荚果形状是影响花生荚果制品市场价值的重要可遗传性状。为探索该性状内在遗传机制，本研究基于图像分析考察了影响荚果性状的6个组分性状，包括荚果长度、荚果宽度、荚果长宽比、荚果圆度、果喙明显度和缢缩明显度。对含有181个家系的重组自交系群体进行了三个不同环境下的表型测定。结果表明，该群体的6个组分性状均表现为连续分布和超亲遗传，且各组分性状之间表现为不同程度相关性，广义遗传率变异范围为0.87-0.95。数量性状位点（QTL）分析共鉴定到26个加性QTL，分别解释3.79%~52.37%的表型变异。在花生第2染色体上发现一个可调控多个组分性状的稳定主效遗传位点。该位点覆盖10.81 Mb物理区间，包含543个潜在基因，生物信息学分析对候选基因进行了预测。本研究还针对6个组分性状鉴定到73对上位性互作（涉及92个遗传位点），分别可解释0.94%-6.45%表型变异。以上研究结果为荚果形状相关基因的图位克隆与分子标记辅助育种提供了重要研究基础。

在高等植物中，茎尖分生组织以规则的间隔（叶序）和时间（叶间期）生成侧生器官。对叶序和叶间期相关突变体分析将加深对植物茎尖结构发育机制的理解。本研究中，扬农啤5号EMS诱变获得一个出叶速率变快、节间数目增多和矮化突变体，命名为mnd8^ynp5。利用图位克隆的方法，mnd8基因定位于5H染色体长臂6.7kb的基因组区间。序列分析表明，HORVU5Hr1G118820在第一个外显子953位发生了C到T单核苷酸突变，导致编码蛋白第318位氨基酸由丙氨酸（Ala）变为缬氨酸（Val）。HORVU5Hr1G118820作为MND8基因的候选基因，编码514个氨基酸，包含两个多药和有毒化合物挤压结构域（MATE），与玉米Bige1高度同源，具有通过控制叶片起始速率来调控植物发育的保守功能。现代大麦品种单倍型分析表明，Hap-1是被全世界大麦育种中应用的主要单倍型。总之，mnd8^ynp5作为HORVU5Hr1G118820基因的新等位基因，调控了大麦叶间期和矮秆多节表型。

氮肥和密度是影响水稻产量和资源利用效率的重要因素，通过合理调控密度可以在不减产的前提下降低氮肥投入并提高氮肥利用效率。不过，对于传统的移栽稻模式，增加种植密度意味着需要投入更多的劳动力。在当前农村劳动力短缺的背景下，这种措施无疑会加剧劳动力的供需矛盾。双季稻双直播模式是一种省工、节本的轻简化栽培措施，在该模式下调整播种密度简单易行。然而，目前关于不同氮肥和密度调控对双季稻双直播模式下超短生育期品种的产量和氮肥利用效率的影响尚不明确。因此，本研究旨在揭示氮肥和密度对产量和氮肥利用效率的影响，并探明这些影响在早、晚季之间的差异。大田试验于2018和2019年分别在湖北省武穴市和蕲春县进行，设置四个氮肥和三个播种密度处理，选用超短生育期水稻品种湘早籼6号为供试材料。结果表明，在施氮处理下，早、晚稻生育期和产量的变化范围分别为85-97天和6.32-8.23 t ha^-1。水稻产量对氮肥的响应高于对播种密度的响应。早、晚稻的最适施氮量分别为100-150 kg N ha^-1和70-120 kg N ha^-1。此外，在双季稻双直播模式中，早稻产量对氮肥的响应比晚稻更大，这主要由于早稻土壤背景氮的供应能力低于晚稻。因此，考虑早、晚季间土壤背景氮供应能力的差异对于优化双季稻双直播模式的氮肥管理策略、提高氮肥利用效率有重要的意义。

水稻（Oryza sativa L.）是世界主要粮食作物之一，干旱和高盐等非生物胁迫环境严重影响水稻产量，提高水稻水分利用效率的主要途径是提高其抗旱性和耐盐性。克隆和利用水稻抗旱耐盐相关基因，提高水稻的抗逆能力，对我国乃至全世界粮食安全都具有重要意义。本研究报道了水稻maspardin蛋白基因OsMas1的克隆、生物学功能以及分子作用机制。亚细胞定位分析，结果表明 OsMas1蛋白定位于细胞质。逆境胁迫表达分析表明，OsMas1基因受到200 mM甘露醇、20% PEG6000、200 mM NaCl和100 μM ABA诱导表达。构建植物过表达载体和RNAi干扰载体，将该基因导入水稻品种中花11号（WT），通过对转基因水稻材料抗性鉴定，结果表明过表达（OsMas1-OE）植株的耐盐性和抗旱性显著增强，而干扰（OsMas1-RNAi）植株的耐盐性和抗旱性显著降低。对OsMas1-OE、OsMas1-RNAi和WT水稻材料进行芽期和苗期的外源ABA处理，结果发现OsMas1-OE植株对ABA的敏感性明显高于WT植株，而OsMas1-RNAi植株对ABA的敏感性明显低于WT植株。干旱、盐胁迫处理后，OsMas1-OE植株的ABA、脯氨酸、K⁺含量以及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、过氧化物酶（POD）和光合活性显著高于OsMas1-RNAi植株和WT植株，而丙二醛（MDA）、过氧化氢（H₂O₂）、超氧阴离子自由基（O^2-）和Na⁺含量显著低于OsMas1-RNAi植株和WT植株。qRT-PCR分析表明，在盐、干旱胁迫下，过表达OsMas1基因显著上调ABA生物合成与信号途径、脯氨酸生物合成途径、活性氧（ROS）清除系统、光合作用和离子转运相关基因的表达，从而显著提高了转基因水稻植株的耐盐性和抗旱性，为水稻水分高效利用和抗逆育种奠定理论基础。

携带dep1基因（直立密穗）的水稻品种具有高产和高氮利用效率的潜力。然而，在田间条件下，对这些品种高产和高氮利用效率有关的农艺和生理性状研究的较少。因此，本研究在0和120 kg N ha^-1下对遗传背景均为南粳6号的两个分别携带DEP1 (NIL-DEP1) 和dep1-1 (NIL-dep1)基因的近等基因系材料（NILs）进行了产量和氮利用效率评价。综合所有的氮肥处理和种植年份，NIL-dep1的产量和氮素籽粒生产效率（NUEg）分别比NIL-DEP1高25.5%和21.9%。NIL-dep1相对于NIL-DEP1的产量优势主要源于较大的库容（即较高的总颖花数）、较高的结实率、总干物质积累和收获指数。氮素利用而非氮素吸收更有利于NIL-dep1的高产。NIL-dep1显著较高的NUEg与其较高的氮和干物质转运效率、较低的成熟期叶片和茎秆氮素浓度以及较高的叶片谷氨酰胺合成酶（GS）活性有关。综上，在大田条件下，dep1通过提高籽粒灌浆期的叶片GS活性增加氮素和干物质转运，进而提高水稻产量和氮利用效率。

双季稻双直播模式是一种省工、节本的轻简化栽培措施，可有效应对当前双季稻种植面积逐年下降的现状。华中地区温光资源有限，双季稻双直播模式必须选用生育期在95天左右的超短生育期品种才能保障安全生产。此外，因直播稻群体密度大、扎根浅，在实际生产中往往面临着倒伏风险高的问题。然而，目前关于超短生育期水稻品种在双季稻双直播模式下的抗倒性表现和抗倒性提高途径尚不明确。因此，本研究旨在揭示华中地区双季稻双直播模式下超短生育期水稻品种的抗倒机理。田间试验于2017-2018年在湖北省武穴市进行，设置高、低两个氮肥水平，选用四个超短生育期水稻品种为供试材料，于齐穗后15天测定倒伏相关性状。结果表明，超短生育期水稻品种在两个氮水平下的生育期和产量的变异范围分别为85-97天和4.59-7.61 t ha^-1。在该产量水平下，弯曲力矩是造成氮肥处理和品种间倒伏指数差异的主要原因，而抗折力及其他茎秆形态指标并未显著影响倒伏指数。弯曲力矩主要受株高的影响，超短生育期水稻品种的株高从95.4 cm降低至80.5 cm，弯曲力矩降低32.0%，倒伏指数降低22.4%，但是产量没有显著降低。因此，在目前的产量水平下，降低超短生育期品种株高是提高双季稻双直播模式抗倒性的有效措施。但是在未来超短生育期品种产量潜力进一步提升的进程中，育种家们更应该关注增强茎秆抗折力，以进一步提高双季稻双直播模式的产量和稳产性。

In biological research, chicken embryos are a classic experimental model for the exploration of the embryonic development and cell differentiation.  Transferring exogenous substances into chicken embryos for producing medical antibodies has been widely used in the production practice.  However, there are few studies about the effect of the different injection site and dosage on chicken embryos.  The aim of this study was to explore the effects of different injection sites and dosages on chicken embryo hatching rate and development, so as to provide a basis for further studies using the chicken embryo model.  Freshly laid eggs (Rugao yellow chicken) were injected with different doses of saline at the tip, equatorial plane and the blunt end of the egg shell, respectively.  Egg hatching rate was recorded and compared among injection sites and different doses.  A trypan blue stain was also injected at the aforementioned sites and the growth of chicken embryos was observed.  The SPSS (statistical package for the social science) software was used to analyze the relationship between the chicken eggs hatching rate and the different injection sites or the different dosages.  The experimental results showed that there were significant differences on egg hatching rates among the different injection sites and doses (P<0.05).  The hatchability of the blunt end injection group was significantly higher than that of the other two sites.  The egg hatching rate decreased with increased saline doses.  The egg hatching rate of the 100 µL saline injection group was higher than the 200 and 300 µL dosage groups.  Ultimately, we suggest that the optimal chicken embryo injection process is during early development, at the blunt end site with a dose less than 100 µL to minimize damage to the egg.

In 1996, a mega project that aimed to develop rice varieties with super-high yield potential (super rice) was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in China using a combination of the ideotype approach and intersubspecific heterosis.  Significant progress has been made in the last two decades, with a large number of super rice varieties being approved by the MOA and the national average grain yield being increased from 6.21 t ha⁻¹ in 1996 to 6.89 t ha⁻¹ in 2015.  The increase in yield potential of super rice was mainly due to the larger sink size which resulted from larger panicles.  Moreover, higher photosynthetic capacity and improved root physiological traits before heading contributed to the increase in sink size.  However, the poor grain filling of the later-flowering inferior spikelets and the quickly decreased root activity of super rice during grain filling period restrict the achievement of high yield potential of super rice.  Furthermore, it is widely accepted that the high yield potential of super rice requires a large amount of N fertilizer input, which has resulted in an increase in N consumption and a decrease in nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), although it remains unclear whether super rice per se is responsible for the latter.  In the present paper, we review the history and success of China’s Super Rice Breeding Program, summarize the advances in agronomic and physiological mechanisms underlying the high yield potential of super rice, and examine NUE differences between super rice and ordinary rice varieties.  We also provide a brief introduction to the Green Super Rice Project, which aims to diversify breeding targets beyond yield improvement alone to address global concerns around resource use and environmental change.  It is hoped that this review will facilitate further improvement of rice production into the future.

Myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (MIPS) is a key rate limiting enzyme in the de novo biosynthesis of myo-inositol in plants. In the present study, the IbMIPS1 gene was introduced into sweetpotato cultivar Xushu 18 and the transgenic plants exhibited significantly enhanced salt tolerance compared with the wild-type (WT). Overexpression of IbMIPS1 up-regulated the salt stress responsive genes, including myo-inositol monophosphatase (MIPP), pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), psbA, phosphoribulokinase (PRK), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes, under salt stress. Inositol and proline content, SOD and photosynthesis activities were significantly increased, whereas malonaldehyde (MDA) and H2O2 contents were significantly decreased in the transgenic plants. These findings suggest that the IbMIPS1 gene may enhance salt tolerance of sweetpotato by regulating the expression of salt stress responsive genes, increasing the content of inositol and proline and enhancing the activity of photosynthesis.

Intact and steam-flaked grains of maize, wheat and rice (with whole hulls) were analyzed for chemical composition, starch gelatinization degree (SGD) and in vitro fermentation characteristics to investigate the influence of cereal type and steam-flaking (SF) processing on their nutritive values. The treatments were arranged in a 3×2 factorial design. Obvious differences (P<0.001) in chemical composition and energetic values were observed among the different cereal types. SGD and gas production (GP) rate was significantly increased (P<0.001) by SF processing. SF processing also increased (P<0.01) the proportion of propionic acid and decreased the acetic:propionic acid ratio in vitro. Steam-flaking also increased organic matter digestibility and the energetic value of the cereal grains, especially rice. Based on these results, rice probably is more amendable to SF processing than maize and wheat. In conclusion, it is feasible to partially substitute maize grain with wheat or rice in ruminant diets, and steam-flaking can significantly improve the nutritional value of wheat and rice grains.

Trehalose plays an important role in metabolic regulation and abiotic stress tolerance in a variety of organisms. In plants, its biosynthesis is catalyzed by two key enzymes: trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP). In the present study, a TPS gene, named IbTPS, was first isolated from sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) cv. Lushu 3 by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The open reading frame (ORF) contained 2 580 nucleotides encoding 859 amino acids with a molecular weight of 97.433 kDa and an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.7. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identities with TPS of other plants. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbTPS gene was significantly higher in stems of Lushu 3 than in its leaves and roots. Subcellular localization analysis in onion epidermal cells indicated that IbTPS gene was located in the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco (cv. Wisconsin 38) plants over-expressing IbTPS gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared with the control plant. Trehalose and proline content was found to be significantly more accumulated in transgenic tobacco plants than in the wild-type and several stress tolerance related genes were up-regulated. These results suggest that IbTPS gene may enhance salt tolerance of plants by increasing the amount of treahalose and proline and regulating the expression of stress tolerance related genes.

Transgenic insect-resistant cotton is being increasingly planted in Xinjiang cotton-planting regions, where geographical climate conditions and species composition of pests and natural enemies are greatly unique in China. Limited studies have been conducted on the ecological impacts of transgenic insect-resistant cotton, especially for transgenic double genes (Bt+CpTI) cotton, in this region. In this study, the potential effects of transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton on the seasonal abundance of non-target pests and predators were assessed from 2009 to 2011 in Korla, Xinjiang. The results showed that species composition and seasonal abundance of 5 groups of pests and 5 groups of predators were not significantly different between transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton and non-transgenic cotton every year. It suggests that transgenic Bt+CpTI cotton per se does not affect the population dynamics of non-target pests and predators on this crop in Xinjiang.