Integrated effects of aerobic tillage and controlled irrigation on rice yield and greenhouse gas emissions in a high-latitude rice growing region
August 2026
Rice is a major food crop in China, and paddy fields are an important agricultural source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Achieving high yields while reducing GHG emissions is essential for national...
Straw incorporation surpasses mulching for wheat yield and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation on the North China Plain
August 2026
In the water-scarce North China Plain (NCP), choosing between straw mulching (SM) for surface conservation and straw incorporation (SI) for soil amelioration is a critical agricultural dilemma. However,...
Canopy structure outweighs photosynthetic capacity in determining maize adaptation to dense planting
August 2026
The objectives of this study were to identify canopy-level strategies for maximizing maize yield under high-density planting and to establish a 3D simulation framework for evaluating density-tolerant...
MsSGR interacts with MsMSRB5 to antagonistically regulate salt tolerance in Medicago sativa
August 2026
Photosynthesis is the basis of plant growth and development. It directly influences forage yield and quality; however, salt stress severely inhibits photosynthetic efficiency, accelerates leaf senescence,...
Polyploidy, genome composition, and dynamic gene regulatory coordination underpin low nitrogen tolerance in synthetic tetraploid wheats
August 2026
The objective of this study was to identify synthetic tetraploid wheats (STW) with tolerance to low nitrogen (LN) stress. We compared two STWs (SshSshAmAm and SlSlAA), their diploid parents, and natural...
Fine mapping of Wheat yellow mosaic virus resistance gene Ym5 and its application in breeding
August 2026
Wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) poses a significant threat to global autumn-sown wheat production. Growing wheat varieties with WYMV resistance is the most effective strategy for disease control. In...
ZmNAC16 increases drought tolerance in maize seedlings via ABA-mediated stomatal closure
August 2026
Stomatal movement is a crucial response of plants to drought stress. Several NAC transcription factors have been implicated in drought tolerance in maize seedlings, whereas the molecular mechanism by...
Jasmonic acid negatively regulates wheat grain filling by affecting assimilate transport and starch biosynthesis
August 2026
Grain filling is a pivotal determinant of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield, relying on the efficient coordination of source–sink dynamics and assimilate partitioning. Jasmonic acid (JA) is widely...
The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase AhZAR1 regulates early seed development in peanut
August 2026
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) serves as a vital oilseed and food crop worldwide. Embryo abortion reduces seed set in peanut and significantly limits yields, but the mechanisms responsible have remained...
Hi4GS: An interpretable hybrid feature selection framework for genomic selection and application in identifying wheat yield-associated SNPs
August 2026
We present Hi4GS, a hybrid feature selection (HFS) algorithm for selecting SNP subsets from high-dimensional genotypes to improve the prediction of genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) under genomic...
Genomic selection and genome-wide association studies using UAV-derived plant height and aboveground biomass of maize
August 2026
Plant height (PH) and aboveground biomass (AGB) are critical agronomic traits that determine the yield potential of maize (Zea mays L.). However, the application of genomic selection (GS) and genome-wide...
Achieving high seed protein content in soybean by combining gene mining, genomic selection models, and genetic crosses
August 2026
Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a global staple crop valued for its seeds, which contain about 40% protein in total weight, making them a rich source of plant-based protein. Enhancing soybean seed protein...
Identification and validation of a functional allele of the powdery mildew resistance gene Pm68 derived from the wild emmer wheat introgression line R53M
August 2026
Powdery mildew caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) is a prevalent disease that restricts wheat (Triticum aestivum) production globally. Diverse Bgt resistance genes and alleles...
Controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer combination strategies regulate carbon and nitrogen metabolic processes to improve soft wheat quality
August 2026
The objective of this study was to identify the suitable blended controlled-release nitrogen (N) fertilizer strategies (BCRNFs) for soft wheat production and to elucidate its underlying physiological...
Environment-driven transcriptomic reprogramming modulates the plasticity of amylose content and chalkiness in rice
Available online 29 August 2026
Understanding how environmental fluctuations shape the plasticity of rice grain quality traits, such as amylose content (AC) and chalkiness degree (CD), is essential for breeding climate-resilient,...
Production of diploid rice from tetraploid rice using a MATRILINEAL gene
Available online 28 August 2026
Doubled haploid (DH) technology accelerates crop breeding, as fully homozygous DH lines can be produced in just two generations. MATRILINEAL (OsMATL) is a haploid induction gene used in DH technology...
TaPBF1-5A promotes starch biosynthesis and regulates seed storage protein composition to increase grain weight in wheat
Available online 27 August 2026
Grain weight is primarily determined by the accumulation of storage compounds during grain filling, and elucidation of the underlying regulatory networks will help yield improvement. In this study,...
Photosystem adaptation and histone modification signatures are induced by cold priming in wheat
Available online 27 August 2026
The objective of this study was to identify the mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of the photosystem as a stress-memory site. Profiling of transcriptome and genome-wide histone modifications...
Annual cropping intensification through spatiotemporal integration improves productivity and temporal stability in an arid agroecosystem
Available online 26 August 2026
Achieving sustainable intensification in resource-limited arid agroecosystems requires innovative planting models that balance high productivity with long-term stability. A six-year field experiment...
Cooperative interaction between ZmKNOX13 and ZmNAC70 improves cold stress response in maize
Available online 14 August 2026
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important crop that is highly sensitive to cold stress during the early seedling stage, which severely constrains its development and growth. However, the molecular...
CLUMPED TASSAL1 controls maize plant height by modulating cell elongation
Available online 14 August 2026
Plant height is a key factor in maintaining the balance between yield and lodging risk in modern high-density maize planting. In this study, we identified a semi-dominant dwarf mutant, Clumped tassel1...
DE–GE: Synergizing directed evolution and gene editing for precision crop improvement
Available online 14 August 2026
Directed evolution (DE) is a powerful strategy for generating proteins with novel chemical and physical properties. By mimicking Darwinian evolution, DE introduces beneficial mutations through iterative...
A genome-wide association study identifies LuMED25/PFT1 as a major locus controlling stem diameter in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)
Available online 14 August 2026
Stem diameter (SD) is an important agronomic trait that affects lodging resistance and stem yield in flax. To clarify the genetic basis of SD, we conducted a multi-model genome-wide association study...
The peanut PIN-LIKES protein AhPILS regulates growth habit via gravitropism-dependent auxin redistribution
Available online 13 August 2026
Shoot architecture is a crucial agronomic trait in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) that affects adaptability to mechanized farming, pegging efficiency, yield potential, and disease management. Shoot architecture...