Agriculture is the foundation of socio-economic development and is highly influenced by weather and climate conditions. Drought is one of the most significant threats to agricultural development and food security. Currently, in-situ drought monitoring based on weather stations and based on remote sensing data has limitations, including infrequent updates, limited coverage, and low accuracy. This study leverages multi-source remote sensing data to monitor agricultural drought in Heilongjiang Province, China. We develop multi-source composite drought indices (MCDIs) at various timescales (3, 6, 9, and 12 months) by integrating precipitation, land surface temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation indices. Utilizing remote sensing data from various sources, we calculated a series of single drought indices, which are the precipitation condition index (PCI), soil moisture condition index (SMCI), vegetation condition index (VCI), and temperature condition index (TCI). These are then integrated into MCDIs using a multivariable linear regression approach. The analysis reveals that MCDIs correlate more with standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) than single drought indices. When examining the correlation between different MCDIs and the affected area of crops and major grain production, MCDI-9 showed the highest correlation with the affected area of crops, while MCDI-12 showed the highest correlation with grain production. This suggests that these two MCDIs at different timescales were better indicators of agricultural drought. The spatio-temporal analysis of MCDI indicates that drought in Heilongjiang Province primarily occurs in early spring, gradually spreading from the Greater Khingan Mountains region to the southeastern plains. The drought gradually alleviates during the summer, ending by the autumn harvest period. Therefore, the MCDIs constructed in this study can serve as effective methods and indicators for drought monitoring in Heilongjiang Province and similar regions.

High-resistant starch rice is a valuable food for human health, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes, as it supports effective blood sugar control and provides cardiovascular and intestinal benefits.  However, developing rice varieties with high resistant starch content remains a major challenge.  In this study, we identified a mutant, chalk2, with increased chalkiness from the mutant library of indica rice ZJ100.  The chalk2 mutants exhibited significantly higher amylose and protein contents, while total starch and lipid contents were reduced. Analysis of resistant starch in chalk2 revealed substantial increases in two resistant starch (RS) types RS2 and RS3.  Electron microscopy revealed abnormal starch granule development in the endosperm. The chalk2 mutant also showed reduced grain length, width, and thickness, as well as a decreased seed setting rate, which ultimately led to a significant reduction in grain yield.  Through physical localization, Mut-Map analysis, and transgene complementation, we found that SBEIIb was responsible for the chalk2 phynotypes, a member of the starch branching enzyme (SBE) family, specifically expressed in the endosperm.  Furthermore, the expression levels, enzyme activity, and protein abundance of SBEIIb were significantly reduced in chalk2 mutants.  These findings suggest that SBEIIb plays a crucial role in regulating the composition of starch and resistant starch formation in indica rice.

Plant viruses pose significant threats to agriculture, with many vectored by insect pests. The entry of viruses and their encoded proteins into the host nucleus is a critical step for promoting some viral replication and enabling systemic infection. Laodelphax striatellus, also known as the small brown planthopper (SBPH), is an efficient vector for rice stripe virus (RSV), one of the most damaging viruses of rice. In this study, we demonstrate that RSV infection induces the expression of genes in both the classical and non-classical nuclear import pathways of SBPH. A gene belonging to the importin β family, importin 5 (LsIPO5), was upregulated by 84% in SBPH midguts infected with RSV. The nuclear localization signal (NLS, ¹⁶⁸YRSPSKKRHKYV¹⁷⁹) is located within the nonstructural protein NS3 directly bound to LsIPO5, thereby facilitating NS3 nuclear entry. Moreover, a RING-type E3 ligase (LsRING) in SBPH, which mediated the ubiquitination of NS3 in the insect vector, enhanced NS3 binding to LsIPO5 and facilitated NS3 perinuclear localization. Combined treatment of SBPH with both dsIPO5 and dsRING significantly reduced RSV loads, highlighting the importance of LsIPO5 and NS3 ubiquitination cooperation in facilitating viral replication. Our findings provide new insights into synergistic molecular mechanisms that govern RSV infection and suggest potential therapeutic targets to control viral transmission through their insect vectors.

A comprehensive assessment of grain supply, demand, and ecosystem service flows is essential for identifying grain movement pathways, ensuring regional grain security, and guiding sustainable management strategies. However, current studies primarily focus on short-term grain provision services while neglecting the spatiotemporal variations in grain flows across different scales. This gap limits the identification of dynamic matching relationships and the formulation of optimization strategies for balancing grain flows. This study examined the spatiotemporal evolution of grain supply and demand in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region from 1980 to 2020. Using the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method, the grain provision ecosystem service flows were quantified, the changes in supply–demand matching under different flow scenarios were analyzed and the optimal distance threshold for grain flows was investigated. The results revealed that grain production follows a spatial distribution pattern characterized by high levels in the southeast and low levels in the northwest. A significant mismatch exists between supply and demand, and it shows a scale effect. Deficit areas are mainly concentrated in the northwest, while surplus areas are mainly located in the central and southern regions. As the spatial scale increases, the ecosystem service supply–demand ratio (SDR) classification becomes more clustered, while it exhibits greater spatial SDR heterogeneity at smaller scales. This study examined two distinct scenarios of grain provision ecosystem service flow dynamics based on 100 km and 200 km distance thresholds. The flow increased significantly, from 2.17 to 11.81 million tons in the first scenario and from 2.41 to 12.37 million tons in the second scenario over nearly 40 years, forming a spatial movement pattern from the central and southern regions to the surrounding areas. Large flows were mainly concentrated in the interior of urban centers, with significant outflows between cities such as Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, and Hengshui. At the county scale, supply–demand matching patterns remained consistent between the grain flows in the two scenarios. Notably, incorporating grain flow dynamics significantly reduced the number of grain-deficit areas compared to scenarios without grain flow. In 2020, grain-deficit counties decreased by 28.79% and 37.88%, and cities by 12.50% and 25.0% under the two scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, the distance threshold for achieving optimal supply and demand matching at the county scale was longer than at the city scale in both flow scenarios. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamic relationships and heterogeneous patterns of grain matching, and expands the research perspective on grain and ecosystem service flows across various spatiotemporal scales.

The native thelytokous (TH) and arrhenotokous (AR) strains of Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are promising biocontrol agents against the invasive tomato pest Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). This study assessed the performance and preferences of these strains in choice experiments involving five host instar ratios and evaluated their functional responses to seven densities of 1st instar larvae (5 to 40 hosts). In host-attacking behavior assays, an increasing proportion of 1st instar larvae led to a significant rise in host mortality rates for both strains. Both strains exhibited strong preferences for parasitizing and attacking 1st instar larvae over later instars, with the TH strain demonstrating significantly greater host-killing efficacy than the AR strain. Functional response experiments revealed that the attack rates of both strains were positively correlated with host density. Parasitism by both strains and host-stinging behavior by the TH strain showed type III functional responses, while host-feeding by both strains and host-stinging by the AR strain followed type II functional responses. Early establishment of the TH strain in tomato agroecosystems could enhance the management of T. absoluta. These findings provide critical insights into the functional dynamics of the TH and AR strains of N. formosa that can inform the development of effective biocontrol programs for this globally significant pest.

Long-term manure application has the potential to alleviate soil acidification, and increase carbon sequestration and nutrient availability, thus improving cropland fertility. However, the mechanisms behind greenhouse gas N₂O emissions from acidic soil mediated by long-term manure application remain poorly understood. Herein, we investigated N₂O emission and its linkage with gross N mineralization and nitrification rates, as well as nitrifying and denitrifying microbes in an acidic upland soil subjected to 36-year fertilization treatments, including an unfertilized control (CK), inorganic fertilizer (F), 2 x rate of inorganic fertilizer (2F), manure (M), and the combination of inorganic fertilizer and manure (FM) treatments. Compared to the CK treatment (1.34 μg N kg^–1 d^–1), fertilization strongly increased N₂O emissions by 34-fold on average, with more pronounced increases in the manure-amendment (10.6–169 μg N kg^–1 d^–1) than those in the inorganic fertilizer treatments (3.26–5.51 μg N kg^–1 d^–1). The manure amendment-stimulated N₂O emissions were highly associated with increased soil pH, mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, substrate availability (e.g., particulate organic carbon, NO₃⁻ and available phosphorus), gross N mineralization rates, denitrifier abundances and the (nirK+nirS)/nosZ ratio. These findings suggest that the increased N₂O emissions primarily resulted from alleviated acidification, increased substrate availability and improved soil structure, thus enhancing microbial N mineralization and favoring N₂O-producing denitrifiers over N₂O consumers. Moreover, AOB rather than AOA positively correlated with soil NO₃⁻ concentration and N₂O emissions, indicating that nitrification indirectly contributed to N₂O production by supplying NO₃⁻ for denitrification. Collectively, manure amendment potentially stimulates N₂O emissions, primarily resulting from alleviated soil acidification and increased substrate availability, thus enhancing N mineralization and denitrifier-mediated N₂O production. Our findings suggest that consideration should be given to the greenhouse gas budgets of agricultural ecosystems when applying manure for managing the pH and fertility of acidic soils.

Cropland abandonment has become a global issue that poses significant threats to sustainable cropland management, national food security, and the ecological environment. Remote sensing technology is crucial for identifying and monitoring abandoned cropland in large-scale areas. However, limited information is available on the effective identification methods and spatial distribution patterns of abandoned cropland in the hilly and gully regions. This study introduced two methods—the land-use trajectory and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series—for monitoring abandoned cropland and evaluating its spatial distribution in the Yanhe River Basin using Landsat-8 images from 2019 to 2021. The results showed that using a random forest algorithm, high-precision annual land-use classifications were achieved with the generation of reliable land-cover samples and an optimized feature dataset. The overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa coefficient of the land-use maps exceeded 90% and 0.88, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the classification over three years. These two distinct change detection methods were used to identify abandoned cropland in the study area, and their accuracy and effectiveness were evaluated. The land-use trajectory method performed better than the NDVI time series method for extracting abandoned cropland, with an OA of 83.5% and an F1 score of 84.7%. According to the land-use trajectory detection results, the study area had 164.6 km² of abandoned cropland area in 2021, with an abandonment rate of 16.3%. Furthermore, cropland abandonment mainly occurred in the northwestern part of the region, which has harsh natural conditions, while abandonment was rare in the southern and eastern regions. Topography and landforms significantly influenced the spatial distribution of abandoned cropland, with most abandoned cropland located in mountainous regions with higher elevations and steeper slopes. The abandonment rate generally increased with the elevation and slope. These findings provide valuable references and guidance for selecting appropriate methods to identify abandoned cropland and analyze its spatial distribution in the hilly and gully regions. Our proposed methods offer robust solutions for monitoring abandoned cropland and optimizing land-use change detection in similar regions with complex landforms.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). The virus is transmitted among adult pigs, causing abortion in sows and orchitis in boars. Vaccination remains the most effective strategy for the prevention and control of this disease. Studies have shown that genotype I (GI) JEV has replaced GIII JEV as the dominant strain in many Asian countries. However, all currently licensed JE vaccines, including the widely used SA14-14-2 live attenuated vaccine, are derived from the GIII strain. It has been reported that GIII-based vaccines do not provide complete protection against the GI strain. In this study, we conducted vaccination-challenge protection assays in mice and boars to evaluate the protective efficacy of live attenuated GI (SD12-F120) derived vaccines against challenge by a homologous genotype. In mice, immunisation with the vaccine induced a potent viral-neutralising response against the homologous GI JEV SD12 strain. The SD12-F120 vaccine provided complete protection against lethal challenge by SD12, whilst also attenuating viraemia. JEV was not detected in the blood, oronasal swabs, or testicles of boars receiving the SD12-F120 vaccine. Vaccination induced high levels of neutralising antibodies against the homologous GI strain in boars, with titers as high as 64. Histopathological analysis showed that interstitial cells of the boar testis and spermatogonia at all levels were well preserved in the vaccine-immunised group, effectively suppressing the occurrence of orchitis. These results showed that the SD12-F120 vaccine provides boars complete protection against challenge by SD12, whilst also protecting against viraemia and testicular damage. Our findings indicate that SD12-F120 is a promising live-attenuated vaccine candidate for controlling the spread of GI JEV.

Identification of genes that regulate meat production and quality in pigs is crucial for improving the pork industry. We previously created a Zinc finger-BED domain transcription factor (ZBED6)-deficient pig model which exhibited accelerated postnatal growth. Here, we evaluated the effect of ZBED6 on meat quality, flavor, nutritional value, safety and the mechanisms underlying meat production in pigs. Our results indicated that ZBED6 deficiency enlarges body size by enhancing feed efficiency. The results of carcass characteristics and meat quality measurements showed that ZBED6 deficiency enhances carcass lean percentage (46.49±0.62 % for WT vs. 52.70±0.56 % for ZBED6^-/-; P<0.001) and improves redness (12.39±0.42 for WT vs.14.53±0.59 for ZBED6^-/-; P=0.04) and reduces cooking loss (50.34±0.43% for WT vs.48.34±0.55% for ZBED6^-/-; P=0.04). Analysis of fatty acid and amino acid profiles showed that ZBED6 deficiency enhances both the nutritional value and flavor of pork. A comprehensive analysis utilizing RNA-seq, quantitative proteomics, and ChIP-seq identified the immunoglobulin superfamily containing leucine-rich repeat (ISLR) as a direct negative target of ZBED6. In C2C12 cells with knockdown of Zbed6, Islr expression is elevated, activating the canonical Wnt pathway and promoting myoblast differentiation and myotube formation, while knockdown of Islr significantly attenuated these effects. The subchronic oral toxicity study of ZBED6 deficiency pork in rat revealed no significant differences in daily clinical signs, body weight, feed intake, hematology, and serum biochemistry compares to wild-type pork. In summary, our study demonstrates the potential of ZBED6-deficient pigs as a valuable resource for the livestock and food industry, providing new insights into the mechanisms by which ZBED6 promotes muscle growth through the regulation of ISLR pathway.

The tiller number is a pivotal agronomic trait determining sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) yield. Strigolactones (SLs), as plant hormones, regulate plant architecture. DWARF27 (D27), a crucial enzyme in the SL biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes a reversible isomerization reaction. ScD27.2, the D27 homolog in sugarcane, harbors abiotic stress-responsive elements in its promoter, suggesting its significance in SL biosynthesis and stress tolerance. ScD27.2 may optimize sugarcane agronomic traits, particularly the tiller number and yield. Elucidating its mechanisms will facilitate the development of high-yielding, stress-tolerant sugarcane varieties. To study the role of D27 in sugarcane tillering, we silenced (via RNA interference (RNAi)) and overexpressed (OE) the key carotene isomerase gene ScD27.2 in sugarcane cultivar XTT22 plantlets. ScD27.2 expression decreased, and the tiller number increased in ScD27-RNAi-2 sugarcane compared with wild-type XTT22. ScD27.2 expression increased, and the tiller number decreased in ScD27-OE-1, ScD27-OE-5, and ScD27-OE-9 lines compared with wild-type XTT22. ScD27-OE-9 showed obvious lateral bud germination, while ScD27-RNAi-2 showed decreased drought tolerance. The tiller number and plant height of transgenic sugarcane plants differed significantly under normal light and water management conditions. Under long-term drought, the height of ScD27-RNAi-2 was significantly lower than that of wild-type XTT22 and ScD27-OE-9, exhibiting a dwarf, multi-tiller phenotype. Moreover, the SLs content in ScD27-RNAi-2 decreased significantly. We speculate that ScD27.2 regulates the tiller number of sugarcanes under drought stress, and the drought-related transcription factor ScMYB44 might be involved in the response of ScD27.2 to drought stress.

To evaluate the impact of climate change on maize production, it is critical to accurately measure the radiation use efficiency (RUE) for maize. In this study, we focused on three maize cultivars in Jilin Province, China: Zhengdan 958 (ZD958), Xianyu 335 (XY335), and Liangyu 99 (LY99).  Under the optimal growing conditions for high density (9 plants m^-2), we investigated the maize RUE during the vegetative and reproductive phases, and the entire growth period.  The results showed that the canopy light interception for maize peaked during anthesis.  After anthesis, maize plant biomass continued to accumulate.  Based on the absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), we calculated maize RUE.  During the entire growth period, maize RUE averaged 5.71 g MJ^-1 APAR among the three cultivars, with a high-to-low order of ZD958 (5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR)>XY335 (5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR)>LY99 (5.07 g MJ^-1 APAR).  Within the vegetative and reproductive growth periods, maize RUE averaged 6.85 and 5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR, respectively.  When utilizing maize models, such as APSIM, that depend on radiation use efficiency (RUE) to predict aboveground biomass accumulation, we observed that the current RUE value of 3.6 g MJ^-1 APAR is considerably lower than the measured value obtained under high-density optimal growing conditions.  Consequently, to derive the optimal potential yield for maize in such planting conditions, we recommend adjusting the RUE to a range of 5.07-5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly found pathogen that could potentially cross-species transmit to threat the safety of swine and human. The mechanism of PDCoV nonstructural protein 14 (nsp14) inhibits the expression of IFN-β is unknown. In this study, we showed that PDCoV nsp14 degrades MAVS, MyD88 and TRAF3 protein in host cells by proteasomal and autophagy pathway. PDCoV nsp14 recruites E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH8 for catalyzing MAVS, MyD88 and TRAF3 protein ubiquitination, and which were recognized and transported to lysosome by the cargo receptor NDP52 for degradation to inhibit the expression of IFN-β. Furthermore, we found that MAVS, MyD88 and TRAF3 also degrade PDCoV nsp14 by selective autophagy. These results reveal the dual function of selective autophagy in PDCoV nsp14 and host proteins, which could promote the ubiquitination of viral particles and host antiviral proteins to degrade both of the proteins for regulating the relationship between virus infection and host innate immunity.

In China, farmers have increasingly adopted the direct-seeded rice (DSR). While the impacts of DSR have been investigated, there is little evidence on the impact of DSR adoption on pesticide use. In this study, the impact of DSR adoption on pesticide use is examined using data from a 2018 survey of 982 rice farmers in the Yangtze River Basin in China. The endogenous treatment-regression and switching regression models are employed to address the self-selection issue. The results show that, after accounting for the self-selection issue, the DSR adopters spend 401.72 CNY ha^-1 more on pesticides compared to the non-adopters. While DSR adoption significantly increases the use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, its positive impacts on insecticide and herbicide expenditures are the greatest and smallest, respectively. The robustness is confirmed by replacing the dependent variable, winsorizing the research sample and altering the estimation method. The heterogeneous analysis illustrates that DSR adoption has a greater positive impact on pesticide expenditure for farmers aged below 60 years, with at least 6 years of education, and with rice sown area less than 2 ha. Based on these findings, this study proposes that efforts should be made to enhance the complementary techniques for DSR, popularity of DSR cultivation technologies, and the socialized services. In summary, this study provides a more comprehensive view of the advantages and disadvantages of DSR with a focus on its impact on pesticide use, which has important policy recommendations for pesticide reduction.

Mating behavior is crucial for most insects, as it is closely tied to reproduction and population growth and relies heavily on chemical communication via cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) between individuals. However, little is known about the mating behavior of Eupeodes corollae, a natural enemy insect, and how CHCs help it communicate. In this study, we performed a behavioral assay of the mating process of hoverfly E. corollae. The cuticular hydrocarbons of both male and female hoverflies were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The electrophysiological activities of these compounds on the antennae of hoverflies were further determined by gas chromatography coupled with electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) and electroantennogram (EAG). The effects of these compounds on the behavioral selection and mating of hoverflies were also determined. The results showed that the mating process of hoverflies was divided into five stages: orientation, approaching, wing fanning, mounting, and copulation. Fifth-aged individuals exhibited the highest copulation and mating success rates, the shortest male latency, and stable mating duration. The results of the determination of cuticular compounds showed that the CHCs of male and female hoverflies exhibited sexually monomorphic chemical profiles, and two compounds (Z)-9-tricosene and n-tricosane could cause significant electrophysiological responses in both male and female hoverflies. Behavioral bioassay results showed that (Z)-9-tricosene can significantly induce the attraction response of male and female E. corollae and can effectively regulate the courtship behavior of male E. corollae. This finding provides a new perspective for a deeper understanding of hoverflies’ chemical communication mechanism and a valuable scientific basis and potential application prospect for developing a pheromone-based behavior strategy to control pests.

Elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) may mitigate stress-induced damage to cotton (Gossypium spp.) growth and development.  However, understanding the early-stage responses of cotton to multiple abiotic stressors at eCO₂ levels has been limited.  This study quantified the impacts of chilling (CS, 22/14°C, day/night temperature), heat (HS, 38/30°C), drought (DS, 50% irrigation of the control), and salt (SS, 8 dS m^-1) stresses on pigments, physiology, growth, and development of fourteen upland cotton cultivars under ambient CO₂ (aCO₂, 420 ppm; current) and eCO₂ (700 ppm; future) levels during the vegetative stage.  The eCO₂ partially negated the effects of all stresses by improving one or more of the pigments, physiological, growth, and development traits, except CS.  For instance, HS at aCO₂ significantly increased stomatal conductance by 36% compared with non-stressed plants at aCO₂.  However, HS at eCO₂ significantly decreased stomatal conductance by 18% compared with HS at aCO₂.  The first squaring was delayed by one day under SS at aCO₂ but two days earlier under SS at eCO₂ than non-stressed plants at aCO₂.  Root and shoot dry mass and the total leaf area were significantly higher under all stresses, except for CS, at the eCO₂ compared with similar stresses at the aCO₂.  Most growth and development traits, including plant height, leaf area, and shoot dry mass, displayed a mirroring response pattern between aCO₂ and eCO₂ under all environments except CS.  Cultivars exhibited significant interaction with stressed environments.  Further, results revealed differential sensitivity and adaptation potential of cultivars to stress environments at varying CO₂ levels.  This study highlights the need to consider eCO₂ in designing breeding programs to develop stress-tolerant varieties for future cotton-growing environments. 

Tillage practices alter the interaction between soil and rice straw, impacting soil quality and cadmium (Cd) dynamics.  However, the effects of tillage and straw management strategies on soil Cd accumulation and rice uptake remain unclear.  This study investigated how tillage and straw practices influence rice Cd uptake by altering soil Cd mobility and bioavailability.  A long-term field experiment was conducted with four treatments: no-tillage with straw return on the soil surface (NTS), rotary tillage with straw incorporate (RTS), plow tillage with straw incorporate (PTS), and plow tillage with straw removed (PT).  Results showed that Cd concentrations in rice organs (root, stem, leaf and rice grain) decreased in the order NTS>RTS>PTS, with only PTS maintaining grain Cd levels below 0.2 mg kg⁻⊃1;.  Compared with NTS and RTS, the average Cd concentrations in rice grain under PTS were significantly reduced by 56.76 and 25.88%, respectively.  A partial least squares path model indicated that reductions in available Cd (Avail-Cd) and acid-soluble Cd (Aci-Cd), combined with iron plaque (IP) formation on the roots, were key factors in lowering rice Cd levels.  PTS reduced Avail-Cd and Aci-Cd by decreasing soil bulk density, increasing soil organic matter, pH, and the abundances of Nitrospirota and Bacteroidota.  Moreover, PTS enhanced soil nutrient and Fe⊃2;⁺ levels, promoted IP formation on rice roots through improved root morphology and antioxidant activity, and limited Cd uptake.  Although PTS increased total and available soil Cd compared to PT, its promotion of IP formation mitigated rice Cd uptake, resulting in comparable grain Cd concentrations between the two.  Thus, long-term plow tillage with straw incorporate emerges as a sustainable practice to enhance soil quality and reduce Cd uptake in rice cropping system.

Understanding the spatial distributions and corresponding variation mechanisms of key soil nutrients in fragile karst ecosystems can assist in promoting sustainable development. However, due to the implementation of ecological restoration initiatives such as land-use conversions, novel changes in the spatial characteristics of soil nutrients remain unknown. To address this gap, we explored nutrient variations and the drivers of the variation in the 0–15 cm topsoil layer using a regional-scale sampling method in a typical karst area in northwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southwest China. Descriptive statistics, geostatistics, and spatial analysis were used to assess the soil nutrient variability. The results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) concentrations showed moderate variations, with coefficients of variance being 0.60, 0.60, 0.71, and 0.72, respectively. Moreover, they demonstrated positive spatial autocorrelations, with global Moran’s indices being 0.68, 0.77, 0.64, and 0.68, respectively. However, local Moran’s index values were low, indicating large spatial variations in soil nutrients. The best-fitting semi-variogram models for SOC, TN, TP, and TK concentrations were spherical, Gaussian, exponential, and exponential, respectively. According to the classification criteria of the Second National Soil Census in China, SOC and TN concentrations were relatively sufficient, with the proportions of rich and very rich levels being up to 90.9 and 96.0%, respectively. TP concentration was in the medium-deficient level, with the areas of medium and deficient levels accounting for 33.7 and 30.1% of the total, respectively. TK concentration was deficient, with the cumulative area of extremely deficient, very deficient, and deficient levels accounting for 87.6% of the total area. Consequently, the terrestrial ecosystems in the study area were more vulnerable to soil P and K than soil N deficiencies. Furthermore, variance partitioning analysis of the influencing factors showed that, except for the interactions, the single effect of other soil properties accounted more for soil nutrient variations than spatial and environmental variables. These results will aid in the future management of terrestrial ecosystems.

Straw return has demonstrated significant potential for enhancing carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) uptake while concurrently promoting plant productivity. However, the specific transport and distribution of C produced by photosynthesis and exogenous N within the rice plant-soil system under straw return remains unclear. A long-term straw return pot trial experiment was conducted in a double cropping rice system, incorporating treatments of inorganic fertilizer application with straw removal (F), straw burning and ash return with reducing inorganic fertilizers (SBR), and straw return with reducing inorganic fertilizers (SR) to investigate C sequestration and exogenous N uptake using ¹³C pulse and ¹⁵N isotope tracer techniques. The SR treatment had significantly higher soil ¹³C abundance, by 24.4 and 25.4% respectively, ¹³C concentrations in aboveground plant parts, by 18.4 and 35.8% respectively, and ¹⁵N concentrations in rice panicles, by 12.8 and 34.3% than the SBR and F treatments. This enhancement contributed to a higher total organic C concentration and increased rice grain yield in the SR treatment. Furthermore, the SR treatment had significantly higher photosynthetic C, by 9.8%, which was directly transferred to soil C. The SR treatment had a higher distribution of photosynthetic C in the leaves and stems, but a lower distribution in the panicle compared to the SBR treatment. This finding is advantageous for sequestering photosynthetic C into the soil through straw return; conversely, opposite trends were observed in ¹⁵N distribution. In addition, rice plants in the SR treatment had increased N uptake from urea and soil N sources, enhancing N recovery by 9.2 and 12.5% respectively and reducing soil N residues. Correlation analysis showed that the SR treatment increased the concentrations of ¹³C in leaves and roots while decreasing the ¹⁵N abundance in all rice organs, thereby contributing to an increase in rice yield. The partial least square path model suggested that the increase in rice yield under the SR treatment was primarily linked to ¹³C accumulation within the rice plant-soil system. The results suggest that straw return increases the sequestration of photosynthetic C and exogenous N in the rice plant-soil system and increases N utilization efficiency, which subsequently improves both rice and soil productivity.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), an under-utilized pseudocereal, has important nutritional and pharmaceutical properties and is resistant to drought and nutrient deficiency.  However, this environmentally friendly crop is sensitive to salt stress that can result in water loss, stomatal closure, affect photosynthesis and metabolism, and reduce yield and quality of Tartary buckwheat.  Thus, it is important to understand the mechanism of salt stress tolerance in buckwheat. In this study, we identified a locus including 35 candidate genes on chromosome 2 that is significantly associated with salt tolerance of Tartary buckwheat by genome-wide association analysis (GWAS).  Transcriptome analysis revealed that the serine/threonine-protein kinase Aurora-3 (FtAUR3) family gene was up-regulated in response to salt stress.  The deletion of a single nucleotide in the FtAUR3 promoter leads to increased FtAUR3 expression and enhanced salt tolerance in Tartary buckwheat.  Overexpression of FtAUR3 in buckwheat hairy roots leads to the accumulation of flavonoids, including rutin and cinnamic acid, as well as the induction of the expression of flavonoid biosynthesis genes, such as PAL, C4H, F3H and F3’H, under salt stress.  In addition, it was shown that over-expression of FtAUR3 in Arabidopsis thaliana induced the expression of salt-resistant genes (SOS1, AVP1, etc.) and enhanced salt tolerance compared to wild type plants.  Furthermore, under salt stress, FtAUR3 can significantly enhances the levels of reactive oxygen species pathway components, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, thereby improving plant salt tolerance.  Thus, we demonstrated that FtAUR3 interacts with the critical enzyme FtGAPB in the ROS pathway, suggesting a potential mechanism through which FtAUR3 contributes to ROS signaling.  Taken together, these results demonstrated that FtAUR3 may play a critical positive role in Tartary buckwheat resistance against salt stress.

基因编辑系统在阐明植物基因功能和促进分子设计育种方面具有广泛的潜力。然而，单引导rna（sgRNAs）的效率各不相同，通过生物信息学准确预测其效率仍然存在挑战，特别是在棉花（陆地棉）等作物中。在本研究中，我们开发了一种快速、有效的方法，利用一个瞬时表达系统来验证棉花中sgRNAs的功能，它可以在三天内完成。本研究选择6个基因12个靶点，观察到通过稳定和瞬态转换获得的编辑效率呈正相关，皮尔逊相关系数（R2）为0.71。我们的研究通过评估多个基因的不同gRNA序列的效率，证实该方法可以快速评估gRNA对基因组的编辑效率，从而通过预筛选提高基因编辑的工作效率。

Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) has been shown to positively regulate crop tolerance to saline-alkali stress.  However, the optimal concentration for Pro-Ca application and the mechanisms through which it enhances saline-alkali tolerance and yield in soybean remain unclear.  This study aimed to determine the optimal concentration of exogenously applied Pro-Ca and revealed the mechanisms underlying Pro-Ca’s effect on remediation and yield response in soybean under saline-alkali stress.  The results indicated that saline-alkali stress negatively impacted the morphological and physiological traits of soybean seedlings by triggering the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative damage of the grana lamellae due to excessive accumulation of Na⁺.  An application of 100 mg L⁻¹ Pro-Ca was found to be optimal, promoting dry matter accumulation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by significantly reducing Na⁺ uptake under saline-alkali stress.  Moreover, integrated physiological, ultrastructural, and transcriptomic analyses indicated that Pro-Ca significantly enhanced the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle by up-regulating the expression of related genes to enhance the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and the AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios to quench ROS, thereby protecting both thylakoid and mitochondrial membrane from degradation.  The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding ascorbate and aldarate metabolism were significantly (P<0.05) enriched in the integral component of membrane.  Furthermore, Pro-Ca treatment up-regulated the expression of genes encoded photosystems under saline-alkali stress, which reduced the photoinhibition and stomatal limitation (L_s) and mitigating damage photosystem and preventing yield reduction.  In summary, foliar application of Pro-Ca could efficiently enhance soybean seedlings tolerance to saline-alkali stress by inhibiting Na⁺ influx, enhancing the AsA-GSH cycle, maintaining biomembrane system, and improving photosynthetic efficiency.

The universal stress proteins (USPs) play important roles not only in abiotic stress tolerance but also in plant growth and development.  However, the role of USPs in regulating starch biosynthesis has not been reported.  In this research, the IbUSP17 gene was isolated from a sweetpotato line H283 with high starch content.  The IbUSP17 protein was localized in the nucleus. IbUSP17 were highly expressed in the lines with high starch content and during rapid thickening and starch accumulation period of storage roots.  Overexpressing IbUSP17 increased storage root starch content, especially amylopectin proportion, without storage root yield penalty in sweetpotato.  Overexpression of IbUSP17 up-regulated the genes involved in starch biosynthesis and increased the activities of enzymes related to amylopectin biosynthesis.  The contents of components related to starch biosynthesis were also increased in the IbUSP17-overexpressing plants.  Silencing this gene produced opposite effects.  These results suggest that overexpression of IbUSP17 increases starch content through up-regulating the genes involved in starch biosynthesis and increasing the activities of enzymes related to starch biosynthesis, especially amylopectin biosynthesis.  It is the first time to reveal the role of the USP gene in starch biosynthesis.  This gene is expected to be used to increase starch yield and improve starch quality in sweetpotato.

Sustainable increase in maize yield is severely constrained by the continuing reduction in topsoil depth due to irrational farming practices and the effects of climate change. However, the mechanisms by which topsoil depth affects crop physiology and biochemistry remain unclear, particularly with respect to photosynthesis and carbon assimilation.  To investigate the effects of topsoil depth on maize photosynthetic processes, carbon assimilation, and yield in the field, we used a two-factor random block design with five topsoil depths of 10 cm (S1), 20 cm (S2), 30 cm (S3), 40 cm (S4), and 50 cm (S5) at two planting densities of 60,000 plants ha⁻¹ (conventional density, D1) and 90,000 plants ha⁻¹ (high density, D2).  Increasing topsoil depth significantly increased maize grain yield, with maximum increases of 61.7% in D1 and 72.1% in D2.  Increasing topsoil depth also increased chlorophyll content, maximum photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m), actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII), and photosynthetic enzyme activities, including ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK).  With the increases in those parameters, plants maintained the highest net photosynthetic rate (P_nmax) when reaching the light saturation point, with maximum increases of 68.0% in D1 and 75.7% in D2, thereby increasing dry matter production at physiological maturity.  The accumulation of ¹³C-photosynthates in maize stem, leaf, and grain increased with the increase in topsoil depth, indicating increases in carbon assimilation capacity, distribution efficiency, and photosynthetic capacity.  In summary, increasing topsoil depth is an important factor in ensuring high and stable maize yields, and the increase in yield is closely related to the physiological differences caused by changes in topsoil depth.

粒形是决定水稻产量和品质的重要因素。功能缺失型gs9等位基因可以产生细长粒形和较低垩白，影响籽粒外观。本研究中我们证实了当前大多数的粳稻品种表现为短圆粒，其主要粒形基因位点上携带相同的等位基因组合。利用CRISPR/Cas9产生的敲除等位基因gs9^KO能够显著改善供试粳稻品种的粒形和垩白，且对产量性状无影响。此外，通过栽培密度试验确认gs9^KO等位基因造成的植株叶夹角略有增加，不影响最终单株产量。结果表明，gs9^KO等位基因在改善籽粒外观品质方面具有广泛的应用潜力。

 Green manure application is an effective, eco-friendly method for improving crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).  However, the impact of varying green manure (GM) incorporation rates on nitrogen (N) loss, wheat grain yield, and NUE remains unclear.  So, a long-term field experiment was conducted in an oasis region from 2020 to 2023.  The experiment aimed to study the effects of different GM application rates on N loss in wheat fields and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.  The experiment tested two N levels (N0, 0 kg ha^-1; N1, 180 kg ha^-1) and four green manure application rates (G0, 0 kg ha^-1; G1, 15,000 kg ha^-1; G2, 30,000 kg ha^-1; G3, 45,000 kg ha^-1).  The study evaluated the impact of synthetic N fertilizer combined with varying green manure levels on N losses, NUE, and wheat productivity.  Relationships between N input, N losses, N use efficiency, and grain yield were also analyzed.  Results showed that green manure application significantly increased soil nitrate-N storage (0-100 cm), reduced the risk of N leaching into deeper soil layers, lowered N₂O emissions, and simultaneously boosted wheat grain yield (GY), although it also increased NH₃ emissions; however, NUE was improved.  The N₂O emissions from different amounts of green manure retention were decreased by 14.1 to 19.0%, compared to N1G0.  Whereas in the N0, GM retention amendment increased the N₂O flux by an average of 12.2%, compared to N0G0.  The NH₃ emission in the N0 and N1 treatments was first enhanced then stabilized as the amount of green manure increased.  The highest grain yield and N use efficiency were achieved with the N1G2 treatment. Simulations indicated that an optimal N input of 180 kg ha^-1 synthetic N combined with 30,000 kg ha^-1 green manure was required to maximize both wheat yield and NUE, while minimizing apparent N losses.  Therefore, the green manure application strategy of N1G2 in this study could achieve higher wheat yield, improve NUE, reduce N losses, and mitigate soil nitrate leaching.  This management strategy provides key insights for achieving high crop productivity with minimal N loss, offering a practical solution for sustainable agriculture.

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is one of the most serious pests in rice-growing areas, and it has developed resistance to most insecticides currently used in the field. Cyproflanilide is a novel meta-diamide insecticide that has shown high activities to multiple pests. Evaluating the risk of resistance to cyproflanilide in C. suppressalis is necessary for its preventive resistance management. Here we established the baseline susceptibility of C. suppressalis to cyproflanilide by the rice-seedling dipping method and topical application, and the LC₅₀ and LD₅₀ values were 0.026 mg L^-1 and 0.122 ng/larva, respectively. The LC₅₀ values of cyproflanilide in 37 field populations ranged from 0.012 to 0.061 mg L^-1, and 25 field populations exhibited resistance to chlorantraniliprole with the highest LC₅₀ value of 3770.059 mg L^-1. In addition, a logistic distribution model analysis indicated that only 0.048 mg L^-1 of cyproflanilide was required to kill 90% field chlorantraniliprole-resistant populations of C. suppressalis, compared to 2087.764 mg L^-1 of chlorantraniliprole for a similar level of control. Resistance screening over 19 generations did not result in resistance to cyproflanilide (RR=3.1-fold). The realized heritability (h²) of resistance was estimated as 0.067 by using threshold trait analysis, suggesting a low risk of cyproflanilide resistance development in susceptible strains. The Cypro-SEL population (F₁₀) had no obvious fitness cost (relative fitness=0.96), and no significant changes in sensitivity to seven tested insecticides. These findings suggested that cyproflanilide is a promising insecticide for the management of chlorantraniliprole-resistant C. suppressalis. Moreover, this integrated risk assessment provides scientific application guidelines for the sustainable resistance management of cyproflanilide for controlling C. suppressalis.

Leaf rolling is an important morphological trait in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), strongly correlating to photosynthesis, transpiration, and respiration, especially in abiotic stress conditions.  Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes underling rolling leaf is essential for wheat breeding.  In this study, one EMS-induced mutant Y536 was isolated in Nongda3753 background with extreme abaxial rolling leaf.  The F₂ and F_2:3 populations derived from a cross between Jing411 and mutant Y536 with contrasting leaf rolling morphology were developed to map locus controlling leaf rolling.  A public SSR marker was isolated on chromosome 6DL that held a high linkage level with leaf rolling index (LRI).  Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis revealed a stable QTL associated with LRI, named QLRI.cau-6D, which explained 7.69 to 10.86% of the total phenotypic variation and had LOD scores ranging from 10.00 to 13.32.  TraesCS6D02G237000 (TaHDZIV-D1) was the priority candidate gene according to coding sequence differences between two parents and gene functional annotations.  Consistently, knockout of TaHDZIV-A1/B1/D1 in common wheat line ‘JW1’ significantly increased LRI compared to the wild type, as well as overexpression of TaHDZIV-D1 in ‘JW1’ significantly decreased LRI until opposite direction.  Moreover, genetic evidence suggested that a dose-dependent manner in TaHDZIV-A1/B1/D1 affects leaf rolling.  Collectively, these findings provide a novel and recent insight into the genetic base of leaf rolling in common wheat.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of widely discovered non-coding RNAs in different organisms, but their biological function is largely unknown, especially in plant-microbial interaction. In this study, we identified an exonic circRNA (Che-circR2410) from the fungus Cochliobolus heterostrophus (C. heterostrophus) that, together with its corresponding linear RNA ChCYP51, synergistically regulates the virulence of C. heterostrophus to maize. Further in-situ hybridization and the dual-luciferase reporter assays reveal the interaction between pathogenic circRNA Che-circR2410 and its cross-kingdom host target, zma-miR399e-5p. Additionally, lesion areas caused by both the wild-type C. heterostrophus and the circR2410 knock-out strain (∆ChcircR2410) showed no significant difference on maize miR399e silencing mutant, providing support for the interaction between Che-circR2410 and zma-miR399e-5p. Moreover, we found that zma-miR399e affects the expression of autophagy-related genes, regulating maize immunity. Thus, our findings reveal a cross-kingdom interaction between the pathogenic exonic circRNA and host miRNA, modulating C. heterostrophus infection in maize. This study broadens our understanding of the C. heterostrophus-maize interaction at the level of non-coding RNA.

Pepper fruit is highly favored for its spicy taste, diverse flavors, and high nutritional value. The proper development of its flower and fruit directly determines the quality of pepper fruit. The YABBY gene family exhibits diverse functions in growth and development, which is crucial to the identity of plant flower organs, but its specific role in pepper is still unclear. In this study, nine CaYABBY genes were identified and characterized in pepper. Most CaYABBY genes were highly expressed in reproductive organs, albeit with varying patterns of expression. The CaYABBY5 gene, uniquely expressed in petals and carpels, has been demonstrated to modulate floral organ determinacy and fruit shape through gene silencing in pepper and ectopic expression in tomato. Protein interaction analysis revealed an interacting protein SEPALLATA3-like protein (SEP3), exhibiting a similar expression profile to that of CaYABBY5. These findings suggest that CaYABBY5 may modulate the morphogenesis of floral organs and fruits by interacting with CaSEP3. This study provided valuable insights into the classification and function of CaYABBY genes in pepper.

Genetic diversity is crucial for genetic research and breeding, and the core collections are important resources for capturing this diversity. Recently, the core germplasm of tea plants was constructed mainly based on phenotypic data or molecular markers; however, the effective construction of a core germplasm resource for plant breeding programs requires the consideration of various aspects. In this study, we collected 320 tea germplasm resources and analyzed their single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and metabolite data. Abundant genetic diversity in tea plants was inferred from the mean values of observed heterozygosity (Ho=0.340), expected heterozygosity (He=0.327), minor allele frequency (MAF=0.229), and polymorphic information content (PIC=0.268), based on the data from 2,118,060 high-quality SNP markers. A mean genetic diversity index (H') value of 1.902 suggested significant metabolic variation. The 320 tea samples were categorized into six groups based on phylogenetic analysis, reflecting the influence of geographical factors on genetic diversity. Based on the genetic and metabolic data, a preliminary core collection of 106 accessions was developed to effectively represent the majority of the molecular, metabolic, population, and regional diversity present in the original panel. Genome-wide association studies of the core panel successfully replicated the marker-trait associations found in the original panel. This study contributes to the conservation and management of tea plant germplasm.

Intervention strategies to control non-point source nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution in agriculture are expensive and there is a trade-off between engineering cost and treatment effectiveness. Implementing strategies often result in unsatisfactory outcomes and massive engineering costs when managing diffusive pollution in agricultural catchments. To address this issue, this paper proposes a robust, handy, catchment N & P decision support system (CNPDSS), an Android-based smartphone system integrated with a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS). The CNPDSS aims to provide artificial intelligence-driven decisions that minimize N & P loadings and engineering costs for mitigating pollution in agricultural catchments. It consists of four components: a general user interface (GUI), GIS, N & P pollution modeling (NPPM), and a DSS. The CNPDSS simplifies the GUI and integrates GIS modules to create a user-friendly interface, enabling non-professional users to operate the system easily through intuitive actions. The NPPM uses straightforward empirical models to predict N & P loadings, enhancing efficiency by avoiding excessive parameters. Taking into account the N & P movement pathway in the catchment, the DSS incorporates three control measures: source reduction in farmland (before migration stage), process retention by ecological ditch (midway transport stage), and down-end purification by constructed wetland (waterbody discharge stage), to formulate a comprehensive ternary controlling strategy. To optimize the cost-effectiveness of any proposed N & P control strategies for sub-catchments, a differential evolution algorithm (DEA) is employed in CNPDSS to carry out a dual-objective decision-making optimization computation. In this study, the CNPDSS is applied to a case study in an agricultural catchment in central China to develop the most cost-effective ternary N & P control strategies that ensure the catchment water quality within Criterion III of the Chinese Surface Water Quality Standard GB3838-2002 is met (total N concentration≤1.0 mg L⁻¹ and total P concentration≤0.2 mg L⁻¹). Our results demonstrate that the CNPDSS is feasible and also possesses an adaptive design and flexible architecture to enable its generalization and extension to support strong hands-on applications in other catchments.

In order to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the contribution of autophagy to pepper’s heat tolerance, in previous study, we identified the zinc-finger protein B-BOX 9/CONSTANS-LIKE 13 (CaBBX9/CaCOL13) as an interaction partner of Autophagy regulated protein (ATG) CaATG8c, one of the core components in autophagy. However, the involvements of CaBBX9 in both autophagy and heat tolerance remain unclear. In this study, we further confirmed the interaction between CaBBX9 with CaATG8c, and defined the interaction regions of CaBBX9 are CONSTANS, CONSTANS-Like and TOC1 (CCT) domain and the fragment region. The expression of CaBBX9 can be induced by heat treatment. CaBBX9 is co-localized with CaATG8c in the nucleus and exhibits a transcriptional activity. When the expression of CaBBX9 is silenced, the heat-tolerance of pepper is enhanced, shown by the decrement of MDA content, H₂O₂, dead cells, and relative electrolyte leakage, and the increment of chlorophyll content and expression level of heat stress related genes. Overexpression of CaBBX9 in tomatoes displays the opposite effects. Taken together, our study demonstrates that CaBBX9 negatively regulates the heat-tolerance of peppers by exacerbating oxidative damage and inhibiting the expression of heat related genes. Our findings provide a new clue for guiding crop breeding for tolerance to adverse environment.

In recent years, the rational utilization of saline water resources for agricultural irrigation has emerged as an effective strategy to alleviate water scarcity. To safely and efficiently exploit saline water resources over the long term, it is crucial to understand the effects of salinity on crops and develop optimal water-salinity irrigation strategies for processing tomatoes. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 to explore the impact of water salinity levels (S1: 1 g L^–1, S2: 3 g L^–1, and S3: 5 g L^–1) and irrigation amounts (W1: 305 mm, W2: 485 mm, and W3: 611 mm) on the soil volumetric water content and soil salinity, as well as processing tomato growth, yield, and water use efficiency. The results showed that irrigation with low to moderately saline water (<3 g L^–1) enhanced plant water uptake and utilization capacity, with the soil water content (SWC) reduced by 6.5‒7.62% and 10.52‒13.23% for the S1 and S2 levels, respectively, compared to the S3 level in 2018. Under S1 conditions, the soil salt content (SSC) accumulation rate gradually declined with an increase in the irrigation amount. For example, W3 decreased by 85.00 and 77.94% compared with W1 and W2 in 2018, and by 82.60 and 73.68% 2019, respectively. Leaching effects were observed at the W3 level under S1, which gradually diminished with increasing water salinity and duration. In 2019, the salt contents of soil under each of the treatments increased by 10.81‒89.72% compared with the contents in 2018. The yield of processing tomatoes increased with an increasing irrigation amount and peaked in the S1W3 treatment for the two years, reaching 125,304.85 kg ha^–1 in 2018 and 128,329.71 kg ha^–1 in 2019. Notably, in the first year, the S2W3 treatment achieved relatively high yields, exhibiting only a 2.85% reduction compared to the S1W3 treatment. However, the yield of the S2W3 treatment declined significantly in two years, and it was 15.88% less than that of the S1W3 treatment. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that soil environmental factors (SWC and SSC) directly influence yield while also exerting indirect impacts on the growth indicators of processing tomatoes (plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area index). The TOPSIS method identified S1W3, S1W2, and S2W2 as the top three treatments. The single-factor marginal effect function also revealed that irrigation water salinity contributed to the composite evaluation scores (CES) when it was below 0.96 g L^–1. Using brackish water with a salinity of 3 g L^–1 at an irrigation amount of 485 mm over one year ensured that processing tomatoes maintained high yields with a relatively high CES (0.709). However, using brackish water for more than one year proved unfeasible.

Spike development is a key factor in determining wheat yield, and cold tolerance during the spike’s vulnerable stages is essential for preserving both fertility and productivity.  This study presents a comprehensive characterization of the apical spike aberrance mutant lwasa-B1, which was generated through ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis of the wheat cultivar Chuannong 16, and its response to low-temperature stress.  The mutant lwasa-B1 exhibited reduced cold tolerance, with a critical temperature threshold identified between 13-15°C.  Under low-temperature stress, lwasa-B1 showed delayed growth, increased tillering, and varying degrees of spike degradation.  Compared to the wild type, lwasa-B1 demonstrated significantly lower enzymatic activities of catalase, peroxidase, and auxin, while levels of malondialdehyde and gibberellin were markedly higher. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptome analyses suggest that lwasa-B1 may be implicated in plant hormone signal transduction and phenylpropanoid metabolic regulation pathways.  A target gene was mapped to the chromosome arm 4BS, within a 2.07 Mb region, bounded by the markers k_sau_4B_17478331 and k_sau_4B_19541181. The integrated analysis, encompassing BSE-Seq, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, has identified TraesCS4B02G023800 as a potentially key gene associated with lwasa-B1.  This research delineates the phenotypic and physiological responses of lwasa-B1 to low-temperature stress and nominates a candidate gene potentially responsible for spike degradation.  The study provides a preliminary dissection of the regulatory mechanisms underlying spike degradation in wheat under low-temperature stress, contributing significant insights for wheat breeding programs.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major food crop grown worldwide; yet, field-grown wheat is generally restricted to only one generation per year and has a fluctuating yield, limiting wheat improvement and failing to meet future food demand.  To minimize generation time and increase total annually wheat production, five light regimens with varied day length and spectral distribution, including 12 h light/12 h dark+white light (P12W), 17 h light/7 h dark+white light (P17W), 22 h light/2 h dark+white light (P22W), 22 h light/2 h dark+red:green:blue light=6:3:2 (P22RGB), and 22 h light/2 h dark+red:blue light=6:1 (P22RB), were developed by adjusting the light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the controlled environment.  The results showed that controlled wheat agriculture illuminated by LED sources equipped with various day lengths and spectral distributions had the potential for “faster” and “more” grain production.  Prolonged day length (from 12 h to 17 h and then to 22 h) accelerated wheat development, particularly shortening the duration before flowering, and that the longer the prolonged time, the earlier the flowering.  However, 22 h day length (e.g., P22W treatment) would affect plant morphological traits, reduce dry matter accumulation, and result in a loss of yield-related components due to increased stress and disrupted pollen development.  Surprisingly, regulating the spectral distribution towards the red-light region under long-day conditions (e.g., P22RB treatment) could partially restore the grain yield of wheat.  The light regime with a rich red-light region contributed to dry matter accumulation, carbohydrate flow to reproductive tissues, and sporopollenin biosynthesis, resulting in improved plant morphology and grain yield in wheat.  Collectively, the optimized light regimes, represented by P17W and P22RB treatments in controlled environment agriculture, can produce 5-6 generations of wheat per year, yielding 3.16-5.87 kg m^-2 yr^-1, which is 3.59-6.68 times higher than field cultivation.  Thus, conducting appropriate LED light regimens is a favorable way to achieve the dual goals of “faster and more” in controlled wheat cultivation. 

Flower and fruit abscission reduce crop yield, so decreasing abscission is a significant agricultural issue. HAESA (HAE) and HAESA-like2 (HSL2) kinases and its ligand, INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) peptide, have been confirmed to be the core elements regulating floral organ abscission in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our earlier research revealed that SlIDL6, a homolog of IDA in tomato, functions similarly to AtIDA regulating the abscission of tomato flower organs. Here, we further isolated three HAESA-like homologs, SlHSL1/2/3, which are involved in tomato flower abscission. SlHSL1/2/3 are highly expressed in the abscission zone (AZ). The knockout mutant lines of Slhsl1, Slhsl2, and Slhsl3 showed lower flower pedicel abscission than wildtype (WT). The double mutant of Slhsl1Slhsl2, Slhsl1Slhsl3, and Slhsl2Slhsl3 further depressed abscission than each of the single mutant lines, while triple mutants Slhsl1Slhsl2Slhsl3 exhibited the lowest abscission, indicating that SlHSL1/2/3 mediated abscission is non-redundancy, at least partially. Treating tomato pedicel explants with SlIDL6 peptide significantly accelerated pedicel abscission in WT, but had little effect on the abscission rate of SlHSL1/2/3 knockout lines, indicating that SlHSL1/2/3 are the receptors of SlIDL6 in pedicel abscission. Ethylene action inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) can significantly depress the expression of SlHSL1/2/3. Ethylene can significantly accelerate the abscission of WT, while the less abscission was found in SlHSL1/2/3 knockout lines. Taken together, our findings indicate that SlHSL1/2/3 can act as receptors for SlIDL6 to positively regulate tomato pedicel abscission and the abscission regulated by SlHSL1/2/3 were partially dependent on ethylene.

African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, hemorrhagic disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), with a mortality up to 100%. The disease poses a seriously threat to the global swine industry, yet no commercial vaccines or antiviral drugs are available other than in Vietnam. ASFV attenuation through serial passages is a key approach for vaccine development. In this study, a cell-adapted virus, named HLJ18/BK33, was successfully generated by serially passaging the ASFV Pig/HLJ/18 in wild boar kidney cells (BK2258). This adapted virus exhibited clear cytopathic effects (CPE) and replicated stably and efficiently in BK2258 cells and porcine alveolar macrophages. Whole-genome sequence analysis revealed that, compared with the Pig/HLJ/18 virus, HLJ18/BK33 had a large deletion of 6162 bp from sites 181,027 to 187,188, and four single nucleotide deletions that led to frameshift mutations, resulting in the truncated expression of three open reading frames (ORFs) (ASFV_G_ACD_00120, ASFV_G_ACD_00350, and A179L), and the fusion expression of two ORFs (MGF_110-14L and MGF_110-11L). Additionally, four genes exhibited missense mutations, leading to single amino acid changes. Five pigs intramuscularly inoculated with 10⁶ TCID₅₀ of HLJ18/BK33 remained healthy with normal body temperatures and no clinical signs, indicating a high attenuation of virulence for HLJ18/BK33 in pigs. Upon challenge with the parental Pig/HLJ/18 virus, four of the five inoculated pigs developed persistent high fever and ASF-related clinical signs and died within 13 days of the challenge; the remaining pig developed transient fever but survived until the end of the observation period. These results indicate that the HLJ18/BK33 virus is highly attenuated but cannot induce protection against the parental virulent virus. Even though the HLJ18/BK33 virus is not a good vaccine candidate, its stable replication and distinct CPE in BK2258 cells as well as its low biosafety risk make it a valuable resource for studies on virus-host interactions, antiviral drug screening, diagnostic methods, and biological characteristics. 

猪圆环病毒3型（Porcine circovirus type 3, PCV3）是一种新发病原体，可感染猪、犬、牛、小鼠等多种动物。此前，已有多种间接酶联免疫吸附试验（iELISA）用于检测猪体内PCV3抗体。本研究首次以杆状病毒表达系统（BEVS）制备的PCV3衣壳蛋白（Cap）作为包被抗原，建立了一种双抗原夹心ELISA（DAgS-ELISA），用于检测不同动物血清中的PCV3抗体。利用该方法，对2022年至2024年中国17个省份的猪血清样本进行了大规模血清学调查，结果显示猪群PCV3血清阳性率为55.7%，其中母猪阳性率显著高于其他群体，达86.3%。此外，该方法成功检测到牛和犬血清中的PCV3抗体，阳性率分别为7.7%和4.4%。进一步研究还将其应用于马、昆明小鼠及20种野生动物血清样本的检测，首次在马体内检出PCV3抗体，表明PCV3的宿主范围进一步扩大。本研究结果证实了PCV3具有广泛的宿主谱，同时表明DAgS-ELISA是一种高效、可靠的血清学检测工具，对PCV3的流行病学监测及防控具有重要意义。