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    Efficient breeding of high oleic rice cultivar by editing OsFAD2-1 via CRISPR/Cas9
    Yingying Wu, Zhihui Chen, Chan Wang, Yang Xu, Xia Li, Jianping Zhu, Xiaoli Tan, Jie Yang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.037 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract9)      PDF in ScienceDirect      
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    Brassinosteroids facilitate controlled soil drying to mitigate heat stress on pistil fertilization in photo-thermosensitive genetic male-sterile rice
    Weiyang Zhang, Wei Cai, Yujiao Zhou, Ying Liu, Wenqian Miao, Kuanyu Zhu, Weilu Wang, Yunji Xu, Yidi Sun, Junfei Gu, Hao Zhang, Zhiqin Wang, Lijun Liu, Jianhua Zhang, Jianchang Yang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.036 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract2)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Globally recurrent extreme high temperature (HT) events severely limit rice production.  This study investigated whether a controlled moderate soil drying (MD) could replace the conventional well-watered (WW) regime to more effectively mitigate HT stress on pistil fertilization in photo-thermosensitive genetic male-sterile (PTGMS) rice, and examined the role of brassinosteroids (BRs).  Two PTGMS rice varieties were cultivated under normal temperature (NT) and HT conditions, paired WW and MD strategies during anthesis.  In conventional WW regime, waterlogging reduces BRs levels in roots and pistils due to excessive decomposition, weakening active water uptake driven by root activity and failing to alleviate transpiration-pulled passive water extraction hampered by restricted stomatal openings.  Thereby, it causes water imbalance in plants and weakened pistil function due to a suppressed ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle and hyperactive nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) activity.  This exacerbates pistil fertilization impairment and hybrid seed yield loss under HT stress.  Conversely, by promoting BR synthesis and inhibiting its decomposition in roots and pistils, the MD strategy enhanced root activity and transpiration-driven water uptake.  It maintained plant water balance and supported pistil function through suppressed NOX activity and an enhanced AsA-GSH cycle-driven redox homeostasis.  Thus, it mitigated HT-induced pistil fertilization impairment and hybrid seed yield loss.  The precise function of BRs in moderating the protective effects of MD against the detrimental impacts of HT stress on pistil fertilization in PTGMS rice was confirmed through genetic and chemical approaches.  Consequently, a controlled MD method proved to be more effective than the conventional WW regime in alleviating HT stress on pistil fertilization in PTGMS rice by promoting BR enhancement.

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    Leaf and pod growth affect seed yield after shoot removal and different nitrogen rates of dual-purpose rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
    Xiaoyong Li, Wei Huang, Zhiyuan Yang, Wei Hu, Zhiguo Zhou, Binglin Chen
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.035 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract8)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    As a multifunctional crop, rapeseed provides vegetables by picking shoots.  Shoot removal reduced yield, while nitrogen (N) application results in efficiency gains.  However, the effect of N rate on pod growth, N use efficiency (NUE) and seed yield after shoot removal is unclear.  A 2-year field experiment was set with four N rates (0 [N0], 90 [N1], 180 [N2], and 270 [N3] kg ha-1) and two shoot treatments (no shoot removal [CK], shoot removal [SR]).  Results showed the shoot removal decreased population biomass (PB) at maturity across all N levels.  Conversely, N application increased the PB after shoot removal and elevated soluble sugar and protein in shoots.  Shoot removal increased the seeds per pod (13.5-26.9%), reduced the pods per plant (33.1-45.8%) and population seed yield (19.5-38.4%).  N application effectively increased the yield related index, and led to an increase in population seed yield by 187.2 - 465.0% in the CK group, and by 185.6 - 430.7% in the SR group.  Moreover, the seed yield reached its maximum under the N3 in both groups.  The leaf N content per area (Na) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) were increased, but leaf photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) were decreased at 20 days after shoot removal, which lead to a significant decrease in N use efficiency(NUE).  N supply increased the plant organ N content and PB, but decreased the NUE at maturity stage.  Pn of the pod wall at 25 days after flowering was elevated due to its optimized chloroplasts ultrastructure and increased rubisco and sucrose synthase activities under shoot removal and more N.  However, the greater amino acid/soluble sugar ratio (A/S) of the pod wall significantly increased the seed protein content and decreased the oil content.  Though the oil yield was reduced by 63.8-71.0% under SR×N3 treatment compared with CK×N3, it was comparable to that of CK with 90 kg N ha-1 treatment.  The results indicated that N applying improves the carbon metabolism of the pod wall and alleviates yield reduction after shoot removal but reduces NUE and seed oil content of rapeseed.  The findings guide the balancing of rapeseed’s vegetable and oil production, and optimize N fertilization for sustainable, efficient rapeseed farming.

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    Optimizing row spacing to boost maize yield via enhanced photosynthesis and post-silking biomass allocation
    Xiangpeng Ding, Zaiju He, Ming Zhang, Jing Bai, Jiwang Zhang, Peng Liu, Hao Ren, Baizhao Ren, Bin Zhao
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.033 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract2)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    High-density planting can better utilize the yield potential of modern varieties.  However, under traditional row spacing conditions, increasing planting density brings about poor light distribution and limited yield improvement, highlighting the need for further exploration of optimal row spacing in relation to planting density.  To assess the effect of delaying leaf senescence in the lower canopy by changing row spacing on the photosynthetic performance of the canopy and its regulatory impact on yield.  A two-year field trial (2019-2020) was conducted on Zhengdan 958 for this study. Four treatments were set up: LR60 (6.75 plants m-2, 60 cm row spacing, conventional planting); HR60, HR80, and HR100 (8.25 plants m-2, with row spacings of 60, 80, and 100 cm, respectively).  Quantitative analysis was conducted on canopy structure, population photosynthesis, and grain yield.  Maize canopy leaf area index (LAI), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP), biomass distribution, yield were measured.  The results showed that the high-density treatments significantly increased the yield compared to LR60.  Among the high-density treatments, HR80 exhibited an average yield increase of 8.47% compared to HR60 over two years.  This was primarily attributed to HR80 enhancing the utilization of photosynthetically active radiation in the lower canopy after silking, delaying the decrease of LAI in the layers below the ear, and increasing CAP, resulting in a significant increase in biomass.  HR80 increased yield by an average of 8.17% over HR100, due to significant increase in RUE during the grain-filling period.  Furthermore, HR80 showed a significant increase in source-sink ratio compared to both HR60 and HR100, as well as an increase in 13C-photosynthetic products partitioning to the grains, and a significant increase in kernel number.  Thus, row spacing configuration should be adapted to the planting density for optimal yield.  Specifically, appropriate row spacing can optimize the population structure, enhancing light distribution within the middle and lower canopy layers, and improving the canopy apparent photosynthesis and light utilization, which will support higher yields in maize.

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    Screening and evaluation of plant-derived attractants for Loxostege sticticalis adult management
    Hongnian Li, Ertao Li, Aiguo Kang, Kebin Li, Lei Zhang, Huanhuan Dong, Zhimin Wang, Yangyang Wang, Byambasuren Mijidsuren, Fei Hu, Jiao Yin, Zhaojun Wei
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.034 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract3)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    The Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a major migratory pest of agriculture and animal husbandry in Asia and Europe. Utilizing plant volatile organic compounds (pVOCs) as attractants for monitoring and controlling pests is considered an environmentally friendly and effective method. However, limited knowledge exists regarding applying pVOCs to manage L. sticticalis. Here, volatile compounds released by Chenopodium album, Setaria viridis, and Medicago sativa, the three preferred oviposition plants for L. sticticalis females, were collected using dynamic headspace sampling techniques. A total of 55 distinct compounds were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 16 compounds in the concentration range from 0.001 to 100 µg µL-1 elicited consistently enhanced electrophysiological responses in both male and female L. sticticalis. Subsequently, the attraction potential of four bioactive compoundslinalool, cis-anethole, trans-2-hexenal, and 1-octen-3-olwere further confirmed by indoor behavioral bioassays. The blends of linalool, cis-anethole, trans-2-hexenal, and 1-octen-3-ol mixed at ratios of 5:1:5:10 (formulation No. 25) and 5:1:1:10 (formulation No. 21) were highly attractive to L. sticticalis adults. Field-trapping assays indicated that lure No. 2 baited with formulation 21 demonstrated superior efficacy in field trapping. These findings suggest that pVOC-based attractants can be effectively employed for monitoring and mass trapping L. sticticalis adults, providing insights into the development of botanical attractants.

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    Sustainable phosphorus (P) management: Impact of low P input with enhancement measures on soil P fractions and crop yield performance on a calcareous soil
    Haobo Fan, Farman Wali, Pengjuan Hu, Haixia Dong, Haiqiang Li, Dan Liang, Jingru Shen, Mingxia Gao, Hao Feng, Benhua Sun
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.032 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract2)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    The continuous supply of phosphorus (P) is indispensable in crop production. However, P resources are non-renewable, and environmental concerns like eutrophication associated with its loss from agroecosystems make the sustainable management of P resources essential for ensuring global food security. This study was designed to reduce mineral P inputs through management practices. A field experiment comprising a wheat-maize rotation system was conducted in the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province from 2018-2023. The eight treatments included CK (without P), FP (conventional P application); RP (recommended P); RP80 (20% reduction in RP); SRP80 (20% reduction in RP with straw wrapping); ARP80 (20% reduction in RP with ammonium sulfate instead of urea); SARP80 (20% reduction in RP with straw wrapping and ammonium sulfate instead of urea); and SARP60 (40% reduction in RP with straw wrapping and ammonium sulfate instead of urea). Crop yield, P uptake, and P fertilizer use efficiency were measured during harvest and throughout the entire period of the study. At the end of the experiment, P fractions were estimated using the Tiessen-Moir P classification method. The results revealed that the grain yields of all the treatments except for RP80 were significantly increased compared to CK, with increases of 14.9-28.8%. Furthermore, agronomic efficiency, apparent P use efficiency, P recovery rate, and partial factor productivity were significantly improved for the treatments that received 20% less P with straw wrapping. Moreover, the enhancement measures significantly increased labile and moderately labile P in the soil. Therefore, straw wrapping with ammonium sulfate instead of urea is one of the most effective ways to reduce mineral P inputs while increasing the efficiency of P in wheat-maize rotation systems.

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    Dissecting the genetic architecture of microelement accumulation in wheat grains through genome-wide association study
    Yi Du, Qun Wu, Xing Lu, Xuemei Jin, Junsheng Sun, Junyuan Chen, Zhiren Guan, Qi Zhao, Haimeng Wu, Hui Wang, Mingxia Zhang, Yan Zhao, Yanrong An, Sishen Li, Baojin Guo, Min Li, Ying Guo
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.031 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract7)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital staple crop globally, with its grain microelement content playing a crucial role in human nutrition and health. In this study, the concentrations of eight essential microelements (micronutrients and toxic elements): iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As), were quantified in 272 wheat varieties using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) under three different environments. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 176,357 molecular markers, comprising 163,223 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 13,134 insertion-deletion (InDels) variants, identified through RNA sequencing. A total of 196 significant markers associated with microelement content traits were identified across 21 chromosomes in various environments. Of these, 14 significant markers consistently appeared across environments, forming 13 QTLs and linking to 45 candidate genes. Among these, 29 genes were homologs of known genes in Arabidopsis and rice, while 16 were novel candidates. Haplotype analysis indicated significant phenotypic variation in microelement accumulation, with TraesCS6A02G204300Hap2 notably enhancing iron content. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic architecture of microelement accumulation in wheat grains and introduces novel genetic resources for breeding wheat varieties aimed at improving micronutrient content and ensuring food safety.

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    Identification and validation of stripe rust resistance on 7BL in wheat cultivar Aikang 58 through linkage and association analysis
    Xiaoting Wang, Xinying Zhou, Jinyu Han, Wenjie Yue, Weihang Sun, Tiantian Gao, Dan Liu, Chenchen Li, Xuehong Ma, Pingtao Jiang, Songhan Ji, Haohao Yan, Weijun Zheng, Chunlian Li, Qingdong Zeng, Shengjie Liu, Xinmei Zhang, Zhensheng Kang, Dejun Han, Zhiyong Liu, Jianhui Wu
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.030 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract2)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is a serious disease affecting wheat production in China.  Wheat cultivar Aikang 58 (AK58) has exhibited effective resistance to stripe rust since its release in 2005.  But the genetic basis of its stripe rust resistance remains unknown. Two genetic populations from the crosses of Avocet S/AK58 (128 recombinant inbred lines) and Kenong 9204/AK58 (1,042 F2:3 families) were used to dissect the genetic basis of stripe rust resistance in AK58, respectively. In addition, Panel 1 consisting of 688 wheat accessions were used for genome-wide association study (GWAS) and sweep selection analysis to validate the presence of the resistance haplotype of the target region and Panel 2 consisting of 388 Chinese cultivars and breeding lines was genotyped using molecular markers to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of the resistant loci in AK58. The genetic populations were evaluated for stripe rust responses at Yangling and Guiyang over five cropping seasons (2017-2022) and genotyped using GBW16 K SNP array and KASP markers. Using quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis, seven QTL were detected on chromosome arms 1BL, 2BS, 2BL, 5BL and 7BL (three QTLs).  Among them, QYrak.nwafu-2BL identified as Yr5b conferred all-stage resistance to Pst race V32L; three QTL within the 7BL chromosome arm region 715.77-733.25 Mb based on Chinese Spring RefSeq v.2.1, were designated YrAK58.1, YrAK58.2 and YrAK58.3, respectively.  YrAK58.1 confirmed as Yr6, and YrAK58.2 conferred all-stage resistance to multiple Pst races and were also effective in field environments. YrAK58.3 contributed stable resistance in all field environments. The remaining QTL were environment-dependent with minor effect. GWAS and sweep selection analyses revealed specific genomic regions with artificial selection signals for the three QTL on chromosome arm 7BL in different breeding groups.  A haplotype combination of high-throughput molecular markers tightly flanking Yr6YrAK58.2 and YrAK58.3 detected all three genes in 3.6% of entries in Panel 2. The same marker set can be used to further exploit the resistance gene combination in breeding programs.

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    Intercropping grain crops with green manure under reduced chemical nitrogen improves the soil carbon stocks by optimizing aggregates in an oasis irrigation area
    Xiaohui Xu, Qiang Chai, Falong Hu, Wen Yin, Zhilong Fan, Hanting Li, Zhipeng Liu, Qiming Wang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.029 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract4)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is a key aspect of modern agriculture, but whether this can be achieved by incorporating legume green manure crops in cereal production to substitute synthetic N fertilizers is unknown. This study used a six-year (2017-2022) field study to explore the impacts of intercropping green manure with maize and reducing nitrogen fertilization on SOC stocks, while specifically focusing on the relationship between aggregate composition and carbon sequestration. Maize intercropped with common vetch (M/V), maize intercropped with rapeseed (M/R), and sole maize (M), were each tested at conventional (N2, 360 kg ha-1) and reduced (N1, 270 kg ha-1, 25% reduced) N application rates. Soil was sampled in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Compared with sole maize, intercropping with green manure (M/V and M/R) significantly increased SOC stocks which compensated for any negative effect due to the 25% reduction in N application. Based on 3-year averages, intercropping with M/V and M/R increased the SOC content compared to sole maize (M) by 12.1 and 9.1%, respectively, with intercropping further mitigating the negative impact of reduced nitrogen application. There was no significant difference between M/V and M/R. The SOC content at N1 was reduced by 9.3-10.5% compared to that at N2 in sole maize, but the differences in SOC stocks between N1 and N2 were not significant in the intercropping patterns (M/V and M/R). The intercropped M/V and M/R showed 20.9 and 16.3% higher SOC contents compared to sole maize at N1, with no differences at N2. Intercropping green manure led to a 5.3% greater SOC in the 0-20 cm depth soil in 2022 compared to that in 2020, due to the cumulative effect of two years of green manure intercropping. Intercropping green manure (M/V and M/R) increased the proportion of macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) and aggregate stability while reducing the proportion of microaggregates compared to sole maize under the N1 application. Structural equation modeling indicated that cropping patterns and nitrogen application levels mainly affect SOC indirectly by regulating the composition of macroaggregates and aggregate organic carbon (AOC). Correlation analysis further revealed that the composition of macroaggregates is significantly and positively correlated with the SOC content (R²=0.64). In addition, intercropping green manure can maintain high crop yields by increasing SOC under reduced chemical nitrogen application. The results of this study show that intercropping green manure with grain crops can be a viable measure for increasing SOC sinks and maize productivity by optimizing the aggregate composition with reduced N application in the Oasis Irrigation Area. 

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    Plant-pathogen interactions and transmissions: Unraveling the complex role of pathogen vectors in disease ecology
    Muhammad Zulqar Nain Dara, Arzlan Abbas, Aroge Temitope, Lei Li, Guohua Duan, Wenxian Sun
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.028 Online: 27 April 2025
    Abstract4)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Plant-pathogen interactions are complex, multifaceted processes involving various participants, including insect vectors and parasitic plants, that play a crucial role in the spread of plant diseases. This review explores the intricate relationships between plants, pathogens, and insect vectors, emphasizing these interactions' ecological and epidemiological significance. Insect vectors, such as aphids, leafhoppers, whiteflies, and beetles, transmit various plant pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and Phytoplasmas, through different mechanisms. The transmission mode can be direct or indirect, continuous or discontinuous, depending on the biology of the pathogen and the insect vector. We differentiate between noncirculative and circulative pathogen transmission pathways and describe how pathogen movement within insect bodies influences their ability to spread diseases to new plant hosts. The impacts of these interactions extend beyond agricultural productivity to encompass significant economic losses, environmental challenges, and potential human health risks due to excessive use of chemical controls. Understanding these complex dynamics is essential for designing effective disease management strategies and developing environmentally sustainable control measures. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the transmission mechanisms, types of plant pathogens, and the consequences of insect-mediated disease spread, providing insights crucial for advancing plant protection and integrated pest management practices.

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    Monitoring of agricultural drought based on multi-source remote sensing data in Heilongjiang Province, China
    Chenfa Jiang, Changhui Ma, Sibo Duan , Xiaoxiao Min, Youzhi Zhang, Dandan Li, Xia Zhang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.027 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract8)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Agriculture is the foundation of socio-economic development and is highly influenced by weather and climate conditions. Drought is one of the most significant threats to agricultural development and food security. Currently, in-situ drought monitoring based on weather stations and based on remote sensing data has limitations, including infrequent updates, limited coverage, and low accuracy. This study leverages multi-source remote sensing data to monitor agricultural drought in Heilongjiang Province, China. We develop multi-source composite drought indices (MCDIs) at various timescales (3, 6, 9, and 12 months) by integrating precipitation, land surface temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation indices. Utilizing remote sensing data from various sources, we calculated a series of single drought indices, which are the precipitation condition index (PCI), soil moisture condition index (SMCI), vegetation condition index (VCI), and temperature condition index (TCI). These are then integrated into MCDIs using a multivariable linear regression approach. The analysis reveals that MCDIs correlate more with standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) than single drought indices. When examining the correlation between different MCDIs and the affected area of crops and major grain production, MCDI-9 showed the highest correlation with the affected area of crops, while MCDI-12 showed the highest correlation with grain production. This suggests that these two MCDIs at different timescales were better indicators of agricultural drought. The spatio-temporal analysis of MCDI indicates that drought in Heilongjiang Province primarily occurs in early spring, gradually spreading from the Greater Khingan Mountains region to the southeastern plains. The drought gradually alleviates during the summer, ending by the autumn harvest period. Therefore, the MCDIs constructed in this study can serve as effective methods and indicators for drought monitoring in Heilongjiang Province and similar regions.

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    SBEIIb is responsible for chalk2 phnotype by regulating formation of resistant starch in indica rice
    Xinwei Li, Zihang Wang, Tianxiao Chen, Shen Lin, Guiai Jiao, Shaoqing Tang, Long Chen, Xiangjin Wei, Peisong Hu
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.026 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract5)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    High-resistant starch rice is a valuable food for human health, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes, as it supports effective blood sugar control and provides cardiovascular and intestinal benefits.  However, developing rice varieties with high resistant starch content remains a major challenge.  In this study, we identified a mutant, chalk2, with increased chalkiness from the mutant library of indica rice ZJ100.  The chalk2 mutants exhibited significantly higher amylose and protein contents, while total starch and lipid contents were reduced. Analysis of resistant starch in chalk2 revealed substantial increases in two resistant starch (RS) types RS2 and RS3.  Electron microscopy revealed abnormal starch granule development in the endosperm. The chalk2 mutant also showed reduced grain length, width, and thickness, as well as a decreased seed setting rate, which ultimately led to a significant reduction in grain yield.  Through physical localization, Mut-Map analysis, and transgene complementation, we found that SBEIIb was responsible for the chalk2 phynotypes, a member of the starch branching enzyme (SBE) family, specifically expressed in the endosperm.  Furthermore, the expression levels, enzyme activity, and protein abundance of SBEIIb were significantly reduced in chalk2 mutants.  These findings suggest that SBEIIb plays a crucial role in regulating the composition of starch and resistant starch formation in indica rice.

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    Rice stripe virus protein NS3 exploits synergistically insect vector importin and ubiquitin systems to promote viral replication
    Lu Zhang, Ze Qu, Yihui Tan, Yao Li, Xinyi Li, Zhipeng Huang, Siyuan Ruan, Shimin Zuo, Fang Liu, Wenxing Hu
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.025 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract5)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Plant viruses pose significant threats to agriculture, with many vectored by insect pests. The entry of viruses and their encoded proteins into the host nucleus is a critical step for promoting some viral replication and enabling systemic infection. Laodelphax striatellus, also known as the small brown planthopper (SBPH), is an efficient vector for rice stripe virus (RSV), one of the most damaging viruses of rice. In this study, we demonstrate that RSV infection induces the expression of genes in both the classical and non-classical nuclear import pathways of SBPH. A gene belonging to the importin β family, importin 5 (LsIPO5), was upregulated by 84% in SBPH midguts infected with RSV. The nuclear localization signal (NLS, 168YRSPSKKRHKYV179) is located within the nonstructural protein NS3 directly bound to LsIPO5, thereby facilitating NS3 nuclear entry. Moreover, a RING-type E3 ligase (LsRING) in SBPH, which mediated the ubiquitination of NS3 in the insect vector, enhanced NS3 binding to LsIPO5 and facilitated NS3 perinuclear localization. Combined treatment of SBPH with both dsIPO5 and dsRING significantly reduced RSV loads, highlighting the importance of LsIPO5 and NS3 ubiquitination cooperation in facilitating viral replication. Our findings provide new insights into synergistic molecular mechanisms that govern RSV infection and suggest potential therapeutic targets to control viral transmission through their insect vectors.

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    Research on grain supply and demand matching in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region based on ecosystem service flows
    Jiaxin Miao, Peipei Pan, Bingyu Liu, XiaowenYuan, Zijun Pan, Linsi Li, Xinyun Wang, Yuan Wang, Yongqiang Cao, Tianyuan Zhang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.024 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract4)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    A comprehensive assessment of grain supply, demand, and ecosystem service flows is essential for identifying grain movement pathways, ensuring regional grain security, and guiding sustainable management strategies. However, current studies primarily focus on short-term grain provision services while neglecting the spatiotemporal variations in grain flows across different scales. This gap limits the identification of dynamic matching relationships and the formulation of optimization strategies for balancing grain flows. This study examined the spatiotemporal evolution of grain supply and demand in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region from 1980 to 2020. Using the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method, the grain provision ecosystem service flows were quantified, the changes in supply–demand matching under different flow scenarios were analyzed and the optimal distance threshold for grain flows was investigated. The results revealed that grain production follows a spatial distribution pattern characterized by high levels in the southeast and low levels in the northwest. A significant mismatch exists between supply and demand, and it shows a scale effect. Deficit areas are mainly concentrated in the northwest, while surplus areas are mainly located in the central and southern regions. As the spatial scale increases, the ecosystem service supply–demand ratio (SDR) classification becomes more clustered, while it exhibits greater spatial SDR heterogeneity at smaller scales. This study examined two distinct scenarios of grain provision ecosystem service flow dynamics based on 100 km and 200 km distance thresholds. The flow increased significantly, from 2.17 to 11.81 million tons in the first scenario and from 2.41 to 12.37 million tons in the second scenario over nearly 40 years, forming a spatial movement pattern from the central and southern regions to the surrounding areas. Large flows were mainly concentrated in the interior of urban centers, with significant outflows between cities such as Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, and Hengshui. At the county scale, supply–demand matching patterns remained consistent between the grain flows in the two scenarios. Notably, incorporating grain flow dynamics significantly reduced the number of grain-deficit areas compared to scenarios without grain flowIn 2020, grain-deficit counties decreased by 28.79% and 37.88%, and cities by 12.50% and 25.0% under the two scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, the distance threshold for achieving optimal supply and demand matching at the county scale was longer than at the city scale in both flow scenarios. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamic relationships and heterogeneous patterns of grain matching, and expands the research perspective on grain and ecosystem service flows across various spatiotemporal scales.

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    Performance and functional responses of the thelytokous and arrhenotokous strains of Neochrysocharis formosa to Tuta absoluta, a globally severe tomato pest
    Guifen Zhang, Hao Wang, Yibo Zhang, Xiaoqing Xian, Cong Huang, Wanxue Liu, Fanghao Wan
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.023 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract5)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    The native thelytokous (TH) and arrhenotokous (AR) strains of Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are promising biocontrol agents against the invasive tomato pest Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). This study assessed the performance and preferences of these strains in choice experiments involving five host instar ratios and evaluated their functional responses to seven densities of 1st instar larvae (5 to 40 hosts). In host-attacking behavior assays, an increasing proportion of 1st instar larvae led to a significant rise in host mortality rates for both strains. Both strains exhibited strong preferences for parasitizing and attacking 1st instar larvae over later instars, with the TH strain demonstrating significantly greater host-killing efficacy than the AR strain. Functional response experiments revealed that the attack rates of both strains were positively correlated with host density. Parasitism by both strains and host-stinging behavior by the TH strain showed type III functional responses, while host-feeding by both strains and host-stinging by the AR strain followed type II functional responses. Early establishment of the TH strain in tomato agroecosystems could enhance the management of T. absoluta. These findings provide critical insights into the functional dynamics of the TH and AR strains of N. formosa that can inform the development of effective biocontrol programs for this globally significant pest.

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    Long-term manure amendment enhances N2O emissions from acidic soil by alleviating acidification and increasing nitrogen mineralization
    Lei Wu, Jing Hu, Muhammad Shaaban, Jun Wang, Kailou Liu, Minggang Xu, Wenju Zhang
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.022 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract6)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Long-term manure application has the potential to alleviate soil acidification, and increase carbon sequestration and nutrient availability, thus improving cropland fertility. However, the mechanisms behind greenhouse gas N2O emissions from acidic soil mediated by long-term manure application remain poorly understood. Herein, we investigated N2O emission and its linkage with gross N mineralization and nitrification rates, as well as nitrifying and denitrifying microbes in an acidic upland soil subjected to 36-year fertilization treatments, including an unfertilized control (CK), inorganic fertilizer (F), 2 x rate of inorganic fertilizer (2F), manure (M), and the combination of inorganic fertilizer and manure (FM) treatments. Compared to the CK treatment (1.34 μg N kg1 d1), fertilization strongly increased N2O emissions by 34-fold on average, with more pronounced increases in the manure-amendment (10.6–169 μg N kg1 d1) than those in the inorganic fertilizer treatments (3.26–5.51 μg N kg1 d1). The manure amendment-stimulated N2O emissions were highly associated with increased soil pH, mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, substrate availability (e.g., particulate organic carbon, NO3 and available phosphorus), gross N mineralization rates, denitrifier abundances and the (nirK+nirS)/nosZ ratio. These findings suggest that the increased N2O emissions primarily resulted from alleviated acidification, increased substrate availability and improved soil structure, thus enhancing microbial N mineralization and favoring N2O-producing denitrifiers over N2O consumers. Moreover, AOB rather than AOA positively correlated with soil NO3 concentration and N2O emissions, indicating that nitrification indirectly contributed to N2O production by supplying NO3 for denitrification. Collectively, manure amendment potentially stimulates N2O emissions, primarily resulting from alleviated soil acidification and increased substrate availability, thus enhancing N mineralization and denitrifier-mediated N2O production. Our findings suggest that consideration should be given to the greenhouse gas budgets of agricultural ecosystems when applying manure for managing the pH and fertility of acidic soils.

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    Monitoring abandoned cropland in the hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau using Landsat time series images
    Chenxiao Duan, Jiabei Li, Shufang Wu, Liming Yu, Hao Feng, Kadambot H M Siddique
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.021 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract3)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Cropland abandonment has become a global issue that poses significant threats to sustainable cropland management, national food security, and the ecological environment. Remote sensing technology is crucial for identifying and monitoring abandoned cropland in large-scale areas. However, limited information is available on the effective identification methods and spatial distribution patterns of abandoned cropland in the hilly and gully regions. This study introduced two methods—the land-use trajectory and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series—for monitoring abandoned cropland and evaluating its spatial distribution in the Yanhe River Basin using Landsat-8 images from 2019 to 2021. The results showed that using a random forest algorithm, high-precision annual land-use classifications were achieved with the generation of reliable land-cover samples and an optimized feature dataset. The overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa coefficient of the land-use maps exceeded 90% and 0.88, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the classification over three years. These two distinct change detection methods were used to identify abandoned cropland in the study area, and their accuracy and effectiveness were evaluated. The land-use trajectory method performed better than the NDVI time series method for extracting abandoned cropland, with an OA of 83.5% and an F1 score of 84.7%. According to the land-use trajectory detection results, the study area had 164.6 km2 of abandoned cropland area in 2021, with an abandonment rate of 16.3%. Furthermore, cropland abandonment mainly occurred in the northwestern part of the region, which has harsh natural conditions, while abandonment was rare in the southern and eastern regions. Topography and landforms significantly influenced the spatial distribution of abandoned cropland, with most abandoned cropland located in mountainous regions with higher elevations and steeper slopes. The abandonment rate generally increased with the elevation and slope. These findings provide valuable references and guidance for selecting appropriate methods to identify abandoned cropland and analyze its spatial distribution in the hilly and gully regions. Our proposed methods offer robust solutions for monitoring abandoned cropland and optimizing land-use change detection in similar regions with complex landforms.

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    How do scientists use terminology related to cropland? Examining the disparity across disciplines and regions
    Gehui Jin, Yanbing Wei#, Qiangyi Yu, Wenbin Wu
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.020 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract3)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    In many existing dictionaries, cropland is defined as land that is suitable for or used to grow crops. It has several synonyms, such as “farmland”, “arable land”, and “cultivated land”. However, in scientific literature, the nuances of these terms are often overlooked. The inconsistent terminology usage could lead to ambiguity and confusion in research and policy discussions. In particular, it creates difficulties for newcomers and students when they search for precise information in the published literature. Hence, exploring the variations of terminology applications is important for the cropland-related research community. In this study, the differences in six cropland-related terminologies were explored through a review of 5,214 scientific articles, by employing the independence test, clustering approach, and correlation analysis. The results showed that disparities exist across disciplines. For example, biodiversity & conservation studies preferentially use “farmland” to highlight effects from human activities, while studies in geology and computer science use “cropland”. The term “cultivated land” tends to be used in geography research for clear geographical demarcation, while arable land” is related to engineering studies. Moreover, further disparities based on the geographical affiliations of the authors were found. The correlation between China and cultivated land” was reliable and a close link was found between agricultural land” and the USA. The regional variations in cropland terminology can be influenced by multiple factors, including the degree of agricultural mechanization, colonial history, and migration patterns. This study reveals variations in cropland-related terminology across disciplines and regions. The results highlight the importance of standardizing cropland terminology to foster interdisciplinary research, improve data comparability, and support global agricultural and environmental policymaking.


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    The Protective effects of a live-attenuated genotype I Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine in mice and boars
    Hailong Zhang, Xin Wang, Yan Zhang, Junjie Zhang, Zongjie Li, Ke Liu, Beibei Li, Donghua Shao, Yafeng Qiu, Juxiang Liu, Zhiyong Ma, Jianchao Wei
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.019 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract3)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). The virus is transmitted among adult pigs, causing abortion in sows and orchitis in boars. Vaccination remains the most effective strategy for the prevention and control of this disease. Studies have shown that genotype I (GI) JEV has replaced GIII JEV as the dominant strain in many Asian countries. However, all currently licensed JE vaccines, including the widely used SA14-14-2 live attenuated vaccine, are derived from the GIII strain. It has been reported that GIII-based vaccines do not provide complete protection against the GI strain. In this study, we conducted vaccination-challenge protection assays in mice and boars to evaluate the protective efficacy of live attenuated GI (SD12-F120) derived vaccines against challenge by a homologous genotypeIn mice, immunisation with the vaccine induced a potent viral-neutralising response against the homologous GI JEV SD12 strain. The SD12-F120 vaccine provided complete protection against lethal challenge by SD12, whilst also attenuating viraemia. JEV was not detected in the blood, oronasal swabs, or testicles of boars receiving the SD12-F120 vaccine. Vaccination induced high levels of neutralising antibodies against the homologous GI strain in boars, with titers as high as 64. Histopathological analysis showed that interstitial cells of the boar testis and spermatogonia at all levels were well preserved in the vaccine-immunised group, effectively suppressing the occurrence of orchitis. These results showed that the SD12-F120 vaccine provides boars complete protection against challenge by SD12, whilst also protecting against viraemia and testicular damage. Our findings indicate that SD12-F120 is a promising live-attenuated vaccine candidate for controlling the spread of GI JEV.

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    ZBED6 deficiency enhances porcine carcass traits and meat quality via ISLR-mediated Wnt signaling activation
    Huan Liu, Jiahe Huang, Junying Xiao, Ruirui Pan, Ruixin Zhang, Xiangyang Xing, Xiao Zhang, Bo Xia, Dengke Pan, and Jiangwei Wu
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.018 Online: 22 April 2025
    Abstract4)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

    Identification of genes that regulate meat production and quality in pigs is crucial for improving the pork industry. We previously created a Zinc finger-BED domain transcription factor (ZBED6)-deficient pig model which exhibited accelerated postnatal growth. Here, we evaluated the effect of ZBED6 on meat quality, flavor, nutritional value, safety and the mechanisms underlying meat production in pigs. Our results indicated that ZBED6 deficiency enlarges body size by enhancing feed efficiency. The results of carcass characteristics and meat quality measurements showed that ZBED6 deficiency enhances carcass lean percentage (46.49±0.62 % for WT vs. 52.70±0.56 % for ZBED6-/-; P<0.001) and improves redness (12.39±0.42 for WT vs.14.53±0.59 for ZBED6-/-; P=0.04) and reduces cooking loss (50.34±0.43% for WT vs.48.34±0.55% for ZBED6-/-; P=0.04). Analysis of fatty acid and amino acid profiles showed that ZBED6 deficiency enhances both the nutritional value and flavor of pork. A comprehensive analysis utilizing RNA-seq, quantitative proteomics, and ChIP-seq identified the immunoglobulin superfamily containing leucine-rich repeat (ISLR) as a direct negative target of ZBED6. In C2C12 cells with knockdown of Zbed6, Islr expression is elevated, activating the canonical Wnt pathway and promoting myoblast differentiation and myotube formation, while knockdown of Islr significantly attenuated these effects. The subchronic oral toxicity study of ZBED6 deficiency pork in rat revealed no significant differences in daily clinical signs, body weight, feed intake, hematology, and serum biochemistry compares to wild-type pork. In summary, our study demonstrates the potential of ZBED6-deficient pigs as a valuable resource for the livestock and food industry, providing new insights into the mechanisms by which ZBED6 promotes muscle growth through the regulation of ISLR pathway.

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