Mitigating drought-associated reproductive failure in maize: From physiological mechanisms to practical solutions
August 2025
Maize serves as a crucial cereal crop globally, yet the escalating frequency of drought stress during the reproductive phase poses a significant threat to grain yield by causing an irreversible loss...
qLTS5/OsALA4 encodes a P4-ATPase that positively regulates cold tolerance in rice seedlings
August 2025
Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a thermophilic crop, is highly sensitive to cold stress, particularly during the seedling stage. Developing cold-tolerant rice varieties is a possible strategy to mitigate yield...
Diversified rotation systems improve grain yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat under limited irrigation in the North China Plain
August 2025
Diversifying crop rotation aims to balance production and ecological concerns. However, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of crop in diversified rotation systems have not been well documented, especially...
ZmBARK1 as a low-temperature tolerance gene in maize germination
August 2025
Maize (Zea mays L.), a globally significant cereal crop, is produced in vast quantities worldwide. However, its growth is severely constrained by low temperatures, particularly during seed germination,...
Genetic dissection and validation of a new dominant QTL associated with chlorophyll content and its regulatory networks analysis in soybean
August 2025
Leaf-color mutants have proven valuable for studying chlorophyll metabolism, photosynthesis, and yield improvement. In this study, we identified a yellow-leaf (yl) mutant in soybean (Glycine max), characterized...
Optimizing the rotation cycle of previous crops increases crop yield and environmental sustainability in paddy field rotation
August 2025
Global food production faces enormous challenges in increasing yields while promoting environmental sustainability. A field experiments in the ecotone between the Yangtze River Basin and the Huang-Huai-Hai...
High-throughput phenotyping discovers new stable loci controlling senescence rate in bread wheat
August 2025
Non-destructive time-series assessment of chlorophyll content in flag-leaf (FLC) accurately mimics the senescence rate and the identification of genetic loci associated with senescence provides valuable...
Single-cell nuclear transcriptomics reveal root tip adaptations to nitrogen scarcity in wheat
August 2025
Roots play a critical role in acquisition and utilization of nitrogen in wheat, influencing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and ultimately determining yield. However, the detailed responses of root tips...
Transcription factor BnaA1.WRKY53 is involved in regulation of auxin-induced leaf curling under boron deficiency in Brassica napus
August 2025
Brassica napus (oilseed rape) is sensitive to boron (B) deficiency and exhibits young leaf curling in response to low-B stress at the seedling stage, which leads to reduced photosynthesis and plant...
Novel genetic loci and a functional gene Gm18GRSC3 conferring SMV-SC3 resistance in soybean
August 2025
Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is a worldwide disease significantly decreasing soybean yield and seed quality. In this study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for SMV-SC3 resistance was conducted...
Fulvic acid increases rice resistance to phosphorus deficiency by increasing plant P uptake and rhizosphere P mobilization
Available online 29 August 2025
Increasing soil phosphorus (P) availability and plant P uptake are potential approaches to alleviate low P stress in plants and mitigate P resource shortages. Application of fulvic acid (FA) in soil...
GL6.1 integrates grain length regulation and disease resistance via OsWRKY53-mediated signaling in rice
Available online 29 August 2025
Grain size is a crucial factor influencing both rice yield and appearance quality. In this study, we identified GL6.1 as a gene associated with rice grain size by map-based cloning. The GL6.1 encodes...
GABA transporter OsGAT3 is required for growth and yield in rice under salt and drought stress
Available online 29 August 2025
Gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays an important role in regulating plant growth and response to various stresses. Here, we studied the natural variation of GABA transporter gene OsGAT3 in rice germplasm...
Low-nitrogen-tolerant maize cultivar improves photosynthesis and yield by optimizing nitrogen allocation to increase electron transport under low-nitrogen and low-light stress
Available online 29 August 2025
This study aimed to identify the physiological mechanisms enabling low-N-tolerant maize cultivar to maintain higher photosynthesis and yield under low-N, low-light, and combined stress. In a three-year...
Targeted deletion of the OsCSLC3 5′ UTR improves disease resistance and agronomic traits in rice
Available online 8 August 2025
The plant cell wall serves as a barrier in defense against pathogen invasion. However, the specific contribution of cell walls in vascular tissues to plant immunity remains largely unexplored. In this...
OsPATA1 deficiency enhances ABA-dependent salt tolerance by sequestering OsEULD1b in the cytosol of rice
Available online 31 July 2025
Abiotic stresses, particularly salinity, pose a major threat to rice productivity, highlighting the need to identify novel genetic resources to improve stress tolerance. Gamma irradiation remains one...
Mutation of OsJAC1 enhances rice resistance to diverse diseases without yield penalty
Available online 30 July 2025
Broad-spectrum resistance (BSR) reduces pathogen-related yield losses in crops such as rice (Oryza sativa). To achieve BSR, traditional breeding has focused on the time-intensive process of incorporating...
From defense chemistry to agroecological solutions: The evolving role of benzoxazinoids in plants
Available online 29 July 2025
Benzoxazinoids (BXDs) are a class of plant secondary metabolites that play pivotal roles in plant defense against pathogens and pests, as well as in allelopathy. This review synthesizes recent advances...
Gma-miR398c/d negatively regulates soybean resistance to Soybean mosaic virus by targeting SOD family genes
Available online 28 July 2025
Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) poses a substantial threat to the yield and quality of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), leading to significant economic losses in soybean production. However, the mining...
Molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis gene ZmCNX6 regulates vivipary and drought tolerance in maize
Available online 28 July 2025
Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) or vivipary is a major problem affecting cereal quality and grain quantity and is primarily linked to the dysregulation of abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis in plants. Therefore,...
PSY4-mediated carotenoid biosynthesis confers yellow anther and enhances heat tolerance in cotton
Available online 28 July 2025
Carotenoids are lipophilic isoprenoid pigments with essential roles in plants. While the cultivated allotetraploid cottons exhibit distinct mature anther coloration — yellow in Gossypium barbadense...
A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of peanut seedlings unveils gene regulatory dynamics governing hypocotyl development
Available online 25 July 2025
Peanut seedlings develop from seeds by hypocotyl elongation and differentiation. However, the intricate gene regulatory networks and molecular crosstalk underlying hypocotyl growth in peanuts remain...
Exogenous ethephon application promotes nitrogen accumulation by modifying root characters in rice seedlings
Available online 25 July 2025
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) root characteristics are closely associated with nitrogen (N) uptake, root growth and development are greatly influenced by ethylene. In this study, a hydroponic experiment was...