Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are artificially synthesized compounds that have become an important technical guarantee for agricultural production. EDAH (containing 27% ethephon and 3% DA-6) has been proven to inhibit stalk elongation, promote stalk bold and increase mechanical strength and number of vascular bundles. DA-6 could enhance plant photosynthetic capacity and promote cell division and growth. In our study, experiments were performed at summer maize growing season during 2018–2019. The result showed that plant height, ear height and center of gravity height of maize with EDAH+DA-6 treatment were decreased by 10.18, 16.77 and 13.21%, respectively; leaf area and leaf area index also significantly (P<0.001) decreased by 24.11 and 60.15%, respectively; the value of mean tilt angle significantly (P<0.001) increased by 16.72% compared with the control plants, which meant that EDAH+DA-6 could shape more compact plant type. Therefore, lodging rate of maize with EDAH+DA-6 treatment decreased by 6.95% compared with control plants, and the grain yield was increased by 15.51%. In addition, EDAH+DA-6 treatment significantly improved the quality of maize base stalks, such as improving mechanical properties, which increased maize base stalk crushing strength by 22.23%; increased the hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents by 6.93, 3.87 and 30.21%, respectively. In conclusion, EDAH+DA-6 treatment could improve summer maize yield by shaping plant morphological characteristics and group photosynthesis.

Low temperature and high salinity are the major abiotic stresses that restrict cucumber growth and production, breeding materials with multiple abiotic resistance are in greatly need. Here we investigated the effect of introducing the LOS5 gene, a key regulator of ABA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana, under the stress-responsive RD29A promoter into cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. S516). We found that T1 RD29A-LOS5 transgenic lines have enhanced tolerance to cold and salt stresses. Specifically, transgenic lines exhibited dwarf phenotypes with reduced leaf number, shorter internode, decreased length of the biggest leaf, fewer female flowers, shorter fruit neck and lower vitamin C (Vc). The increased cold tolerance can be reflected from the significantly decreased cold index, the reduced electrolyte leakage index and the MDA content upon cold treatment as compared to those in the control. This may result from the accumulation of internal ABA, soluble sugars and proline, and the enhanced activities of protective enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) in the transgenic lines. Under salt treatment, the transgenic lines exhibited increased germination index, vigor index, more lateral roots and increased root fresh weight. Moreover, RD29A-LOS5 transgenic plants displayed quicker responses in salt stress than that in low-temperature stress.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is grown worldwide, including in saline soils, but the effect of salinity on ion fluxes of Bt cotton remains unknown. Responses of two transgenic Bt cotton genotypes (SGK321 and 29317) and their corresponding receptors, Shiyuan 321 (SY321) and Jihe 321 (J321), to 150 mmol L-1 NaCl stress were studied in a growth chamber. The root dry weight of SGK321 and 29317 under NaCl treatment was decreased by 30 and 31%, respectively. However, their corresponding receptor cultivars SY321 and J321 were less affected (19 and 24%, respectively). The root length and surface area of the Bt cultivars were significantly decreased relative to their receptors under salt stress. NaCl treatment significantly increased Cry1Ac mRNA transcript levels in SGK321 and 29317 but did not affect Bt protein content in leaves or roots of either cultivar at 1 and 7 d after NaCl treatment. Fluxes of Na+, K+, and H+ in roots were investigated using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique. Both mean K+ efflux rate and transient K+ efflux of the Bt cultivars increased four-fold compared to their corresponding receptors when exposed to salinity stress. There were no significant differences in Na+ efflux between Bt and non-Bt cottons. Furthermore, the Na+ contents in roots and leaves of all genotypes dramatically increased under salt stress, whereas K+ contents decreased. Our results suggested that Bt cotton cultivars are more sensitive to salt stress than their receptor genotypes.

Timing of harvest is critical for mechanical picking in cotton production, especially in those regions with double cropping system. Appropriate and safe harvest aids will improve timing and facilitate harvest of cotton in the double cropping system. Three defoliants (dimethipin, thidiazuron, and thidiazuron-diuron) and one boll opener (ethephon) were included in this research. They were evaluated for their effects on defoliation, boll opening, seedcotton yield, seed quality, and fiber quality of field grown cotton when used alone or as a mixture in 2009 and 2010. Defoliation and/or boll opening were increased by all three defoliants and ethephon, especially by mixtures of a defoliant and ethephon. First harvest of seedcotton was significantly increased with defoliant-ethephon mixtures. No significant adverse effects were observed on boll weight, lint percentage, seed quality, and fiber properties. It was estimated that tank mixes of ethephon and one of the three defoliants can improve the adjusted gross revenue. Boll opening can be used as an alternative indicator for the adjusted gross revenue, because, it was linearly and positively correlated with the relative adjusted gross revenue and convenient in measurements. Wheat seedling growth was not affected by thidiazuron, whereas its seedling emergence, root dry weight, relative water content, and electrolyte leakage were adversely affected by dimethipin and thidiazurondiuron when concentration was above 340 and 100 g (a.i.) ha-1, respectively. 90% defoliation and 80% boll opening were observed with the high rate of thidiazuron-ethephon mixture, but no adverse effects on winter wheat. The results suggested that tank mixes of ethephon with thidiazuron can be used effectively and safely in the cotton-winter wheat double cropping system to improve yield without adverse effects on seed quality and fiber quality.