In angiosperms, double fertilization triggers the simultaneous development of two closely adjacent tissue, embryo and endosperm. The function of endosperm is not only to provide nutrients and serve as a mechanical barrier for the embryo, but also to act as a growth regulator for the embryo during seed development, dormancy and germination, thereby controlling the vitality, dormancy, and germination of the seeds. But so far, the development of endosperm and its regulatory mechanism are not clear enough. In the present paper, the recent progress achieved in the endosperm development and its regulatory mechanism, as well as the regulation of these events on seed dormancy and germination, was reviewed, including morphogenesis, differentiation of aleurone layer and starch endosperm, programmed cell death of starch endosperm, accumulation of storage proteins in endosperm during endosperm development, as well as the regulation of cell cycle regulatory factors, phytohormones, and epigenetic on endosperm development, and the role of endosperm in embryo development, seed dormancy and germination. Finally, the scientific issues that need to be further researched in this field are proposed, attempting to provide reference for understanding the molecular mechanisms of endosperm development and its regulation, and thereby improving the yield and quality of cereal crops.

The U6 promoter is a critical element for driving the transcription of single guide RNA (sgRNA) in the CRISPR/Cas9 system, with endogenous U6 promoters often exhibiting higher efficiency than exogenous ones. However, no studies to date have focused on endogenous U6 promoters in jute (Corchorus L.). In this study, two candidate U6 promoters, CcU6.1 and CcU6.3, were cloned from the genome of the jute cultivar “Meifeng 4” using conserved sequences from the Arabidopsis thaliana U6-26 sgRNA promoter (AtU6-26). Fusion expression vectors carrying GUS reporter genes driven by the CcU6.1 and CcU6.3 promoters were constructed, and the transcriptional activities of these promoters were evaluated through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) leaves and jute hairy roots. Promoter activity was determined based on GUS histochemical staining. Homology analysis revealed that both CcU6.1 and CcU6.3 promoters contained two essential elements for U6 promoter activity: the USE and TATA boxes. GUS staining demonstrated that both jute U6 promoters exhibited transcriptional activity, although the CcU6.1 promoter showed weaker activity compared to the CcU6.3 promoter in both Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and jute hairy roots. Quantitative PCR further confirmed these findings. Since excessively long U6 promoters may reduce transcriptional efficiency, a comparative cis-regulatory element analysis of the CcU6.3 promoter and the AtU6-26 promoter were conducted. This analysis suggested that a truncated version of the CcU6.3 promoter, spanning from the transcriptional start site to the -550 bp region, could enhance transcriptional activity. This study is the first to identify and characterize the CcU6.3 promoter, which exhibits relatively high transcriptional activity in jute. The CcU6.3 promoter holds significant potential as a strong and efficient promoter for constructing CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing systems in Corchorus species.

Glucosinolates are critical secondary metabolites that play a pivotal role in the growth and development of rapeseed, as well as in its defense against diseases and pests. In this study, a mapping population comprising 197 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of Brassica juncea was utilized to investigate glucosinolate distribution and genetic regulation. The glucosinolate contents in leaves, stems, buds, and seeds were quantified across all lines. The results revealed significant differences in glucosinolate content among different tissues within the same line and considerable variation across lines within the species, exhibiting an overall normal distribution. Correlation analysis showed a strong positive correlation in glucosinolate content among buds, stems, and seeds, as well as a notable positive correlation between leaves and flower buds. To further elucidate the genetic regulation of glucosinolate content, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was conducted, resulting in the identification of 9, 10, 9, and 18 QTLs associated with glucosinolate content in leaves, stems, buds, and seeds, respectively. By integrating QTL interval sequence information with gene expression data, six candidate genes were preliminarily identified. Among them, BjuB018426 (GTR1) and BjuB020498 (GTR2) were implicated in the transport of glucosinolates from vegetative tissues to reproductive tissues, suggesting their potential roles as key regulatory genes underlying the differential distribution of glucosinolates observed in this study. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms governing glucosinolate synthesis and distribution across various tissues in Brassica juncea. Moreover, they offer a foundational basis for breeding multifunctional varieties with tailored glucosinolate profiles to meet diverse agricultural and industrial needs.

Cotton is the leading source of natural textile fiber and an important source of oil. However, functional locus gene chips, which can significantly improve the accuracy of breeding value assessments and breeding efficiency, remain underutilized in cotton research. In this study, we developed a 60K functional locus gene chip for cotton, leveraging high-throughput sequencing datasets, including Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and High-throughput Chromosome Conformation Capture (Hi-C) data from diverse cotton varieties. Compared to existing cotton gene chips, this newly developed chip incorporates a higher number of functionally annotated loci with genetic variations derived from multi-dimensional data, offering richer insights into gene function. Using this gene chip in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of cotton fiber quality traits, we identified 40 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to fiber quality. These include twenty-five SNPs associated with fiber elongation rate (FE), five with fiber micronaire value (FM), two with fiber strength (FS), four with fiber length (FL), and four with fiber uniformity (FU). The 60K functional locus gene chip provides a powerful tool for the evaluation of cotton germplasm resources, genetic mapping, and genome-wide selection breeding. This advancement holds great promise for accelerating genomic breeding efforts, ultimately driving improvements in cotton production and quality.

The color difference between yellow- and black-seeded Brassica napus is significant, with proanthocyanidins being one of the main factors influencing this variation. To explore the regulatory role of the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) in rapeseed seed color, this study conducted in-depth analyses of anthocyanins and SA at different developmental stages in seeds and seed coats of B. napus varieties, including the black-seeded “Zhongshuang11” (ZS11) and the yellow-seeded “Huang’aizao” (HAZ), “Huahuang1” (HH1), and GH06. Observations of seed sections and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were employed. The results showed that black-seeded ZS11 exhibited significant pigment accumulation at 25 days after flowering (DAF), whereas yellow-seeded HAZ lacked a pigment-accumulating layer. From 20 DAF, anthocyanins A1 and B2 in the seeds and seed coats of all four varieties gradually increased, peaking at 25 DAF. In ZS11, anthocyanin A1 and B2 levels remained stable and high after 25 DAF, and were significantly higher than those in the three yellow-seeded varieties (HAZ, GH06, and HH1) at the 0.01 significance level. SA content also gradually increased after 15 DAF, peaking between 20 and 25 DAF, and subsequently decreased. Notably, after 20 DAF, SA concentrations in the seeds and seed coats of ZS11 were significantly higher than those in the yellow-seeded varieties. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between SA concentration and anthocyanin accumulation in B. napus. Moreover, exogenous application of SA (1 mmol L^-1) significantly increased pigment accumulation in the seed coats of HAZ and resulted in a higher percentage of dark brown seeds. These findings indicate that elevated SA levels promote anthocyanin accumulation in B. napus seeds and seed coats, contributing to the formation of black seeds, while lower SA levels favor the development of yellow seed traits. This study provides new insights into the role of SA in seed color regulation and offers a theoretical basis for breeding yellow-seeded B. napus varieties.

The Class III peroxidase (PRX) gene family plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stress. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), a typical C₃ plant, has been relatively underexplored regarding the functional characterization of its HvPRX gene family. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of HvPRX genes using bioinformatics tools and investigated their expression patterns under drought stress induced by 20% PEG-6000 treatment. A total of 178 HvPRX gene family members were identified in the barley genome and were named HvPRX1-HvPRX178 based on their chromosomal positions. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the peroxidases of barley, rice, and Arabidopsis into five subfamilies, indicating evolutionary conservation. Gene structure and domain analyses revealed high conservation within the same subfamilies. Gene duplication analysis showed that 15 HvPRX genes (8%) underwent segmental duplication, while 34 HvPRX genes (67%) arose from tandem duplication, highlighting the critical role of tandem duplication events in HvPRX gene expansion. Interspecies collinearity analysis between barley and Arabidopsis identified four direct orthologous PRX gene pairs, suggesting that large-scale molecular evolution events occurred during the divergence from monocotyledons to dicotyledons. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that HvPRX gene expression patterns varied between barley roots and leaves. Promoter analysis revealed that 99 HvPRX genes contained cis-acting elements associated with drought stress responses. Finally, qRT-PCR analysis was used to validate the expression profiles of HvPRX genes under drought stress. The expression levels of HvPRX1, HvPRX18, HvPRX63, HvPRX160, and HvPRX167 were significantly upregulated three hours after treatment with 20% PEG-6000. These findings provide valuable insights into the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of HvPRX genes in barley’s drought resistance. This study also lays a foundation for breeding stress-tolerant crop varieties.

Utilizing the crops which can produce economic benefits to improve the saline-alkali land is an important mean to expand potential resource of farming land in China. Different plants respond differently to saline-alkali stress and have different mechanisms of saline-alkali stress resistance. Identifying the physiological characteristics responding to salt and alkali stress of rapeseed and wheat, can provide theoretical foundations for using rapeseed and wheat as forage and enlarging the application potential of rapeseed and wheat in the improvement and utilization of saline-alkali land. In this study, saline-alkali soils from Jilin province were used for pot experiments; normal soils in Wuhan were used as CK and saline-alkali soils from Jilin with the final salt concentration of 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively, which were prepared in proportion to normal soils from Wuhan. One saline-alkali tolerant and one sensitive variety of rapeseed and wheat were selected, respectively, as research materials. We systematically compared the different salt-alkali tolerance mechanisms of rapeseed and wheat at the germination stage by measuring and analyzing growth indicators, osmotic regulation, ion balance, antioxidant enzymes, H₂O₂, $\mathrm{O}^{\bar{.}}_{2}$ and other indicators. The results showed that: (1) Under saline-alkali stress, in petiole, Na⁺ content was highest among petiole, leaf, stem and root, up to 88.40 mg g^-1. However, in wheat, Na⁺ concentration in root was the highest, up to 33.45 mg g^-1. Na⁺ accumulation in all parts of rapeseed was higher than that of wheat, and under the same treatment, especially, the Na⁺ accumulation in leaves was 2-8 times higher than that of wheat. (2) The decrease of K⁺ and the ratio of K⁺/Na⁺ of salt-tolerant rapeseed and wheat were higher than those of salt-sensitive varieties, while the rate of increase of Na⁺ concentration was lower than that of salt-sensitive varieties. The inhibition effect of Na⁺ depressing K⁺ uptake in the aboveground part of rapeseed is significant higher than those in the root, while it is opposite in wheat. (3) Under saline-alkali stress, the sugar content, antioxidant enzyme activity and $\mathrm{O}^{\bar{.}}_{2}$ scavenging ability in saline-alkali tolerant rapeseed and wheat were higher than those in the sensitive varieties. The content of H₂O₂ and $\mathrm{O}^{\bar{.}}_{2}$ increased by the increasing of salt concentration in the soil, while the tolerant variety showed a smaller increase than the sensitive one. The saline-alkali-tolerant rapeseed variety respond faster to the saline-alkali stress at the seedling stage, and the SOD, POD, and CAT activities in leaves and petioles can respond rapidly and increase gradually. While in the leaves of salt-tolerant wheat, the SOD and POD variety were the main antioxidant enzymes at the tillering stage, but POD and CAT in the leaves at the jointing stage were the main antioxidant enzymes, and with the advancement of the growth stage, the soluble sugar of the leaves and the scavenging ability of $\mathrm{O}^{\bar{.}}_{2}$ were significantly reduced. Rapeseed mainly distributed Na⁺ into petioles and stems through “sodium storage”, but wheat mainly reduced Na⁺ absorption through “sodium rejection” and accumulated more Na⁺ in the root system. And varieties with strong saline-alkali tolerance had better ability to maintain sodium and potassium ion homeostasis. Furthermore, the salt-alkali tolerance of rapeseed increased gradually with the advancement of growth period, while the salt-alkali tolerance of wheat decreased gradually with the advancement of growth period.

Cadmium (Cd) is readily absorbed by wheat, posing a significant threat to human health. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat’s response to Cd stress remain poorly understood. Investigating these mechanisms is essential for developing low-Cd-accumulating wheat varieties through genetic improvement. In this study, hydroponic culture combined with transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze gene regulatory network changes in two wheat varieties with differing Cd accumulation capacities (Jimai 22 and Zhoumai 32) under Cd stress at concentrations of 0, 0.05 mmol L^-1, and 0.10 mmol L^-1. Functional enrichment analyses using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks revealed that Cd stress induced the expression of defense-related genes. The endoplasmic reticulum protein processing pathway was the most significantly enriched upregulated pathway in Jimai 22 under 0.05 mmol L^-1 Cd stress, while the benzoxazinoid biosynthesis pathway was highly enriched in Jimai 22 under 0.10 mmol L^-1 Cd stress. Additionally, the ribosomal protein uL13 family was identified as a central hub in the PPI network under Cd stress, highlighting its importance in maintaining ribosomal function. Key transporters, including TaNRAMP1, TaNRAMP2, TaNRAMP5, TaZIP6, and TaABCG36, were found to play pivotal roles in Cd uptake and accumulation. Moreover, transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, bHLH, and bZIP were upregulated under Cd stress, contributing to the alleviation of Cd-induced damage. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified LOC123168319 and LOC123145825 as potential candidate genes associated with Cd accumulation. The differentially expressed genes and metabolic pathways identified in this study provide valuable resources for genetic improvement of wheat. Technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 can be employed to reduce Cd absorption and accumulation, offering insights into wheat’s Cd resistance mechanisms and supporting the breeding of low-Cd wheat varieties.

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) disease is one of the most widespread and serious global soybean diseases, which can cause significant reductions in soybean yields and seed quality, and affect all soybean-producing regions in China. SMV is divided into 22 strains (SC1-SC22) in China, among which SMV-SC15 has stronger toxicity. However, there is currently no effective early diagnostic method. In this study, a visual and rapid method for detecting SMV-SC15 was established based on closed dumbbell mediated isothermal amplification (CDA), achieving highly specific and sensitive detection of SC15. Primer pairs (MF/MR) for CDA method was designed based on the polymorphism of CP sequences in different strains of SMV, and the reaction system for detecting SMV-SC15 was optimized. The optimal reaction conditions were obtained as follows: reaction temperature was 63℃, the dose of Bst DNA polymerase was 4.8 U, and primer concentration was 0.6 μmol L^-1. The detection results were visualized by using BTB and SYBR Green I as color developing agents. A comparative analysis was conducted on the stability, specificity and sensitivity of the CDA system and the CDA system with ring primers (L-CDA) for detecting SMV-SC15. The results showed that the time for real-time fluorescence amplification curve of L-CDA system to reach the threshold was 5-6 min shorter than that of CDA system, and the lowest detection limit was 1×10^-4 ng μL^-1, which was 10 times lower than that of CDA system. The L-CDA system was used to detect 200 soybean leaf samples of different varieties in the field, and the colorimetric result corresponds to a Ct value of approximately 32 in RT-qPCR detection, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.3%.

Xinong 877 is a newly developed wheat variety bred by Northwest A&F University, characterized by wide adaptability, high yield, and yield stability. This study aims to elucidate the genetic basis of Xinong 877’s high yield, adaptability, and comprehensive resistance, thereby providing theoretical foundations and methodological guidance for the breeding of new wheat varieties. Field experiments were conducted to analyze the grain filling characteristics and photosynthetic traits of Xinong 877, along with several high-yielding wheat varieties from the Huanghuai wheat region. A combined approach utilizing a 16K SNP background chip and a 0.1K SNP functional chip was employed to thoroughly dissect the genetic foundation of Xinong 877 and identify the genetic effects of key chromosomal regions. The results showed that, Xinong 877 exhibited superior grain filling characteristics, including an extended grain filling duration, optimal allocation across various grain filling stages, and a high grain filling rate. Additionally, its flag leaves possessed elevated chlorophyll content and enhanced photosynthetic capacity. In regional trials, the average thousand-grain weight was 48.60 g, and in field trials, it reached 50.05 g, both surpassing the control variety Zhoumai 36 and demonstrating good stability. These traits establish a foundation for realizing high yield potential. In multi-location regional trials, Xinong 877 achieved an average stability coefficient of 89.15, significantly higher than that of Zhoumai 36. Regarding genetic composition, Xinong 805a, as the female parent, contributed 80.23 percent of the genetic makeup to Xinong 877, the highest among the three parent lines. Additionally, Xinong 877 incorporated multiple superior genes/QTLs from its parents, including stripe rust resistance loci QYrqin.nwafu-6BS, QYrsn.nwafu-1BL, QYrxn.nwafu-1BL, Yr29, and Yr78; fusarium head blight resistance loci QFhb.caas-5AL and QFhb.hbaas-5AL; leaf rust resistance loci Lr13 and Lr68; as well as yield-related loci such as grain weight genes TaT6P and TaGS5-A1, and grain size gene QGl-4A. Xinong 877 exhibits significant yield potential and wide adaptability in field production. There are notable differences in the genetic contributions from the parent lines, with Xinong 805a providing the highest genetic contribution. The aggregation of multiple key genes/QTLs related to important traits in Xinong 877 offers valuable genetic resources and theoretical support for the development of high-yield, broadly adaptable wheat varieties in the Huanghuai wheat region.

Tillage structure is a critical agricultural practice that influences the accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the growth and development of maize. Investigating changes of post-tillage structure on the accumulation and stability of SOC fractions is essential for understanding mechanism of carbon fixation and fertilization in the spring maize region of Northeast China and for establishing optimal tillage structures. This study is based on a 14-year field experiment initiated in 2009, employing a randomized block design to evaluate the impacts of four tillage treatments: up-loose and down-compaction plough layer (ULDC, CK), all-loose plough layer (AL), furrow-loose and ridge-compaction plough layer (FLRC), and all-compaction plough layer (AC). The treatments were assessed for their effects on the accumulation and stability of SOC fractions. The results demonstrated that tillage layer structure significantly influenced SOC content in the 0-15 cm and 15-35 cm soil layers, with the AC treatment promoting greater SOC accumulation in the 0-15 cm layer. Tillage structure also altered the distribution of particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) and their proportions within SOC. Specifically, the AC treatment significantly increased MAOC content in the 0-15 cm soil layer by 34.2% compared to the ULDC treatment, while decreasing MAOC content in the 15-35 cm soil layer by 22.2%. The variation in POC content across soil layers was closely related to different tillage construction methods. Correlation analysis revealed that the POC/SOC ratio was highly positively correlated with soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (r = 0.74^**), while the MAOC/SOC ratio was significantly negatively correlated with MBC (r = -0.69^*). These findings suggest that tillage structure influences the distribution of carbon components within the carbon pool, modulated SOC stability. This study highlights the critical role of rational tillage structure in regulating SOC fractions and enhancing their stability, providing a scientific basis for soil health management and tillage structure optimization. In conclusion, the AC treatment demonstrated the potential to promote SOC fraction accumulation and improve soil carbon pool stability, offering practical value for the development of sustainable tillage practices in dryland farming systems in western Liaoning.

Freezing stress during the bolting stage is one of the critical factors limiting the yield increase of winter oilseed rape. Optimizing nutrient management practices can effectively mitigate cold damage stress in oilseed rape. During the 2023/2024 growing season, the Yangtze River Basin in China experienced two rounds of cold waves, resulting in varying levels of reduction in oilseed rape production. To investigate the effects of different nutrient management strategies on the growth of paddy oilseed rape (rice-oilseed rape rotation) and upland oilseed rape (maize-oilseed rape rotation), as well as their responses to freezing stress, a field experiment was conducted in Shayang county, Hubei province. The study incorporated meteorological data across two oilseed rape growing seasons (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). The main treatments were two planting patterns: paddy-grown oilseed rape in rice-oilseed rape rotation and upland oilseed rape in maize-oilseed rape rotation. The subplot treatments included no fertilizer (CK), conventional fertilization (CF), optimized fertilization (NPK) and optimized fertilization + straw + organic fertilization (NPK+S+M). The analysis encompassed oilseed rape yield, yield components and shoot biomass, further revealing the differential response of oilseed rape to freezing stress across the two rotations. The results showed that in 2022/2023 (control year), upland oilseed rape had higher yields than paddy oilseed rape. However, in 2023/2024 (freezing stress year), paddy oilseed rape outperformed upland oilseed rape in terms of yield. Under CK, CF, NPK, and NPK+S+M treatments, the yield reduction rates caused by freezing stress were 74.9%, 54.6%, 61.1% and 68.1% in paddy fields, and 70.8%, 71.7%, 69.0%, 71.6% in upland fields, respectively. Freezing stress had the greatest impact on the number of siliques per plant reducing it by an average of 28.3% in paddy fields and 29.7% in upland fields. Following this, the 1000-seed weight was affected, with an average reduction of 16.5% in paddy field and 38.8% in upland fields. Notably, after freezing stress, the contribution of 1000-seed weight to total yield increased. The response of shoot biomass to nutrient management and freezing stress followed a similar trend to yield. Correlation analysis between oilseed rape yield and meteorological factors revealed a significant positive correlation between mean maximum temperature and yield, and a significant negative correlation between yield and the number of days with temperatures ≤ 0℃ days, ≤ -3℃ days and total precipitation. In conclusion, paddy-grown oilseed rape and upland oilseed rape exhibited different sensitivities to low-temperature stress, which were influenced by nutrient management practices. Paddy oilseed rape demonstrated superior freeze resistance compared to upland oilseed rape. Providing adequate nutrient supply, particularly under CF treatment, was found to be the most effective strategy for mitigating cold stress and improving yield.

High-temperature stress has become a major constraint on summer maize production in the North China Plain (NCP). Enhancing maize heat tolerance is therefore essential for ensuring stable yields in this region. This study investigated the effects of an ethephon-glycine betaine-salicylic acid (EGS) mixture on the thermal response, morphological traits, and yield of summer maize, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Two maize hybrids, Zhengdan 958 (ZD958) and Yudan 9953 (YD9953), were evaluated using a randomized block design with three treatments: normal temperature (CK), high-temperature stress (HT), and high-temperature stress with chemical treatment (TR). For the TR treatment, EGS was applied via foliar spraying at the V6 growth stage, while water was sprayed in the CK and HT treatments. In 2021, high-temperature stress was imposed during the V8, V12, and VT stages, whereas in 2022, stress occurred at the V9 and VT stages. The results showed that compared to CK, HT treatment had no significant effect on plant height or ear height, but reduced leaf area by 3.6%. Under TR treatment, plant height, ear height, and leaf area decreased by 10.9%, 11.9%, and 7.3% relative to CK, respectively. However, TR treatment increased the leaf net photosynthetic rate by 6.3% and 16.8% compared to CK and HT, respectively. TR also improved leaf heat tolerance, enhanced dry matter accumulation, and stimulated root development under high-temperature stress. Specifically, TR treatment increased leaf SOD activity, POD activity, soluble protein content, plant biomass, and root biomass by 6.6%, 17.5%, 15.2%, 11.0%, and 16.3%, respectively, compared to HT. Additionally, the grain yield of ZD958 and YD9953 under TR treatment was comparable to CK but increased by 14.8% and 14.2%, respectively, compared to HT. Correlation and regression analyses further revealed that yield was closely associated with plant and root biomass. In conclusion, foliar application of the EGS mixture enhanced canopy biomass production and root development under high-temperature stress, mitigating yield losses. This provides a promising strategy for improving heat tolerance and sustaining maize yields in the NCP.

This study aimed to optimize supplementary irrigation strategies to improve winter wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in the semi-humid region of the Loess Plateau. During the 2021-2023 winter wheat growing seasons, experiments were conducted at three representative sites: Yangling, Qianxian, and Heyang. Five supplementary irrigation treatments were implemented: no irrigation during the growing season (W0), irrigation at the overwintering stage (W1), irrigation at the jointing stage (W2), irrigation at the overwintering + jointing stages (W3), and irrigation at the jointing + flowering stages (W4). The goal of each irrigation treatment was to restore soil moisture in the 0-20 cm layer to 100% of its relative field capacity. The study explored the effects of irrigation timing and stages on winter wheat water consumption, yield, and WUE. The results showed that precipitation during the winter wheat growing season varied significantly between years, but total water consumption remained relatively stable, with soil water playing a crucial role in regulating seasonal water use. Soil moisture conditions at the sowing stage influenced the effectiveness of supplementary irrigation in improving yield and WUE. Optimal water consumption for achieving high yield and WUE was determined to be 336.3 mm, 393.8 mm, 440.7 mm, and 519.1 mm from sowing to overwintering, jointing, flowering, and maturity, respectively. Across all experimental sites, water consumption primarily consisted of soil water and precipitation, with irrigation contributing less than 20% of total water use. Supplementary irrigation at the jointing stage demonstrated a more consistent and significant yield increase across the three sites over the two years. High yields (9888.5-10,697.0 kg hm^-2 in the first year and 9015.4-9756.9 kg hm^-2 in the second year) and high WUE (21.2-23.9 kg hm^-2 mm^-1 in the first year and 20.9-21.1 kg hm^-2 mm^-1 in the second year) were achieved at Yangling and Qianxian. At Heyang, where annual precipitation was 465.3 mm and growing season precipitation ranged from 114.8-194.7 mm, the optimal treatment was irrigation at the jointing + flowering stages. In conclusion, in areas of the Loess Plateau with annual precipitation of 465.3-635.1 mm, supplementary irrigation at the jointing stage is generally sufficient to achieve high yield and WUE, with one irrigation event often being adequate. In regions with lower annual precipitation (465.3 mm) and limited growing season precipitation (114.8-194.7 mm), the combination of irrigation at the jointing + flowering stages is recommended to achieve optimal yield and WUE.

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology provides an accurate and non-destructive method for diagnosing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deficiencies in rapeseed, laying the groundwork for precision fertilization. This study utilized multi-site, multi-year field trials to collect data on leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC), leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC), yield, and the canopy reflectance spectrum of winter rapeseed during the overwintering period. Feature bands sensitive to LNC and LPC were identified using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), successive projections algorithm (SPA), and the elimination of non-informative variables (UVE). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were constructed to estimate LNC and LPC based on both the original spectrum and the first-order derivative spectrum. Nutrient deficiency diagnosis was achieved by integrating the nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) and phosphorus nutrition index (PNI) derived from the estimated nutrient concentrations. The results revealed that the characteristic bands for LNC and LPC were primarily concentrated in the ranges of 400-460 nm, 650-730 nm, 1140-1210 nm, and 2240-2370 nm for LNC, and 650-730 nm, 2100-2310 nm for LPC. The model based on the first-order derivative spectrum and the UVE method demonstrated superior accuracy compared to other models. In the test set, the model achieved high estimation accuracy for LNC (R²=0.773, RMSE=0.528%) and LPC (R²=0.785, RMSE=0.09%). Threshold values for NNI and PNI during the overwintering period were established using yield data from field trials, which were 1.20 and 0.75, respectively. By employing hyperspectral remote sensing to estimate LNC and LPC, subsequent calculations of NNI and PNI can effectively diagnose nutrient deficiencies in rapeseed during the overwintering period. This approach provides a novel technological solution for the sustainable development of rapeseed production.

To investigate variations in the sensitivity of different physiological races of Magnaporthe oryzae to isoprothiolane in Anhui Province, 173 M. oryzae isolates were collected from 17 regions across the province during 2021-2022. The physiological races of these isolates were identified using seven differential rice hosts from China. The sensitivity of M. oryzae to isoprothiolane, along with potential cross-resistance to other fungicides, was assessed by measuring mycelial growth rates. The results showed that the 173 M. oryzae isolates belonged to five populations: ZA, ZB, ZC, ZG, and ZH. Among these, the ZB population was predominant, with ZB13 identified as the dominant physiological race. The EC₅₀ values of the isolates ranged from 1.68 to 28.83 μg mL^-1, and a baseline sensitivity value of 5.54 μg mL^-1 was established for isoprothiolane in Anhui province. Among the isolates, 102 were classified as sensitive, 70 as low-resistant, and 1 as moderately resistant. The resistance levels of the dominant physiological races ZB13, ZB15, and ZB16, identified in regions such as Fengtai County and Xuancheng District, were significantly lower than those observed in regions such as Nanling County and Shitai County. This finding suggests that variations in the sensitivity of M. oryzae to isoprothiolane in Anhui Province are primarily influenced by geographic location rather than physiological race. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between sensitivity to isoprothiolane and sensitivity to pyraclostrobin or prochloraz. These results indicate that, under the premise of rational rotation with other fungicides, isoprothiolane can continue to serve as a key fungicide for managing rice blast disease in Anhui province.

A pot experiment was conducted with two temperature treatments—normal temperature treatment and high temperature treatment during the panicle initiation and heading stages—using three rice varieties: heat-sensitive varieties Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ) and Jingliangyouhuazhan (JLYHZ), and heat-tolerant variety Shanyou 63 (SY63). The objective was to investigate the effects of high temperature during the panicle initiation and heading stages on spikelet and grain size, grain filling, and their relationship with grain weight. Compared to normal temperature, high temperature significantly reduced thousand-grain weight, spikelets per panicle, seed setting rate, and yield in LYPJ and JLYHZ, but had no significant effect on SY63. High temperature also significantly decreased spikelet and grain size (length, width and thickness) in the heat-sensitive varieties, while SY63 exhibited only minor reductions. Additionally, high temperature significantly downregulated the expression of OsLOGL2 in spikelets of LYPJ and upregulated the expression of OsCKX5 in spikelets of JLYHZ, resulting in reduced endogenous active cytokinin levels in spikelets. High temperature decreased the harvest index but had no significant effect on aboveground dry weight at the maturity stage. It also significantly reduced single-grain weight accumulation and the average grain filling rate during the heading and maturity stages in the heat-sensitive varieties, with no significant changes observed in SY63. Furthermore, high temperature treatment significantly reduced the expression of grain filling-related genes (OsFLO2, OsFLO4 and OsGIF2) and the activities of key enzymes involved in grain filling, including acid/neutral invertases, sucrose synthetase, and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, in the heat-sensitive varieties. Starch branching enzyme activity in grains was also significantly reduced in LYPJ, while these enzymes and genes were unaffected in SY63. This study demonstrates that high temperature during the panicle initiation and heading stages reduces the harvest index and decreases spikelet and grain size by lowering active cytokinin levels in spikelets. It also hinders grain filling by suppressing the expression of grain filling-related genes and enzyme activities. These findings suggest that the reductions in grain weight and yield under high temperature are likely due to decreased assimilate allocation to panicles and reduced sink activity, highlighting the adverse effects of heat stress on grain development and yield.

This study investigated the yield formation characteristics of unmanned dry direct-seeding rice (UDS), analyzed key cultivation techniques for stable yield production, and provided theoretical foundations and technical support for the large-scale application of this technology. From 2021 to 2023, a high-yield cultivation experiment was conducted in representative rice-wheat double-cropping areas of Jiangsu Province, using Nanjing 5718 as the test material and unmanned carpet seedling machine transplanting (UMT) as the control. The study assessed growth period characteristics, tillering dynamics, photosynthetic matter production, yield performance, energy input, and economic benefits. The results showed that the full growth period of UDS in different ecological regions was shortened by 12-19 days compared to UMT, with the effective accumulated temperature in whole growth period decreasing by 226.1-329.3°C. Compared to UMT, UDS increased the proportion of main stem spikes, leveraging the growth advantage of the main stem to enhance the leaf area index during the jointing and heading stages. This improvement boosted the population growth rate and net assimilation rate from sowing to jointing, as well as the photosynthetic potential from jointing to heading. However, UDS exhibited a lower productive tiller percentage and total spikelet number, along with reduced dry matter accumulation, which were significant factors contributing to yield loss, resulting in a 5.4%-5.9% average yield reduction. From the perspective of energy input and economic benefits, UDS demonstrated higher mechanization efficiency. Mechanical energy input during the tillage and sowing phase was reduced by 43.8%, energy resource input decreased by 27.8%, and overall energy input was reduced by 5.8%. Additionally, UDS lowered rice production costs by 11.8% and increased economic benefits by 3.4%. To further enhance UDS yields, production practices should focus on optimizing cultivation quality by regulating the emergence of advantageous tillers and ensuring their final heading to achieve robust main stems and sufficient panicles. Moreover, efforts should be directed toward increasing growth during the mid-growth stages to promote dry matter accumulation during later stages, enhancing spike biomass, and ensuring adequate grain-filling materials under a large population capacity. These improvements are critical for achieving higher yields in UDS systems.

The neglect of organic material inputs in agricultural fields has significant impacts on the structure of soil microbial communities, reduces soil nutrient availability, and leads to low maize yields. This study investigated the effects of organic material amendments on soil bacterial and fungal communities, soil chemical properties, and maize yield. The aim was to explore changes in soil microbial community structure and analyze the relationship between microbial communities and soil chemical properties, providing a scientific basis for optimized fertilization practices, the maintenance of soil microbial ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural development. A two-year field experiment with continuous fertilization treatments was conducted to evaluate the effects of different fertilization regimes on the bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere soil of maize fields. The treatments included as follows: (1) single chemical fertilizer application (control), (2) chemical fertilizer + straw rot, (3) chemical fertilizer + fulvic acid, and (4) chemical fertilizer + chicken manure. The results showed that combining chemical fertilizer with organic materials increased maize yield and enhanced soil nutrient availability. Continuous application of organic materials also influenced the alpha diversity of soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). For example, compared with the single chemical fertilizer treatment, the chemical fertilizer + straw rot treatment increased the bacterial Shannon index, ACE index, and Chao1 index by 2.42%, 23.24%, and 23.19%, respectively. However, fungal alpha diversity showed a decreasing trend under the same treatment. At the taxonomic level, Vicinamibacterales and Sphingomonadales (from Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria, respectively) were the dominant bacterial orders, while Sordariales (from Ascomycota) was the dominant fungal order. Soil microbial diversity was strongly correlated with soil nutrient content. In conclusion, the combined application of chemical fertilizers and organic materials can regulate soil microbial community structure, enhance microbial diversity, and improve soil health and productivity in dryland maize farming systems. In particular, fertilizer combined with straw rot has the best effect.

Accurately identifying chlorophyll content is essential for precise fertilization management in maize. The SPAD (Soil and plant analyzer development) value of leaves serves as a reliable indicator of chlorophyll content. For SPAD prediction using remote sensing, most existing studies rely on single data sources combined with machine learning methods. To enhance SPAD prediction accuracy, this study explores the feasibility of integrating multi-source unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data with various machine learning methods, comparing the results to traditional approaches. A maize field experiment was conducted with different treatments, including organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, straw return, and varying planting densities. UAV multispectral and RGB images were acquired at the V4 and V9 growth stages, and SPAD values of maize leaves were measured subsequently. Using a multi-scale analysis approach, RGB images were fused with multispectral images to produce a dataset combining high spatial resolution with multispectral information. Additionally, an ensemble learning method (ELM) was developed by integrating multiple machine learning models, including the backpropagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN), support vector machine (SVM), generalized additive model (GAM), and random forest (RF). Different scenarios were designed by coupling various data sources and machine learning models. The dataset was divided into calibration and validation subsets. SPAD prediction models were developed by calibration dataset, and their performance was evaluated using the validation dataset. Comparative analysis identified the optimal model and data source. Results showed that multi-source data significantly improved SPAD prediction accuracy by combining the spectral information of multispectral images with the texture information of RGB images. Furthermore, the ensemble learning method outperformed single machine learning methods, achieving higher SPAD prediction accuracy. Among all scenarios, the SPAD prediction model using the ELM method and fused images exhibited the highest accuracy, with an a R_cal² value of 0.83 and RMSE_cal value of 1.93 during calibration, and an R_val² value of 0.80 and RMSE_val value of 2.07 during validation. In contrast, models based on other scenarios yielded R_cal² values ranging from 0.64 to 0.88 and RMSE_cal values ranging from 1.63 to 2.84 during calibration, and R_val² values ranging from 0.60 to 0.78 and RMSE_val values ranging from 2.18 to 3.01 during validation. This study demonstrates that the optimal strategy for SPAD prediction in maize involves using multi-source data and ensemble learning models. These findings provide technical support for further advancements in precision nitrogen management.

The flowering time, one of the important indexes to evaluate the early maturing varieties of peanut, has an important impact on the yield. It is very important to mine the genetic loci related to peanut flowering time and screen candidate genes for early maturation breeding of peanut. In this paper, the flowering time of 390 peanut germplasms in five environments was evaluated. Phenotypic statistics showed that the variation coefficient of peanut flowering time ranged from 3.21% to 8.54% in five environments, and there were abundant phenotypic variations. The flowering time of peanut basically showed normal distribution and was greatly affected by the environment. A total of 259 SNPs significantly associated with flowering time were identified by genome-wide association analysis. Of them, 29 were identified in more than two environments, and located on chromosomes A01, A02, A03, A04, A05, A07, A10, B01, B02, B03, B04, B06, B07, and B09, it can explain 3.47% to 8.58% of the phenotypic variation. After searching for candidate genes in the confidence intervals of 29 recurrent loci upstream and downstream 100 kb, 159 genes with functional annotations were found. Seven candidate genes related to peanut flowering time were predicted in the candidate interval, encoding R2R3-MYB transcription factor, chlorophyll a-b binding protein, bHLH transcription factor, WRKY transcription factor and FAR1 transcription factor, respectively. The results of this study can lay a foundation for understanding the genetic mechanism of peanut flowering regulation and peanut early maturation breeding.

The odor quality of potato tuber after processing is an important index to evaluate the quality of processed products. Analyzing odor quality of potato tuber after processing can not only improve the evaluation system of potato tuber flavor, but also provide a basis for breeding varieties with excellent flavor. In this study, the tubers of 20 potato varieties (lines) were used as materials, which were steamed at 110℃ and baked at 250℃. The volatile flavor compounds produced from these cured tubers were identified by the headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and the correlation between volatile flavor components was analyzed. Combined with the sensory evaluation of odor quality, the relative odor activity value (ROAV) analysis, partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed for volatile flavor compounds. After steaming at 110℃, the content of aldehydes was the highest among the volatile flavor components of 20 varieties (lines). The content of aldehydes was significantly positively correlated with pyrazines, and the content of esters was significantly negatively correlated with hydrocarbons. After baking at 250℃, the content of esters was the highest among the volatile flavor components of 20 varieties (lines). There was a significant positive correlation between aldehydes and furans, ketones and hydrocarbons, acids and other heterocycles, respectively. The content of ketones was significantly negatively correlated with furans, and the content of aldehydes was significantly negatively correlated with esters and ketones. After steaming, there were 39 key flavor substances with ROAV>1 in tubers. PLS-DA results indicated that these key flavor substances with VIP>1 included lauraldehyde, n-tetradecane, palmitic acid, phenylacetaldehyde, n-cetane, 2-amino-5-methylbenzoic acid, n-nonaldehyde, decylaldehyde, n-dodecane, n-octanaldehyde and p-xylene. Five principal components were extracted by PCA analysis, and the cumulative contribution rate reached 86.248%. After baking, there were 45 key flavor substances with ROAV>1 in tubers. PLS-DA results indicated that these key flavor substances with VIP>1 included n-cetane, n-nonaldehyde, capric aldehyde, n-tetracetane, palmitic acid, n-dodecane, lauraldehyde, benzaldehyde and geraniylacetone. Four principal components were extracted by PCA analysis, and the cumulative contribution rate reached 78.102%. The laural, phenylacetaldehyde, n-nononal, capric aldehyde, n-tetradecane, n-cetane, and palmitic acid were the markers of excellent odor quality of steamed potatoes. The benzaldehyde, n-nonyl aldehyde, capric aldehyde, lauryl aldehyde, n-tetradecane, n-cetane, palmitic acid, and geranyl acetone were the markers of excellent odor quality of baked potatoes. The potato varieties with excellent odor quality after steaming and baking were sante Malta, H0916, H0933, H0951, and Gannong milk sweet potato.