer use efficiency through biofortification can effectively increase dietary Zn intake, thereby improving human Zn nutritional status. 【Method】The study subjects were two distinctive colored-grain wheat varieties: ‘Taihei 5’ (purple-grained) and ‘Tailan 8’ (blue-grained). A two-year field experiment was conducted from 2022-2024 in Taigu District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. Foliar Zn application was performed at 3-5 days after the flowering of colored-grain wheat (Over 50% of spikes in the wheat field had lemma and palea separation at middle-upper florets while anthers were dehiscing). Five Zn concentration treatments were applied: Zn0 (deionized water), Zn1 (Zn concentration: 440 mg·L^-1), Zn2 (Zn concentration: 587 mg·L^-1), Zn3 (Zn concentration: 733 mg·L^-1), Zn4 (Zn concentration: 880 mg·L^-1). Through analysis of grain yield and Zn concentrations in grains, leaves, and stems across multiple post-anthesis periods for both colored-grain wheat types, Zn concentration variation dynamics, Zn accumulation and partitioning characteristics, Zn utilization efficiency, grain Zn biofortification index and grain Zn harvest indices were quantitatively analyzed to evaluate their Zn biofortification efficacy. 【Result】Foliar Zn application significantly increased Zn concentrations in all organs and grain yield of colored-grain wheat, The Zn3 treatment produced the highest grain Zn concentration (21.79-67.90 mg·kg^-1) and peak grain yield (4 937.36-5 097.27 kg·hm^-2). Grain Zn accumulation reached its optimum (251.30-301.54 g·hm^-2) under the Zn3 treatment, while Zn concentrations and accumulation in leaves and stems increased linearly with rising application concentrations. With increasing Zn application concentrations, the grain Zn accumulation proportion showed a declining trend (10%-18%), while the leaf Zn accumulation proportion rose to 66%, and stem Zn accumulation remained at 23%-30%. Furthermore efficient synergy in Zn utilization efficiency across all organs of colored-grain wheat was achieved under Zn3 treatment (5.68%-7.70%). With increasing Zn application concentrations, the grain Zn biofortification index and Zn harvest index declined. Compared with Zn1, other Zn treatments reduced the grain Zn biofortification index by 12.50%-47.02%, while relative to the control (Zn0), all Zn treatments decreased the Zn harvest index by 23.66%-60.44%. ‘Taihei 5’ outperformed ‘Tailan 8’ in grain Zn concentration, accumulation, utilization efficiency, and biofortification performance. Possibly influenced by precipitation, both types of colored-grain wheat performed better in the second growing season 【Conclusion】Post-anthesis foliar Zn application effectively regulated Zn accumulation and partitioning in colored-grain wheat. The combination of purple-grained wheat varieties and foliar Zn application at 733 mg·L^-1 achieved the optimal balance between grain Zn concentration and Zn utilization efficiency in colored-grain wheat systems.