The low temperature (LT) in spring has become one of the principal abiotic stresses that restrict the growth and development of wheat.  Diverse analyses were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the response of wheat grain development to LT stress during booting.  These included morphological observation, measurements of starch synthase activity, and determination of amylose and amylopectin content of wheat grain after exposure to treatment with LT during booting.  Additionally, proteomic analysis was performed using tandem mass tags (TMT).  The results showed that the plumpness of wheat grains decreased after LT stress.  Moreover, the activities of sucrose synthase (SuS, EC 2.4.1.13) and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase, EC 2.7.7.27) exhibited a significant reduction, leading to a significant reduction in the contents of amylose and amylopectin.  A total of 509 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified by proteomics analysis.  The GO enrichment analysis showed that the protein difference multiple in the nutritional repository activity was the largest among the molecular functions, and the up-regulated seed storage protein (SSP) played an active role in the response of grains to LT stress and subsequent damage.  The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that LT stress reduced the expression of DEPs such as sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), glucose-1-phosphate adenosine transferase (glgC), and β-fructofuranosidase (FFase) in sucrose and starch metabolic pathways, thus affecting the synthesis of grain starch.  In addition, many heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found in the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum pathways, which can resist some damage caused by LT stress.  These findings provide a new theoretical foundation for elucidating the underlying mechanism governing wheat yield development after exposure to LT stress in spring.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a monoecious grass species with separate male and female inflorescences which form the tassel and ear, respectively.  The mature ear inflorescences usually bear hundreds of grains, thus directly influence maize grain production and yield.  Here, we isolated a recessive maize mutant, tasselseed2016 (ts2016), which exhibits pleiotropic inflorescence defects and a reduction in grain yield.  These defects include loss of determinacy and identity in meristems and floral organs, as well as a lack of the lower floret abortion in maize ear, and the smaller grain size.  Using map-based cloning and allelic test, we identified and confirmed a microRNA gene MIR172e as the target gene controlling these related traits.  Furthermore, our evidence uncovered a new potential miR172e/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING197 (EREB197) regulatory module which controls the abortion of lower floret in maize ear. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the mutation of MIR172e represses multiple biological processes, particularly the flower development and hormone-related pathways in maize ear.  Additionally, we found the mutation in the DNA sequence of MIR172e affects in RNA transcription, resulting in elongation blockage at the mutant site.  Our results reveal the function and molecular mechanism of MIR172e in maize inflorescences and grain yield, and this study deepens our knowledge of maize inflorescence development.

The mirid bug Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a polyphagous pest that affects a wide range of host plants. Its control remains challenging mainly due to its rapid reproduction, necessitating an understanding of sex pheromone communication. The recognition of sex pheromones is vital for courtship and mating behaviors, and is mediated by various chemosensory-associated proteins. Among these, sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMP), a CD36-related protein, is suggested to play crucial roles in detecting sex pheromones. In this study, we employed transcriptomic and genomic data from A. lucorum and phylogenetic approaches, and identified four putative SNMP genes (AlucSNMP1a, AlucSNMP1b, AlucSNMP2a, and AlucSNMP2b) with full open reading frames. Expression analysis revealed the ubiquitous presence of AlucSNMP transcripts in multiple tissues, with only AlucSNMP1a exhibiting male-biased expression in the antennae, suggesting its potential role in male chemosensation. Functional analysis using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, coupled with two-electrode voltage clamp recording, demonstrated that the co-expression of AlucSNMP1a with specific pheromone receptors (PRs) and the co-receptor (Orco) significantly enhanced electrophysiological responses to sex pheromones compared to the co-expression of PRs and Orco alone. Moreover, the results indicated that the presence of AlucSNMP1a not only affected the responsiveness to sex pheromones but also influenced the kinetics (activation and inactivation) of the induced signals. In contrast, the co-expression of AlucSNMP1b with AlucPR/Orco complexes had no impact on the inward currents induced by two pheromone compounds. An examination of the selective pressures on SNMP1 genes across 20 species indicated strong purifying selection, implying potential functional conservation in various insects. These findings highlight the crucial role of AlucSNMP1a in the response to sex pheromones.

Dry-hot wind stress causes losses in wheat productivity in major growing regions worldwide, especially for winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China, and both the occurrence and the severity of such events are likely to increase with global climate change.  To investigate the recovery of physiological function and yield formation using a non-commercial new chemical regulator (NCR) following dry-hot wind stress, we conducted a three-year field experiment (2018-2021), and sprayed tap water (control), monopotassium phosphate (CKP), NCR at both the jointing and flowering stage (CFS), and NCR only at the jointing stage (FSJ) or flowering stage (FSF).  The leaf physiology, biomass accumulation and translocation, grain-filling process, and yield components in winter wheat were investigated.  Among the single spraying treatments, the FSJ treatment was beneficial to accumulation of dry matter before anthesis, and to a larger increase of maximum grain-filling rate and mean grain-filling rate.  The FSF treatment performed better in maintaining a high relative chlorophyll content as SPAD value, and low rate of excised leaf water loss in flag leaves, promoting dry matter accumulation and contribution to grain after anthesis, prolonging the duration of grain filling, and inducing the period until maximum grain-filling rate to be reached earlier.  The CFS treatment was better than any other treatments in relieving effects of dry-hot wind.  The exogenous NCR treatments significantly increased grain yields by 12.45–18.20% in 2018–2019, 8.89–13.82% in 2019–2020, and 8.10–9.00% in 2020–2021.  The conventional measure of CKP treatment only increased grain yield by 6.69% in 2020–2021.  The CFS treatment had the greatest mitigating effect on loss of yield under dry-hot wind stress, following by the FSF and FSJ treatments, and the CKP treatment had a minimal effect.  In summary, the CFS treatment could be used as the main chemical control measure for wheat stress resistance and yield stability in areas with high incidence of dry-hot wind.  This can effectively regulate green retention and water status of leaves, promote dry matter accumulation and efficient translocation, improve grain-filling process, and ultimately reduce yield losses.

Chinese cabbage is an important leafy vegetable crop with high water demand and susceptibility to drought stress.  To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to drought, we performed a transcriptome analysis of drought-tolerant and -sensitive Chinese cabbage genotypes under drought stress, and uncovered core drought-responsive genes and key signaling pathways.  A co-expression network was constructed by a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and candidate hub genes involved in drought tolerance were identified.  Furthermore, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling pathways and their drought responses in Chinese cabbage leaves were systemically explored.  We also found that drought treatment increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and glucosinolate contents significantly.  These results substantially enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying drought responses in Chinese cabbage.

The foundation parents play key roles in the genetic improvement of both yield potential and end-use quality in wheat.  Characterizing the genetic basis that underlies certain beneficial traits in the foundation parents will provide theoretical reference for molecular breeding by a design approach.  ‘Kenong 9204’ (KN9204) is a candidate foundation parent characterized by ideotype, high yield potential, and particularly high nitrogen fertilizer utilization.  To better understand the genetic basis of its high yield potential, high throughput whole-genome re-sequencing (10×) was performed on KN9204, its parental lines and its derivatives.  A high-resolution genetic composition map of KN9204 was constructed, which showed the parental origin of the favorable genomic segments based on the identification of excellent yield-related quantitative trait loci (QTL) from a bi-parental mapping population.  Xiaoyan 693 (XY693), a wheat–Thinopyrum ponticum partial amphidiploid, contributed a great deal to the high yield potential of KN9204, and three major stable QTLs from XY693 were fine mapped.  The transmissibility of key genomic segments from KN9204 to its derivatives were delineated, indicating that haplotype blocks containing beneficial gene combinations were conserved along with directional selection by breeders.  Evidence for selection sweeps in the breeding programs was identified.  This study provides a theoretical reference for the breeding of high-yield wheat varieties by a molecular design approach.

Maize (Zea mays L.) can exhibit yield penalties as a result of unfavorable changes to growing conditions.  The main threat to current and future global maize production is heat stress.  Maize may suffer from heat stress in all of the growth stages, either continuously or separately.  In order to manage the impact of climate driven heat stress on the different growth stages of maize, there is an urgent need to understand the similarities and differences in how heat stress affects maize growth and yield in the different growth stages.  For the purposes of this review, the maize growth cycle was divided into seven growth stages, namely the germination and seedling stage, early ear expansion stage, late vegetative growth stage before flowering, flowering stage, lag phase, effective grain-filling stage, and late grain-filling stage.  The main focus of this review is on the yield penalty and the potential physiological changes caused by heat stress in these seven different stages.  The commonalities and differences in heat stress related impacts on various physiological processes in the different growth stages are also compared and discussed.  Finally, a framework is proposed to describe the main influences on yield components in different stages, which can serve as a useful guide for identifying management interventions to mitigate heat stress related declines in maize yield.

Plant height is a key plant architectural trait that affects the seed yield, harvest index and lodging resistance in Brassica napus L., although the genetic mechanisms affecting plant height remain unclear.  Here, a semi-dwarf mutant, df34, was obtained by ethyl methanesulphonate-induced mutagenesis.  Genetic analysis showed that the semi-dwarf phenotype is controlled by one semi-dominant gene, which was located on chromosome C03 using a bulked segregant analysis coupled with whole-genome sequencing, and this gene was named BnaSD.C3.  Then BnaSD.C3 was fine-mapped to a 297.35-kb segment of the “Darmor-bzh” genome, but there was no potential candidate gene for the semi-dwarf trait underlying this interval.  Furthermore, the interval was aligned to the Zhongshuang 11 reference genome.  Finally, combining structural variation analysis, transcriptome sequencing, phytohormone analyses and gene annotation information, BnaC03G0466900ZS and BnaC03G0478900ZS were determined to be the most likely candidate genes affecting the plant height of df34.  This study provides a novel major locus for breeding and new insights into the genetic architecture of plant height in B. napus

Leaves are the main places for photosynthesis and organic synthesis of cotton.  Leaf shape has important effects on the photosynthetic efficiency and canopy formation, thereby affecting cotton yield.  Previous studies have shown that LMI1 is the main gene regulating leaf shape. In this study, the LMI1 gene (LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1) was inserted into the 35S promoter expression vector, and cotton plants overexpressing LMI1(OE) were obtained through genetical transformation.  Statistical analysis of the biological traits of T₁ and T₂ populations showed that compared to wild type (WT), OE plants had significant larger leaves, thicker stems and significantly increased dry weight.  Furthermore, plant sections of the main vein and petiole showed that the number of cell in those tissues of OE plants increased significantly.  In addition, RNA-seq analysis revealed differential expression of genes related to gibberellin synthesis and NAC gene family (genes containing the NAC domain) in OE and WT plants, suggesting that LMI1 is involved in secondary wall formation and cell proliferation, and promotes stem thickening.  Moreover, GO (Gene Ontology) analysis enriched the terms of calcium ion binding, and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis enriched the terms of fatty acid degradation, phosphatidylinositol signal transduction system, and cAMP signal pathway.  These results suggested that LMI1 OE plants were responsive to gibberellin hormone signals, and altered messenger signal (cAMP, Ca²⁺) which amplified this function, to promote the stronger above ground vegetative growth.  This study found the LMI1 soared the nutrient growth in cotton, which is the basic for higher yield.

Crop improvement is crucial for addressing the global challenges of food security and sustainable agriculture.  Recent advancements in high-throughput phenotyping technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized the field, enabling rapid and accurate assessment of crop traits on a large scale.  The integration of AI and machine learning algorithms with high-throughput phenotyping data has unlocked new opportunities for crop improvement.  AI algorithms can analyze and interpret large datasets, extracting meaningful patterns and correlations between phenotypic traits and genetic factors.  These technologies have the potential to revolutionize plant breeding programs by providing breeders with efficient and accurate tools for trait selection, reducing the time and cost required for variety development.  However, further research and collaborations are needed to overcome the challenges and fully unlock the power of high-throughput phenotyping and AI in crop improvement.  By leveraging AI algorithms, researchers can efficiently analyze phenotypic data, uncover complex patterns, and establish predictive models that enable precise trait selection and crop breeding.  The aim of this review is to explore the transformative potential of integrating high-throughput phenotyping and AI in crop improvement.  The review will encompass an in-depth analysis of recent advancements and applications, highlighting the numerous benefits and challenges associated with high-throughput phenotyping and intelligence.

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) adversely affects wheat quality and yield, and grain color (GC) is associated with PHS resistance.  However, the genetic relationship between GC and PHS resistance remains unclear.  In this study, 168 wheat varieties (lines) with significant differences in GC and PHS resistance were genotyped using an Illumina 90K iSelect SNP array.  Genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on a mixed linear model showed that 67 marker-trait associations (MTAs) assigned to 29 loci, including 17 potentially novel loci, were significantly associated with GC, which explained 1.1–17.0% of the phenotypic variation.  In addition, 100 MTAs belonging to 54 loci, including 31 novel loci, were significantly associated with PHS resistance, which accounted for 1.1–14.7% of the phenotypic variation.  Subsequently, two cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) markers, 2B-448 on chromosome 2B and 5B-301 on chromosome 5B, were developed from the representative SNPs of the major common loci Qgc.ahau-2B.3/Qphs.ahau-2B.4 controlling GC/PHS resistance and PHS resistance locus Qphs.ahau-5B.4, respectively.  Further validation in 171 Chinese mini-core collections confirmed significant correlations of the two CAPS markers with GC and PHS resistance phenotypes under different environments (P<0.05).  Furthermore, the wheat public expression database, transcriptomic sequencing, and gene allelic variation analysis identified TraesCS5B02G545100, which encodes glutaredoxin, as a potential candidate gene linked to Qphs.ahau-5B.4.  The new CAPS marker CAPS-356 was then developed based on the SNP (T/C) in the coding sequences (CDS) region of TraesCS5B02G545100.  The high-density linkage map of the Jing 411/Hongmangchun 21 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) constructed based on specific locus amplified fragment sequencing markers showed that CAPS-356 collocated with a novel QTL for PHS resistance, supporting the role of TraesCS5B02G545100 as the potential candidate gene linked to Qphs.ahau-5B.4.  These results provide valuable information for the map-based cloning of Qphs.ahau-5B.4 and breeding of PHS resistant white-grained varieties.

Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide. Diseases of the rice plant can drastically reduce crop yield and even lead to complete loss of production. Early diagnosis can reduce the severity and help efforts to establish effective treatment and reduce the usage of pesticides. Traditional machine learning approaches have already been employed for automatic diagnosis. However, they heavily rely on manual preprocessing of images and handcrafted features, which is challenging, time-consuming, and may require domain expertise. Recently, a single end-to-end deep learning (DL)-based approach was employed to diagnose rice diseases. However, it is not highly robust, nor is it generalizable to every dataset. Hence, we propose a novel end-to-end training of convolutional neural network (CNN) and attention (E2ETCA) ensemble framework that fuses the features of two CNN-based state-of-the-art (SOTA) models along with those of an attention-based vision transformer model. These fused features are utilized for diagnosis by the addition of an extra fully connected layer with softmax. The whole procedure is performed end-to-end, which is very important for real-world applications. Additionally, we feed the extracted features into a traditional machine learning approach support vector machine for classification and further analysis. To verify the effectiveness of our proposed E2ETCA framework, we demonstrate it on three publicly available datasets: the Mendeley Rice Leaf Disease Image Samples dataset, the Kaggle Rice Diseases Image dataset, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute dataset, and a combination of these three datasets. On the basis of various evaluation metrics (accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score), our proposed  E2ETCA framework exhibits superior performance to existing SOTA approaches for rice disease diagnosis, which can also be generalizable in similar other domains.

Wheat relative species are important for agriculture production, functional genomics study and wheat improvement as useful genetic resources.  In this study, a regeneration related wheat gene TaWOX5 was applied to establish the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems of Triticum monococcum, hexaploid triticale, and rye (Secale cereale L.) using their immature embryos.  Transgenic plants were efficiently generated.  During the transformation process, the Agrobacterium infection efficiency was assessed by histochemical staining for β-glucuronidase (GUS).  Finally, the transgenic nature of regenerated plants was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping for presence of the GUS and bialaphos resistance (bar) genes, histochemical staining for GUS protein, and QuickStix strip assay for bar protein. The transformation efficiency of T. monococcum genotype PI428182 was 94.4%; the efficiencies of four hexaploid triticale genotypes Lin456, ZS3297, ZS1257, and ZS3224 were 52.1, 41.2, 19.4, and 16.0%, respectively; the transformation efficiency of rye cultivar Lanzhou Heimai was 7.8%.  Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis indicated that the GUS transgenes were integrated into the distal or near centromere (proximal) region of the chromosomes in transgenic T. monococcum and hexaploid triticale plants; in the transgenic hexaploid triticale plants, the foreign DNA fragment was randomly integrated into the AABB genome and RR genome.  Furthermore, the transgene was proved to be almost stably inherited in the next generation by Mendel’s law.  The findings in this study will promote genetic improvement for grain or forage production of the three plant species and for functional genomics study of cereal species including wheat.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) plays a key role in female reproduction. However, its expression and function in chickens are still unclear. In the present study, ovarian tissues from 30 w and 15 w laying chickens were analyzed using RNA-seq to identify the differentially expressed gene TFPI2. The full-length cDNA of TFPI2 was obtained from adult chicken ovaries by rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and the putative TFPI2 protein was found to share a highly conserved amino acid sequence with known bird homologs. In addition, TFPI2 was widely expressed in the tissues of adult chicken follicles according to quantitative real-time PCR (qRT‒PCR) and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry suggested that the TFPI2 protein existed in chicken ovary follicles at different developmental states, such as primordial follicles, the ovarian stroma, and the granulosa and theca layers of prehierarchical follicles (6-8 mm) and preovulatory follicles (F1). In vitro, Follicle stimulating hormone or Luteinizing hormone (FSH/LH) stimulated the expression of TFPI2 in chicken granulosa cells. FSH-/LH-induced TFPI2 mRNA expression was mediated by signaling pathways such as the PKA, PKC, PI3K, and mTOR pathways. Functionally, TFPI2 promoted the proliferation and viability of cultured granulosa cells and decreased the secretion of Progesterone (P4) and Estrogen (E2) and the mRNA abundance of key steroidogenic enzymes (STAR, Cyp17a1, Cyp19a1 and 3B-HSD) as well as MMPs (MMP2, 7, 9 and 11). Mechanistically, TFPI2 inhibited the expression of MMP7 via the Wnt signaling pathway. These findings indicate that TFPI2 may play an important role in regulating chicken follicular development and ovulation and suggest the molecular regulation mechanisms.

Plant chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development are two complex processes that are regulated by exogenous and endogenous factors.  In this study, we identified OsDXR, a gene encoding a reductoisomerase that positively regulates chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development in rice.  OsDXR knock-out lines displayed the albino phenotype and could not complete the whole life cycle process.  OsDXR was highly expressed in rice leaves, and subcellular localization indicated that OsDXR is a chloroplast protein.  Many genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development were differentially expressed in the OsDXR knock-out lines compared to the wild type.  Moreover, we found that the RNA editing efficiencies of ndhA-1019 and rpl2-1 were significantly reduced in the OsDXR knock-out lines.  Furthermore, OsDXR interacted with the RNA editing factor OsMORF1 in a yeast two-hybrid screen and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay.  Finally, disruption of the plastidial 2-C-methyl-derythritol-4-phosphate pathway resulted in defects in chloroplast development and the RNA editing of chloroplast genes.

The physiological and metabolic differences in maize under different nitrogen (N) levels are the basis of reasonable N management, which is vital in improving fertilizer utilization and reducing environmental pollution.  In this paper, on the premise of defining the N fertilizer efficiency and yield under different long-term N fertilization treatments, the corresponding differential metabolites and their metabolic pathways were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics in maize.  N stress, including deficiency and excess, affects the balance of carbon (C) metabolism and N metabolism by regulating C metabolites (sugar alcohols and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates) and N metabolites (various amino acids and their derivatives).  L-alanine, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine, and L-glutamine decreased under N deficiency, and L-valine, proline, and L-histidine increased under N excess.  In addition to sugar alcohols and the above amino acids in C and N metabolism, differential secondary metabolites, flavonoids (e.g., kaempferol, luteolin, rutin, and diosmetin), and hormones (e.g., indoleacetic acid, trans-zeatin, and jasmonic acid) were initially considered as indicators for N stress diagnosis under this experimental conditions.  This study also indicated that the leaf metabolic levels of N2 (120 kg ha^–1 N) and N3 (180 kg ha^–1 N) were similar, consistent with the differences in their physiological indexes and yields over 12 years.  This study verified the feasibility of reducing N fertilization from 180 kg ha^–1 (locally recommended) to 120 kg ha^–1 at the metabolic level, which provided a mechanistic basis for reducing N fertilization without reducing yield, further improving the N utilization rate and protecting the ecological environment.

Tillering is a crucial trait closely associated with yield potential and environmental adaptation in cereal crops, regulated by the synergy of endogenous (genetic) and exogenous (environmental) factors.  The physiological and molecular regulation of tillering has been intensively studied in rice and wheat.  However, tillering research on barley is scarce.  This review used the recent advances in bioinformatics to map all known and potential barley tiller development genes with their chromosomal genetic and physical positions.  Many of them were mapped for the first time.  We also discussed tillering regulation at genetic, physiological, and environmental levels.  Moreover, we established a novel link between the genetic control of phytohormones and sugars with tillering.  We provided evidence of how environmental cues and cropping systems help optimize the tiller number.  This comprehensive review enhances the understanding of barley’s physiological and genetic mechanisms controlling tillering and other developmental traits.

Heterodera filipjevi continues to be a major threat to wheat production worldwide. Rapid detection and quantification of cyst nematodes are essential for more effective control against this nematode disease. In the present study, a TaqMan-minor groove binder (TaqMan-MGB) probe-based fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was successfully developed and used for quantifying H. filipjevi from DNA extracts of soil. The primers and probe designed from the obtained RAPD-SCAR marker fragments of H. filipjevi showed high specificity to H. filipjevi using DNA from isolates confirmed species of 23 Heterodera spp., 1 Globodera spp. and 3 Pratylenchus spp. The qPCR assay is highly sensitive and provides improved H. filipjevi detection sensitivity of as low as 4^-3 single J2 DNAs, 10^-3 female DNAs, and 0.01 μg μL^-1 genomic DNAs. A standard curve relating the threshold cycle and log values of nematode numbers was generated and validated from artificially infested soils and was used to quantify H. filipjevi in naturally infested field soils. There was a high correlation between the H. filipjevi numbers estimated from 32 naturally infested field soils by both conventional methods and the numbers quantified using the qPCR assay. qPCR potentially provides a useful platform for the efficient detection and quantification of H. filipjevi directly from field soils and to quantify this species directly from DNA extracts of field soils.

Invasive alien ants (IAAs) are among the most aggressive, competitive, and widespread invasive alien species (IAS) worldwide.  Wasmannia auropunctata, the greatest IAAs threat in the Pacific region and listed in “100 of the world’s worst IAS”, has established itself in many countries and on islands worldwide.  Wild populations of W. auropunctata were recently reported in southeastern China, representing a tremendous potential threat to China’s agricultural, economic, environmental, public health, and social well-being.  Estimating the potential geographical distribution (PGD) of W. auropunctata in China can illustrate areas that may potentially face invasion risk.  Therefore, based on the global distribution records of W. auropunctata and bioclimatic variables, we predicted the geographical distribution pattern of W. auropunctata in China under the effects of climate change using an ensemble model (EM).  Our findings showed that artificial neural network (ANN), flexible discriminant analysis (FDA), gradient boosting model (GBM), Random Forest (RF) were more accurate than categorical regression tree analysis (CTA), generalized linear model (GLM), maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) and surface distance envelope (SRE).  The mean TSS values of ANN, FDA, GBM, and RF were 0.820, 0.810, 0.843, and 0.857, respectively, and the mean AUC values were 0.946, 0.954, 0.968, and 0.979, respectively.  The mean TSS and AUC values of EM were 0.882 and 0.972, respectively, indicating that the prediction results with EM were more reliable than those with the single model.  The PGD of W. auropunctata in China is mainly located in southern China under current and future climate change.  Under climate change, the PGD of W. auropunctata in China will expand to higher-latitude areas.  The annual temperature range (bio7) and mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio10) were the most significant variables affecting the PGD of W. auropunctata in China.  The PGD of W. auropunctata in China was mainly attributed to temperature variables, such as the annual temperature range (bio7) and the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio10).  The populations of W. auropunctata in southern China have broad potential invasion areas.  Developing strategies for the early warning, monitoring, prevention, and control of W. auropunctata in southern China requires more attention.

Elevating soil water content (SWC) through irrigation was one of the simple mitigation measures to improve crop resilience to heat stress.  The response of leaf function such as photosynthetic capacity based on chlorophyll fluorescence during the mitigation has received limited attention, especially in field condition. The 2-yr field experiment with three treatments (control treatment (CK); high temperature treatment (H); high temperature together with elevating SWC treatment (HW)) was carried out during grain filling with two maize hybrids at a typical station in North China Plain.  Averagely, the net photosynthetic rate (P_n) was improved by 20% in HW treatment and a 1-3°C decrease in canopy temperature compared with H treatment in two years. Furthermore, the higher SWC in HW treatment significantly improved actual photosynthetic rate (Phi2), linear electron flow (LEF), variable fluorescence (F_v) and maximal potential quantum efficiency (F_v/F_m) for both hybrids.  Meanwhile, different responses in chlorophyll fluorescence between hybrids were also observed.  The higher SWC in HW treatment significantly improved thylakoid proton conductivity (gH⁺) and maximal fluorescence (F_m) for the hybrid ZD958.  For the hybrid XY335, the proton conductivity of chloroplast ATP synthase (vH⁺) and minimal fluorescence (F₀) was increased by the SWC.  The SEM model further showed that SWC had significantly positive relationships with P_n, LEF, and F_v/F_m.  The elevating SWC alleviated heat stress with the delayed leaf senescence to prolong the effective period of photosynthesis and enhanced leaf photosynthetic capacity by improving Phi2, LEF, F_v and F_v/F_m.  This research demonstrates that elevating SWC through enhancing leaf photosynthesis during grain filling would be an import mitigation measure to adapt to warming climate in maize production.

The tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is an industrial crop in China.  The Anhui Province has a long history of tea cultivation and has a large resource of tea germplasm with abundant genetic diversity.  To reduce the cost of conservation and utilization of germplasm resources, a core collection needs to be constructed.  To this end, 573 representative tea accessions were collected from six major tea-producing areas in Anhui Province.  Based on 60 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, phylogenetic relationships, population structure and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) were conducted.  Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 573 tea individuals clustered into five groups were related to geographical location and were consistent with the results of the PCoA.  Finally, we constructed a core collection consisting of 115 tea individuals, accounting for 20% of the whole collection.  The 115 core collections were considered to have a 90.9% retention rate for the observed number of alleles (Na), and Shannon’s information index (I) of the core and whole collections were highly consistent.  Of these, 39 individuals were preserved in the Huangshan area, accounting for 33.9% of the core collection, while only 10 individuals were reserved in the Jinzhai County, accounting for 8.9% of the core set.  PCoA of the accessions in the tea plant core collection exhibited a pattern nearly identical to that of the accessions in the entire collection, further supporting the broad representation of the core germplasm in Anhui Province.  The results demonstrated that the core collection could represent the genetic diversity of the original collection.  Our present work is valuable for the high-efficiency conservation and utilization of tea plant germplasms in Anhui Province

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a devastating pest of citrus fruits.  After successful mating, adult females insert their eggs into the ripened fruit, resulting in moldy and rotten fruit and causing great economic losses for the citrus industry.  In the field, flies initiate copulatory behaviors as twilight approaches, and decreasing light intensity in this period is the normal stimulus for copulation.  In this study, ten light intensities ranging from 0–30 000 lux were set to identify the typical intensity that strongly regulates the copulation behavior of B. dorsalis.  Three light intensities found to regulate the copulation behavior were then selected to verify their effects on adult male wing fanning and female chemotaxis towards 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (TMP).  At last, strong light and complete darkness were artificially combined in the lab to verify whether they could prevent copulation to inform behavioral manipulation of oriental flies in the future.  The results indicated that adult flies generally initiated copulatory behaviors at low light intensity (<1 000 lux).  
Stronger light significantly prevented copulation in proportion to intensity, with nearly no copulation events initiated when light intensity was above 20 000 lux.  Both male wing fanning and female chemotaxis towards TMP were attenuated as light intensity became stronger.  However, at 10 000 lux, males still fanned their wings to a certain extent while TMP completely lost its attractiveness to females.  In the darkness, adults did not initiate any sexual behaviors, e.g., copulation, wing fanning, or chemotaxis to TMP.  One hour of strong light (10 000 lux) combined with continuous darkness completely prevented mating.  These results show that light condition is an essential factor for copulatory behaviors in the oriental fruit fly.  Researchers could thus manipulate light conditions artificially or disrupt the molecular target in flies’ light transduction pathway to develop environmentally-friendly techniques to control this pest.

Genetic control strategies such as the sterile insect technique have successfully fought insect pests worldwide.  The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology, together with high-quality genomic resources obtained in more and more species, greatly facilitates the development of novel genetic control insect strains that can be used in area-wide and species-specific pest control programs.  Here, we review the research progress towards state-of-art CRISPR-based genetic control strategies, including gene drive, sex ratio distortion, CRISPR-engineered genetic sexing strains, and precision-guided sterile insect technique.  These strategies’ working mechanisms, potential resistance development mechanisms, and regulations are illustrated and discussed.  In addition, recent developments such as stacked and conditional systems are introduced.  We envision that the advances in genetic technology will continue to be one of the driving forces for developing the next generation of pest control strategies.  

Previous studies have revealed the miR164 family and the miR164-targeted NAC transcription factor genes in rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis that play versatile roles in developmental processes and stress responses.  In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), we found nine genetic loci of tae-miR164 (tae-MIR164 a to i) producing two mature sequences that down-regulate the expression of three newly identified target genes of TaNACs (TaNAC1, TaNAC11, and TaNAC14) by the cleavage of the respective mRNAs.  Overexpression of tae-miR164 or one of its target genes (TaNAC14) demonstrated that the miR164-TaNAC14 module greatly affects root growth and development and stress (drought and salinity) tolerance in wheat seedlings, and TaNAC14 promotes root growth and development in wheat seedlings and enhances drought tolerance, while tae-miR164 inhibits root development and reduces drought and salinity tolerance by down-regulating the expression of TaNAC14.  These findings identify the miR164-TaNAC14 module as well as other tae-miR164-regulated genes which can serve as new genetic resources for stress-resistance wheat breeding.

Chlorophyll (Chl) content, especially Chl b content, and stomatal conductance (G_s) are key factors that greatly affect net photosynthetic rate (P_n).  Setaria italica, a diploid C₄ panicoid species with a simple genome and high transformation efficiency, has been widely accepted as a model in photosynthesis and drought-tolerance research.  In the current study, Chl content, G_s, and P_n of 48 Setaria mutants induced by ethyl methanesulfonate were characterized.  A total of 24, 34 and 35 mutants had significant variations in Chl content, G_s, and P_n, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that positive correlation exists between increased G_s and increased Pn, and a weak correlation between decreased Chl b content and decreased P_n was also found. Remarkably, two mutants behaved significantly decreased Chl b content but increased P_n when compared that of Yugu 1. Seven mutants behaved significantly decreased G_s but non-decreasing P_n when compared that of Yugu 1.  The current study thus identified various genetic lines, further exploration of which would be beneficial to elucidate the relationship between Chl content, G_s and P_n and the mechanism underlying why C₄ species are efficient at photosynthesis and water saving.

The effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the development of maize kernels has yet to be fully explored.  MicroRNA-mRNA analyses could help advance our understanding of how kernels respond to N.  This study analyzed the morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic changes in maize kernels under different N rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha^–1).  The result showed that increasing N application significantly increased maize grains’ fresh and dry weight until N reached 200 kg ha^–1.  Higher levels of indole-3-acetic acid, cytokinin, gibberellin, and a lower level of ethylene were associated with increased N applications.  We obtained 31 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in hormone synthesis and transduction, and 9 DEGs were regulated by 14 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMIs) in 26 pairs.  The candidate DEGs and DEMIs provide valuable insight for manipulating grain filling under different N rates.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a global problem that poses great threats to human health.  Antimicrobials are widely used in broiler chicken production and consequently affect their gut microbiota and resistome.  To better understand how continuous antimicrobial use in farm animals alters their microbial ecology, we used a metagenomic approach to investigate the effects of pulsed antimicrobial administration on the bacterial community, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and ARG bacterial hosts in the feces of broiler chickens.  Chickens received three 5-day courses of individual or combined antimicrobials, including amoxicillin, chlortetracycline and florfenicol.  The florfenicol administration significantly increased the abundance of mcr-1 gene accompanied by floR gene, while amoxicillin significantly increased the abundance of genes encoding the AcrAB-tolC multidrug efflux pump (marA, soxS, sdiA, rob, evgS and phoP).  These three antimicrobials all led to an increase in Proteobacteria.  The increase in ARG host, Escherichia, was mainly attributed to the β-lactam, chloramphenicol and tetracycline resistance genes harbored by Escherichia under the pulsed antimicrobial treatments.  These results indicated that pulsed antimicrobial administration with amoxicillin, chlortetracycline, florfenicol or their combinations significantly increased the abundance of Proteobacteria and enhanced the abundance of particular ARGs.  The ARG types were occupied by the multidrug resistance genes and had significant correlations with the total ARGs in the antimicrobial-treated groups.  The results of this study provide comprehensive insight into pulsed antimicrobial-mediated alteration of chicken fecal microbiota and resistome.

Rabies is a serious public health issue in Kazakhstan, with high economic impact and social burden.  As part of a routine surveillance, 31 rabies-positive brain specimens taken from livestock (cattle) and carnivores (dogs, foxes, and cats) during 2013–2021 were subject to viral sequencing.  Phylogenetic and Bayesian analysis were performed using obtained rabies virus (RABV) sequences.  All 31 strains of RABV candidate belonged to the Cosmopolitan clade, of which 30 strains belonged to steppe-type subclade, and 1 dog strain belonged to Other subclade.  The 31 strains did not diverge from RABV strains in Kazakhstan and neighboring countries, including Russia, Mongolia, and China, suggesting that animal rabies has close relationship and transmission between borders.  Fox-originated strains and cattle strains shared similar sequence signature, and some animal rabies cases had space–time intersection, showing that infected foxes were a major transmission source of cattle rabies in different Kazakhstan regions.  Besides, free-roaming dogs played a pivotal role in rabies epizootics of cattle in Kazakhstan.  The recent spread of animal rabies presents an increasing threat to public health, and provides updated information for improving current control and prevention strategies at the source for Kazakhstan and neighboring countries.

A headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) method was used to study the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with the differential immune response of tomato plants infected with the recombinant strain of potato virus Y (PVY^C-to), necrogenic to tomato. Analysis was carried out in UC82 (UC), a virus susceptible tomato variety, comparing the same UC plants grafted or not onto a virus tolerant tomato ecotype, Manduria (Ma); the three types of samples used for the GC-MS analysis were mock-inoculated UC/Ma plants, UC/Ma+PVY^C-to and UC+PVY^C-to plants; the VOCs obtained were 111. Results from symptomatic PVY^C-to-infected UC plants showed a VOCs composition enriched in alcohols, fatty acid derivates, benzenoids, and salicylic acid derivatives, while in mock-(UC/Ma)-inoculated plants VOCs were mainly characterized by methyl ester compounds. The VOC profile was in line with RNAseq data analyses, denoting that PVY^C-to viral RNA accumulation and disease symptoms induce the specific transcriptional activation of genes involved in VOCs biosynthesis. Furthermore, principal component analysis highlighted that VOCs of PVY^C-to-infected and mock-inoculated grafted plants were much closer each other than that of symptomatic PVY^C-to-infected non-grafted UC plants. These results suggest that VOCs profiles of tomato plants are related to the viral RNA accumulation, disease intensity and graft-derived tolerance to PVY^C-to infection.

As there is a strong interest in red-skinned pears, the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin regulation in red-skinned pears has been widely investigated; however, little is known about the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin regulation in red-fleshed pears due to limited availability of such germplasm, primarily found in European pears (Pyrus communis).  In this study, based on transcriptomic analysis in red-fleshed and white-fleshed pears, we identified an ethylene response factor (ERF) from P. communis, PcERF5, of which expression level in fruit flesh was significantly correlated with anthocyanin content.  We then verified the function of PcERF5 in regulating anthocyanin accumulation by genetic transformation in both pear skin and apple calli.  PcERF5 regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis by different regulatory pathways.  On the one hand, PcERF5 can activate the transcription of flavonoid biosynthetic genes (PcDFR, PcANS and PcUFGT) and two key transcription factors encoding genes PcMYB10 and PcMYB114.  On the other hand, PcERF5 interacted with PcMYB10 to form the ERF5-MYB10 protein complex that enhanced the transcriptional activation of PcERF5 on its target genes.  Our results suggested that PcERF5 functioned as a transcriptional activator in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, which provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis.  This new knowledge will provide guidance for molecular breeding of red-fleshed pear.

The paper reviews studies of rural transformation in three dimensions – definition, measurement, and indicators – and summarises the findings of rural transformation research. The scope of rural transformation includes four elements – productivity, rurality, inclusiveness, and sustainability. Current concepts of the dimensions of rural transformation and their associated indicators are insufficient for policy decision-making, as they lack objectivity, feasibility, accountability, comprehensiveness, and comparability. Future research to develop new measures to assess rural transformation in developing countries is valuable. Furthermore, there is potential to explore the topic in some directions: urbanisation strategy, public intervention (i.e., institution, policy, and investment), gender inclusiveness, market creation, and international trade.

The fully mulched ridge–furrow (FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency.  However, high outputs under this system led to a depletion of soil moisture and soil nutrients, which reduces its sustainability in the long run.  Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the system for the sustainable development of agriculture.  The development, yield-increasing mechanisms, negative impacts, optimization, and their relations in the FMRF system are reviewed in this paper.  We suggest using grain and forage maize varieties instead of regular maize; mulching plastic film in autumn or leaving the mulch after maize harvesting until the next spring, and then removing the old film and mulching new film; combining reduced/no-tillage with straw return; utilizing crop rotation or intercropping with winter canola (Brassica campestris L.), millet (Setaria italica), or oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.); reducing nitrogen fertilizer and partially replacing chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer; using biodegradable or weather-resistant film; and implementing mechanized production.  These integrations help to establish an environmentally friendly, high quality, and sustainable agricultural system, promote high-quality development of dryland farming, and create new opportunities for agricultural development in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.

Small auxin up RNA (SAUR) is a large gene family that is widely distributed among land plants.  In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the SAUR family was performed in sweet cherry, and the potential biological functions of PavSAUR55 were identified using the method of genetic transformation.  The sweet cherry genome encodes 86 SAUR members, the majority of which are intron-less.  These genes appear to be divided into seven subfamilies through evolution.  Gene duplication events indicate that fragment duplication and tandem duplication events occurred in the sweet cherry.  Most of the members mainly underwent purification selection pressure during evolution.  During fruit development, the expression levels of PavSAUR16/45/56/63 were up-regulated, and conversely, those of PavSAUR12/61 were down-regulated.  Due to the significantly differential expressions of PavSAUR13/16/55/61 during the fruitlet abscission process, they might be the candidate genes involved in the regulation of physiological fruit abscission in sweet cherry.  Overexpression of PavSAUR55 in Arabidopsis produced earlier reproductive growth, root elongation, and delayed petal abscission.  In addition, this gene did not cause any change in the germination time of seeds and was able to increase the number of lateral roots under abscisic acid (ABA) treatment.  The identified SAURs of sweet cherry play a crucial role in fruitlet abscission and will facilitate future insights into the mechanism underlying the heavy fruitlet abscission that can occur in this fruit crop.

Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society. Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down global warming and reaching the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”. Therefore, taking straw incorporation as an example, this paper aims to investigate the impact of risk preferences on farmers’ low-carbon agricultural technology (LCAT) adoption. Based on a two-phase micro-survey data of 1,038 rice farmers in Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces, this paper uses experimental economics methods to measure farmers’ risk aversion and loss aversion to obtain the real risk preferences information of the farmers. We also explore the data to examine the actual LCAT adoption behavior of farmers. The results revealed that both risk aversion and loss aversion significantly inhibit farmers’ LCAT adoption: more risk averse or more loss averse farmers are less likely to adopt LCAT. It is further found that crop insurance, farm scale and governmental regulations can alleviate the negative impact of risk aversion and loss aversion on farmers’ LCAT adoption. Therefore, we propose that local governments need to promote low-carbon agricultural development by propagating the benefits of LCAT, extending crop insurance, promoting appropriate scale operations, and strengthening governmental regulations to promote farmers’ LCAT adoption.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a lethal pathogen that causes severe threats to the global swine industry and it has already had catastrophic socio-economic effects.  To date, no licensed prophylactic vaccine exists.  Limited knowledge exists about the major immunogens of ASFV and the epitope mapping of the key antigens.  As such, there is a considerable requirement to understand the functional monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and the epitope mapping may be of utmost importance in our understanding of immune responses and designing improved vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.  In this study, we generated an ASFV antibody phage-display library from ASFV convalescent swine PBMCs, further screened a specific ASFV major capsid protein (p72) single-chain antibody and fused with an IgG Fc fragment (scFv-83-Fc), which is a specific recognition antibody against ASFV Pig/HLJ/2018 strain.  Using the scFv-83-Fc mAb, we selected a conserved epitope peptide (²²¹MTGYKH²²⁶) of p72 retrieved from a phage-displayed random peptide library.  Moreover, flow cytometry and cell uptake experiments demonstrated that the epitope peptide can significantly promote BMDCs maturation in vitro and could be effectively uptaken by DCs, which indicated its potential application in vaccine and diagnostic reagent development.  Overall, this study provided a valuable platform for identifying targets for ASFV vaccine development, as well as to facilitate the optimization design of subunit vaccine and diagnostic reagents

PROSTRATE GROWTH1 (PROG1)是一个与水稻驯化相关的重要转录因子，在水稻株型和穗型的调控中发挥着重要作用。PROG1过度积累会使植株结构松散，无效分蘖增加，穗减小，穗粒数降低，最终导致产量下降。相反，PROG1积累不足导致昼夜节律核心调节因子OsGI下调进而从多方面影响水稻生理和发育。因此，维持水稻PROG1的稳态至关重要。在本研究中我们揭示了PROG1的负反馈调节机制，PROG1与其自身的启动子直接结合，并负调节其自身的表达，进而达到维持自身稳态的目的此外，我们的研究结果表明，PROG1的反馈调节机制独立于其互作蛋白LA1运作。这些发现为了解水稻驯化相关转录因子PROG1的调控机制提供了有价值的见解。

Agropyron cristatum (2n=4x=28, PPPP) is a wild relative of common wheat which contains a large number of desirable genes that can be exploited for wheat improvement.  Wheat–A. cristatum 2P alien translocation lines exhibit many desirable traits, such as small flag leaves, a high spikelet number and density, and a compact plant type.  An agronomic trait evaluation and a genetic analysis were carried out on translocation lines and backcross populations of these lines carrying different translocation fragments.  The results showed that a translocation fragment from 2PT-3 (2PL) reduced the length of the flag leaves, while translocation fragments from 2PT-3 (2PL) and 2PT-5 (2PL (0.60–1.00)) reduced the width of the flag leaves.  A translocation fragment from 2PT-13 (2PS (0.18–0.36)) increased the length and area of the flag leaves.  Translocation fragments from 2PT-3 (2PL) and 2PT-8 (2PL (0.86–1.00)) increased the density of spikelets.  Translocation fragments from 2PT-7 (2PL (0.00–0.09)), 2PT-8 (2PL (0.86–1.00)), 2PT-10 (2PS), and 2PT-13 (2PS (0.18–0.36)) reduced plant height.  This study provides a scientific basis for the effective utilization of wheat–A. cristatum translocation lines.

In higher plants, the shoot apical meristem produces lateral organs in a regular spacing (phyllotaxy) and timing (plastochron).  The molecular analysis of mutants associated with phyllotaxy and plastochron would increase our understanding of the mechanism of shoot architecture formation.  In this study, we identified mutant mnd8^ynp5 that shows an increased rate of leaf emergence and a larger number of nodes in combination with a dwarfed growth habit from an EMS-treated population of the elite barley cultivar Yangnongpi 5.  Using a map-based cloning strategy, the mnd8 gene was narrowed down to a 6.7-kb genomic interval on the long arm of chromosome 5H.  Sequence analysis revealed that a C to T single-nucleotide mutation occurred at the first exon (position 953) of HORVU5Hr1G118820, leading to an alanine (Ala) to valine (Val) substitution at the 318th amino acid site.  Next, HORVU5Hr1G118820 was defined as the candidate gene of MND8 encoding 514 amino acids and containing two multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) domains.  It is highly homologous to maize Bige1 and has a conserved function in the regulation of plant development by controlling the leaf initiation rate.  Examination of modern barely varieties showed that Hap-1 was the dominant haplotype and was selected in barley breeding around the world.  Collectively, our results indicated that mnd8^ynp5 is a novel allele of the HORVU5Hr1G118820 gene that is possibly responsible for the shortened plastochron and many noded dwarf phenotype in barley.

A wide survey was conducted to study plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) associated with Prunus groves in Spain. This research aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of PPNs in Prunus groves, as well as the influence of explanatory variables describing soil, climate and agricultural management in structuring the variation of PPNs community composition. A total of 218 sampling sites were surveyed and 84 PPN species belonging to 32 genera were identified based of an integrative taxonomic approach. PPNs species considered as potential limiting factors in Prunus production, such as Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica, Pratylenchus penetrans and P. vulnus, were identified in this survey. Seven soil physico-chemical (C, Mg, N, Na, OM, P, pH and clay, loamy sand and sandy loam texture classes), four climate (Bio04, Bio05, Bio13 and Bio14) and four agricultural management variables (grove-use history less than 10 years, irrigation, apricot seedling rootstock, and Montclar rootstock) were identified as the most influential variables driving spatial patterns of PPNs communities. In particular, younger plantations showed higher values for species richness and diversity indices than groves cultivated for more than 20 years with Prunus spp. Our study increases the knowledge of the distribution and prevalence of PPNs associated with Prunus rhizosphere, as well as on the influence of explanatory variables driving the spatial structure PPNs communities, which has important implications for the successful design of sustainable management strategies in the future in this agricultural system.