All Cover Illustrations

Volume 24, Issue 12, Dec. 2025
Pork quality, determined largely by intramuscular fat (IMF) content which affects flavor and juiciness, is crucial for consumer acceptance, making its regulation key for the global swine industry. In this review, the authors screened 74 IMF-related genes and systematically elaborated on the lipid metabolism processes in which they are enriched. Their analysis identified the PPAR and AMPK signaling pathways as the central pathways regulating IMF deposition, with PPARγ serving as a key transcription factor whose activity is precisely modulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as miRNA and DNA methylation. Further analysis of genetic and nongenetic factors revealed that significant genetic variation among breeds, dietary nutritional strategies, gut microbiota, age, sex, and management practices can all substantially influence IMF deposition. This research deepens our understanding of the complex regulatory network governing porcine IMF deposition and establishes a theoretical foundation for improving pork quality through strategies integrating molecular breeding and precise nutritional regulation. The cover picture illustrates the important factors influencing IMF deposition, underscoring the synergistic regulatory role of these factors on IMF deposition. This cover picture was provided by Dr. Qi Han from the College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University. For more details, please see pages 4461–4483.


Volume 24, Issue 11, Nov. 2025
Soil salinity is a growing threat to global agriculture, severely constraining crop productivity and food security. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), recognized for its resilience to marginal lands, offers great potential for cultivation in saline environments. In this study, the authors selected 186 sorghum accessions and conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on relative root length (RL) and root fresh weight (RFW) under salt stress. Their analysis identified eight candidate genes within a major QTL on chromosome 8, with SbTEF1, encoding a transcription elongation factor, emerging as the key locus. Further haplotype, linkage disequilibrium, and allele effect analyses revealed that a 284-bp presence/absence variant (PAV284) in the SbTEF1 promoter significantly influenced gene expression and salt tolerance. Lines carrying PAV284 displayed enhanced root growth under salinity, highlighting its potential as a molecular marker for breeding. This research provides critical insights into the genetic basis of salt tolerance in sorghum and establishes PAV284 as a promising target for marker-assisted selection in developing salt-tolerant cultivars. The cover picture illustrates contrasting performance of salt-sensitive and -tolerant sorghum seedlings under saline conditions, underscoring the importance of genetic innovation for sustainable utilization of saline soils. This cover picture was provided by Dr. Chang Liu from College of Agriculture, Shenyang Agricultural University. For more details, please see pages 4168–4181.

Volume 24, Issue 10, Oct. 2025
Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is a key staple leaf-heading vegetable widely cultivated in China, while the fungal disease of black spot caused by Alternaria brassicae seriously threats to the growth, development, and quality of Chinese cabbage. Currently, the molecular mechanisms underlying defense responses to black spot disease are largely unknown. In this study, comparative transcriptomic analysis of leaf samples after A. brassicae inoculation in both resistant and susceptible Chinese cabbage lines identified large numbers of candidate regulators of plant–pathogen interactions, and BrERF109 was selected and functionally validated as a key positive regulator in Chinese cabbage defenses against A. brassicae infection. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid assay and dual luciferase assay confirmed that BrERF109 directly binds to the promoter of BrIGMT4, thereby promoting the accumulation of 4MOI3M of indolic glucosinolates in defending plants against A. brassicae infection. The cover photo showed the BrERF109-BrIGMT4 transcrip-tional regulatory module in Chinese cabbage’s defense against A. brassicae infection, and it was provided by Dr. Qi Zeng and Mr. Xifan Liu from College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, China. For more details, please see pages 3895–3908.

Volume 24, Issue 9, Sept. 2025
Over recent decades, the global citrus industry has experienced significant expansion, establishing citrus as the predominant fruit crop in terms of production and cultivation area. Magnesium (Mg) deficiency, however, has emerged as a critical limiting factor in citrus production, particularly in acid soils of subtropical and tropical regions. While soil Mg leaching and subsequent imbalance are hypothesized to be primary causes of soil Mg depletion, the specific leaching rate in citrus cultivation remains understudied. In this cover article, the authors utilized lysimeter equipment to quantify Mg leaching from citrus orchard soils. Furthermore, they established various Mg fertilizer gradient trials to examine soil Mg balance thresholds in citrus orchards. The findings revealed that Mg leaching in the studied citrus orchards constituted 12.1–42.4% of the Mg fertilizer application rate, contributing to soil Mg imbalance and depletion. This research provides evidence for determining appropriate Mg fertilizer application rates and maintaining soil nutrient balance in citrus cultivation. The cover photo, provided by Dr. Yuheng Wang at Southwest University, China, demonstrates that Mg fertilization represents an effective strategy for addressing soil Mg imbalance in citrus production systems. For more details, please see pages 3641–3655.

Volume 24, Issue 8, Aug. 2025
This special focus showcases cutting-edge strategies to secure sustainable wheat production amidst climate challenges. Highlighting three key innovations — stress priming for drought resilience, precision agronomy to optimize water and nutrient use, and climate-smart modeling guiding adaptive farming — the research bridges molecular insights to field applications. These integrated approaches empower wheat systems to thrive under resource constraints while maintaining global food security. Cover image by Dr. Xiao Wang, Nanjing Agricultural University. See pages 2885–3003 for details.

Volume 24, Issue 7, Jul. 2025
Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean cryptic species (MED) is an invasive pest that was first detected in China in 2003 and is now widely distributed in most provinces.  Therefore, exploring the temperature response mechanism in B. tabaci MED cryptic species is urgently needed.  In this study, BtamiR- 998 and Bta-miR-129 were shown to be associated with temperature tolerance.  Under different temperature stresses, B. tabaci MED can inhibit or promote the transcriptional expression of target genes by regulating miR-129 expression level, thereby altering their temperature tolerance to respond to adverse temperature stress quickly.  The cover photo displays the corresponding temperature response mechanism provided by Dr. Xiaona Shen from Department of Basic Medicine, Changzhi Medical College, China and Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.  For more details, please see pages 2719–2731.

Volume 24, Issue 6, Jun. 2025
Peanut is a significant oil and cash crop in China, with an annual total production exceeding 17.5 million tons, ranking first among oil crops in the country. Approximately 52% of China’s peanut output is used for oil extraction. Peanut oil is highly favored by consumers for its flavour and high nutritional quality. Breeding high-yield and high-oil peanut varieties holds great significance for enhancing China’s edible oil self-sufficiency rate and improving the comprehensive benefits of the peanut industry. Since the 1990s, Chinese peanut breeders have made continuous progress in deciphering genetic mechanisms of oil content. Molecular markers linked to oil content have been developed and applied to efficient aggregation of high oil trait loci. This has accelerated the breeding of peanut varieties with oil content exceeding 55%. Researchers have further utilized molecular marker-assisted selection technology to rapidly introduce high oleic acid traits into these high oil varieties. This breakthrough has significantly increased the oleic acid content while reducing saturated fatty acid levels, thereby improving both the nutritional value and processing quality of peanut oil. The cover photo showcases the superior traits in peanut oil, combining high oil content and high oleic acid with low saturated fatty acid, are pyramided from different germplasm. The photo was provided by Dr. Bingyan Huang from Henan Institute of Crop Molecular Breeding, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. For more details, please see pages 2096–2105.

Volume 24, Issue 5, May 2025
Plant biomass, a pivotal agronomic trait, has undergone rigorous human selection aimed at enhancing yield. Despite gaining substantial attention, the underlying mechanisms regulating biomass formation remain largely unexplored. In this study, the authors isolated a cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) mutant, minicuke, exhibiting a remarkable reduction in biomass. The causative gene was identified as CsNMT1, a homologue of the Arabidopsis thaliana N-myristoyltransferase1. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing unambiguously confirmed the pivotal role of CsNMT1 in regulating biomass accumulation. Multi-omics analyses, integrating metabolomic and transcriptomic data, revealed suppression of a very early step in lignin biosynthesis and the corresponding down-regulation of genes involved in this process in the minicikue mutant. This suggests an unexpected pathway for regulating biomass accumulation through lignin sink strength. The authors’ findings elucidate the role of NMT1 in regulating plant biomass and highlight its promising potential for biomass improvement in cucurbits. The cover photo was provided by Dr. Xin Liu from Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, CAAS, China. For more details, please see pages 1754–1768.

Volume 24, Issue 4, Apr. 2025
Climate change represents a formidable challenge, confronting humanity on a global scale. China has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to addressing this pressing issue and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The livestock sector is one of the major sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) and plays a critical role in climate change and environmental sustainability. As demand for animal products rises due to population growth, urbanization, and increasing incomes — accompanied by changes in daily diets, the livestock industry faces growing pressure to lower its carbon footprint. In recent years, China has made significant efforts to reduce GHG emissions, particularly from livestock husbandry. The goal of this Special Issue is to explore innovative strategies that reduce GHG emissions from livestock while maintaining or increasing animal production and optimizing feeding costs. Research articles in this Special Issue highlight strategies to optimize livestock production systems, select for advantageous animal genetics, formulate balanced diets, and use additives that can reduce GHG emissions from animals. The work discussed in this Special Issue delivers an important message: Substantial reductions in GHG emissions and increases in profitability can be achieved through targeted animal nutrition strategies. This information provides practical insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. The cover photo, provided by Mr. Lang Tan from Qinghai University and Prof. Yanfen Cheng from Nanjing Agricultural University, China, depicts the livestock landscape from pastoral grazing. It vividly illustrates the GHG emissions from animals and highlights both the challenges and opportunities in balancing livestock production with environmental sustainability. See pages 1217–1341 for details.

Volume 24, Issue 3, Mar. 2025
Grasslands are among the largest terrestrial ecosystems, providing critical ecological, economic, and cultural services worldwide. However, they face mounting challenges from climate change, overgrazing, and land-use changes, which threaten biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and the livelihoods they support. The goal of this Special Issue focuses on understanding their dynamics, drivers of change, and adaptive management strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. Empirical evidence in this Special Focus highlights that grazing exclusion, balanced nutrient management, and mixed grazing practices can significantly enhance soil organic carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience, while addressing socio-economic demands. On ecosystem drivers, the studies reveal how grazing practices, desertification, and nutrient inputs shape microbial diversity, plant-soil interactions, and greenhouse gas emissions. On restoration, the papers demonstrate that interdisciplinary approaches, such as remote sensing and spatial modeling, are essential for optimizing conservation strategies. The cover photo, provided by Dr. Tong Li from the University of Queensland, Australia and Prof. Huakun Zhou from the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, showcases grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, including natural, degraded, grazed, and restored landscapes. It vividly illustrates the challenges and opportunities in managing grasslands under changing environmental and socio-economic conditions. See pages 795–983 for details.

Volume 24, Issue 2, Feb. 2025
Modern commercial tomato fruit products have substantially less flavor than those from heirloom varieties. A better understanding of the key genes that regulate flavor in tomato would help to restore the quality of fruit for commercial production worldwide. CONSTANS (CO) and CONSTANS-LIKE (COL) transcription factors are known to regulate a series of cellular processes, including the transition from vegetative growth to flower development in plants. However, their role in regulating the fruit chlorophyll content is poorly understood. In this study, SlCOL1, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ortholog of Arabidopsis CONSTANS, was shown to play key roles in controlling fruit chlorophyll. An analysis of protein–protein interactions indicated that SlCOL1 regulates chlorophyll accumulation in tomato fruit by interacting with SlGLK2, and SlCOL1 and SlBBX24 may control it by promoting the stability of SlGLK2. Meanwhile, we also found GLK2 is required for the function of SlCOL1 in regulating chlorophyll content. These results shed new light on the mechanisms used by COL1 and GLK2 to regulate fruit development and chlorophyll accumulation in tomato. Thus, the fine tuning of SlCOL1 expression could potentially improve the chlorophyll content of tomato fruit. The cover photo was provided by Prof. Junhong Zhang, National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, China. For more details, please see pages 536–545.

Volume 24, Issue 1, Jan. 2025
Lysobacter enzymogenes is a potent and unique biocontrol bacterium recognized for its production of numerous antimicrobial weapons that inhibit plant pathogens across diverse kingdoms. It synthesizes various distinct antimicrobial metabolites, including Ningnonmycin and WAP-8294A, which eliminate pathogens through a common mechanism termed contact-independent killing, which does not necessitate intercellular contact between L. enzymogenes and the pathogens. Recent studies have uncovered a novel biocontrol mechanism, demonstrating that L. enzymogenes also engages in contact-dependent killing of pathogenic bacteria mediated by a type IV secretion system (T4SS). In this review, the authors summarize the distinct characteristics of L. enzymogenes, including its functional adaptability to flagellum loss, specific signaling transduction pathways that regulate Ningnonmycin biosynthesis, and T4SS-mediated bacterial-bacterial interactions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research and application of L. enzymogenes as an underappreciated biocontrol agent. The cover photo is attributed to Prof. Guoliang Qian from Nanjing Agricultural University, China. For further details, please refer to pages 23–35.

Volume 23, Issue 12, Dec. 2024
Silage is an essential feed for ruminants, and its production process involves an anaerobic environment dominated by lactic acid bacteria. The micro-ecosystem in silage affects its quality. In the cover article, the authors discovered that pathogenic Klebsiella has the ability to produce α-tocopherol. Additionally, Klebsiella can coexist with the lactic acid-producing Lactobacillus plantarum. Further research revealed the mechanism of coexistence. Klebsiella supplies α-tocopherol to promote the proliferation of Lactobacillus plantarum, while its high residual capsular polysaccharides protect Klebsiella from being eliminated by the acid-producing Lactobacillus plantarum. This study provides a scientific basis for using Lactobacillus plantarum to enhance the hygienic quality and α-tocopherol content of rice straw silage. The cover photo provided by Dr. Qinhua Liu from Yunnan Agricultural University/Nanjing Agricultural University, China. For more details, please see pages 4186–4202.

Volume 23, Issue 11, Nov. 2024
Insect antennal lobe is the primary olfactory center, and the identification of antennal lobe glomeruli is the foundation of further olfactory mechanism study. Here, we systematically constructed a highresolution three-dimensional antennal lobe glomerular atlas of Mythimna separata based on the successful usage of oil objective lens to a relatively large antennal lobe. We found that there were 69 antennal lobe glomeruli in females and 65 antennal lobe glomeruli in males. Females had 10 sex-specific glomeruli and males had 6 sex-specific glomeruli. We also made a systematic nomenclature for the antennal lobe glomeruli, which would bring convenience to related scientific research exchanges. The cover photo, provided by Dr. Baiwei Ma from Northeast Normal University, shows the three-dimensional antennal lobe glomeruli of M. separata and its relative location in the head. For more details, please see pages 3812–3829.

Volume 23, Issue 10, Oct. 2024
Cotton, a crucial textile fiber in China’s economy, faced challenges in the 1990s due to cotton bollworm infestations and excessive pesticide use causing environmental and health issues. To address this, a genetically modified insect-resistant cotton program was launched in China, leading to successful development in 1994. Over the past 30 years, more than 200 new insect-resistant cotton varieties have been cultivated, reducing pesticide use by over 650,000 tons and increasing output value by 65 billion CNY. This success has driven innovation in genetically modified cotton and advanced research in cotton genomics, biotechnology, and molecular breeding. This special issue commemorates the 30th anniversary of China’s insect-resistant cotton development. The cover photo showcases three important members of China’s insect-resistant cotton: monogenic insect-resistant cotton, digenic insect-resistant cotton, and tri-line insect-resistant cotton, highlighting the achievements in China’s insect-resistant cotton research and the growth of China’s cotton industry. Dr. Chengzhen Liang from the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences provided the cover image. See pages 3243–3505 for more details.

Volume 23, Issue 9, Sept. 2024
Fire blight disease of pears, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating bacterial disease, which leads to severe economic losses to the tree fruit industry around the world. In this cover article, the authors studied the interactions between fire blight pathogen and pear valsa canker fungi (Cytospora pyri), another important pathogen on fragrant pear in Xinjiang, China. This is the first report demonstrating that both pathogens co-existed on pear trees and physically interacted with each other, leading to more severe diseases. The findings provide new knowledge in understanding bacterial–fungal–plant interactions for disease management of tree fruits. The cover photos were provided by Prof. Baishi Hu, Nanjing Agricultural University, China. For more details, please see the full article on pages 3045–3054.
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