株型和叶色是棉花纤维产量的重要影响因素。本研究基于遗传分析、茎秆石蜡切片和植物激素处理方法，发现棉花矮红株突变体（DR）是一个赤霉素敏感型突变体，由一个单显性基因位点突变引起，将其命名为GhDR。通过BSA-seq结合靶向测序基因型检测（GBTS）方法将控制突变性状基因定位在A09 染色体约197 kb的候选区间内，包含 25 个注释基因。基于候选基因的注释信息，及其在突变体和正常植株之间的序列和表达差异，GH_A09G2280基因被认为是控制矮红突变体表型的最佳候选基因。在DR突变体GhDR/GH_A09G2280基因编码区发现了一个2 bp的缺失，导致GhDR基因产生移码突变，蛋白翻译提前终止。GhDR是拟南芥AtBBX24的同源基因，编码B-box锌指蛋白。移码缺失导致GhDR 的C末端缺失了核定位结构域和VP结构域，并改变了其亚细胞定位结果。比较转录组分析表明，在DR突变体中，参与赤霉素生物合成和信号转导的关键基因下调表达，而与赤霉素降解和花青素生物合成相关基因上调表达。本研究初步揭示了GhDR基因同时调控棉花株型和花青素积累的潜在分子机制。

发掘稳定的数量性状位点（Quantitative trait loci，QTL），并开发其紧密连锁分子标记，是进一步提高小麦产量的重要途径。本研究以中麦578/济麦22重组自交系（Recombinant inbreed lines，RIL）群体262个家系为材料，通过调查两年五个环境千粒重、粒长、粒宽、平均灌浆速率、穗粒数和株高共六个产量相关性状，利用50K SNP芯片基因型分析数据，构建了含有1501个bin标记的遗传连锁图谱，图谱总长度2384.95 cM。利用完备区间作图法，在1D（2）、2A（9）、2B（6）、2D、3A（2）、3B（2）、4A（5）、4D、5B（8）、5D（2）、7A（7）、7B（3）和7D（5）染色体上共定位到53个产量相关QTL，可解释表型变异的2.7–25.5%，其中23个QTL可在3个以上环境定位到，表现稳定；QKl.caas-2A.1、QKl.caas-7D、QKw.caas-7D、QGfr.caas-2B.1、QGfr.caas-4A、QGfr.caas-7A和QPh.caas-2A.1等7个QTL可能是新的位点。定位到的一因多效QTL共形成六个富集区段（R1–R6），分别包含2–6个QTL，位于2A、2B、4A、5B、7A和7D染色体；TaSus2-2B和WAPO-A1分别是位于2B和7A染色体上一因多效QTL的候选基因。7D染色体上的QTL富集区段内含有4个稳定QTL，分别控制千粒重、粒长、粒宽和株高，利用与其紧密连锁的侧翼标记，开发了KASP标记，在自然群体中对其效应进行了验证。本研究结果为小麦的高产育种和中麦578的进一步改良提供了基因和分子标记。

Cropland productivity has been significantly impacted by soil acidification resulted from nitrogen (N) fertilization, especially as a result of excess ammoniacal N input. With decades’ intensive agricultural cultivation and heavy chemical N input in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the impact extent of induced proton input on soil pH in the long term was not yet clear. In this study, acidification rates of different soil layers in the soil profile (0–120 cm) were calculated by pH buffer capacity (pHBC) and net input of protons due to chemical N incorporation. Topsoil (0–20 cm) pH changes of a long-term fertilization field (from 1989) were determined to validate the predicted values. The results showed that the acid and alkali buffer capacities varied significantly in the soil profile, averaged 692 and 39.8 mmolc kg–1 pH–1, respectively. A significant (P<0.05) correlation was found between pHBC and the content of calcium carbonate. Based on the commonly used application rate of urea (500 kg N ha–1 yr–1), the induced proton input in this region was predicted to be 16.1 kmol ha–1 yr–1, and nitrification and plant uptake of nitrate were the most important mechanisms for proton producing and consuming, respectively. The acidification rate of topsoil (0–20 cm) was estimated to be 0.01 unit pH yr–1 at the assumed N fertilization level. From 1989 to 2009, topsoil pH (0–20 cm) of the long-term fertilization field decreased from 8.65 to 8.50 for the PK (phosphorus, 150 kg P2O5 ha–1 yr–1; potassium, 300 kg K2O ha–1 yr–1; without N fertilization), and 8.30 for NPK (nitrogen, 300 kg N ha–1 yr–1; phosphorus, 150 kg P2O5 ha–1 yr–1; potassium, 300 kg K2O ha–1 yr–1), respectively. Therefore, the apparent soil acidification rate induced by N fertilization equaled to 0.01 unit pH yr–1, which can be a reference to the estimated result, considering the effect of atmospheric N deposition, crop biomass, field management and plant uptake of other nutrients and cations. As protons could be consumed by some field practices, such as stubble return and coupled water and nutrient management, soil pH would maintain relatively stable if proper management practices can be adopted in this region.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth and yield. Improving phosphorus use efficiency of crops could potentially reduce the application of chemical fertilizer and alleviate environmental damage. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is sensitive to phosphorus (P) in the whole life history. Soybean cultivars with different P efficiencies were used to study P uptake and dry matter accumulation under different P levels. Under low P conditions, the P contents of leaf in high P efficiency cultivars were greater than those in low P efficiency cultivars at the branching stage. The P accumulation in stems of high P efficiency cultivars and in leaves of low P efficiency cultivars increased with increasing P concentration at the branching stage. At the late podding stage, the P accumulation of seeds in high and low P efficiency cultivars were 22.5 and 26.0%, respectively; and at the mature stage were 69.8 and 74.2%, respectively. In average, the P accumulation in whole plants and each organ was improved by 24.4% in high P efficiency cultivars compared to low P efficiency cultivars. The biomass between high and low P efficiency cultivars were the same under extended P condition, while a significant difference was observed at late pod filling stage. At the pod setting stage, the biomass of high P efficiency cultivars were significant greater (17.4%) than those of low P efficiency cultivars under high P condition. Meanwhile, under optimum growth conditions, there was little difference of biomass between the two types of cultivars, however, the P agronomic efficiency and P harvest index were significant higher in high P efficiency cultivars than those in low P efficiency cultivars.

Super high-yielding soybean cultivar Liaodou 14, soybean cultivars from Ohio in the United States, and the common soybean cultivars from Liaoning Province, China, with similar geographic latitudes and identical pod-bearing habits were used as the study materials for a comparison of morphological traits and production characteristics to provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of improved super high-yielding soybean cultivars. Using a randomized block design, different soybean cultivars from the same latitude were compared under conventional and unconventional treatments for their production characteristics, including morphological traits, leaf area index (LAI), net photosynthesis rate, and dry matter accumulation. The specific characteristics of the super high-yielding soybean cultivar Liaodou 14 were analyzed. The results showed that the plant height of Liaodou 14 was significantly lower than that of the common cultivars from Liaoning, whereas the number of its main-stem nodes was higher than that of the cultivars from Ohio or Liaoning. A high pod density was observed in Liaodou 14 under conventional treatments. Under both conventional and unconventional treatments, the branch number of Liaodou 14 was markedly higher than that of the common cultivars from Liaoning, and its branch length and leaf inclination angle were significantly higher than those of common cultivars from Liaoning or Ohio. Only small changes in the leaf inclination angle were observed in Liaodou 14 treated with conventional or unconventional methods. Under each treatment, Liaodou 14 exhibited the lowest amplitude of reduction in SPAD values and net photosynthesis rates from the grain-filling to ripening stages; the cultivars from Ohio and the common cultivars from Liaoning exhibited more significant reductions. Liaodou 14 reached its peak LAI later than the other cultivars but maintained its LAI at a higher level for a longer duration. Under both conventional and unconventional treatments, Liaodou 14 produced a higher yield than the other two cultivars, with significant differences from the Ohio cultivars. In summary, super high-yielding soybean cultivars have several main features: suitable plant height, high pod density, good leaf structure with strong functionality, and slow leaf senescence at the late reproductive stage, which is conducive to the accumulation of dry matter and improved yield.