Beef consumption in China has increased substantially from 5.0 million tons in 2000 to 7.7 million tons in 2019 thanks to rapid income growth, but still remains low compared to pork and poultry consumption.  Improving the understanding about the impacts of household income on beef consumption in China is necessary to forecast future beef demand and inform the domestic beef industry, especially in the context of unprecedented expansion of middle income class in China.  Based on survey data of 32 878 urban households collected by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, we employed the inverse hyperbolic sine (IHS) double-hurdle model to estimate income elasticities of beef demand across different income groups and simulated possible trends of future beef consumption of Chinese urban residents.  The empirical results showed that the unconditional income elasticities of beef consumption at home vary between 0.169 for the low-income group and 0.671 for the high-income group.  The simulated results indicated that beef consumption is expected to increase by 12.0 to 38.8% in 10 years and by 18.6 to 70.5% in 15 years under distinct income growth scenarios.  Our findings provide practical insights for policy makers and other stakeholders about future beef demand, such as potential opportunities embedded in rising beef demand for domestic producers and world beef exporters as well as the urgency of improving the supply chain resilience of beef in China.

Resistance to powdery mildew is an important trait of interest in many wheat breeding programs.  The information on genes conferring resistance to powdery mildew in wheat cultivars is useful in parental selection.  Winter wheat breeding line DH51302 derived from Liangxing 99 and cultivar Shimai 26 derived from Jimai 22 showed identical infection patterns against 13 isolates of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) that causes wheat powdery mildew.  DH51302 and Shimai 26 were crossed to a powdery mildew susceptible cultivar Zhongzuo 9504 and the F_2:3 families were used in molecular localization of the resistance genes.  Fourteen polymorphic markers, which were linked to Pm52 from Liangxing 99, were used to establish the genetic linkage maps for the resistance genes PmDH51302 and PmSM26 in DH51302 and Shimai 26, respectively.  These genes were placed in the same genetic interval where Pm52 resides.  Analysis of gene-linked molecular markers indicated that PmDH51302 and PmSM26 differed from other powdery mildew resistance genes on chromosome arm 2BL, such as Pm6, Pm33, Pm51, MlZec1, MlAB10, and Pm64.  Based on the results of reaction patterns to different Bgt isolates and molecular marker localization, together with the pedigree information, DH51302 and Shimai 26 carried the same gene, Pm52, which confers their resistance to powdery mildew.

 

The rapid growth of grain yield in China accelerates a discussion on whether the grain system in China is sustainable.  To answer the question, a comprehensive assessment from economic and environmental points is necessary.  This study jointly used economic analysis (ECA), emergy evaluation (EME) and carbon footprint (CF) to analyze the environmental and economic sustainability of the grain production system in China based on the national statistical data during 2000–2015.  Results showed that the costs of maize, wheat, rice and soybean had increased by 252−346% from 2000 to 2015, causing the lower profit of grain system in recent years.  The situation resulted in a serious problem on economic sustainability of grain system in China.  Meanwhile, the emergy sustainability index (ESI) of maize, wheat, rice and soybean systems were increasing during 2000–2015, and the CF on unit yield of the crops had been reduced by 10−30% in the study period.  The results reflected the improved environmental sustainability of grain system in China during 2000–2015.  Nevertheless, the emergy flow of industrial inputs for the crops were increased by 4−22% in the study period, and the CF from the inputs presented a growth rate of 16−23% as well during the same period.  The results implied that the grain system in China was relying more on fossil-based inputs.  Finally, according to the key points of cost, emergy and CF, we suggest that improving labor efficiency, advanced agricultural practices and optimizing cropping pattern will be effective ways to further improve the economic and environmental sustainability of grain system in China.  

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that can cause severe yield losses.  Identification and utilization of stripe rust resistance genes are essential for effective breeding against the disease.  Wild emmer accession TZ-2, originally collected from Mount Hermon, Israel, confers near-immunity resistance against several prevailing Pst races in China.  A set of 200 F_6:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between susceptible durum wheat cultivar Langdon and TZ-2 was used for stripe rust evaluation.  Genetic analysis indicated that the stripe rust resistance of TZ-2 to Pst race CYR34 was controlled by a single dominant gene, temporarily designated YrTZ2.  Through bulked segregant analysis (BSA) with SSR markers, YrTZ2 was located on chromosome arm 1BS flanked by Xwmc230 and Xgwm413 with genetic distance of 0.8 cM (distal) and 0.3 cM (proximal), respectively.  By applying wheat 90K iSelect SNP genotyping assay, 11 polymorphic loci (consisting of 250 SNP markers) closely linked to YrTZ2 were identified.  YrTZ2 was further delimited into a 0.8-cM genetic interval between SNP marker IWB19368 and SSR marker Xgwm413, and co-segregated with SNP marker IWB28744 (co-segregated with 28 SNP).  Comparative genomics analyses revealed high level of collinearity between the YrTZ2 genomic region and the orthologous region of Aegilops tauschii 1DS.  The genomic region between loci IWB19368 and IWB31649 harboring YrTZ2 is orthologous to a 24.5-Mb genomic region between AT1D0112 and AT1D0150, spanning 15 contigs on chromosome 1DS.  The genetic and comparative maps of YrTZ2 provide a framework for map-based cloning and marker-assisted selection of YrTZ2.