西瓜的果皮颜色和条纹是影响市场消费选择的关键外观品质性状。作为典型性状之一，西瓜果皮条纹的颜色明显较果皮背景颜色深，因此西瓜常被作为植物条纹研究的理想材料。但受种质资源的限制，目前我们对西瓜条纹着色机制的了解仍不深入。本研究以一份浅色条纹西瓜为研究材料，遗传分析结果表明这一性状由一个隐性基因控制，结合F2群体将控制条纹着色的基因Clsc（Citrullus lanatus stripe coloration）定位到第9染色体上的一个147.6 kb区域内。结合基因功能和表达量分析结果，编码APRR2转录因子的Cla97C09G175170基因被推定为控制西瓜条纹着色的关键基因。生理实验结果表明Cla97C09G175170可能通过影响叶绿体的发育和叶绿素的代谢影响西瓜果皮的颜色形成。本研究结果将有助于更好地理解西瓜条纹颜色形成的分子机制，并为新品种的分子标记辅助选择提供帮助。

根结线虫（Meloidogyne spp.）是一种在全球范围内广泛分布的、具有重要经济意义的植物寄生线虫。为了成功寄生并对抗寄主免疫系统，植物寄生线虫会分泌效应蛋白以促进侵染。本研究中，我们从象耳豆根结线虫（M. enterolobii）中鉴定了一种分支酸变位酶效应蛋白，命名为Me-CM。原位杂交实验结果表明Me-cm基因在食道腺中特异表达，且在根结线虫寄生阶段转录水平上调表达。体内以及体外RNA沉默实验结果证明，Me-CM影响了象耳豆根结线虫的致病性，降低了寄主感染率、根结数量、卵囊数、每个卵囊内的卵粒数和繁殖系数。亚细胞定位结果表明Me-CM蛋白定位在植物细胞的细胞质和细胞核中。通过检测拟南芥野生型和Me-cm过表达株系寄主免疫相关基因的转录水平，发现Me-cm基因过表达干扰了相关基因正常转录，尤其是降低了水杨酸合成途径标记基因PR1的转录水平。进一步检测拟南芥过表达株系的水杨酸含量表明，Me-cm基因的过表达可显著降低寄主水杨酸浓度，进而影响寄主免疫防御反应。本研究表明，象耳豆根结线虫可能通过分泌分支酸变位酶效应蛋白Me-CM干扰寄主水杨酸信号通路，影响寄主免疫反应，最终促进根结线虫的寄生。综上所述，本研究揭示了象耳豆根结线虫分泌的分支酸变位酶效应蛋白Me-CM调控寄主对象耳豆根结线虫感病性的作用机制，可作为利用RNAi技术开发抗性品种的潜在分子靶标。

本文研究了TaPYL4在中国小麦种质中的单元型分布及其遗传效应。通过克隆小麦TaPYL4的A、B、D基因组序列并分析差异信息，表明TaPYL4-2A在启动子区含有3种单元型，TaPYL4-2B和TaPYL4-2D含有2种单元型。利用262份中国小麦微核心种质和239份山西省小麦品种(系)进行候选基因关联分析，结果表明：TaPYL4-2A与株高和抗旱系数（DTC）显著相关，PYL4-2A-Hap2是降低株高、增加DTC的优异单元型；TaPYL4-2B与穗粒数显著相关，PYL4-2B-Hap1是增加穗粒数的优异单元型，在育种过程中受到人工选择。

Among the crop production factors, preceding crop and tillage management affect the sustainable use of soil resources and ultimately crop growth and productivity.  This study aimed at investigating the impact of preceding winter crops (grass or legume) and different tillage systems on forage yield, quality and nutritive values of three summer grass (Sudan grass, pearl millet and teosinte) and two legume forage crops (cowpea and guar) under arid conditions.  The results exhibited that growing forage crops after legumes (as berseem clover) produced the highest fresh and dry forage yields and quality attributes compared with grasses (as wheat) with the exception of crude fiber content, which was decreased.  Moreover, tillage practices showed positive impact on forage yields and quality attributes.  The maximum forage yields and quality parameters were recorded under conventional tillage (CT) practice compared with reduced tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT) systems.  Among the evaluated crops, the highest yields of fresh forage, dry forage, crude fiber, crude protein and total digestible nutrient were exhibited by grass forage crops (Sudan grass, pearl millet and teosinte), whereas the highest crude protein content and the digestible energy values were produced by legume forage crops (cowpea and guar).  The maximum fresh forage, dry forage, crude fiber, crude protein, total digestible nutrient and digestible crude protein yields were produced by pearl millet followed by Sudan grass under CT and RT after berseem clover.  The highest net return was recorded by sowing pearl millet after berseem clover and applying CT followed by RT practices, which could be recommended for the commercial production.  Moreover, it could be assumed that the combination of growing grass forage crops after legume crops under CT or RT systems could enhance forage crop yield and quality with an improvement in soil properties for sustainable agriculture with low cost and the highest net income.

月季（Rosa cvs.）是世界上最重要的观赏植物之一。现代月季多为四倍体，其减数分裂过程中存在双减数分裂和优先配对，使得传统的连锁分析方法不能适用四倍体月季。因此，四倍体月季遗传图谱的构建工作既迫切又具挑战性。本研究以四倍体月季F1杂交群体为试验材料，通过简化基因组测序的方法构建遗传图谱。共检测到17,382个SNP标记，加上课题组前期开发的440个SSR和AFLP标记，利用GATK中同源四倍体的模型进行基因分型，最终获得6,885个高质量的标记。然后利用polymapR进行遗传连锁分析，构建了四倍体月季的高密度遗传连锁图谱。该图谱包含7个连锁群，6,842个标记，总图距为1,158.90 cM，标记间平均遗传距离为0.18 cM。随后对花瓣数量和花朵直径进行QTL分析，检测到1个与花瓣数量相关的主效QTL (qpnum-3-1)，解释表型变异20.18–22.11%。检测到4个与花朵直径相关的QTLs，连续两年的花朵直径数据检测到1个主效QTL（qfdia-2-2）。本研究为现代月季分子标记辅助育种工作奠定基础，同时为其他同源多倍体的遗传分析提供借鉴。

Increasing crop production is necessary to maintain food security for the growing global population. Reducing the gap between actual and potential yield is one of the important ways to increase yield per unit area. Potential yield and the yield gap of soybean were determined for Golestan Province, Iran, using Soybean Simulation Model (SSM-iCrop2) and Geographical Information System (GIS). Information from 24 weather stations and soil data of the region were used. Yield gap and production gap were calculated at county and province levels. The average actual yield of soybean in this province was 2.28 t ha^–1 while the province’s potential yield was 4.73 t ha^–1, so the yield gap was estimated 2.44 t ha^–1. Thus, there is a great potential for increasing soybean yield in Golestan, which is possible through improving crop management of soybean in farmers’ fields. The average water productivity of soybean was estimated to be 0.81 kg m^–3. Spatial distribution of water productivity in soybean farms showed that the highest and the lowest water productivities (0.99 and 0.44 kg m^–3) were in western and eastern regions of the province, respectively, in accordance to vapour pressure deficit. It was concluded that soybean production in the province could increase by 66% (from 109 970 to 182 170 tons) if 80% of the current yield gap could be removed.

    Tomato is one of the extensively consumed vegetable crops worldwide.  The regular consumption of tomato decreases the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases such as certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.  The objective of this study was to find an appropriate method that not only reduces tomatoes decay, but also maintains its post-harvest quality.  A factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted to evaluate effects of ultraviolet (UV)-C and CaCl₂ applications on tomato during storage.  The traits studied included ethylene, polygalacturonase (PG) activity, pectin methyl esterase (PME) activity, firmness, total phenol content, and fungal-induced decay were measured weekly during 35 days of storage.  Both UV-C and CaCl₂ treatments had positive effects on tomato quality as compared to control treatment.  The 3 and 4.5 kJ m^–2 levels of UV-C and 2% CaCl₂ had positive effects on quality characteristics, respectivly.  Fruits treated by UV-C and CaCl₂ had higher phenol and firmness, and less PME activity, PG activity, ethylene production, and decay than the control fruits.  In conclusion, increasing in storage duration significantly affected the fruits quality by increasing in ethylene, PME activity, PG activity, decay and decreasing the phenol content and firmness.  But UV-C and CaCl₂ led to significant decrease in this adverse impact relative to control treatment.  

As a result of agriculture practices, million tons of agriculture are produced as a secondary or by-products; however, with low nutritive values. Many methods are applied to improve the nutritive value and increase its utilization in ruminant’s nutrition. The biological treatments are the most common with more safe-treated products. In most cases, the biological treatments are paralleled with decreased crude fiber and fiber fractions content with increased crude protein content. Direct-fed microbial and exogenous enzymes to animal are other ways of biological methods for improving nutritive value of feeds. Here in this review, we will try to cover the biological treatments of by-products from different sides view with different types of animals and different animal end-products.

For many years, ruminant nutritionists and microbiologists have been interested in manipulating the microbial ecosystem of the rumen to improve production efficiency of different ruminant species. Removal and restriction of antibiotics subtherapeutic uses from ruminant diets has amplified interest in improving nutrient utilization and animal performance and search for more safe alternatives. Some bacterial and fungal microorganisms as a direct-fed microbial (DFM) can be the most suitable solutions. Microorganisms that are commonly used in DFM for ruminants may be classified mainly as lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB), lactic acid utilizing bacteria (LUB), or other microorganism’s species like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Propionibacterium, Megasphaera elsdenii and Prevotellabryantii, in addition to some fungal species of yeast such as Saccharomyces and Aspergillus. A definitive mode of action for bacterial or fungal DFM has not been established; although a variety of mechanisms have been suggested. Bacterial DFM potentially moderate rumen conditions, and improve weight gain and feed efficiency. Fungal DFM may reduce harmful oxygen from the rumen, prevent excess lactate production, increase feed digestibility, and alter rumen fermentation patterns. DFM may also compete with and inhibit the growth of pathogens, immune system modulation, and modulate microbial balance in the gastrointestinal tract. Improved dry matter intake, milk yield, fat corrected milk yield and milk fat content were obtained with DFM administration. However, the response to DFM is not constant; depending on dosages, feeding times and frequencies, and strains of DFM. Nonetheless, recent studies have supported the positive effects of DFM on ruminant performance.

An in vitro gas production (GP) technique was used to investigate the effects of combining different doses of Salix babylonica extract (SB) with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EZ) based on xylanase (X) and cellulase (C), or their mixture (XC; 1:1 v/v) on in vitro fermentation characteristics of a total mixed ration of corn silage and concentrate mixture (50:50, w/w) as substrate. Four levels of SB (0, 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 mL g–1 dry matter (DM)) and four supplemental styles of EZ (1 μL g–1 DM; control (no enzymes), X, C and XC (1:1, v/v) were used in a 4×4 factorial arrangement. In vitro GP (mL g–1 DM) were recorded at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h of incubation. After 72 h, the incubation process was stopped and supernatant pH was determined, and then filtered to determine dry matter degradability (DMD). Fermentation parameters, such as the 24 h gas yield (GY24), in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD), metabolizable energy (ME), short chain fatty acid concentrations (SCFA), and microbial crude protein production (MCP) were also estimated. Results indicated that there was a SB´EZ interaction (P<0.0001) for the asymptotic gas production (b), the rate of gas production (c), GP from 6 to 72 h, GP2 (P=0.0095), and GP4 (P=0.02). The SB and different combination of enzymes supplementation influenced (P<0.001) in vitro GP parameters after 12 h of incubation; the highest doses of SB (i.e., 1.8 mL g–1 DM), in the absence of any EZ, quadratically increased (P<0.05) the initial delay before GP begins (L) and GP at different incubation times, with lowering b (quadratic effect, P<0.0001) and c (quadratic effect, P<0.0001; linear effect, P=0.0018). The GP was the lowest (P<0.05) when the highest SB level was combined with cellulose. There were SB´EZ interactions (P<0.001) for OMD, ME, the partitioning factor at 72 h of incubation (PF72), GY24, SCFA, MCP (P=0.0143), and pH (P=0.0008). The OMD, ME, GY24 and SCFA with supplementation of SB extract at 1.8 mL g–1 DM were higher (P<0.001) than the other treatments, however,PF72 was lower (quadratic effect, P=0.0194) than the other levels. Both C and X had no effect (P>0.05) on OMD, pH, ME, GY24, SCFA and MP. The combination of SB with EZ increased (P<0.001) OMD, ME, SCFA, PF72 and GP24, whereas there was no impact on pH. It could be concluded that addition of SB extract, C, and X effectively improved the in vitro rumen fermentation, and the combination of enzyme with SB extract at the level of 1.2 mL g–1 was more effective than the other treatments.

Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria infecting a wide range of arthropods and filarial nematodes. They can induce various reproduction alterations in their hosts, including thelytokous parthenogenesis, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), feminization of genetic males and male killing. Here we investigated diversity and prevalence patterns of Wolbachia infection in 43 geographical populations of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, in China and one population in North Korea. Based on Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp) sequences, nine strains of Wolbachia (wFur1-wFur9), belonging to supergroups A and B, were identified in populations of O. furnacalis with an average infection rate of 10.5%. Superinfection commonly appeared in individuals of O. furnacalis and coinfection patterns were very complex. There was no specific pattern for the prevalence and distribution of the nine Wolbachia strains suggesting an intricate evolutionary history of Wolbachia infection in this species. The genetic similarity of the wFur1-wFur9 strains with those detected in two parasitoids of O. furnacalis, Macrocentrus cingulum and Lydella grisescens, strongly suggests host-parasitoid horizontal transmission.

Wild oat (Avena ludoviciana) is one of the worst weeds in wheat fields. The effect of wheat density on wild oat competition with more or less competitive wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum) was investigated at the Experimental Farm of Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute, Karaj, Iran. The experiment was established as a factorial combination of wheat varieties Roshan as non-competitive and Niknejad as competitive; three wheat densities (recommended density, recommended+25%, and recommended+50%, corresponding respectively with 300, 375, and 450 plants m-2 for Roshan and 400, 500, and 600 plants m-2 for Niknejad) and four wild oat densities (0, 25, 50, and 75 plants m-2) were selected for this experiment. Hyperbolic equations were used to describe relationship between yield and weed density. Increase in wheat density reduced wild oat biomass. Maximum wild oat biomass was achieved at the highest density of the wild oat together with the lowest wheat density. The results showed that higher densities of wheat are able to suppress wild oat dry matter production. Inter-specific competition in Niknejad was 1.7 times more than that in Roshan. Maximum yields of Niknejad and Roshan in the presence of wild oat were obtained at recommended density+25% and recommended density, respectively. Increase in wheat density leads to a decrease in wheat yield due to an increase in intra-specific competition. Increase in wild oat density results in the reduction of wheat yield through decrease in fertile tiller per plant and spike m-2.