GDSL WILTING LEAF1 protein confers heat, drought, and salt stress tolerance in maize by regulating vascular development
October 2026
The yield of crops is constrained by abiotic stresses such as heat and drought. In this study, we characterized a wilting maize mutant, wilting leaf1 (wl1-ref), which exhibited leaf wilting, dwarfism,...
GWAS-based identification of heterosis-associated genes for yield traits in maize testcross populations
October 2026
Heterosis is central to breeding high-yielding maize (Zea mays L.). To dissect the genetic basis of heterosis for yield-related traits, we constructed four testcross populations using four diverse inbred...
Using male sterility for random intercrossing to increase QTL mapping resolution in self-pollinated plants
October 2026
The purpose of this study was to develop a method for producing high-resolution mapping populations without the disadvantages of rare alleles and population structure, combining the advantages of biparental...
Phenological reorganization and increased assimilate allocation jointly promote spike differentiation and grain number formation in dryland wheat of Northwest China
October 2026
Optimizing phenology and dry matter partitioning will increase wheat yield in dryland regions. The objective of this study was to determine how high-yielding dryland wheat cultivars achieve greater...
Layered nitrogen placement increases wheat yield by transcriptionally regulating root functional strategies and reshaping soil enzymatic hotspots
October 2026
The objective of this study was to identify the soil–root regulatory mechanisms by which nitrogen (N) application at varying soil depths increases nutrient use efficiency and grain yield in wheat. In...
TaPDCD5 negatively regulates wheat grain size and weight by modulating ROS accumulation
October 2026
Grain size and weight are key determinants of wheat yield, yet their genetic basis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we have identified TaPDCD5, a wheat gene encoding a double-stranded...
Sugar transporter OsSTP26 boosts rice tillering and yield through sugar accumulation
October 2026
Transport and distribution of carbon assimilation products play a crucial regulatory role in rice growth, development, and yield formation. The importance of sugar transport proteins (STPs) in this...
Knockout of functionally redundant GmDYT1 genes confers complete male sterility in soybean
October 2026
Nuclear male sterility is a valuable trait for hybrid seed production in crops, offering potential yield advantages and enhancing genetic diversity. In soybean (Glycine max), the identification of nuclear...
High-throughput identification of stripe rust resistance resources and genetic mapping of a new gene from Triticum durum–Haynaldia villosa amphiploids
October 2026
Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that threatens global wheat (Triticum aestivum) production. Given the rapid evolution of the Pst pathogen...
Population-scale evidence for the association of stem diameter with soybean yield in the maize–soybean intercropping system
October 2026
Intercropping maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) is an appealing strategy for improving land-use efficiency. However, the shade stress imposed by maize severely constrains soybean growth and...
Characterization of Pm72, a new powdery mildew resistance gene on chromosome 6AL of Triticum boeoticum accession PI 427741
October 2026
Triticum monococcum ssp. aegilopoides (syn. T. boeoticum) is a wild diploid species that harbors the AbAb genome containing many disease resistance genes useful for wheat improvement. Genetic analysis...
Development of wheat-tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum 1E translocation lines and mapping of the adult-plant resistance gene Yr1EL to stripe rust
October 2026
Thinopyrum elongatum (2n = 4x = 28) harbors multiple valuable resistance genes and serves as a valuable genetic resource for wheat improvement. Yr1EL was primarily identified on chromosome arm 1EL of...
Monitoring of overwintering leaf age by integrating phenological, temporal, and thermal data: An indicator for assessing winter wheat seedling condition
October 2026
Leaf age is one of the important parameters for describing crop growth stages. In actual production, cultivation methods can be adjusted in a timely manner according to leaf age, which can promote rapid...
Development of betalain-enriched wheat by metabolic engineering
Available online 17 October 2026
Rice diterpenoid phytoalexins: from biosynthesis and regulation to applications
Available online 15 October 2026
Rice (Oryza sativa) diterpenoid phytoalexins play key roles in plant defense and ecological adaptation, and hold strong application potential. This review summarizes their biosynthesis, regulation,...
GLW12 positively regulates grain length and weight in rice through brassinosteroid pathways
Available online 15 October 2026
Grain size is a trait targeted for high-yield and high-quality rice (Oryza sativa) breeding. In this study, we identified GRAIN LENGTH AND WEIGHT ON CHROMOSOME 12 (GLW12), which regulates grain length...
Fine mapping of YrHM, an adult-plant stripe rust resistance gene from wheat landrace Hongmangmaizi
Available online 15 October 2026
Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), threatens wheat production worldwide. The Chinese wheat landrace Hongmangmaizi (HM) carries the adult-plant resistance gene Yr18, but...
TaMAPK1 negatively regulates plant height and grain yield in wheat via a conserved but functionally diverged MAPK–MKP module
Available online 15 October 2026
Although mitogen‑activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been implicated in wheat stress responses, it remains unknown whether TaMAPK1, a Group C MAPK member, regulates plant height and grain yield and...
Functionally redundant SVP3a and SVP3b regulate flowering time and seed yield in soybean
Available online 15 October 2026
Soybean is a short-day plant whose flowering time is precisely regulated by photoperiod. Descended from an ancient tetraploid progenitor that underwent diploidization, the soybean genome harbors duplicated...
Wide-precision sowing with an appropriate basal-to-topdressing N ratio increases winter wheat yield and N use efficiency
Available online 13 October 2026
Wide-precision sowing (WS) improves winter wheat canopy structure and enlarges the productive population, yet whether these changes increase crop dependence on sustained post-anthesis N supply and thereby...
CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the soybean DUF-domain gene PH19 decreases plant height without yield loss
Available online 13 October 2026
In grain crops, moderate decreases in plant height due to semi-dwarf mutations reduce lodging and improve yield potential; however, soybean (Glycine max) has not undergone the same ‘semi-dwarf’ Green...
