Frontiers In Plant Science[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Fucoidan and alginate from brown seaweeds: extraction, structural diversity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and biomedical applications.
El-Sheekh MM, Alkafaas SS, Bases E … +10 more , Zhu F, Yan X, Yousuf WE, El Shafay SM, El-Shenody RA, Abu-Resha AM, Etman AE, Essa DE, Saber AA, Huo S
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359398 · Full text
Brown seaweeds are among the richest marine sources of structurally diverse polysaccharides, especially fucoidan and alginate, which have attracted significant attention as multifunctional biomaterials for pharmaceutical...
Brown seaweeds are among the richest marine sources of structurally diverse polysaccharides, especially fucoidan and alginate, which have attracted significant attention as multifunctional biomaterials for pharmaceutical, biomedical, and regenerative medicine applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of extraction and purification methods, including conventional chemical, enzymatic, microwave-assisted, and ultrasound-assisted techniques, discussing how these methods affect yield, purity, molecular weight distribution, sulfation patterns, and structural integrity. An in-depth examination of the chemical structure of fucoidan and alginate highlights the importance of monosaccharide composition, sulfation degree, M/G ratio, molecular weight, and block arrangement in influencing bioactivity, gelation, biodegradability, and interactions with biological systems. The review thoroughly evaluates biocompatibility and biodegradation mechanisms, focusing on the roles of impurities, crosslinking density, oxidation levels, enzymatic degradation pathways, and environmental factors. It also summarizes recent advances in fucoidan- and alginate-based formulations, including hydrogels, nanoparticles, films, nanofibers, microspheres, sponges, injectable gels, and composite scaffolds, as well as key drug delivery mechanisms like ionotropic gelation, diffusion-controlled release, pH-responsiveness, mucoadhesion, and stimuli-responsive behaviors. By combining structural insights with emerging biomedical applications, this review highlights the remarkable versatility of fucoidan and alginate as next-generation marine biomaterials and explores their expanding potential in drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, and multifunctional therapeutic systems.
Detection of leaf miner in sweet potato crops through image analysis using machine learning-based models.
Huaman B, Guzman B, Arcila J
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359397 · Full text
The leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis) represents a critical threat to sweet potato production, causing irreversible damage that traditional visual inspection fails to mitigate efficiently due to its subjectivity and sl...
The leaf miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis) represents a critical threat to sweet potato production, causing irreversible damage that traditional visual inspection fails to mitigate efficiently due to its subjectivity and slowness. The objective of the present study was to automate the detection of this pest through image analysis using deep learning models. Methodologically, the dataset "camote_minador" was constructed and annotated, comprising 751 images collected from fields in Lambayeque, Peru, to which dynamic data augmentation techniques were applied to ensure training variability. The performance of the YOLOv8s and YOLOv11s architectures was comparatively evaluated under standardized hyperparameter configurations. The results demonstrated the technical superiority of the YOLOv11s model, which achieved a Precision of 73.20%, a Recall of 66.72%, and a mAP@50 of 71.63%, outperforming its predecessor and evidencing a greater ability to discriminate between pest galleries and background noise. Furthermore, the operational feasibility of a mobile prototype based on Tensor Flow Lite for mid-range devices was established. It is concluded that the implementation of optimized architectures such as YOLOv11s constitutes an effective, accessible, and scalable technological solution to strengthen phytosanitary monitoring in the agricultural sector.
Diurnal asymmetric warming promotes the growth of the perennial species in a temperate arid region of China.
Liu Y, Zhao H, Bai Y … +4 more , Liu M, Zhou G, Shang T, Zhao Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359396 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Global warming exhibits asymmetric patterns (differential day-night warming rates), yet its effects on early plant regeneration and physiological adaptation remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate t...
INTRODUCTION: Global warming exhibits asymmetric patterns (differential day-night warming rates), yet its effects on early plant regeneration and physiological adaptation remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different warming regimes on seedling emergence, growth, and physiological traits of , in order to assess its invasive potential under climate warming scenarios. METHODS: A controlled experiment was conducted with symmetric warming, daytime warming (asymmetric), nocturnal warming (asymmetric), and a control treatment. Measurements included seedling emergence time and final emergence percentage, morphological traits (plant height, root length, leaf area), biomass allocation (stem dry mass, root fresh mass, root-shoot ratio, specific root length, specific leaf area), and physiological indices (antioxidant system activity). RESULTS: Emergence: Symmetric warming significantly advanced the onset of emergence, but none of the warming treatments altered final emergence relative to the control. Growth: Asymmetric warming induced stronger stimulation of leaf area than nocturnal warming; excessively high night-time temperatures suppressed plant height and markedly inhibited root elongation while reducing leaf area. Symmetric warming significantly increased stem dry mass, whereas asymmetric warming produced the highest root fresh mass among all treatments. Biomass allocation: Diurnal asymmetric warming markedly shifted biomass allocation patterns and morphological characteristics; it inhibited root elongation while increasing root biomass accumulation, resulting in an elevated root-shoot ratio but reduced specific root length and specific leaf area. Physiological response: Under diurnal asymmetric warming, plants activated their antioxidant systems to mitigate oxidative damage. DISCUSSION: Asymmetric warming (particularly diurnal asymmetry) may enhance the invasive potential of by promoting biomass accumulation and altering resource allocation strategies (e.g., increased root-shoot ratio and activation of antioxidant defense). These adaptive mechanisms might facilitate its rapid spread in the region under climate change scenarios.
Comparative mitochondrial genomics of cultivated and its wild relative provides insights into structural features and organellar evolution.
Liang J, Yan X, Wang Z … +3 more , Zeng P, Li S, Sun J
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359395 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: The genus (Pedaliaceae) comprises a wide range of cultivated and wild species. Sesame () is recognized as one of the oldest oilseed crops cultivated worldwide, whereas is a wild relative closely associate...
INTRODUCTION: The genus (Pedaliaceae) comprises a wide range of cultivated and wild species. Sesame () is recognized as one of the oldest oilseed crops cultivated worldwide, whereas is a wild relative closely associated with the evolutionary history of cultivated sesame. Although the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of species have been investigated in previous studies, mitochondrial genome evolution within the genus has received relatively limited attention. METHODS: In this study, we assembled and comparatively analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of and by integrating BGI short-read sequencing and Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing data. Genome assembly was performed using Flye and Unicycler, and annotation was conducted using PMGA together with manual curation. Comparative analyses were then carried out to examine genome organization, gene content, repetitive sequences, codon usage, RNA editing sites, chloroplast-derived sequences, phylogenetic relationships, and collinearity patterns. RESULTS: The mitochondrial genomes of and were assembled into one circular molecule and two major circular contigs, respectively, and both contained 36 conserved protein-coding genes. Abundant simple sequence repeats dominated by tetranucleotide motifs and notable repeat variation were detected. Codon usage showed moderate bias, and 478 and 455 RNA editing sites were predicted in and , respectively. Chloroplast-derived sequences accounted for 8.50% and 6.96% of the mitochondrial genomes, respectively. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses supported a close relationship between the two species and identified synteny-based structural differences between their mitogenomes. Comparative analysis of mitochondrial- and chloroplast-based phylogenies showed that the two datasets were largely congruent at the family level and consistently supported the close relationship between the two Sesamum species, although they differed in the placement of several deeper lineages. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that mitogenomes retain conserved gene content while showing assembly- and synteny-supported structural differences. This study provides useful genomic resources for comparative and evolutionary studies of mitochondrial genomes in Pedaliaceae.
Effects of microbial inoculants and planting density on soybean summer-sown growth, nutrients accumulation and yield in Southern Xinjiang.
Wang W, Li M, Li K … +8 more , Li X, Liu J, Mao T, Yin X, Ma L, Wang D, Yang L, Zhai Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359394 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Soybean cultivation in southern Xinjiang of China is constrained by multiple natural and anthropogenic factors. This study explored the synergistic effects of microbial inoculation and planting density on s...
INTRODUCTION: Soybean cultivation in southern Xinjiang of China is constrained by multiple natural and anthropogenic factors. This study explored the synergistic effects of microbial inoculation and planting density on summer-sown soybeans to find the optimal solution for high and stable yield. METHODS: Herein, A two-year field experiment was conducted with a split-plot design. Four planting densities were applied in the main plots: 123, 000 plants hm (D1); 82, 000 plants hm (D2); 59, 000 plants hm (D3); and 44, 000 plants hm (D4) . In the subplots, eight inoculation treatments were established: no inoculation (C0, control); single inoculation with Bacillus (T0); co-inoculation with and SMH12 (T1), and SN7-2 (T2), Bacillus and and Rhizobium fredii HN01 (T3); and single inoculation with SMH12 (T4), SN7-2 (T5), and HN01 (T6). RESULTS: The results showed that microbial inoculation and planting density significantly affected plant growth, root nodulation, nutrient accumulation, and yield. T2 resulted in the highest yield under the D3 density (5174 .59-5385. 67 kg hm), which was improved by 7 .8 -69.9% over that of other treatments. This yield improvement was achieved mainly through increasing seed number per plant and 100-seed weight without reducing pod number per plant. The increase in 100-seed weight was related to higher root nodulation potential and nutrient accumulation level. The D3 density optimized plant morphology (especially in increasing main-stem node number and stem diameter), thereby contributing to higher yield. Correlation analysis showed that yield was highly positively correlated with main-stem node number and root nitrogen accumulation. Principal component analysis identified D3T2 as the largest contributor to plant growth (comprehensive score F = 1 . 28). CONCLUSION: Overall, These findings suggest that co-inoculation with and SN7-2 under a planting density of 59, 000 plants hm is suitable for high-yield cultivation of summer-sown soybeans under the experimental conditions. This study provides an effective agronomic strategy for enhancing soybean yield potential and stress resistance in arid regions with poor soil fertility.
Rapid preliminary screening of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and machine learning.
Xu Y, Huang R, Ren F … +3 more , Lin J, Zhang J, Jiang Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42359393 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) represents a growing threat to global tomato production, causing severe losses in crop yield and fruit quality. Although the standard RT-qPCR assay is highly accurat...
INTRODUCTION: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) represents a growing threat to global tomato production, causing severe losses in crop yield and fruit quality. Although the standard RT-qPCR assay is highly accurate, its reliance on laboratory processing, specialized equipment, and trained personnel limits its applicability for rapid on-site diagnostics. To address this limitation, this study evaluated a biosensing method that does not require labels and combines surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with machine learning to distinguish tomato leaves infected with ToBRFV from healthy leaves. METHODS: Following health status confirmation via RT-qPCR, leaf extracts were directly deposited onto silver nanorod arrays for SERS spectral acquisition. Three classification models were evaluated: PCA-LDA, PLS-DA, and SVM. RESULTS: The results showed that all models were able to discriminate infected samples from healthy samples in the present dataset. Notably, the SVM model exhibited the best performance, achieving an accuracy of 91.67%, a sensitivity of 100.00%, a specificity of 81.48%, and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.993. DISCUSSION: This result suggests that SERS spectra may contain biochemical information associated with ToBRFV infection and that such information can be used for sample classification using machine learning models. In its present form, this approach is intended as a rapid, low-cost, field-deployable preliminary screening tool - not a replacement for RT-qPCR or other confirmatory molecular assays. The reported accuracy was obtained on mechanically inoculated plants of a single cultivar under controlled greenhouse conditions and should therefore be interpreted as a proof-of-concept upper bound; field-scale validation is the focus of ongoing work.
Genome-wide unraveling of the family in L. with observations on seedling root growth and stress resilience.
Li Q, Wang Y, Liu F … +7 more , Yuan S, Yuan Y, Bai M, Zhao Z, Zhou Q, Chen C, Chen Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343968 · Full text
The gene family plays a central role in auxin signaling and plant development. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we performed a genome-wide identification of the gene family in . In this study, we obs...
The gene family plays a central role in auxin signaling and plant development. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we performed a genome-wide identification of the gene family in . In this study, we observed that exogenous IAA exerts a dual regulatory effect on root growth-promoting elongation at low concentrations (5-50 µM) and inhibiting it at high concentrations (100-200 µM)- highlighting the dose-dependent nature of auxin action. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we performed a genome-wide identification of the gene family in . A total of 40 genes were identified and phylogenetically classified into five subfamilies. Structural and motif analyses confirmed evolutionary conservation, while duplication analysis revealed that segmental and tandem events contributed to family expansion. Expression profiling showed tissue-specific patterns, with preferentially expressed in flowers and enriched in leaves. Under IAA, PEG, NaCl, and temperature treatments, six selected genes () exhibited distinct and stress-specific expression changes, suggesting their potential involvement in both developmental regulation and environmental adaptation. These findings suggest their potential involvement in both developmental regulation and environmental adaptation. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the gene family and offers candidate genes for functional studies and molecular breeding in .
Grapevine LysM-containing receptor-like kinase enhances resistance to white rot in tomato.
Liu Q, Wang W, Chen Z … +2 more , Li N, Li T
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343967 · Full text
Grapevine () is a fruit that is widely cultivated worldwide, but white rot, caused by , significantly impacts its yield and quality. The lack of resistance genes poses a major challenge to breeding grapevine varieties re...
Grapevine () is a fruit that is widely cultivated worldwide, but white rot, caused by , significantly impacts its yield and quality. The lack of resistance genes poses a major challenge to breeding grapevine varieties resistant to white rot. The LysM-containing receptor-like kinase (LYK) family genes are known to mediate immune responses to pathogens by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns. To explore the resistance genes underlying white rot resistance, whole-transcriptome sequencing was carried out on grapevine cv. Guifeimeigui (GF, resistant phenotype) and cv. Red Globe (RG, susceptible phenotype) after challenge with . Functional characterization and mechanistic analysis were conducted through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in grapevine, stable overexpression in grapevine calli, and heterologous expression in tomato (). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in the "Plant-pathogen interaction" pathway were identified, followed by expression clustering analysis to pinpoint 14 candidate genes. Silencing of in GF resulted in a significant reduction in resistance to white rot, while its overexpression in grapevine calli inhibited the growth of . is localized to the cell membrane. SlLYK1 was involved in the resistance to in tomato that was mediated by . The overexpression of in tomato also activated the salicylic acid signaling pathway and upregulated related pathogenesis-related genes, moreover induced a burst of reactive oxygen species, thereby increasing resistance to white rot. This study identifies as a critical regulator of white rot resistance, and reveals its immune mechanism, and highlights its potential as a target for breeding and genetic improvement of durable resistance in grapevine.
Biochemical shifts in via post-stationary magnesium sulfate stress: optimizing biomass for advanced bio-fertilizers.
Dodangodage CA, Kasturiarachchi JC, Perera TA … +3 more , Rajapakshe SD, Niyangoda SS, Halwatura RU
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343966 · Full text
Sustainable agriculture requires bio-fertilizers that improve both nutrient efficiency and soil resilience. Microalgae are promising candidates; however, conventional optimization using sodium chloride (NaCl) stress intr...
Sustainable agriculture requires bio-fertilizers that improve both nutrient efficiency and soil resilience. Microalgae are promising candidates; however, conventional optimization using sodium chloride (NaCl) stress introduces phytotoxic sodium residues that limit soil application. To address this, a biphasic cultivation strategy for was developed using magnesium sulfate (MgSO) as a dual-function stressor. Following the onset of a nitrogen-limited stationary phase (Day 18), the addition of 0.4 g L¹ MgSO induced intracellular macromolecular accumulation. Biomass increased by 44.8% (2.810 ± 0.090 g L¹), driven by intracellular densification, with enrichment in both total carbohydrate (42.15 ± 2.10%) and lipid (36.24 ± 1.11%) fractions. Substituting NaCl with MgSO eliminates the risk of sodium-induced phytotoxicity upon soil application, while simultaneously pre-loading the biomass with essential secondary macronutrients. Overall, this study demonstrates that targeted MgSO-induced metabolic shifts can generate high-density, functionally enhanced, sodium-free microalgal biomass to serve as a potential bio-fertilizer feedstock.
New moss taxa from Eastern Himalaya: Plastid genomics supports the establishment of Scabridentaceae fam. nov. and the description of sp. nov. (Hypnales, Bryophyta).
Huang WZ, Liu YS, Ma XY … +5 more , Wang QH, Ma WZ, Zhu RL, Zheng TX, Wu YH
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343965 · Full text
The Himalayas represent a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, yet bryophyte diversity remains insufficiently explored, especially in some inaccessible areas. During recent field surveys in Motuo County, Xizang, Ch...
The Himalayas represent a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, yet bryophyte diversity remains insufficiently explored, especially in some inaccessible areas. During recent field surveys in Motuo County, Xizang, China, we collected an unusual moss species resembling E.B.Bartram but differing in gametophyte morphology, most notably by a short double costa. To clarify its taxonomic position, we assembled and annotated 20 complete chloroplast genomes from Cryphaeaceae, Leucodontaceae, and Pterobryaceae, and analyzed these alongside 29 additional Hypnales accessions. Comparative plastome analyses revealed conserved structures across these lineages, with minor variations in genome size, GC content, and IR boundary regions. Phylogenomic analyses revealed the unknown taxon as sister to . E.B.Bartram with strong support. Morphologically, it differs from . by a short double costa, leaf margins revolute from the base to near the apex, and longer setae. Both morphological and molecular evidence support the recognition of this unknown taxon as a new species, which we described here as . W.Z.Huang & Y.Huan Wu. Furthermore, although is sister to Cryphaeaceae in plastid phylogenies, its pronounced morphological distinctiveness supports the recognition of a new family, Scabridentaceae W.Z.Huang & Y.Huan Wu, to accommodate the genus. Our results highlight the power of plastid phylogenomics in resolving complex relationships in Hypnales and underscore the eastern Himalayas as a priority region for bryophyte diversity exploration.
Meta-analysis and dose-response analysis of low-temperature stress effects on rice yield and physiological responses.
Zhang L, Zhou J, Lv Y … +5 more , Li J, Wang J, Zhu C, Fu M, Wang Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343964 · Full text
Low-temperature stress is a major environmental constraint on rice yield stability, considerable variation remains in the reported direction and magnitude of these effects. In this study, we conducted a systematic meta-a...
Low-temperature stress is a major environmental constraint on rice yield stability, considerable variation remains in the reported direction and magnitude of these effects. In this study, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis combined with dose-response analysis to evaluate the effects of low-temperature stress on rice yield formation, photosynthetic capacity, and physiological responses. The results showed that low-temperature stress significantly reduced yield-related traits in rice, with yield per plant and pollen viability decreasing by 10.58% and 21.75%, respectively. Photosynthetic performance was also markedly affected, as net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and stomatal conductance (Gs) decreased by 26.67%, 10.93%, and 31.00%, respectively, while intercellular CO concentration (Ci) increased by 5.75%. Low-temperature stress also significantly induced the accumulation of osmotic regulatory substances and aggravated oxidative damage. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression indicated that the effects of low-temperature stress were jointly regulated by growth stage, stress temperature, and stress duration. Specifically, yield responses were more sensitive at the booting stage and heading-flowering stage, while Pn showed more pronounced responses to severe low temperature and prolonged stress. Dose-response analysis showed that most traits exhibited response turning points around 24 °C. Overall, this study quantitatively revealed the associations among yield reduction, photosynthetic inhibition, and physiological homeostasis imbalance in rice under low-temperature stress, providing comprehensive evidence for understanding the response patterns of rice to low temperature.
Genome-wide association study on soybean canopy wilting under drought stress conditions in a rainout-shelter greenhouse.
Cho H, Lee D, Lee S … +8 more , Choi S, Lee D, Lee Y, Park J, Kim K, Jo H, Song JT, Lee JD
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343963 · Full text
Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Soybean [ (L.) Merr.] is particularly sensitive to drought stress, which can cause yield losses of up to 40%. This...
Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Soybean [ (L.) Merr.] is particularly sensitive to drought stress, which can cause yield losses of up to 40%. This study aimed to identify genomic regions associated with canopy wilting, a key indicator of drought response in soybean, using genome-wide association analysis. A total of 286 soybean accessions obtained from the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Republic of Korea, were evaluated for canopy wilting under drought conditions in a rainout-shelter greenhouse over three consecutive years. The accessions were genotyped using the Axiom 180K SoyaSNP array, and a total of 68,375 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for genome-wide association analysis with the Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK) model. Six significant SNPs were identified on chromosomes 5, 9, 12, 13, and 14, suggesting a polygenic genetic architecture of canopy wilting. All significant SNPs were located within ±1 Mb of genomic regions previously reported to be associated with canopy wilting-related traits in soybean. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis identified an LD block encompassing the significant SNPs, within which 36 candidate genes were detected. Several of these genes were related to receptor-like kinases, RNA-processing proteins, and stress-responsive metabolic pathways, suggesting that multiple regulatory mechanisms contribute to canopy wilting responses in soybean. These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic architecture underlying drought tolerance in soybean and provide valuable genetic resources to facilitate marker-assisted selection for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars.
Sucrose synthase gene family analysis in loquat reveals as a key regulator of sugar accumulation.
Yan J, Shao W, Ding J … +4 more , Chen M, Yang C, Xu K, Wu B
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343962 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Soluble sugar composition critically determines the commercial quality of loquat (), a prominent Rosaceae fruit. Sucrose synthase (SUS) plays a central role in carbohydrate partitioning and fruit sink stren...
INTRODUCTION: Soluble sugar composition critically determines the commercial quality of loquat (), a prominent Rosaceae fruit. Sucrose synthase (SUS) plays a central role in carbohydrate partitioning and fruit sink strength, yet the SUS gene family in loquat remains uncharacterized. METHODS: Seven genes were identified from the loquat genome and analyzed via phylogenetics, chromosomal mapping, synteny, and structural characterization. Spatiotemporal expression profiling was performed during fruit development in two cultivars ('YingShuang' and 'ZheHong 16'). Soluble sugar contents were measured, and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted. Recombinant protein was subjected to in vitro enzymatic assays. Promoter cis-element analysis was also performed. RESULTS: The seven genes were classified into three subfamilies. Segmental and tandem duplications drove family expansion. (Group I) was specifically and highly upregulated during the terminal ripening stage, coinciding with peak sucrose accumulation, whereas other members showed very low or undetectable expression. Loquat was confirmed as a hexose-accumulating fruit. transcript levels showed a highly significant positive correlation with sucrose content. Recombinant exhibited robust sucrose synthesis activity, and its promoter contained ABRE cis-elements potentially linking it to ABA signaling. DISCUSSION: Our findings demonstrate that is the predominant SUS member driving late-stage sugar accumulation in loquat. This work provides valuable genetic resources and a theoretical basis for molecular breeding to improve loquat fruit quality.
Identification of QTLs and genes regulating panicle number through genome-wide association studies in L.
Li F, Ma X, Xie J … +10 more , Zhu X, Wang X, Liang J, Rashid MAR, Guo H, Zhang Z, Li J, Li Z, Luo J, Zhang H
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343961 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Panicle number is a key determinant of grain yield and plant architecture in rice. Here, we investigated quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genetic factors associated with panicle number using genome-wide ass...
BACKGROUND: Panicle number is a key determinant of grain yield and plant architecture in rice. Here, we investigated quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genetic factors associated with panicle number using genome-wide association studies. METHODS: We used 3.3 million high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms and phenotypic data from the Micro Core Collection and Expanded Micro Core Collection, evaluated under two photoperiods across three agroecological zones in China (12 datasets). RESULTS: We identified 138 QTLs associated with panicle number. Several previously cloned genes, including , , , and , were located within these intervals. QTL effect analysis showed that panicle number increased with favorable allele accumulation and decreased with unfavorable alleles, consistent with quantitative genetic principles. Allelic distribution analysis in landraces and improved varieties revealed a higher frequency of loss alleles than gain alleles. Environmentally stable QTLs with small effects were more suitable for breeding than environmentally sensitive QTL or environmentally stabilizing QTL with larger effects (over three spikes). An integrated approach, including haplotype analysis, pathway analysis, Ho-index unified linkage and association mapping, expression profiling, and T-DNA mutant validation, was used to identify candidate genes within key QTLs. Two cloned genes, () and (), were preliminarily identified as regulators of panicle number. In , a gibberellin receptor () was identified within the fine-mapped region. Initial functional analysis indicated that regulates multiple agronomic traits, including panicle number, plant height, panicle length, and secondary branch number. Its expression pattern in Nipponbare roots (RiceXPro database) was similar to that of , a well-characterized regulator of tiller number. CONCLUSION: The identified QTLs and candidate genes provide valuable resources for regulating panicle number in rice through marker-assisted selection, supporting future rice breeding efforts.
Molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary history of : implications for crop improvement in South Asia.
Hashmi QA, Park J
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343960 · Full text
This review's scientific value is to systematically review existing literature on ensuring a structure of exploiting such genetic adapt reactions to counter climate change impacts on agriculture. This work highlights th...
This review's scientific value is to systematically review existing literature on ensuring a structure of exploiting such genetic adapt reactions to counter climate change impacts on agriculture. This work highlights the need for such interdisciplinarity to bring such discoveries into fruition of improved, salinity and drought, tolerant crops, providing novel tactics toward food production from saline and arid landscapes. This paper argues that has revolutionary genes for enhancing crop varieties and global food security in regions that are affected by climate change, synthesises current knowledge of the molecular phylogenetics, evolution, adaptive physiology, and translational potential of , with particular emphasis on its application to crop improvement. As one of the few known plants performing fully functional single-cell C photosynthesis in a halophytic context, provides a valuable genetic reservoir for enhancing salt and drought tolerance in staple cereals such as rice () and wheat (). We examine the physiological and molecular traits that enable to thrive under extreme abiotic stress including ion homeostasis, osmoprotectant biosynthesis, and photosynthetic efficiency and evaluate the prospects for transferring these traits into glycophytic crops through transgenic approaches and marker-assisted selection. Key findings centre on stress-responsive genes, notably high-affinity potassium transporters (HKT1) and sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHX1), which are strongly associated with salinity tolerance. Recent advances in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) further expand the toolkit for introgressing -derived traits into food crops, with direct implications for global food security. However, significant gaps remain, particularly the absence of multi-year, multi-location field trials validating these traits under realistic agronomic conditions. The principal contribution of this review is a systematic integration of the available literature on , framed as a roadmap for harnessing its adaptive genetic resources to mitigate the agricultural impacts of climate change. We argue that realizing this potential will require sustained interdisciplinary collaboration spanning molecular biology, plant breeding, and agronomy, and that offers transformative genetic resources for developing salinity- and drought-tolerant cultivars suited to saline and arid production systems.
Steady-state CO tracing reveals early disruption of assimilation-export coupling in tomato under static continuous light but not under dynamic 24-h LED schedules.
Marie TRJG, Leonardos ED, Rana N … +2 more , Pahlevaninezhad M, Grodzinski B
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343959 · Full text
Artificial lighting is a major cost in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), motivating longer photoperiods at lower photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) to meet a target daily light integral (DLI). In tomato, s...
Artificial lighting is a major cost in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), motivating longer photoperiods at lower photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) to meet a target daily light integral (DLI). In tomato, static 24-h lighting can induce photoperiodic injury and reduced photosynthetic performance, often discussed as an end-product (triose-phosphate) limitation that constrains inorganic phosphate (Pi) recycling. Dynamic 24-h LED schedules that impose day-night spectral and intensity cues have been proposed to extend photoperiod without injury, but their effects on assimilation-export coupling remain unclear. We investigated whether early dysfunction under static 24-h light reflects a downstream sink-side export bottleneck that limits carbon export regardless of source (newly assimilated and mobilization of stored carbon), or a source-leaf limitation that selectively reduces concurrent export during assimilation while preserving export supported by mobilizing stored carbon, and whether dynamic schedules avoid these constraints. We used steady-state CO labeling with open-flow gas exchange to quantify net CO exchange rate (NCER), concurrent export, ¹C retention, chase-derived reserve-supported export (remobilization), and transpiration in intact source leaves of tomato ( "Money Maker") grown under a 16-h/8-h control, a static 24-h regime, or two DLI-matched dynamic 24-h schedules. After 4 days of static 24-h light (pre-injury), export declined more than NCER, lowering relative export by ~12% and increasing the retained labeled pool. Whole-night remobilization efficiency scaled with retained pool size was conserved across treatments (~30%), including the Day 4 static regime, arguing against an early shared sink/transport bottleneck. After 3 weeks, static continuous light caused severe injury with suppressed NCER, export and reduced water-use efficiency (WUE), whereas dynamic regimes remained injury-free and maintained daytime assimilation-export coupling and WUE comparable to the control. Together, these data indicate that pre-injury static continuous light first disrupts assimilation-concurrent export coupling, a symptom not observed under dynamic 24-h LED schedules.
Stress-tolerance genes in rice: bridging gene discovery, functional validation, and breeding applications.
Nyasulu M, Medison RG, Mushtaq W … +1 more , Mataka SN
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343958 · Full text
Rice productivity is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses, with drought being a major constraint to stable yields under changing climate conditions. Advances in genomics and high-throughput omics technologies have...
Rice productivity is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses, with drought being a major constraint to stable yields under changing climate conditions. Advances in genomics and high-throughput omics technologies have identified numerous drought-responsive genes in rice through transcriptomics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. While these approaches have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of drought responses, the practical application of gene discovery in breeding programs remains limited. This review focuses on functionally validated drought-tolerance genes, emphasizing candidates confirmed through reverse genetics approaches, such as gene knockout, overexpression, and genome editing. Key examples are discussed across major functional categories, including transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cellular protection mechanisms, highlighting their roles in drought tolerance and, when relevant, yield-related traits. We also explore how validated drought-tolerance genes have been integrated into rice improvement strategies, including marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and genome editing. Major challenges are addressed, such as inadequate evaluation under combined stress conditions and weak connections between gene function and field performance. By combining evidence from genomics, functional biology, and breeding research, this review outlines priority research directions to accelerate the translation of candidate genes into climate-resilient rice cultivars. Rather than providing a comprehensive list of drought-responsive genes, this review emphasizes high-confidence, functionally characterized targets with practical relevance for breeding.
Synergistic effects of AWD irrigation and potassium application on rice yield and paddy field greenhouse gas emissions.
Wu D, Li Y, Ma Z … +5 more , Wang S, Chen T, Zou H, Li J, Gao Y
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343957 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Irrigation and fertilization are significant for rice productivity and environmental benefits. Evidences on how alternate wetting-drying irrigation (I) and potassium (K) together influence greenhouse gas em...
INTRODUCTION: Irrigation and fertilization are significant for rice productivity and environmental benefits. Evidences on how alternate wetting-drying irrigation (I) and potassium (K) together influence greenhouse gas emission (GHG) and rice yield still remain largely unknown. METHODS: A field trial was used to evaluate how K application affect GHG and related microbial functional genes abundance, yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and global warming potential (GWP) under I in 2023 and 2024 in northeast China. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results indicated that I significantly enhanced functional genes (-AOA, -AOB, and ) abundances, improved gene abundance while reducing that of , and thereby significantly led to rises of 58% (tillering period), 54% (panicle period), and 38% (entire period) in nitrous oxide (NO) emissions and declines of 87% (tillering period), 60% (panicle period), and 76% (entire period) in methane (CH) emissions, averaged in both years. K application significantly reduced the -AOA, -AOB, , and genes abundances, enhanced gene abundance. Compared with K, K and K resulted in 14% and 16% reductions in NO emissions, while K increased CH emissions by 29%. Relative to I, I decreased soil NH concentration and increased soil NO concentration. Relative to K, K and K increased soil NH concentration and K application did not significantly alter soil NO concentration. Under continuous flooding irrigation (I), compared with K, K significantly increased GWP and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) by 28% and 15%, while K and K had similar GWP and GHGI under I. Compared with K, K and K significantly boosted rice yield (8% and 11%) and WUE (15% and 18%), respectively. Principal component analysis indicated that IK was recommended considering environmental sustainability and economic benefit in the paddy ecosystem.
Integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses identify a - regulatory module associated with cold adaptation in .
Qi A, Chen H, Zhi Z … +2 more , Wang H, Yan X
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42343956 · Full text
The northward cultivation of Gaertn. has long been constrained by winter low temperatures, making it important to clarify the mechanisms underlying cold adaptation for germplasm utilization and molecular improvement. In...
The northward cultivation of Gaertn. has long been constrained by winter low temperatures, making it important to clarify the mechanisms underlying cold adaptation for germplasm utilization and molecular improvement. In this study, previously screened cold-tolerant (CT) and cold-sensitive (CS) material groups were used to examine the basis of cold adaptation through phenotypic observation, anatomical analysis, physiological and biochemical measurements, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), functional validation, and transcriptional regulatory assays. Compared with CS, CT maintained higher branch structural stability, showed less cellular damage, and exhibited a stronger capacity to sustain reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and redox homeostasis under low-temperature stress. Integrated multi-omics analyses further showed that these differences were associated with coordinated reprogramming of sugar and amino acid metabolism, together with changes in ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH)-related processes. On this basis, was selected as a key candidate gene involved in antioxidant-mediated cold tolerance. Functional analyses showed that increased ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and reduced the accumulation of HO, malondialdehyde (MDA), relative electrolyte conductivity (REC), and O·⁻ under low-temperature conditions, indicating that it contributes to cold tolerance by enhancing ROS detoxification and alleviating membrane damage. Further analyses showed that bound to the promoter and enhanced its transcriptional activity, with the proximal W-box contributing substantially to -mediated promoter activation. These findings suggest that the - regulatory module may participate in cold adaptation-associated antioxidant responses in .
Assessing the effect of deficit irrigation and biochar application on soil water depletion, root distribution, and water productivity of cucumber in semi-arid West Texas.
Kafle A, Singh S, Singh M … +4 more , Bajwa P, Deb S, Simpson C, Ritchie G
Front Plant Sci · 2026 · PMID 42339392 · Full text
Understanding crop root growth and distribution and soil water depletion under water deficit conditions is critical for developing sustainable production practices for cucumber ( L.) in semi-arid regions like West Texas....
Understanding crop root growth and distribution and soil water depletion under water deficit conditions is critical for developing sustainable production practices for cucumber ( L.) in semi-arid regions like West Texas. Therefore, this study's main objective was to investigate the effect of deficit irrigation (DI) and biochar application on soil water depletion, root growth and distribution, and water productivity (WP) of cucumber. A two-year field study was conducted at Quaker Research Farm, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX. A split-plot design was used to randomize four irrigation levels I1 [100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc) throughout the growing season], I2 [80% ETc during early growth (crop establishment to mid-season), 60% ETc during late growth (mid-season to maturity)], I3 (60% ETc during early growth, 80% ETc during late growth), I4 (40% ETc throughout the growing season) and three biochar rates (0, 15, and 20 t/ha) in main-plots and sub-plots, respectively. Results showed a decrease in root length density (RLD) and root surface area density (RSAD) under DI treatments compared to control (I1). RLD was reduced by 24, 4, and 29%, whereas RSAD decreased by 24, 31, and 44% in I2, I3, and I4, respectively, compared to I1. There was greater soil water depletion under the severe DI treatment (I4) without enhanced root plasticity, with some occasional water storage in mild-DI treatments (I2 and I3). The crop water use decreased significantly by 17% in I2, with the least yield penalty of 14% compared to I1. The I2 was the most water productive treatment compared to other DI treatments. Although biochar showed some positive effects on RSAD, it had marginal effects on soil water depletion and water productivity. This study suggests DI strategy optimized soil water depletion by regulating root adaptations or compensatory responses to DI-induced mild to moderate water stress during the growing season, while improving WP for successful cucumber production. It is recommended to test biochar over a longer period (> 2 years) or at higher application rates to better understand its influence on cucumber production and WP in West Texas region.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe