Proper anther dehiscence is critical for successful reproduction in flowering plants, with auxin serving as a key regulatory factor.  This study describes the characterization of rice sterility 7 (rs7), a rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant displaying conditional sterility.  Through map-based cloning, RS7 was identified as OsMCS, which encodes a malonyl-CoA synthetase.  A G-to-A nucleotide substitution in OsMCS resulted in an intron retention, leading to reduced pollen viability and conditional anther dehiscence defects.  Cytological analysis revealed abnormal anther structures in the osmcs mutant anthers, characterized by reduced thickness in both the anther epidermis and baculum layer of the pollen exine compared to wild type (WT).  These structural defects correlate with decreased cutin monomer content and alterations in cuticular wax composition in the osmcs mutant.  Furthermore, malonic acid accumulation in osmcs redirected metabolic flow toward tryptophan biosynthesis, subsequently elevating indole-3-acetic acid levels.  Reduced endothecium thickening was observed in osmcs anthers at stage 12, coinciding with locule wall rupture in WT anthers.  This study elucidates the role of OsMCS in rice reproductive development and offers a potential target for improving two-line hybrid rice breeding.

Wheat is a vital global staple crop, and the condition of its seedlings before overwintering significantly influences its yield potential.  Accurate and timely assessment of pre-winter seedling conditions is essential for effective wheat field management.  Currently, agricultural departments rely on traditional methods to classify seedlings based on indicators like leaf age, tiller count, and root number, but these methods are labor-intensive and lack high-throughput capabilities.  This study proposes a novel approach to improve seedling condition classification by integrating soil pixel removal and canopy cover with vegetation indices.  Additionally, a local optimized features (LOFs) method is introduced to enhance classification by quantifying local spectral differences in the ratio vegetation index (RVI), overcoming the limitations of traditional mean vegetation indices.  A series of sowing date treatments from 2022 to 2024 established wheat populations with varied seedling conditions.  High-resolution multispectral UAV imagery was used to derive remote sensing parameters, such as vegetation indices (VIs), pure vegetation indices (PVIs), and canopy cover (cc).  Through evaluation of various classification models, we identified PVIs combined with cc as the optimal feature set.  Among these, RVI was found to be the most significant index, as determined by SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP).  Building upon the optimal feature set, a Quadratic Discriminant Analysis model integrating PVIs, cc, and LOFs was ultimately developed to achieve accurate classification of seedling conditions, improving the accuracy from 0.86 (with PVIs and cc) to 0.99.  This research provides an efficient high-throughput method for pre-winter seedling classification and offers insights into estimating other agronomic parameters.

猪德尔塔冠状病毒（PDCoV）感染可引发仔猪严重腹泻、脱水和死亡，是一种急性、高度接触性传染病，严重威胁养猪业的可持续发展。此外，PDCoV 还具有跨物种传播潜力，带来重大公共卫生安全风险。因此，建立快速、准确的诊断方法对于有效防控该病至关重要。本研究开发了一种将逆转录重组酶辅助扩增（RT-RAA）与 CRISPR/Cas12a 系统相结合的单管封闭式可视化检测方法。该方法全程在封闭系统内进行，可有效避免开盖操作导致的气溶胶污染及假阳性风险。该方法灵敏度高，在40分钟内可检测低至 3.9 拷贝/μL的阳性质粒及低至 10^0.8 TCID₅₀/0.1 mL 的PDCoV。此外，该方法特异性良好，与猪血凝性脑脊髓炎病毒（PHEV）、伪狂犬病病毒（PRV）、猪圆环病毒 2 型（PCV2）和猪圆环病毒 3 型（PCV3）均无交叉反应。在临床样本检测中，其检测结果与 RT-qPCR 检测结果符合率为100%。综上所述，该方法具有高灵敏度、高特异性和快速简便的特点，有望成为 PDCoV 感染早期诊断的可靠手段，为 PDCoV 疫情的有效防控提供技术支持。

The Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) region, China’s second-largest soybean production area, uses high-intensity farming and tailored densification strategies to maximize yields.  Although the average yield of soybean in HHH region is the highest in China, there is still a yield-gap with the world average yield.  Ensuring adequate soybean plant population is a prerequisite for high yield.  Seed size is vital in germination, seedling emergence, and population establishment, especially for soybean crops that rely on cotyledons to break through the soil.  In the present study, the differences of germination, emergence, growth and yield formation of soybean seeds with different particle sizes were analyzed through three years of experiments.  The seeds of Zhonghuang 13 (ZH13) and Zhonghuang 301 (ZH301) were divided into three different particle sizes (i.e., 6.5–7.0, 7.0–7.5, and 7.5–8.0 mm), respectively.  Seeds sized 6.5–7.0 mm achieved the highest yields: ZH13 yielded 3,908.7 kg ha^-1, 4.1–12.0% higher than other sizes, and ZH301 yielded 4,193.9 kg ha^-1, 5.2–12.7% higher.  The two soybean varieties' highest harvest densities were both found in the 6.5–7.0 mm seed size treatment, followed by 7.0–7.5 and 7.5–8.0 mm.  The main reason is that the seedling emergence rates of the seeds with 6.5–7.0 mm size were significantly higher than other sizes. In the process of seed imbibition, compared to the large-size seeds (7.5–8.0 mm), the water absorption of small- and medium-size seeds was less, while the speed was faster.  The smaller particle-sized seeds exhibited superior puncture resistance when breaking through the soil.  In addition, significantly negatively relationship was found between emergence rate and seed weight under the insufficient water condition.  This study showed that selecting small to medium-sized seeds can enhances germination, population density, and yield under arid and semi-arid conditions, providing a practical strategy for boosting the HHH region’s soybean productivity. 

Neonatal calves exhibit heightened susceptibility to infections caused by various gut microbiota, primarily due to their immature gastrointestinal barrier functions and underdeveloped immune systems during the pre-weaning period. Calf diarrhea poses a significant risk to the health of juvenile ruminants and can result in substantial financial losses within the livestock sector. Therefore, diarrhea is a significant disease that requires improved management practices and preventive measures in cattle rearing. Antibiotics are commonly administered to combat diarrhea and promote calf growth. However, their misuse has led to increased bacterial resistance and higher levels of antibiotic residues in meat. Consequently, finding advanced and alternative ways to treat newborn calf diarrhea for enhanced livestock production and public health is a significant challenge. Probiotic administration can offer significant advantages such as improving the internal microenvironment of the gut and enhancing the host’s immune response, thereby reducing the likelihood of gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, probiotic supplements have been formulated as alternatives to antibiotic treatment to upgrade animal health and productivity, and are essential for maintaining the balance of the gut microbiota. The treatment of calves with probiotic supplementation has emerged as a significant area of research. This review highlights the research progress on the pathogenesis of neonatal calf diarrhea and the mechanism of action of probiotics to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of diarrhea in calves.

Rapidly improving infertile croplands and enhancing their soil organic carbon (SOC) pool necessitate substantial organic materials incorporation. Converting loose crop straw into granulated form facilitates uniform incorporation within the plough soil layer. As an innovative soil amelioration approach, the efficiency and patterns of SOC accumulation remain unclear. Two field experiments were conducted in infertile subtropical upland and paddy soils with 0, 30, 60, and 90 Mg ha⁻¹ granulated straw incorporation. After one year, SOC accumulation efficiency from straw input remained stable in upland (30.8–37.5%) with increasing amounts of straw incorporation, while declined from 60.0 to 38.3% in paddy. In both croplands, the contributions of lignin phenols to SOC increased with increasing straw incorporation, while the contributions from amino sugars remained constant at higher straw input levels. Subsequently, the ratios of lignin phenols to amino sugars increased with increasing straw incorporation, indicating faster plant residue accumulation compared to microbial necromass, as the granulation approach limited microbial involvement in straw transformation. Thus, single-time incorporation of substantial granulated straw presents an effective agricultural strategy for rapid amelioration of infertile croplands.

This study investigated the role of jasmonates (JAs) in mitigating high temperature (HT) stress-induced spikelet opening impairment in photo-thermosensitive genetic male-sterile (PTGMS) rice under controlled moderate soil drying (MD).  Two PTGMS rice varieties were grown under normal temperature (NT) and HT conditions, using paired well-watered (WW) and MD strategies during anthesis, in both controlled-climate pot and open-air field conditions over multiple years.  Compared to the conventional WW regime under HT stress, which significantly reduced JAs levels in lodicules and worsened spikelet opening impairment and hybrid seed yield loss, the MD treatment demonstrated significant protective effects.  The MD regime enhanced JAs accumulation in lodicules, effectively alleviating HT-induced spikelet opening impairment and hybrid seed yield reduction.  This protective mechanism operates through multiple pathways: (1) promoting starch hydrolysis into soluble sugars, (2) upregulating the expression of aquaporin genes, and (3) enhancing antioxidant capacity, thereby maintaining cellular osmotic and redox homeostasis in lodicules.  The crucial role of JAs in this mechanism was confirmed using JA-deficient mutants, transgenic rice lines with varying JA biosynthesis capacities, and exogenous JAs applications.  These findings indicate that MD is a more effective cultivation strategy than traditional WW in protecting PTGMS rice from HT stress, achieved by modulating JAs levels to maintain osmotic and redox homeostasis in lodicules, thus improving spikelet opening and hybrid seed yield under HT stress during anthesis.

Multiple cropping is a widely adopted land management strategy to improve agricultural productivity.  However, the environmental costs and agricultural sustainability of various rice cropping system remains unclear, particularly in tropical regions.  Here, we evaluated the productivity, economic benefits, and environmental sustainability of contrasting rotations including pepper-rice-rice, cowpea-rice-rice, and bitter gourd-rice-rice as triple cropping, and pepper-single rice , cowpea-single rice, bitter gourd-single rice, and fallow-rice-rice as double cropping.  The economic benefits of bitter gourd-single rice, and cowpea-single rice was higher than bitter gourd-rice-rice, and cowpea-rice-rice by 34.2%and 4.6%, respectively.  The environmental footprint indexes of the bitter gourd-rice-rice based on unit farmland area and economic benefit was 17.1-40.7% lower than bitter gourd-single rice. Similarly, the environmental footprint index of per area and per economic of cowpea-single rice decreased compared to cowpea-rice-rice by 25.6 and 21.3%, respectively.  These results indicate that reducing cropping intensity leads to lower environmental costs and higher economic benefits.  In addition, nitrogen and phosphorus footprints were found to be the dominant contributors to the overall environmental costs.  Meanwhile, optimizing fertilization and strategically arranging crop growth period are the key factors in improving the sustainability and productivity of the rotation systems.  In conclusion, bitter gourd-single rice and cowpea-single rice rotations are recommended as optimal cropping systems in tropical regions to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining high yields and economic benefits.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have similar biological characteristics and functions to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The efficient generation of sheep iPSCs (siPSCs) remains challenging. In this study, we first constructed an optimized induction system, termed S10F—sOSKM (sheep OCT4-SOX2-KLF4-MYC)+sNL (sheep NANOG-LIN28)+hRL (human RARG-LRH1)+hTERT+SV40 LT—based on sheep-derived reprogramming factors and the piggyBac transposon system. Using this system, we successfully established siPSCs with high expression levels of pluripotency genes. These siPSCs could form embryoid bodies in vitro and further differentiate into the three germ layers, expressing the markers of endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Additionally, they could be directionally induced toward osteogenic differentiation. Then, based on RNA-seq analysis, the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sheep fetal fibroblasts (SFFs) and the five siPSC groups were predicted by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses to gain a preliminary understanding of the overall transcriptome profile of siPSCs. MAPK, PI3K-AKT, TGF-β, WNT, and regulating pluripotency of stem cells — signaling pathways related to the pluripotency maintenance — were enriched, particularly obvious in siPSC 180 and 185 groups. It was found that the inhibition of some hub genes related to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) could serve as indicators of siPSC pluripotency. A total of 17 potential sheep reprogramming factors were identified based on the expression levels of DEGs, including 7 new functional genes possibly associated with pluripotency. This study lays a foundation for further exploration of reprogramming mechanisms and enhancement of reprogramming efficiency in sheep, and holds promise for improving sheep performance through genetic modification breeding based on siPSCs.

The lateral transport of labile organic carbon represents a critical pathway for soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, reducing organic carbon sequestration and increasing the risk of waterbody pollution. Livestock manure application on croplands serves as a common fertilizer reduction practice to sustain crop yields, enhance SOC sequestration, and reduce water erosion. However, limited quantitative assessments have examined the effects of livestock manure substitution on labile organic carbon lateral loss and fluxes in long-term experiments. This study conducted a three-year field investigation on subtropical sloping croplands to assess the impact of livestock manure substitution on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) loss via surface runoff, interflow and eroded sediments. There are four treatments: no fertilization (CK); chemical nitrogen fertilizer (SF), 40% nitrogen substitution with pig manure (PMF), and 100% nitrogen substitution from pig manure (PM). Compared to SF treatment, long-term livestock manure substitution in PMF and PM treatments significantly (P<0.05) reduced annual cumulative surface runoff fluxes by 13.5 and 21.6%, respectively. Manure applications decreased annual sediment fluxes by 12.9 and 19.1%, respectively. Soil water stable aggregates for mean weight diameter (MWD) increased significantly by 37.7 and 73.6%. Annual cumulative POC loss flux via eroded sediment under PMF and PM treatments increased significantly (P<0.05) by 61.1 and 47.9%, respectively. The labile organic carbon loss fluxes, including DOC and POC losses, under PMF and PM treatments increased significantly (P<0.05) by 11.9 and 31.4%, respectively. These results demonstrate that while water erosion intensity decreases due to enhanced soil aggregate stability, the risk of labile organic carbon loss increases after long-term livestock manure substitution in subtropical sloping croplands. Future research should examine labile organic carbon lateral migration under various soil types and slope gradients for livestock manure application in subtropical agricultural ecosystem croplands to better understand extreme rainfall effects.

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is an important stone fruit in the world’s temperate zone. Molecular breeding has advanced considerably since the release of the first sweet cherry genome. However, genome assemblies for sweet cherry contained unresolved gaps and consisted of consensus chimeric sequences that did not distinguish haplotype alleles, greatly limited the study of inheritance of some important agronomic traits. In this study, we present a phased-resolved telomere-to-telomere reference genome of sweet cherry Tieton. A total of 653.03 Mb of sequence was anchored onto 16 pseudochromosomes representing the two haplotypes and 67,012 coding genes were identified, with 33,777 in hapA and 33,235 in hapB. It boasts a consensus accuracy surpassing a quality value of 44, a contig N50 exceeding 17.94 Mb, Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs completeness of 98.7%, and an long terminal repeat assembly index of over 20. This genome offers phased and annotated chromosome pairs, allowing a complete picture of sweet cherry's diploid genome organization. Using this reference genome, we characterized a large fragment deletion associated with yellow-skinned fruit in sweet cherry 13–33. This resource promises to be invaluable for breeding efforts and advancing genetic research in sweet cherries.

Understanding the spatial distribution, temporal dynamics, and driving factors of soybean cultivation is critical for yield estimation, agricultural planning, and national food security. However, high-resolution, long-term, and nationwide datasets of soybean cultivation in China remain scarce. This study developed a 30-m resolution dataset of soybean in China from 2000–2022 using multi-source data (ChinaSoyA30m), and analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving forces of soybean cultivation. The phenological characteristics of major crops across China were evaluated to generate training samples for supervised classification. Gap statistics, K-means clustering, and spectral angle mapping were employed to enhance classification reliability. A supervised classification approach was implemented on Google Earth Engine (GEE) using dense Landsat data to produce annual soybean maps. ChinaSoyA30m demonstrates competitive performance compared to six existed soybean datasets, with strong correlations with provincial, prefectural, and county statistics (R²=0.95, 0.89, and 0.80), and the F1 scores validated against ground truth data were 70.16, 80.40, and 78.38%. Since 2000, the soybean planting area has exhibited a fluctuating upward trend with distinct regional characteristics. Northern China emerged as the primary production area, characterized by a stable planting centroid and small spatial variation. The primary driver of soybean area dynamics was the value added of primary industry, while agricultural machinery power was a significant factor in North China, highlighting regional differences in driving mechanisms. This study provides the first long-term, high-resolution soybean planting dataset for China and offers valuable insights into the sustainable development of soybean cultivation.

Goats (Capra hircus) provide a rich source of products, such as meat, milk, and wool, and are important domestic animals in many parts of the world. Goats were one of the first domesticated livestock species during the late Neolithic period, approximately 11,000 years ago, in the Fertile Crescent. In the past decades, genomic studies of goats have provided insight into their domestication and genetic basis of economically important traits. This review outlines the latest advancements that have been made in reference to domestication and genetic improvement of production traits such as meat and carcass quality, reproduction, milk, cashmere, and functional traits such as environmental adaptation and disease-resistance. Genomic research is entering a new era with the availability of graphical pan-genomics and telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free genome assembly, which will extend our understanding of domestication and molecular mechanistic dissection of economic traits in goats. We provide new perspectives and future directions for genomics and suggest how the ever-increasing multi-omics dataset will facilitate future studies and molecular breeding in goat.

The study goal was to determine the effects of sodium propionate (NaPr) during the postpartum on lactation performance, milk fatty acid (FA) profile, blood metabolites, and fat mobilization. This study selected twenty-four cows with the same parity (3 parity), similar due date, and physical condition in the postpartum and randomly allocated into two groups. The constituents of the two treatments were (1) a normal diet for the Control group, and (2) a normal diet containing 246 g d^-1 of NaPr for the NaPr group. This study has demonstrated that the supplementation of NaPr to dairy cows in postpartum had no significant impact on dry matter intake (DMI) and milk compositions. The milk proportions of 4:0, 8:0, 10:0, 13:0, 16:0, cis-10 15:1, cis-13, cis-16 22:2, total odd-chain FA, and de novo FA increased, and those of all remaining individual SFA, and preformed FA decreased in cows fed NaPr versus the Control diet. It was found that supplementing with NaPr significantly increased the concentrations of triglyceride (TG), glucose, and insulin in the plasma of cows. This indicates that supplementing with NaPr in the postpartum can provide energy for cows, which is beneficial for the body's glucose and lipid balance. The adipose tissue (AT) of TG, Perilipin-1 (PLIN1) protein expression, and the orange-red lipid droplet deposition were increased in cows fed NaPr versus the Control diet. The mRNA expression of ACCα and ACSS2 in adipose tissue was up-regulated, and the expression of CPT1A and CPT2 genes was down-regulated. This indicates that supplementing with NaPr in the diet promotes the generation of acetyl CoA, thereby up-regulating the FA synthesis pathway and reducing FA oxidation. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with NaPr promotes cow body energy deposition, improves milk quality, fat accumulation, and alleviates negative energy balance (NEB) during the postpartum dairy cattle.

Chemical defoliation and ripening are a prerequisite for mechanical harvesting of cotton, and the boll opening rate is a critical determinant of timing and rate of defoliates and ripening agents as well as harvest.  Given the low efficiency and poor timeliness of manual determination of boll opening rates, we have developed a rapid method based on digital images.  Field images were collected 7 days before and 7, 14, and 21 days after the application of harvest aids, with the boll opening rates (BOR) varying from 25 to 95%.  We set four shooting heights, five shooting angles and two shooting directions, and a total of 912 original images (each 5,184×3,456 pixels) were obtained.  Actual ground boll opening rates were monitored simultaneously. Each single image was segmented into 500×500 pixels sub-images.  The four deep learning networks were used to identify opened and unopened cotton bolls, and YOLOv5 performed best in balancing recognition time and accuracy.  To address the issue of boundary boll recognition caused by image segmentation, the original images were segmented into 10 different sizes (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1,000 pixels), and YOLOv5 model was then used to identify bolls in each size of the sub-images.  The bounding boxes marking cotton bolls at the same position of two different sizes of sub-images, were combined to obtain new corrected bounding boxes in merged image.   Based on the true values of BOR, the best combination of sub-images is 400×400 pixels with 700×700 pixels.  This combination was used to examine the recognition results of various shooting parameters, and we found that the optimal shooting height for the digital camera was 20-30 cm above the canopy, with a downward angle of 0-30° (BOR higher than 40%) and 15-30° (BOR lower than 40%) from the horizontal and shooting direction parallel to the planting rows.  The method established in this study can enable a less-destructive and rapid detection of BOR in the range of 25 to 95% boll opening rate, with a model R⊃2; value >92% and a relative root mean square error <10%, suggesting its high precision and stability for field application.

The combined implementation of intercropping systems and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation represents a promising phytoremediation strategy for heavy metal-contaminated farmland, providing both ecological and economic benefits. However, additional research is necessary to understand the influence of AMF and intercropping on Cd bioavailability. This study examines the synergistic effects of maize-soybean intercropping and AMF inoculation on crop growth, cadmium (Cd) allocation patterns, and rhizosphere soil dynamics through comprehensive field and pot experiments. Field trials revealed significant yield advantages in maize-soybean intercropping systems, with land equivalent ratios (LERs) of 1.62 (common maize) and 1.64 (sweet maize). Intercropping decreased soybean Cd accumulation across all tissues, notably in grains (42.8% reduction), while maintaining maize grain Cd concentrations below China's food safety threshold (0.20 mg kg^-1). The metal removal equivalent ratio (MRER) achieved 1.33-1.38 in field conditions, validating intercropping's dual advantage in productivity and Cd phytoextraction. Pot experiments indicated the AMF-inoculated intercropping system (IN+A) increased maize yield by 16.4% while reducing Cd accumulation in both crops, with grain concentrations meeting safety standards. Rhizosphere analysis demonstrated IN+A treatment substantially improved soil health indicators: 34.5% reduction in bioavailable Cd, elevated pH, decreased redox potential (Eh), and enhanced catalase activity. AMF colonization rates were 2.2-4.3 times higher in inoculated treatments (11.5-14.0%) versus controls (3.2-5.3%). These results establish that AMF-enhanced legume-cereal intercropping reduces Cd bioavailability through soil alkalinization (pH increase) coupled with redox potential reduction, and metal allocation plasticity redirecting Cd to root tissues. This interaction between microbial symbiosis and plant community design stabilizes Cd in soils while maintaining crop safety (grain Cd<0.20 mg kg^-1), establishing an ecoengineering approach for contaminated farmland remediation.

The sink-source balance critically regulates leaf abscission dynamics in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), yet its targeted manipulation to optimize defoliation efficiency remains unexplored.  Here, we conducted a two-year field experiment with cultivars ‘Xinluzao 78’ (XLZ78) and ‘Yuanmian 11’ (YM11) under four sink-source treatments: no cutting source and sink treatment (CK), cutting 1/2 leaves per plant (1/2L), cutting 1/2 bolls per plant (1/2B) and cutting all bolls per plant.  Concurrently, XLZ78 received differential irrigation regimes (deficit: 2970 m⊃3; ha^-⊃1;; conventional: 3,420 m⊃3; ha^-⊃1;; supplementary: 4,095 m⊃3; ha^-⊃1;) to probe boll retention effects.  Key findings revealed that sink reduction (1/2B, 0B) delayed defoliation by elevating leaf relative water content (LRWC) and phytohormones (IAA and ZR), while suppressing ABA, and canopy temperature, compared to CK.  This ultimately reduces the activity of cellulase (CEL) and polygalacturonase (PG) in the abscission zone.  Specifically, 1/2B and 0B reduced defoliation rates by 7.3 and 13.4% (XLZ78) and 0.8 and 9.2% (YM11), over the two-year average.  The 1/2L treatment had a similar effect to the cutting boll treatment. Conversely, supplementary irrigation (I₄₀₉₅) enhanced boll retention, sink-source ratios and canopy temperature during the defoliant application period, which increased the leaf abscission rate by 14.0% over deficit irrigation (I₂₉₇₀).  Mechanistically, under sink limitation conditions, the combination of lower canopy temperature and hormonal changes suppresses the activation of abscission zones.  These results demonstrate that managing sink-source equilibrium by minimizing leaf damage while optimizing boll load fine-tunes defoliation efficiency through microenvironment-hormone crosstalk.  Our work advances the physiological framework for precision defoliation strategies in high-density cotton systems, reconciling mechanical harvesting efficiency with yield preservation.

Water-saving rice systems must maintain yield targets while reducing water consumption. Applying biodegradable film to cover the soil surface reduces water loss through evapotranspiration, establishing a warmer, more humid microenvironment for rice growth compared to traditional paddy rice systems. This study examined soil water regimes for rice production in northeast China, comparing rice growth with and without biodegradable mulch film under continuous flooding, drip irrigation, and controlled irrigation conditions. The implementation of biodegradable mulch film elevated soil temperature and sustained soil moisture during early rice development. Continuous flooding with biodegradable mulch film yielded the highest rice production (9.4 Mg ha^-1) and net profit of approximately 11,800 CNY ha^-1. Drip irrigation with biodegradable mulch film achieved maximum water efficiency, demonstrating the highest water productivity (1.25 kg m^-3) and minimum water consumption (235 mm). Root length, weight, and surface area in the 0-40 cm soil layer exhibited positive correlations with water productivity, shoot dry matter, and yield, indicating that root morphological characteristics, particularly during the panicle initiation stage, enhanced rice production and water conservation. The findings demonstrate that biodegradable mulch film created favorable soil conditions for root proliferation, enabling higher yields in water-saving rice systems.

Arthropods serve essential roles in crop production as pollinators, predators, and pests. Understanding arthropod biodiversity is crucial for assessing agroecosystem health, functions, and services. Traditional survey methods are labor-intensive, costly, and rely on diminishing taxonomic expertise, limiting their agricultural applications. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of diverse samples provides comprehensive species composition data through efficient and non-invasive sampling. However, this method remains underutilized in rice field studies. This research examined four sample substrates - RPCF, rice pollen, soil, and water - using various barcoding primers to identify optimal substrates for monitoring rice paddy arthropod diversity. The method was implemented in Bt- (Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner) rice and non-Bt rice fields to evaluate its biomonitoring potential. Results indicate that the COI primer (mlCOIintF/jgHCO2198R) identified the highest number of rice field arthropod species. The eDNA collected from RPCF detected 15% more arthropod species compared to vacuum sampling of whole arthropods. Rice pollen collection during the heading stage also revealed considerable arthropod diversity. Alpha diversity and taxonomic composition remained consistent between Bt- and non-Bt rice fields, aligning with traditional survey findings. These results suggest that eDNA metabarcoding of plant cleaning fluid offers an effective approach for monitoring agricultural arthropod communities, contributing to agricultural production optimization.

The irrigation districts of Northern China face issues such as water scarcity, inability to effectively utilize flood resources, and groundwater overexploitation. In view of these challenges, this study proposes a new concept of deep storage irrigation through flood resources utilization. However, whether deep storage irrigation can recharge deep soil moisture and sustain crop production still requires further study. A two-year field experiment was conducted on summer maize in the Guanzhong Plain with five soil wetting layer depths (T1: 60 cm; T2: 90 cm; T3: 120 cm; T4: 150 cm; T5: 180 cm) and soil saturation moisture content as the irrigation upper limit. The results presented that the ranges of deep soil moisture recharge in the 100–200 cm soil profile (SMS_100–200) was 73.34–267.42 and 0–150.03 mm in 2021 (wet season) and 2022 (normal season). When the effective precipitation and irrigation exceeded 390 mm, the SMS_100–200 began to linearly increase. The highest grain yield (GY) were observed at T2 and T3 treatments in 2021 (11.44 t ha⁻¹) and 2022 (11.25 t ha⁻¹), respectively. The maize GY of T4 in 2021 and T5 in 2022 were only 3.9 and 5.7% lower than the maximize GY, respectively. However, the SMS_100–200 for T4 and T5 were 2.4 and 5.0 times that of T2 and T3 treatments in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Overall, the further increase in irrigation amounts induced only a slight decrease in grain yield, but it significantly increased deep soil moisture recharge. Therefore, the deep storage irrigation breaks through the traditional idea of water-saving irrigation with limited water resources, which can be utilized as an effective alternative to address the issues of water scarcity, low flood resources utilization, and groundwater level declines in the irrigation districts of northern China.

The rice ratooning (RR) pattern is increasingly gaining attention in southern China due to its low carbon emissions and high yield characteristics.  However, the net carbon budget balance and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.  Three rice planting patterns were established in this trial experiment conducted from 2021 to 2022 in Fuzhou (25°17′N, 119°18′E), Southeast China: the ratooning rice pattern (MC+RSR) for rice ratooning, single-cropping rice (LR₁), and double-cropping rice (ER+LR₂).  The closed static dark box gas collection, dry matter determination, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) etc. approaches were utilized to investigate the mechanism of "high carbon fixation - low emissions" in the rice ratooning system.  This was achieved through a comprehensive evaluation across multiple dimensions, including crop yield, GHG emissions, carbon and nitrogen footprints, resource utilization efficiency, carbon fixation capacity, and carbon budget balance.  The results showed that the average daily yield of the ratooning season rice (RSR) across different RR patterns from 2021 to 2022 was 28.21 to 47.40% higher than that of the main crop (MC) and single-cropping rice (LR₁), and 13.50 to 27.76% higher than that of the double cropping system. This discrepancy was attributed to a 3.32-6.85% increase in the allocation of ¹³C photosynthetic products (including NSC) to panicle organs and a 21.77-43.51% reduction in allocation to underground roots and soil of RSR.  Moreover, the average daily GWP values are 16.44 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ for ratoon rice (MC+RSR), 24.99 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ for single-cropping rice (LR₁), and 21.32 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ for double-cropping rice (ER+LR₂).  Specifically, the average daily GWP of ratoon rice is 34.21% lower than that of single-cropping rice and 22.90% lower than that of double-cropping rice.  Similarly, the average daily GHGI of ratoon rice is 62.28% lower than that of single-cropping rice and 28.96% lower than that of double-cropping rice.  In terms of carbon and nitrogen footprints, the ratoon rice model exhibited average daily values of 34.54 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 and 22.72 kg N-eq ha^-1, respectively.  In comparison, the single-cropping rice model had average daily values of 45.63 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 and 24.49 kg N-eq ha^-1, while the double-cropping rice model showed averages of 43.38 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 and 24.77 kg N-eq ha^-1, indicating the reductions of 24.30 and 7.23% in carbon and nitrogen footprints compared to the single-cropping rice model, as well as reductions of 20.38 and 8.30% relative to the double-cropping rice system.  Furthermore, the average carbon budget surplus across the three cropping systems is as follows: 22,380.01 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 for ratoon rice (MC+RSR), 11,228.54 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 for single-cropping rice (LR₁), and 23,772.15 kg CO₂-eq ha^-1 for double-cropping rice (ER+LR₂).  Therefore, the resource utilization efficiency of the ratoon rice model (MC+RSR) was 23.92 and 47.50% higher than that of the single-cropping rice model (LR₁) and the double-cropping rice model (ER+LR₂), respectively.  Furthermore, the average daily economic benefits increased by 32.71 and 80.75%, respectively.  These findings provide a robust theoretical foundation and practical guidance for advancing agricultural carbon neutrality technologies and ensuring food security.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. (Wilczek)) is an important food legume crop.  The utilization of heterosis based on male sterile lines can help increase mungbean yields, yet genetic studies on mungbean male sterility are rare.  Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the male sterility genes in mungbean.  In this study, a no-pollen male sterile mutant vrnpms (Vigna radiata no pollen male sterility) was identified in mungbean.  Gene mapping was conducted using F₂ populations derived from the cross between vrnpms and V2709.  The gene controlling the male sterility was mapped to a 426.65 kb region on chromosome 6.  A candidate gene VrMYB80 (EVM0016947), encoding a protein homologous to MYB80 transcription factors, exhibits a 52-kb deletion in vrnpms, resulting in a truncated protein lacking the C’-terminus.  A molecular marker linked to the male sterility phenotype was developed based on the deletion in vrnpms.  Functional complementation in Arabidopsis demonstrated that VrMYB80 could restore fertility in the myb80 mutant.  Subcellular localization showed that VrMYB80 was located in the nucleus. Transcriptional activation assays revealed that the C’-terminus of VrMYB80 was the transcriptional activation domain.  The result of in-situ hybridization indicated that VrMYB80 is expressed in the anther tapetum.  The expression level of downstream VrMS1 was down regulated in vrnpms, indicating that Vrmyb80 with the truncated C’-terminal transcriptional activation domain failed to activate downstream genes, which was the reason of sterility of vrnpms.  The findings of this study contribute to unraveling the molecular genetic mechanism underlying pollen development in legume crops and pave the way for utilizing heterosis in mungbean.

Soil microbial-metabolite interactions influence crop productivity, yet their responses to long-term nutrient management in legume systems warrant further investigation. This study examined how fertilization and Rhizobium inoculation reshape soybean rhizosphere fungal-metabolite networks to improve soil health. Through a decade-long field trial utilizing Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics, four treatments were evaluated: control (CK), phosphorus-potassium fertilization (PK), PK with nitrogen fertilization (PK+N), and PK with Bradyrhizobiumjaponicum 5821 inoculation (PK+R). Results indicated that nitrogen fertilization increased fungal diversity at maturity and enhanced co-occurrence network complexity (displaying the highest node and edge counts), while Bradyrhizobium inoculation promoted stochastic assembly. Soil fungi exhibited notable correlations with 3-Hydroxymethylantipyrine, Chrysophanol, 3,7-Dihydroxyflavone and Triethylamine. Metabolite profiling revealed nitrogen suppression of stress-resistance flavonoids (3-Hydroxymethylantipyrine, Chrysophanol, 3,7-Dihydroxyflavone), whereas Bradyrhizobium enhanced these key metabolites. KEGG enrichment identified tryptophan and caffeine metabolism as central during flowering-podding, coordinating nitrogen assimilation and defense responses. Additionally, the key metabolites correlated significantly with soil total nitrogen, organic matter, and available nitrogen. These findings reveal that Bradyrhizobium acts synergistically with fertilization to activate fungal-driven metabolic pathways, offering a microbiome-based approach to enhance nitrogen efficiency and reduce agrochemical dependency in soybean systems.

Selenium (Se) is known for alleviating cadmium (Cd) toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.), but algal polysaccharides-selenium nanoparticles (AP-SNPs) mitigating Cd stress by regulating carbon-nitrogen metabolism is unknown.  Herein, we found that AP-SNPs improved root and leaf cell ultrastructure, leaf stomatal and photosynthetic traits and reduced the Cd translocation from roots to shoots via Se absorption, translocation as well as upregulating the transcription factors of Se encoding genes OsPT2, OsNIP 2;1, and OsSULTR1;2 at 7 and 14 days after treatment (DAT).  The findings showed that AP-SNPs promoted the concentrations of metabolites and enzymes of carbon-nitrogen metabolism by upregulating the transcript levels of OsRbcS2, OsCS1, OsAGPL1, OsAMT1, OsNRT2.1, OsNR2, OsGS1, and OsGOGAT1 genes.  Additionally, AP-SNPs addition increased the levels of SOD by 11-13%, POD by 10-8%, and CAT by 8-12%, respectively, at 7 and 14 DAT to counteract the damage of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under Cd stress.  The results revealed that AP-SNPs promoted the carbon and nitrogen metabolism, physiological status, and antioxidant defense system of rice and decreased the Cd content in rice root by 12-23%, rice shoot 30-39%, total Cd content 28-46%, and Cd translocation factor 14-27%, respectively at 7 and 14 DAT.  The significant correlation matrixes of the partial least square model (PLSM) and Mantel test further quantify the above findings and imply that AP-SNPs can be a green and sustainable biological compound that regulates carbon-nitrogen metabolism and the antioxidant defense system of rice to minimize Cd transfer from roots to shoots and the food web.

Excessive nitrogen (N) losses from cropland are serious threats to sustainable agricultural and ecological development.  Recently, straw and biochar (BC) have been widely applied in cropland to reduce soil N losses, but the mechanisms by which their physicochemical properties affect soil N cycling and soil N losses remain unclear.  This study investigated the responses of soil N transformation and crop yield on BC and straw applications through incubation and field experiments.  Density function theory (DFT) calculations were performed to determine the different impacts of straw and BC on soil N losses at the molecular scale.  Our results indicated that BC application at a weight percent of 3 (3.0wt %) exhibited superior performance in promoting soil N transformation.  The superior physicochemical properties of BC over straw contributed to enhanced interaction and adsorption energies with NO₃^--N and NH₄⁺-N, which reduced soil N losses by 20.2% from interflow of field experiment compared to straw.  BC application reduced soil N₂O by 45.0% compared to the field with conventional fertilization by modulating the functional genes of microorganisms and weakening the soil denitrification.  Although BC increased soil NH₃ volatilization by improving urease functional genes (ureC, UreB) compared to straw, it also significantly improved N use efficiency in 25.3% of the crops compared to straw.  Thus, in calcareous purple soils, 3.0 wt% BC content provided superior performance in terms of enhanced N cycling, reduced N losses and improved crop yields compared to straw.  In conclusion, these findings provide insights into optimizing cropland BC application and enhancing soil fertility for sustainable agricultural and ecological developments.

To examine the impact of anthropogenic land reconstruction, particularly the consolidation of small terraces into larger fields, on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) dynamics, rice yield, and its components, soil and plant samples were collected from seven newly reconstructed fields in Japanese Andosols in Tochigi, Japan. Samples were obtained from both the former low- and high-elevation sides within each field plot. During harvest season, nine rice plants were randomly selected from each plot (0.675 m², comprising 3 rows and 3 hills per row), collected from a 3-meter stretch along both the east (former low side) and west (former high side) ridges. Soil cores were collected from identical plots at two depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) and combined into one composite sample per layer. Rice plant samples were air-dried for two weeks until reaching constant moisture content, after which stems and ears were separated and weighed to determine biomass, yield, yield components, and nitrogen uptake. The indicated that land reconstruction significantly affected rice yield and its components between the two sides of all field plots. SOC, TN, and their decomposition following land reconstruction showed notable changes, especially in the 15–30 cm subsurface soil layer. Additionally, grain weight demonstrated significant correlation with SOC, TN, and carbon decomposition in both the 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm layers, indicating that soil fertility to a depth of 30 cm was crucial for rice productivity after land reconstruction.

Nitrogen (N) not only provides nutritional support for grain development but also lays the foundation for efficient photosynthesis and yield formation by regulating leaf function and delaying senescence.  However, the regulation of leaf function during the reproductive growth stage and its relationship with yield under drip irrigation remain unclear.  Therefore, from 2020–2021, a cultivar with high nitrogen use efficiency (high-NUE) (T-43) and a low-NUE cultivar (LX-3) were used as the study materials and were grown under drip irrigation with four N fertilization levels (0, 150, 300, and 450 kg ha⁻¹); the differences in leaf morphology, photosynthetic characteristics, hormone contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, biomass (mass), and yield were analysed.  The results revealed the following: (1) N application significantly increased the yield of drip-irrigated rice (17.38-74.03%), and with increasing N application rate, the leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll a+b (Chl a+b) content, maximum net photosynthetic rate (P_nmax) and mass initially increased but then decreased, reaching optimum values under N₃₀₀, whereas the flag leaf area (LA) continued to increase.  (2) Between the cultivars, T-43 presented relatively high LA and N-metabolizing enzyme activities, thereby increasing the Chl a+b content, light saturation point (I_sat), and mass accumulation; LX-3 presented relatively high abscisic acid (ABA) content, and the accelerated degradation of Chl b resulted in an increased Chl a/b ratio, which inhibited P_nmax.  (3) Structural equation modelling (SEM) further revealed that indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) directly increased P_nmax to increase photosynthetic efficiency, whereas the positive promoting effect of IAA and N-metabolizing enzymes on Chl a+b indirectly increased the LAI and N agronomic efficiency (NAE), thus promoting the positive effects of LAI (0.477^***) and P_nmax (0.715^***) on yield.  In summary, under the appropriate N application rate (300 kg ha⁻¹), in the high-NUE cultivar (T-43), the leaf functional period was maintained, and the photosynthetic capacity was increased via increased hormone contents and antioxidant enzyme activities.  The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the efficient production of drip-irrigated rice in arid areas.

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.

Maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD), caused by Fijivirus, poses a significant threat to global maize production.  Using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the resistant parent CML199 and the susceptible parent Zheng58, we identified three MRDD resistance QTLs on chromosomes 2, 6, and 9, accounting for 12.71, 5.89, and 11.04% of the total phenotypic variation, respectively.  Among them, the major locus qMrdd3 on chromosome 2 demonstrated incomplete dominance, conferring a resistance enhancement of 26.36–34.47% across diverse environments.  Fine-mapping refined qMrdd3 to a 227.7-kb interval containing five candidate genes, among which Zm00001d002441 was specifically upregulated in the resistant near-isogenic line (NIL-R) following RBSDV infection.  Additionally, two co-segregating markers were developed to facilitate efficient marker-assisted selection.  Introgression of qMrdd3 into Zheng58 and Chang7-2 enhanced field resistance by 38.84 and 26.47%, respectively.  This study provides a valuable genetic resource for MRDD resistance breeding through QTL dissection, elite germplasm development, and marker-assisted breeding.

The bread-making quality of wheat is significantly influenced by both sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) fertilizers when soil S deficiency occurs.  However, it is not clear whether the end-use quality of bread wheat can be improved by the application of S fertilizer in the absence of soil S deficiency.  In this study, two bread wheat cultivars, Gaoyou 5766 and Zhouyuan 9369, were subjected to three N rates (100, 200, and 300 kg N ha^-1) and two S rates (0 and 67.5 kg S ha^-1).  The effects of the N and S fertilizers on the grain N and S concentrations, grain N/S ratio, grain protein concentration (GPC), grain protein composition, glutenin polymerization degree, and quality traits were investigated.  The results showed that the responses of the two cultivars to the application of S fertilizer in the GPC, the grain N/S ratio, and the ratio of high molecular weight glutenin subunit to low molecular weight glutenin subunit were similar under each N input level.  However, the effects of S fertilizer on the ratio of glutenin to gliadin (Glu/Gli ratio), the glutenin polymerization degree, the dough rheological properties, and the bread-making quality varied with the N input level in the absence of soil S deficiency.  At the N rate of 100 kg N ha^-1 without S input, the grain N/S ratios were below 12.2:1; application of S fertilizer resulted in a decreased Glu/Gli ratio and glutenin polymerization degree, lower dough strength, and decreased end-use quality.  At the N rate of 200 kg N ha^-1 without S input, the grain N/S ratios were in the range 13.7:1–15.9:1, and application of S led to an increased Glu/Gli ratio and glutenin polymerization degree.  As a result, the dough strength increased but the dough extensibility decreased, the end-use quality was maintained.  At the N rate of 300 kg N ha^-1 without S input, the grain N/S ratios were higher than 15.9:1, and application of S resulted in an increased Glu/Gli ratio and glutenin polymerization degree, thereby increasing the dough strength and end-use quality.  As shown by correlation analysis, the bread-making quality of wheat was closely associated with the Glu/Gli ratio and the polymerization degree of glutenin as modified by N and S fertilizers.  In conclusion, the combination of N and S exerted effects on wheat bread-making quality by changing the relative abundance of specific S-rich and S-poor proteins.  When there is no S deficiency in the soil, application of S fertilizer favors improvement in the bread-making quality of wheat only when the N/S ratio in grains is close to, or higher than, 16:1.

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella represents a worldwide threat to Brassicaceae crops and has developed substantial resistance to conventional insecticides. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have emerged as environmentally sustainable alternatives to chemical insecticides. Since insect immunity constitutes the primary defense against fungal pathogens, understanding these mechanisms could advance biocontrol strategies. Nevertheless, research on the immune functions of galectins in insects remains limited. This study identifies a Galectin-4 homolog in P. xylostella (PxGalectin-4) and systematically examines its immunological functions against an EPF Isaria cicadae infection. The open reading frame of PxGalectin-4 encoded 338 amino acids with a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). PxGalectin-4 expression exhibited peak levels in late-instar larval stages and fat body, and increased significantly following I. cicadae challenge. Functional characterization demonstrated that recombinant PxGalectin-4 (rPxGalectin-4) directly bound cells and cell wall components of microbes, and displayed Ca²⁺-dependent microbial agglutination. Additionally, rPxGalectin-4 enhanced hemocyte-mediated immune responses by promoting nodulation and encapsulation, and increased phenoloxidase activity of hemolymph. Knockdown of PxGalectin-4 significantly increased the susceptibility of P. xylostella larvae to I. cicadae infection. In conclusion, PxGalectin-4 serves a vital immune function in P. xylostella defense against I.cicadae, and presents a potential target for novel pest control strategies.

Grape white rot is a fungal disease caused by Coniella diplodiella (Speg.) Sacc. (C. diplodiella) that seriously affects fruit quality and yield; however, the underlying mechanism governing the plant response to C. diplodiella pathogens is still poorly understood. Here, we characterized a homeodomain (HD) transcription factor from grape (Vitis vinifera), VvOCP3, and demonstrated its significance in C. diplodiella resistance. Expression analysis showed that VvOCP3 expression was significantly down-regulated upon inoculation with C. diplodiella. Functional analysis with transient injection in grape berries and stable overexpression in grape calli demonstrated that VvOCP3 negatively regulates grape resistance to C. diplodiella. Further studies showed that VvOCP3 directly binds to the promoter of VvPR1 (pathogenesis-related protein 1) and inhibits its expression, resulting in reduced resistance to C. diplodiella. In addition, VvOCP3 can interact with the type 2C protein phosphatase VvABI1, which is a negative modulator of the ABA signaling pathway. In summary, our findings suggest that VvOCP3 plays a crucial role in regulating white rot resistance in grape, and offer theoretical guidance for developing grape cultivars with enhanced C. diplodiella resistance by regulating the expression of VvOCP3.

The application of imidacloprid insecticides for the management of forage grass pests, such as Therioaphis trifolii, is a widely adopted practice; however, the transgenerational impacts of sublethal doses of imidacloprid on T. trifolii remain largely unexplored. This research initially employed toxicity assessments to identify sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid in T. trifolii. Following this, a series of experiments—including life table analysis, transcriptome sequencing, evaluations of feeding efficiency, and assessments of immune capacity—were conducted to elucidate the diverse effects on the F₂ generation of T. trifolii resulting from exposure to sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid in the F₀ and F₁ generations. Toxicity testing experiments revealed that exposure to imidacloprid at concentrations of 0.1 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L did not significantly impact the survival and reproductive rates of a single generation of T. trifolii. When both F₀ and F₁ generations T. trifolii were subjected to a concentration of 0.5 mg/L imidacloprid, a notable decline in the intrinsic growth rate and reproductive capacity of F₂ generation T. trifolii was observed in comparison to the control treatment group. Honeydew secretion during feeding decreased by 36.7% within a 72-hour period. Fatty acid content decreased by 30.5%. And there was a significant impairment of hemolymph immune response to exogenous bacterial and fungal challenges. This study represented the inaugural investigation into the transgenerational impacts of sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid on T. trifolii. The findings of our study indicate that sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid cross generational inhibit the reproductive capacity, feeding efficiency, and immune function of T. trifolii. This research offers important insights for enhancing the application strategies of imidacloprid within the framework of integrated pest management for forage crops.

The caffeine (CAF), a primary flavor component in tea, is one of the most popular reasons for tea beverage. As the important secondary metabolite in tea plant, the CAF content varied greatly among different tea accessions. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the CAF biosynthesis was still unclear. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 359 tea accessions in Guizhou plateau to identify genetic variation associated with CAF content. A total of 19 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and key gene (CsAK) involved in CAF biosynthesis were identified. Subcellular localization revealed that the CsAK-GFP fusion protein was located on cell membrane. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AsODN) targeting the CsAK gene to the buds and leaves revealed that the expression levels of the CsAK gene was significantly reduced, and the corresponding CAF contents were also decreased in AsODN-treated tea plants. Overexpression of CsAK gene in eukaryotic cell resulted in the accumulation of key intermediate product (L-methionine) during CAF biosynthesis process. These findings offered a theoretical foundation for future tea breeding programs aimed at cultivating of excellent germplasm with high or low levels of CAF.

Hulled oat is an important cereal crop for both animal feed and human consumption, as climate change accelerates and the world's population grows, improving oat breeding is crucial to ensure a stable food supply. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are instrumental in pinpointing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with phenotypic variations within germplasm collections. This study assessed six crucial agronomic traits (plant height, stem length, spike length, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, and stem diameter) across five environments in 266 globally sourced hulled oat varieties, employing 34,896 SNPs for a comprehensive genetic analysis via restricted two-stage multi-locus multi-allele (RTM)- and Bayesian-information and linkage-disequilibrium iteratively nested keyway (Blink)-GWAS methodologies. Our analysis identified 54 SNP linkage disequilibrium blocks (SNPLDBs), and 52 SNPs associated with the six agronomic traits. A total of 105 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified within a ±2 Mb physical region surrounding these loci. Of these, 14 stable QTLs were consistently detected across multiple environments and by both GWAS methods. Haplotype analysis within these QTL regions identified three to five haplotype alleles, each significantly influencing the phenotypic variation of traits across different environments. Combining gene annotation, literature review, and transcriptome data, we identified 35 candidate genes involved in signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, metabolism, and cell development. These findings provide valuable genetic resources for enhancing agronomic traits and yield in oat breeding programs under diverse environmental conditions.

Black spot is a fungus disease elicited by Alternaria brassicae infection and causes devastating damage to Chinese cabbage. We explored the molecular mechanisms of Chinese cabbage’s defense responses to A. brassicae infection by comparative transcriptomic analysis. Notably, we found that the expression of BrERF109 was induced by A. brassicae infection. Silencing of BrERF109 by an optimized VIGS assay in Chinese cabbage reduced disease resistance, whereas BrERF109-overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced disease resistance. Furthermore, silencing of BrERF109 in Chinese cabbage repressed the expression of indolic glucosinolates genes thus significantly lowered the indolic glucosinolates levels, while BrERF109-overexpression in Arabidopsis induced indolic glucosinolates accumulation. BrERF109 could directly bind the promoter of BrIGMT4, thereby promoting the indolic glucosinolates accumulation and actively defending against A. brassicae. Our study uncovered the BrERF109-BrIGMT4 regulatory module in Chinese cabbage’s defense responses to A. brassicae infection, as well as providing valuable dataset to further explore plants-A. brassicae interactions.

Flavonols have high medical value and are crucial for plant stress resistance. They are also key components of the nutritional value in onions, particularly in the edible parts. Although the flavonol biosynthetic pathway is well studied, its regulation in onions is not fully understood. This study screened flavonol biosynthesis and regulatory genes by analyzing transcriptome and metabolomics data from different developmental stages of “SA1.” Two R2R3-MYB transcription factors, AcMYB12 and AcMYB29, were identified as positive regulators of onion flavonol biosynthesis. Transcriptional activation assays showed that both could activate AcCHS, AcF3’H, and AcFLS. Yeast one-hybrid assays confirmed they directly bind to the promoters of these genes. Flavonol pathway genes expression and flavonol content in overexpressed onion callus and Arabidopsis were significantly higher than in controls, supporting the role of AcMYB29 and AcMYB12 in flavonol regulation. Instantaneous silencing tests revealed partial functional redundancy between the two. Interestingly, There were also significant differences in their ability to regulate. AcMYB12 mainly regulates flavonol accumulation, whereas AcMYB29 focuses on quercetin. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms of differential regulation, likely due to variations in cis-elements in flavonol pathway gene promoters and differences in binding activity between transcription factors and cis-elements.

The synergistic use of chemical pesticides and biological agents poses the fundamental challenge of balancing control efficacy with ecological safety. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising strategy for improving pesticide performance while reducing pesticide residues and alleviating environmental contamination. Herein, we developed an efficient nano-pesticide based on star polycation (SPc) loaded with clothianidin, which was co-applied with a widely used parasitic wasp (Aphidius colemani) to achieve synergistic pest management. SPc at the working concentration displayed no significant impact on the eclosion or survival of parasitic wasps, whereas the oral feeding of SPc at an extremely high concentration significantly up-regulated several genes related to ribosomal protein and energy metabolism, leading to metabolic imbalance and subsequent mortality of the parasitic wasps. The SPc could load clothianidin via hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces, and this spontaneous complexation achieved a reduction in particle size from 6554.87 to 467.84 nm. Importantly, the clothianidin/SPc complex exhibited a 16–28% increase in insecticidal activity against green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), while showing minimal adverse impacts on the eclosion and parasitism of parasitic wasps. Finally, co-application of the clothianidin/SPc complex with parasitic wasps achieved up to 80% mortality in green peach aphids, with the promising advantages of rapid pest suppression and sustainable control. This study proposes a synergetic pest management strategy based on nano-pesticides and natural enemies, which is beneficial for maintaining long-term agricultural ecological balance.

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a crucial source of high-quality protein and oil, indispensable for human consumption and animal feed.  The increasing global demand for soybeans has rendered the enhancement of its productivity and quality a paramount goal.  Sugar Will Eventually Be Exported Transporter (SWEET) proteins are crucial for seed size and quality.  This study examined the role of GmSWEET20 to elucidate its expression pattern, function, regulatory mechanisms, and haplotypes.  Our results demonstrated that GmSWEET20 is situated in the plasma membrane and is predominantly expressed in leaves and developing seeds.  Overexpression of GmSWEET20 increased the seed number per plant, total yield, and crude protein content.  This contrasts with GmSWEET10a/10b, which simultaneously increased seed size and oil content.  These findings highlight the functional diversity of the GmSWEETs family in regulating yield and quality.  This research offers novel concepts and theoretical support for high-yield soybean breeding methodologies.

The development of novel stimuli-responsive pesticide delivery systems is a highly effective strategy for improving pesticide utilization efficiency while minimizing environmental risks. A pH-, glutathione-, and chitinase-responsive pesticide delivery system was designed by conjugating chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) with biodegradable disulfide bond-bridged mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MONs) loaded with pyraclostrobin (PYR@MONs-COS). The loading capacity of PYR in the nanoparticles was approximately 13.6%. The covalent attachment of COS to the modified MONs could effectively protect the active ingredient from photodegradation and prevent premature release of PYR. During the infection process, physiological and biochemical changes at the infection site, including reduced pH values, increased glutathione levels, and enhanced chitinase activity, facilitated the rapid degradation of disulfide bonds and COS in PYR@MONs-COS, resulting in the rapid release of PYR. Furthermore, PYR@MONs-COS significantly enhanced the foliar penetration of PYR, improved the adhesion of pesticide droplets, and stimulated callose deposition in rice leaves, thus strengthening the immunity of rice plants. In antifungal activity assays, PYR@MONs-COS exhibited superior efficacy and longer effective duration against Magnaporthe oryzae compared to PYR microcapsules in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The phytotoxicity assessment indicated that PYR@MONs-COS was safe for rice plants. More importantly, PYR@MONs-COS demonstrated a 7.3-fold reduction in acute toxicity to zebrafish compared to PYR technical. Therefore, the triple-stimuli pesticide delivery system has great potential for rice disease management and provides a promising pathway for the development of sustainable agriculture.