Agronomy

Dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) transport from nutritive organs to the grain is critical for cereal crop yield and protein content. There is limited research on the effects of slow-release or controlled-release fertilizers on dry matter and nitrogen partitioning in the nutrient organs of spring corn. A field trial was conducted in the National Corn Industry Technology System Xinzhou Comprehensive Experiment Station, China. The effects of different fertilizer management on yield, photosynthetic capacity, and nutrient partitioning of spring maize were studied. We modeled local farmers’ planting and management practices (T3). Based on T3, we added a slow-release compound fertilizer (T2), which does not require a follow-up fertilizer, and a controlled-release formulated fertilizer (T1), which is highly efficient and has low carbon emissions. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (Gs), and intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) were 23%, 18.5%, 18%, 10.5% and 19%, 10.9%, 7%, and 5.5% higher in T1 compared to those of T3 and T2, respectively, at the ripening stage. The contribution of post-flowering DM transport to the kernel of T1 was 46% and 41.4% higher than that of T3 and T2, respectively. The nitrogen content of the kernel of T1 was 35.2% and 18.5% higher than that of T3 and T2, respectively. After a comprehensive analysis, T1 prolonged the photosynthetic effect through adequate nitrogen supply, provided nutrients to the kernel, promoted maize nitrogen uptake and utilization, and ultimately improved yield. Full article

Rice is an important staple crop influenced by rising CO₂ and related climate change, but it is not well-known how N-fixing Azotobacter affects rice growth and yield under different CO₂ concentrations. This study aimed to determine the effects of Azotobacter strains on the growth and yield of rice plants grown in two paddy soils under varying CO₂ conditions. Rice plants inoculated with three Azotobacter strains were grown in a conventional rice soil (Dali) and an organic rice soil (Houlong) under 500 or 1000 ppm CO₂. These three Azotobacter strains significantly increased the harvest index of rice plants grown in Dali soil under 1000 ppm CO₂, but they did not significantly increase the harvest index for rice plants grown in Houlong soil under elevated CO₂. Interestingly, only A. beijerinckii CHB 461 significantly promoted the thousand-grain weight of rice plants grown in both Dali and Houlong soils under elevated CO₂. Dali soil had a high level of soil organic matter, exchangeable Ca and Mg, and available Cu and Zn, probably resulting in a better response of the rice plants to Azotobacter inoculation under elevated CO₂. In conclusion, in the application of Azotobacter to promote rice growth and yield under future rising CO₂ conditions, the soil properties and characteristics of Azotobacter strains may need to be considered. Full article

Nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) are beneficial for tea growth and tea quality; however, it is unknown how the combined application of N and Se affects tea quality and N uptake and utilization in tea plants. In the present study, a hydroponic experiment with three N levels (0, 2 and 4.5 mmol/L) and three Se levels (0, 0.3 and 3 mg/L) was carried out with ‘Chuancha No.2’ as the material, and the contents of tea polyphenols, amino acids and caffeine as well as the expression levels of genes related to N uptake and utilization in tea plants were tracked. The findings reveal that the contents of tea polyphenols, AAs and caffeine in new shoots were the highest when supplied with 0.3 mg/L Se and 4.5 mmol/L N, while the contents of total N, AAs and tea polyphenols in mature leaves were the highest at the concentrations of 3 mg/L Se and 2 mmol/L N. Se supply (0.3 and 3 mg/L) induced an increase in amino acid and tea polyphenol contents in tea shoots under N deficiency conditions, whereas total N content, tea polyphenols and AAs in mature leaves and total N content in tea roots decreased significantly. When supplied with N (2 mmol/L and 4.5 mmol/L), the contents of tea polyphenols and caffeine in new shoots first increased and then decreased with the increase in Se concentration, while the total N content in mature leaves and roots increased. In leaves, CsAMT1.1, CsAMT1.2 and CsAMT3.1 had similar trends, and their expression levels were remarkably upregulated when supplied with 0.3 mg/L Se or 2 mmol/L N, respectively; the expression level of CsGS1.1 was significantly induced by N and Se, while CsGS1.2 and CsTS1 were mainly induced by N. In roots, CsAMT1.1 could play a major role in N uptake under the combined application of N and Se; CsGS1.2 expression was significantly induced compared to CsGS1.1 under the combined application of N and Se. This study explored the potential of the interaction of Se and N to promote tea quality and N uptake and utilization in tea plants. Full article

Tropical pasture legumes such as Desmanthus are expected to improve pasture productivity in the extensive grazing systems of Northern Australia. However, the soils in these areas are often hostile (e.g., hard-setting and nutrient-deficient), which reduces legume emergence and establishment. Furthermore, these soils are often not ameliorated with amendments such as gypsum or starter fertilisers before planting. A pot trial was conducted to investigate differences in the emergence and early growth of four Desmanthus species. The legumes were grown in three alkaline clay soils that were unamended or amended with either gypsum (1 t CaSO₄.2H₂O ha⁻¹ equivalent), a starter MAP fertiliser (12 kg P ha⁻¹ equivalent), or both gypsum and the starter fertiliser. Seedling emergence was recorded daily and shoot yield was determined after six weeks’ growth. Final seedling emergence (as a percentage of viable seeds) varied among the Desmanthus species (c.f. D. leptophyllus = 63%, D. pernambucanus = 68%, D. bicornutus = 85%, and D. virgatus = 86%). On average, across the treatments, gypsum increased seedling emergence by 15%, whereas the starter fertiliser had no effect. The shoot yields and shoot phosphorus content of the Desmanthus species generally increased in response to the starter fertiliser. The collective results demonstrated that there were differences in emergence and early growth among the four Desmanthus species, which indicates that Desmanthus cultivar selection may be important in the relatively hostile soils of Northern Australia. Gypsum was an effective amendment for seedling emergence, whereas the starter fertiliser was an effective amendment to increase legume productivity. Full article

The impact of climate change on crop production is a major concern in drought-prone regions, which are experiencing increasingly severe drought conditions. The goal of this study was to use the Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) model to simulate and predict flax yield and water balance, as well as to determine the optimal irrigation and fertilizer for flax production to counteract the effects of climate change under arid and semiarid conditions. The model was calibrated using field experimental data from 2019 to 2020 and evaluated using field experimental data from 2021 to 2022 with a combination of four irrigation treatments (full irrigation, 180 mm, deficit irrigation at vegetative and reproductive stage, no irrigation) and four fertilizer rates (no fertilizer, NPK, NPK + flax oil residue, NPK + farm manure) using a plot design for a total of 16 treatments. To determine the key irrigation and fertility periods and irrigation and fertilization amounts that affect flax yield to address climate change, a combination of four irrigation and six fertilizer rates and six irrigation stages were simulated. The results showed that the model successfully predicted flax yield (R² = 0.98) and water-use efficiency (WUE) (R² = 0.79). When compared to inorganic fertilization, the grain yield and WUE improved by 16.47% and 13.83%; replacing 50% of inorganic fertilizer with flax oil residue achieved the optimal results. The flax yield and WUE increased by 3.37% and 1.25% under full irrigation (180 mm) compared to irrigation of 120 mm with a not-very-significant difference. The positive effect of irrigation on soil water content (SWC) was highest during the budding stage, followed by the flowering stage, fruiting stage, and stemming stage. Therefore, in arid and semiarid areas with scarce water resources, irrigation at a 55% deficiency during the vegetative growth period of flax combined with the application of flax oil residue and NPK (1550 flax oil residue, 45 N, 50.2 P₂O₅, and 33.9 K₂O kg ha⁻¹) might be an effective adaptation strategy for improved future flax production. Our results can facilitate the development of sustainable agriculture practices that reduce water input and improve WUE to counteract climate change effects. Full article

The frequent occurrence of drought–flood abrupt alternation (DFAA) seriously affects crop yield. It is particularly important to explore the dynamics of material accumulation and distribution under DFAA stress to analyze the mechanism of yield formation. In this study, a bucket experiment with DFAA stress groups, drought control (DC) groups, flood control (FC) groups, and normal irrigation (CK) groups was set up from the jointing to the heading stage of rice to analyze the interaction effects of DFAA stress on rice yield and dry matter partitioning. The results showed that compared with the CK group, the average yield reduction rate of rice in the DFAA groups was 23.03%, and the number of grains per panicle, total grain number, thousand-seed mass, and seed setting rate decreased. Compared with the DC groups, the DFAA groups had a significant reduction in yield and its components during the flooding period. Compared with the FC groups, the DFAA groups showed a compensation phenomenon in the yield and its components during the drought period. From the end of DFAA stress to the harvest period, the root partitioning index (PI) of the DFAA groups decreased, the stem PI increased first and then decreased, the leaf PI decreased, and the panicle PI increased. The results showed that the rice leaves increased and thickened, and the stems thickened under DFAA conditions to enhance the ability to resist drought and flooding stress, but the panicle rate was reduced, the growth period of rice was delayed, and the redundant growth of stems and leaves was increased. It is suggested that the depth and duration of stagnant water storage during the flood period of DFAA should be controlled, and the transfer and supply of photosynthetic products to grains should be increased to avoid serious yield reductions. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the rational development of farmland DFAA mitigation measures. Full article

Seventeen traditional pear cultivars grown in the Central–Western Iberian Peninsula, all of them clearly in decline or close to extinction, have been characterized from the point of view of agromorphological and chemical. A total of twenty-one agromorphological and chemical traits, mainly defined by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, were used to describe the fruits during a 3-year period from 2020 to 2022. Some of the genotypes showed distinctive and interesting agronomical characteristics from a commercial point of view, such as high yields and fruit quality. This was the case of the pear cultivars called “Pera Temprana”, “Muslo de Dama”, and “Pera de Cristal de Peñacaballera”. Their fruits were quite heavy (125.32–142.56 g) and had a good sweetness/acidity balance (12.67–14.92° Brix/2.76–3.42 g malic acid/L). The rest of the pear cultivars, with the exception of the “Cermeños” group and “Pera Canela” genotype, also presented interesting commercial characteristics given that their fruits had equatorial diameters greater than 6 cm and total soluble solids levels close to or above 13° Brix. The results of the PCA and cluster analysis showed that agromorphological and chemical analysis can provide reliable information on the variability in pear cultivars. The loss of these traditional crops has enormous significance given that they have unique characteristics and are perfectly adapted to the edapho-climatic conditions of the region. This work constitutes an important step in the conservation of genetic pear resources in the Central–Western Iberian Peninsula. Full article

Elevated temperature and frequent drought events under global climate change may seriously affect soil respiration. However, the underlying mechanism of the effects of warming and drought on soil respiration is not fully understood in the context of the Loess Plateau. This study examined the response of soil respiration (Rs) to multiple factors, including warming (W), drought (P), and their interaction (WP), in the semi-arid grassland of the Loess Plateau in Northwest China. The research period was from May to November 2022, with an open-top heating box used for warming and a rain shelter used for drought. The results showed the following: (1) Rs ranged from 1.67 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ to 4.77 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, with an average of 3.36 ± 0.07 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. The cumulative soil carbon flux ranged from 500.97 g C·m⁻² to 566.97 g C·m⁻², and the average cumulative soil respiration was 535.28 ± 35.44 g C·m⁻². (2) Warming increased Rs by 5.04 ± 3.11%, but drought inhibited Rs by 3.40 ± 3.14%, and the interaction between warming and drought significantly reduced soil respiration by 11.27 ± 3.89%. (3) The content of particulate organic carbon (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and readily oxidized carbon (ROC) decreased with the increased soil depth. ROC after W and WP treatments was significantly higher than that of the control, and POC after P treatment was significantly higher than CK (p < 0.05). (4) The seasonal variation of soil respiration was positively correlated with soil temperature, soil water content, plant height, and leaf area index (p < 0.05), but the response rules differed during different regeneration periods. Soil water content; soil water content and leaf area index; and soil water content, soil temperature, and leaf area index were the factors that regulated the variation in soil respiration in the first, second, and third regeneration periods, respectively. These results clearly showed the limiting effect of drought stress on the coupling between temperature and soil respiration, especially in semi-arid regions. Collectively, the variations in soil respiration under warming, drought, and their interactions were further regulated by different biotic and abiotic factors. Considering future warming, when coupled with increased drought, our findings indicate the importance of considering the interactive effects of climate change on soil respiration and its components in arid and semi-arid regions over the next decade. Full article

This study explores the evolution of wine regulations, trade, and production, with a particular focus on the European Union countries and associated countries. The primary objective is to analyze how historical, regulatory, and economic factors have influenced the wine industry from antiquity to modern times. We assess the administrative role of wine in Roman society, its governance in medieval Europe, and the formation of contemporary regulatory frameworks, such as the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system. The study employs a systematic review approach inspired by the PRISMA 2020 statement, incorporating a diverse array of academic journals, historical texts, and statistical data. We use k-means clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to analyze 2020 production data and value comparisons among European wine varieties. This quantitative analysis reveals patterns in production and trade profiles across European countries, highlighting Romania’s unique position in the non-PDO segment and its strategic balance of wine production and value. The paper also examines the impact of climate change on viticulture and the industry’s response to sustainability challenges. By integrating historical insights with contemporary data, our research provides a comprehensive view of the wine industry’s evolution, emphasizing the interplay of government oversight, market dynamics, and environmental considerations in shaping the European wine landscape. Full article

Irrigation water is the main type of water consumption in the Yanqi Basin irrigation district of Xinjiang, which is an oasis-type irrigation district in the arid region of Northwest China. With the continuous expansion of cultivated areas, there is an increasing demand for irrigation water, resulting in an irrigation efficiency paradox and the phenomenon of “the more water-saving, the more water-scarce”. In this study, the water balance method and the improved IWMI (International Water Management Institute) water balance method were used with remote sensing and statistical data from 1980 to 2020 to analyze the changes in the irrigation water supply, consumption, and loss for improvement in irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in the Yanqi Basin. The results showed that there was an upward trend in the cultivated land area in the irrigation district of Yanqi Basin, as monitored with remote sensing from 1980 to 2020, and the values from the remote sensing data were higher than those from the yearbooks. According to the remote sensing data, the arable land area in the irrigation district increased from 1672 km² in 1980 to 2494 km² in 2020, thus showing a trend of expansion. The traditional water use efficiency in the irrigation district showed an increasing trend. The lowest value for the field water-use coefficient was 0.70 in 1998, and it exceeded to 0.81 from 2009 to 2020. The canal water-use coefficient was as low as 0.50 in 1998 and increased from 0.54 in 2009 to 0.82 in 2020. The irrigation water-use coefficient increased from 0.35 in 1998 to 0.68 in 2020, with a general upward trend. In this study, the water consumption ratio indicator D_Fg (depleted fraction), determined using the improved water balance method, increased from 0.8390 in 1980 to 0.8562 in 2020, although it showed an overall decreasing trend, and the average was 0.8436. Cultivated land’s actual irrigation water consumption per unit area reached the highest value of 8.41 × 10⁶ m³/hm²/a in 2011 and the minimum value of 4.01 × 10⁶ m³/hm²/a in 2020, and from 1980 to 2020 it showed a decreasing trend, while the total water diversion showed an increasing trend due to the continuous expansion of arable land. From 1980 to 2020, water diversion into the irrigation district changed from 1.214 km³ to 1.000 km³, and it reached a maximum of 1.593 km³ in 2000; water diversion into the irrigation district showed an overall upward trend. The positive impact of the post-2000 water conservation phase with the adaptation of water-saving irrigation technology was clear, as the findings showed an increase in IWUE in the Yanqi Basin irrigation district. These results provide a theoretical basis for breaking the paradox of irrigation efficiency, which can be used in the water resource management of irrigation districts. Full article

This study explored the effects of the sowing stage and nitrogen application rate on the grain yield and its allocation of light-temperature resources over a 9-year experiment from 2011 to 2019. Measurement indicators include the effective accumulative temperature on different growth durations, leaf area index (LAI), above-ground biomass production, and harvest index (HI). Methods: A split-plot design was arranged in the treatment, with N supply as the main plot and the sowing stage as the subplot. The main plots consisted of two nitrogen treatments: low nitrogen (LN: 120 kg ha⁻¹) and high nitrogen (HN: 180 kg ha⁻¹). The subplots contained two sowing stages: the early sowing stage (ES) and the late sowing stage (LS). Results: Compared with LNLS, LNES, and HNLS from 2011 to 2019, HNES of HHZ increased the grain yield by 9.5%, 2.5%, and 5.3%, while the difference in grain yield in YY8 was higher than HHZ, especially under HNES. Compared with LNLS, LNES, and HNLS from 2011 to 2019, HNES of HHZ increased the panicle number by 6.0%, 5.9%, and 1.0%, and HNES of YY8 increased by 12.7%, 11.4%, and 3.8%. Compared with HNLS of HHZ, LNES, LNLS, and HNES decreased the spikelets per panicle by 2.3%, 2.9%, and 1.1%, and decreased by 3.5%, 1.9%, and 2.2% in YY8. The early sowing or increasing N supply significantly increased the dry matter accumulated, grain weight, LAI, and HI. The higher grain yield in LNES was more closely related to the average temperature and the number of spikelets per panicle. The grain yield in HNES was more dependent on the effective accumulative temperature. Conclusions: Sowing in mid-May and increasing the N application (180 kg ha⁻¹) are beneficial to the allocation of light temperature and the increase in yield. Therefore, this research provides a theoretical basis for improving rice yield and optimizing the utilization of light-temperature resources in the future. Full article

Straw residual retention is an emerging and promoted practice in rain-fed northwest China, but its effect on wheat photosynthetic characteristics, the utilization of water and nitrogen, and reactive nitrogen losses is poorly understood. A two-year consecutive field experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of residual incorporation into soil and nitrogen application on wheat nitrogen and water utilization, yield and nitrogen losses during 2018–2020. The split-plot design of two tillage systems [conventional tillage (CT), and straw residue incorporated into soil (SR)] and three nitrogen rates [0 kg ha⁻¹ (N0), 144 kg ha⁻¹ (N144), 180 kg ha⁻¹ (N180)] was implemented. Our results demonstrated that compared to CT, SR significantly influenced several key metrics. Compared with CT, SR increased the wheat photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), leaf area index (LAI), leaf total chlorophyll (Chl-total), glutamine synthetase (GS) and nitrate reductase (NR) by an average of 5.38%, 12.75%, 8.21%, 5.79%, 16.21% and 20.08%, respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, SR increased the wheat grain yield and nitrogen uptake accumulation (NUA), evapotranspiration (ET), precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), and mineral nitrogen residual after harvest (except for SR-N180 in 2019–2020),but decreased the apparent nitrogen recovery when compared with CT. However, there was an insignificant difference in the ammonia (NH₃) volatilization and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions of SR and CT. With an increase in the N-fertilization rate, the Pn and Tr, NH₃ volatilization, N₂O emission, mineral nitrogen residual (except for SR-N180 in 2019–2020), LAI, Chl-total (except for SR-N180 and CT-N180 in 2018–2019), GS, NR, grain yield, WUE, and NUA increased significantly; however, the ET, PSE, apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR), and nitrogen harvest index (NHI) decreased significantly. Furthermore, the differences between N144 and N180 in terms of the photosynthetic characteristics of wheat, the utilization of water and nitrogen, and yield were not significant. Overall, straw retention with N144 could be recommended as a resource-saving and environment-friendly management practice in a rain-fed winter wheat–fallow cropping system in northwest China. Full article

Moistube irrigation is an efficient method that accurately irrigates and fertilizes agricultural crops. Investigation into the mechanisms of infiltration behaviors under an adjusted working head (WKH) benefits a timely and artificially regulating moisture condition within root zones, as adapted to evapotranspiration. This study explores the laws of Moistube irrigated soil water movement under constant and adjusted working heads. Lysimeter experiments were conducted to measure Moistube irrigation cumulative infiltration, infiltration rate, and to observe wetting front area and water content distribution using digital image processing and time domain reflectometry, respectively. Treatments of constant heads (0, 1, and 2 m), increasing heads (0 to 1, 0 to 2 and 1 to 2 m) and deceasing heads (1 to 0, 2 to 0 and 2 to 1 m) were designed. The results show that (1) under constant heads, the cumulative infiltration increases linearly over time. The infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration are positively correlated with the pressure head. When WKH is increased or decreased, the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration curves significantly change, followed by a gradual stabilization. The more the head is increased or decreased, the more evident this tendency will be. (2) When WKH is increased, the wetting front migration rate and the wetted soil moisture content marked increase; when WKH is decreased, the wetting front migration rate sharply decelerates, and the water content of the wetted soil slowly grows. They both tend to equilibrium with time. (3) By regarding the same cumulative infiltration of increased WKH and constant WKH treatments as a similar initial condition, we proposed a cumulative infiltration empirical model for Moistube irrigation under variable working head. Additionally, we treat the Moistube as a clayey porous medium and construct a HYDRUS-2D numerical model to predict the infiltration behaviors under variable WKH. The validity of the two models were well proven, with MRE and NRMSE close to 0 and NSE greater than 0.867, indicating good agreements with the experimental results. This model breaks through the limitation of constant boundary of traditional numerical model and applies variable head boundary to the boundary of the Moistube pipe, which can also effectively simulate the response mechanism of Moistube irrigation to variable WKH. The research results further confirmed the feasibility of manually adjusting the WKH to regulate the discharge of the Moistube pipe and soil moisture state. Based on the HYDRUS-2D numerical model simulation results and the root distribution and water demand of typical facility crops, the selection range of placement depth and the adjustable range of WKH of Moistube irrigation were proposed. The research results provide a theoretical reference for manual adjustment or automatic control of Moistube irrigation WKH to adapt to real-time crop water demand in agricultural production. Full article

Management practices might alter soil chemical properties. This study evaluated soil chemical properties in a forage cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. (‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’) (OEM) production system in the Brazilian semiarid region. The experiment was established in June 2011, and the design was a split-split-plot in randomized complete blocks, in which the main plots were formed by distinct levels of organic fertilizer (cattle manure) (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), the subplots were formed by different levels of N inorganic fertilizer applied as urea (0, 120, 240, and 360 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), and the sub-subplots were distinguished by the distinct OEM harvesting frequency (annual or biennial). Soil samples were collected for chemical analysis, C and N contents analysis, and stocks analysis at 0 to 10 and 10 to 20 cm depths in August 2019. Organic fertilizer contributed to a linear increase in soil pH, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (V) at both depths (p < 0.05). With the application of 30 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of cattle manure, there was storage of approximately 126 Mg C ha⁻¹ and 13 Mg N ha⁻¹ at 0 to 20 cm depths. Managing OEM with organic fertilizer and a biennial frequency of harvesting affects the soil’s chemical characteristics in cactus orchards, and it is a sustainable alternative for semiarid regions. Full article

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are small-molecular-weight proteins present in a wide range of organisms, and they play a key role in maintaining the redox homeostasis of cells. Most studies on GRXs are conducted in animals and humans, and those conducted on plants are scarce. The number and types of GRX genes vary in different plants. According to the active sites, the GRX family can be further divided into the CPYC, CGFS, and CC subfamilies. The CPYC and CGFS subfamilies are present in eukaryotes. The CC subfamily is exclusively present in higher plants and has the highest number of genes. In this study, 85 GRX genes were identified in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using a bioinformatic method, wherein 12, 9, and 64 belonged to the CPYC, CGFS, and CC subfamilies, respectively. All TaGRX genes were homogeneously distributed in the three subgenomes of wheat. The gene structure analysis revealed that TaGRX members had 1–7 introns. The conserved motif analysis revealed that members of the same TaGRX subfamily had similar motifs. An analysis of cis-regulatory elements of promoters demonstrated that most TaGRX members had auxin-responsive elements; cis-regulatory elements, such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA), MYB, and abscisic acid (ABA), were distributed in all subfamilies, and the cell-cycle regulation element was only observed in the CC and CPYC subfamily members. Additionally, the synteny of the GRX genes in wheat, in wheat and Arabidopsis, and in wheat and barley was analyzed to clarify the evolutionary correlation of TaGRXs. The expression characteristics of TaGRXs were investigated, and TaGRX expression in various tissues and its responses to different abiotic stresses were preliminarily determined. This study provides a reference for the functional analysis of TaGRXs and understanding their role in molecular breeding of wheat. Full article

The high salt content in saline–alkaline land leads to insufficient nutrients, thereby reducing agricultural productivity. This has sparked widespread interest in improving saline–alkaline soil. In this investigation, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing was employed to examine the impacts of three cropping systems (monoculture, rotation, and mixture) on soil bacterial communities. It was found that cropping rotations and mixtures significantly increased soil bacterial α-diversity. Random forest analysis showed a significant linear relationship between AK and EC and bacterial α-diversity. In addition, principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) further confirmed the significant differences in β-diversity between different soil layers. Through co-occurrence network analysis, it was found that cropping rotations and mixtures increased the stability and complexity of co-occurrence networks. By calculating NST to analyze the assembly process of soil bacterial communities in different cropping systems, it was found that the assembly process of soil bacterial communities was dominated by a stochastic process. Functional prediction results showed that a large number of C, N, and S cycling microbes appeared in soil bacterial communities. Our study aims to establish a fresh perspective on the improvement and recovery of saline–alkaline soil. Full article

Soil degradation is a global problem and refers to the reduction or loss of the biological and economic productive capacity of the soil resource. In Europe, the countries most affected by soil degradation are undoubtedly those of the Mediterranean basin. Among these, Italy shows clear signs of degradation, with different characteristics, especially in the southern regions, where climatic and meteorological conditions strongly contribute to it. Apulia, the Tavoliere plain in particular, is a fragile and very sensitive ecosystem due to its intrinsic characteristics and the level of anthropic exploitation. Agricultural production pays the highest price, as increasing desertification due to climate change and the loss of agricultural land severely limit the extent of land available to produce food for an ever-growing population. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) could be a low-cost and long-term solution to restore soil fertility, as they provide a wide range of benefits in agriculture, including increasing crop productivity, improving soil nutrient levels and inhibiting the growth of pathogens. This review shows how PGPB can be used to improve the quality of soils, their impact on agriculture, their tolerance to abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, heavy metals and organic pollutants) and their feasibility. The use of PGPB could be promoted as a green technology to be applied in marginal areas of Apulia to increase soil fertility, reduce pollution and mitigate the impacts of abiotic stresses and climate change. This is supported by a series of studies showing that the growth of plants inoculated with PGPB is superior to that of non-inoculated plants. Full article

Accurate estimation and effective portioning of actual evapotranspiration (${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$) into soil evaporation (E) and plant transpiration (T) are important for increasing water use efficiency (WUE) and optimizing irrigation schedules in croplands. In this study, E/T partitioning was performed on ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ rates measured using the eddy covariance (EC) technique in three winter wheat growing seasons from October 2020 to June 2023. The variation in the crop coefficients (${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{c}}$, α, and ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{Hc}}$) were quantified by combining the ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ and reference evapotranspiration rates using the Penman–Monteith, Priestley–Taylor, and Hargreaves equations. In addition, the application of models based on the modified crop coefficient (${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{c}}$, α, and ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{Hc}}$) was proposed to estimate the ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ rates. According to the obtained results, the average cumulative ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$, T, and E rates in the three winter wheat growth seasons were 471.4, 265.2, and 206.3 mm, respectively. The average T/${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ ratio ranged from 0.16 to 0.72 at the different winter wheat growth stages. Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) affected the ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ rates at a threshold of 1.27 KPa. The average ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{c}}$, α, and ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{Hc}}$ values in the middle stage were 1.34, 1.54, and 1.21, respectively. The measured ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ rates and ${\mathrm{ET}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ rates estimated using the adjusted ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{c}}$, α, and ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathrm{Hc}}$ showed regression slope coefficients of 0.96, 0.99, and 0.96, and coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.92, 0.93, and 0.90, respectively. Therefore, the Priestley–Taylor-equation-based adjusted crop coefficient is recommended. The adjusted crop-coefficient-based models can be used as valuable tools for local policymakers to effectively improve water use. Full article

The spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ and tropospheric O₃ is increasing under climate change, threatening food security. However, the impacts of short-term elevated CO₂ or O₃ on undamaged kernels in rice remain poorly understood, especially the impacts of their combination. We conducted an open-top chamber experiment to examine the impacts of short-term elevated CO₂ (+200 ppm, eCO₂) and O₃ (+40 ppb, eO₃) on undamaged kernels in rice cultivars (NJ5055 and WYJ3). We found eCO₂ significantly reduced undamaged kernels by 35.2% and 66.2% in NJ5055 and WYJ3, respectively. EO₃ significantly reduced undamaged kernels by 52.4% and 47.7% in NJ5055 and WYJ3, respectively. But the combination of eCO₂ and eO₃ did not affect the undamaged kernels in both cultivars. Moreover, we found that undamaged kernels were significantly correlated with chalky kernels (r = −0.9735). These results highlighted that changes in chalky kernels are most responsible for the changes in undamaged kernels in rice under eCO₂ and eO₃. This study demonstrated that undamaged kernels in rice are fragile to climate change factors like short-term eCO₂ and eO₃, and reducing chalky kernels is one of the most important adaptations to sustain food security in the future. Full article