Search Results (165)

Long-term excessive nitrogen application in arid cotton fields increases nitrate leaching risk during fallow and disrupts rhizosphere microecology. To clarify the cross-growth-stage regulatory effects of the biostimulant γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) combined with chemical fertilizer on rhizosphere microbial communities, we compared chemical fertilizer alone (NK) and γ-PGA plus chemical fertilizer (GT) using rhizosphere soils collected at boll-setting (August) and fallow (October), with physicochemical measurements and metagenomic sequencing technology. At boll-setting, GT lowered pH by 0.74 units compared with NK and increased NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, and TN by 339.3%, 491.4%, and 23.0%, respectively. By fallow, GT increased TOC by 70.6% and maintained NH₄⁺-N at 18.38 mg/kg, while NK accumulated 66.85 mg/kg NO₃⁻-N. GT buffered post-harvest fungal community disturbance (Shannon: GT 4.06 vs. NK 2.80) and shifted bacterial communities toward oligotrophic taxa and archaea toward ammonium-preferring taxa. A metagenomic LEfSe analysis showed that GT was enriched in functional genes related to [Q]: Secondary metabolite biosynthesis, transport and catabolism, [T]: Signal transduction mechanisms, and [V]: Defense mechanisms, indicating a shift from resource acquisition to conservative maintenance. Mantel tests revealed that microbial functional profiles showed the strongest association with NH₄⁺-N (r = 0.828 in August, r = 0.883 in October, p < 0.001). Thus, γ-PGA with chemical fertilizer stabilizes fallow rhizosphere microbial communities, reduces nutrient leaching, and promotes carbon–nitrogen co-retention. Full article

Aerobic composting by microbial inoculation is a green and mild way to handle biomass. Here, three bacterial strains, including Bacillus halotolerans, Bacillus velezensis, and Bacillus subtilis, were compounded to obtain microbial agents, which were further used to obtain cotton straw compost. During this process, the influence of inoculation on cotton straw composting and the relatedness among its physicochemical properties are discussed. Results showed that inoculation extended the thermophilic period by 1–4 days and enhanced subsequent degradation of organic matter. The compost products were made to be fully decomposed, and the germination index (GI) of each treatment group all exceeded 80%. In particular, composting with microbial inoculants containing Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus halotolerans (1:1, treatment PM63-CS) resulted in higher total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and humic acid (HA) contents. The influence of microbial agents on structural changes in resultant cotton straw compost was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N₂ adsorption–desorption techniques. Analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that inoculation improved the richness and diversity of the bacterial community. The interactions between microorganisms and environmental factors facilitated organic matter degradation and humification, which collectively influenced compost maturity. Furthermore, the application of PM63-CS to desertified soil improvement effectively enhanced the nutrient content of sandy soil and promoted the growth of cotton plants. In summary, the composite bacterial agent developed in this study can effectively improve the quality and maturity of compost products, potentially providing a feasible microbial-enhanced composting approach for the resource utilization of cotton straw. Full article

Endophytic bacteria of the Bacillus subtilis species complex are known for plant growth promotion and antifungal activity, although strain-specific traits remain poorly understood. This study characterized the Bacillus siamensis strain BACIII, isolated from asymptomatic soybean roots in a charcoal rot-affected area, using whole-genome analysis and phenotypic assays. Genome sequencing identified BACIII as Bacillus siamensis and revealed a metabolically versatile genome containing twelve biosynthetic gene clusters linked to antimicrobial compounds such as difficidin, fengycin, and surfactin. Additionally, genomic islands associated with mobile elements, regulation, and stress response suggest adaptive potential. Inoculation with the BACIII strain significantly accelerated germination and increased early growth, biomass accumulation, and chlorophyll content in soybean and sunn hemp (p < 0.05), whereas no significant effects were observed in cotton or sunflower, indicating host-dependent responses. In vitro assays demonstrated consistent inhibition of several phytopathogenic fungi, including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium spp., and Macrophomina phaseolina, with variable intensity. Overall, BACIII combines host-specific plant growth promotion with broad antifungal activity, supporting its potential for biological control in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is the terminal rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis and occupies a central position in plant energy metabolism and carbon skeleton allocation. Plant PK isoenzymes comprise the cytosolic pyruvate kinase (PKc) and the plastidic pyruvate kinase (PKp), which differ markedly in gene origin, protein structure, subcellular localization, and physiological function, exhibiting independent evolutionary histories and functional diversification. Recent studies have revealed that PKc possesses dynamic subcellular distribution, allowing it to shuttle among the cytosol, mitochondria, and nucleus, where it participates in stress responses and epigenetic regulation through protein–protein interactions. PKp is localized to plastids and connects carbon metabolism with lipid biosynthesis and the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway by supplying pyruvate, thereby playing critical roles in seed development and oil accumulation. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in plant PKc and PKp concerning protein structure and subunit composition, tissue-specific expression, subcellular localization, protein interaction networks, activity regulation, and their effects on plant growth, development, and stress responses. In addition, phylogenetic tree, motif, and domain analyses of pyruvate kinase genes from Oryza sativa (rice), Glycine max (soybean), Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Solanum tuberosum (potato), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), and Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as promoter cis-element analyses, are performed. This review aims to provide theoretical references for crop quality improvement and stress-resilient breeding. Full article

The use of agricultural by-products as feed is essential for sustainable animal husbandry. This study assessed the effects of substituting whole-plant corn silage with a mixed silage of cotton stalks and grape pomace on growth, serum biochemistry, and jejunal metabolomics in Suffolk rams. In this experiment, 135 rams (6-mo, 30.55 kg BW) were allocated to 0%, 50%, or 100% replacement (CG, EG50, EG100) and fed for 120 d after a 15-d adaptation. Compared with the CG, average daily gain improved by 27.3% and 17.5%, and feed conversion improved by 30.8% and 15.4% in EG50 and EG100 (p < 0.01). Compared with CG, the levels of BUN, TNF-α and IL-1β in serum of EG50 and EG100 were significantly decreased. The levels of IgG, IgM, IL-4, antioxidant enzymes and total antioxidant capacity were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Subsequently, the slaughter performance and jejunal content metabolome of CG and EG50 were further detected and analyzed. The results indicated that the live weight, eye area and muscle crude protein content of EG50 were extremely significantly higher than those of CG (p < 0.01). In jejunal contents, 31 differential metabolites (EG50 vs. CG) were enriched in ABC transporters, branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, mineral absorption, purine and biotin metabolism, and glucagon signaling. In conclusion, substituting corn silage with the mixed silage promotes growth, improves antioxidant and immune status, reduces serum urea nitrogen, enhances muscle protein deposition (EG50), modulates intestinal nitrogen, purine, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism (EG50), and supports sustainable meat sheep production. Full article

In this study, we performed the first genome-wide identification and characterization of the cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) gene family in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), focusing on its potential association with stem strength. We identified 76 GhCCR genes and classified them into four subfamilies. We then analyzed their evolutionary relationships, conserved domains, synteny, promoter cis-elements, and expression patterns. All GhCCR proteins possess the NADB_Rossmann superfamily domain, and family expansion appears to have been driven mainly by segmental and tandem duplications. A small number of GhCCR genes showed relatively high expression in leaf, pistil, and torus tissues, while genes such as GhCCR3/9/10 exhibited elevated transcript levels under abiotic stress conditions. RT-qPCR results indicated that three candidate GhCCR genes (GhCCR25, GhCCR52 and GhCCR64) were significantly more highly expressed in multiple tissues of the stiff-stem line JY-25 than in the soft-stem line JR-15. Together, these findings suggest that GhCCR genes may contribute to the regulation of growth, development, and stress adaptation in G. hirsutum. However, direct biochemical or genetic validation is required to confirm their functional roles in lignin biosynthesis and stem rigidity. Full article

Under dry sowing and wet emergence conditions in Xinjiang, cotton planting with extra-wide film mulching and sowing faced challenges including low soil moisture content and poor soil plasticity. These conditions resulted in inadequate film edge laying, seed exposure, and unstable sowing depth. This study focused on an extra-wide film mulch planter, conducting operational process analysis and parameter optimization experiments. The research first analyzed the soil layer structure required for a high-quality cotton seedbed, described the structural composition and working principle of the extra-wide film mulch planter, and examined the interaction between key components and soil during operation. The primary factors affecting machine performance were identified, and a soil-deflecting device was added to mitigate rapid soil backflow. A coupled MBD-DEM model was developed to simulate the operation of key components, and simulation experiments were conducted. The optimal parameter combination obtained through optimization was as follows: furrowing disc deflection angle of 11°, primary soil-covering disc deflection angle of 20°, operational speed of 3.5 km/h, longitudinal blade height of 16 mm, and spring stiffness of 14 N/mm. Simulation validation under these parameters yielded the following results: covering soil amount ranged from 3.22 kg/m to 3.67 kg/m, with a mean of 3.43 kg/m; seeding qualification rate ranged from 94.97% to 97.52%, with a mean of 96.3%; film hole length ranged from 43.14 mm to 46.86 mm, with a mean of 45.18 mm; and cotton seed sowing depth ranged from 29.51 mm to 31.82 mm, with a mean of 31.23 mm. These simulation results met the operational requirements for extra-wide film mulching and sowing. Field validation experiments were conducted using the optimal parameter combination. The results showed a mean soil-covering thickness of 35.1 mm, mean soil-covering width of 65.3 mm, mean film hole length of 45.7 mm, and mean cotton seed sowing depth of 29.1 mm, with coefficients of variation of 5.1%, 2.6%, 4.7%, and 5.8%, respectively. The field results were generally consistent with the simulation results, confirming the reliability of the simulation model and demonstrating improved operational performance of the extra-wide film mulch planter, making it more suitable for the dry sowing with wet emergence technique. Twenty days after sowing, the mean emergence rate reached 93.3% with a coefficient of variation of 1.0%, indicating stable emergence, which preliminarily validated the effectiveness of the constructed seedbed in promoting cotton growth. Full article

Cotton, as a globally significant economic crop, is intricately regulated in its growth and development by the key genes for SA (Salicylic acid) biosynthesis. In the present study, a systematic analysis of genes related to SA biosynthesis was conducted across four cotton species, leading to the identification of 70 genes. Specifically, the tetraploid species Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense were found to harbor 22 and 23 genes, respectively, representing a substantial expansion compared to the 12 and 13 genes identified in the diploid progenitors G. arboreum and G. raimondii. Comprehensive characterization of chromosomal localization, phylogeny, domain architecture, and promoter cis-elements revealed a uniform distribution of key genes involved in SA biosynthesis across A/D sub-genomes of tetraploids with extensive interspecific collinearity; whole-genome and segmental duplication act as the dominant drivers for the expansion of this gene family, while partial gene loss following polyploidization results in non-doubled gene copy numbers in tetraploids relative to diploids, which reflects the evolutionary selection for genomic dosage balance. The key genes for SA biosynthesis demonstrate a high degree of conservation in protein sequences, protein structures, and conserved motifs, which constitute the structural basis for the stable maintenance of their core functions in the SA biosynthesis pathway during plant evolution. This is closely related to their core function in the salicylic acid (SA) synthesis pathway and serves as the structural basis for the stable maintenance of gene functions during evolution. Analysis of cis-elements revealed that the expression of key genes involved in SA biosynthesis is governed by a complex interplay of phytohormones, stress signals, and transcription factors. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays confirmed the interaction between the GhPAL and GhICS gene and predicted candidate transcription factors, specifically the binding of GhWRKY21 to GhICS2-1 promoter and GhMYB12 to GhPAL1-2 promoter, thus elucidating their stage-specific regulatory mechanisms in cotton fiber development and reflecting their evolution. This study provides a fundamental basis for investigating the role of the SA signaling pathway in cotton development and offers support for cotton molecular breeding. Full article

The necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum compromises the physiological and anatomical integrity of cotton, leading to substantial economic losses due to rapid tissue necrosis, stem blight, boll rot, and leaf wilting. In this context, the use of endophytic microorganisms emerges as a promising strategy for the biocontrol of white mold. This study tested the hypothesis that endophytic fungal strains isolated from the roots of Butia purpurascens, a palm tree endemic to the Cerrado biome, could mitigate disease symptoms in Gossypium hirsutum L. To evaluate this, cotton plants were subjected to biotic stress imposed by S. sclerotiorum to assess the effectiveness of seven fungal strains in attenuating disease. The impact of the pathogen was monitored through growth variables, gas exchange, leaf temperature, chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant enzyme activity, proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the incidence of rot in petioles, leaves, and flower buds. Overall, inoculation with endophytic fungi significantly alleviated the effects of the phytopathogen, promoting vegetative growth and optimizing physiological performance. Treated plants exhibited alleviated stress in primary photochemistry, reduced non-photochemical energy dissipation, and stable carbon fixation. Additionally, efficient modulation of the antioxidant system and preservation of anatomical structures were observed, minimizing the severe symptoms of white mold. Notably, the non-pathogenic strains BP10EF (Gibberella moniliformis), BP16EF (Penicillium purpurogenum), and BP33EF (Hamigera insecticola) acted as potent physiological modulators, yielding responses similar to those of healthy plants. These results highlight the biotechnological potential of these endophytic strains, which can be explored as both growth promoters and resistance inducers in cotton against white mold. Full article

Soil salinization is a major constraint on sustainable agriculture worldwide, highlighting the need for stress-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for salt-affected soils. A moderately halophilic and alkali-tolerant bacterium, Staphylococcus succinus NYN-1, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of the halophyte Suaeda dendroides collected from a highly salinized site in Xinjiang, China. This study aimed to evaluate its salt–alkali tolerance and plant growth-promoting potential through integrated phenotypic characterization, pot experiments, and whole-genome analysis. NYN-1 grew over a broad salinity range [0–15% (w/v)] and pH range (6.0–11.0), and showed plant growth-promoting activities including organic phosphorus mineralization, inorganic phosphate solubilization, potassium solubilization, and NH₄⁺ production. In pot experiments under 300 mM NaCl, inoculation with NYN-1 significantly improved the growth performance of maize (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Genome analysis identified multiple Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter-related genes and genes encoding compatible-solute transport systems that are consistent with adaptation to salt–alkali stress. The genome also harbors a broad set of genes related to phosphorus metabolism, as well as other plant growth-promoting functions, including potassium solubilization-related pathways and siderophore biosynthesis. Collectively, these findings identify S. succinus NYN-1 as a promising native halophilic PGPR candidate and a potential microbial resource for developing inoculant strategies in salt-affected agricultural systems. Full article

Cotton Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, is a devastating soil-borne disease that severely limits global cotton production. While Myxococcus fulvus KS01 has demonstrated potent antagonistic activity and multi-functional biocontrol effects against V. dahliae, its practical application has been hindered by low myxospore yields and inconsistent efficacy in initial solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study aimed to optimize the SSF process for strain KS01 to maximize myxospore production and systematically evaluate its biocontrol efficacy against Verticillium wilt. Using a mixture of wheat straw and Protaetia brevitarsis frass (an agricultural byproduct) as the base substrate, we utilized single factor experiments and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize nutritional supplements and fermentation parameters. The optimized SSF process was determined as follows: a 3:1 (w/w) frass-to-straw ratio, supplemented with 3.08% potato starch and 1.05% yeast powder, with a 15.03% inoculum size, 65.05% moisture content, and an initial pH of 7.0, fermented at 30 °C for 6 days. Under these conditions, the myxospore concentration reached 6.61 × 10⁷ CFU/g, representing a 131.2-fold increase compared to unoptimized conditions (5.0 × 10⁵ CFU/g). Greenhouse pot trials showed that the optimized KS01 solid agent achieved a control efficacy of 71.9%. In field trials conducted in heavily infested soil, the agent maintained control efficacies of 71.2% at the budding stage and 54.5% at the bolling stage, significantly outperforming the commercial fungicide Benziothiazolinone (51.4% and 41.4%, respectively) and the sterile substrate control. Furthermore, application of the KS01 agent significantly promoted cotton growth, with seed cotton yield reaching 5380.0 kg/ha, equating to a 50.4% reduction in yield loss compared to the untreated control. Our results demonstrate that the valorization of P. brevitarsis frass through optimized SSF significantly enhances the production and field performance of M. fulvus KS01. This study provides a novel technical framework and a robust microbial resource for the sustainable management of Verticillium wilt in saline alkali cotton production systems. Full article

Emerging pharmaceutical pollutants such as acetaminophen (ACE) pose health and environmental risks. Solar photocatalysis provides a sustainable and efficient treatment option. In this study, UiO-66-NH₂ metal–organic framework was immobilized on cotton fabrics to enable their application in both batch and continuous flow systems. Cotton, a biodegradable and low-cost support, was first functionalized by two strategies: hydroxylation (-OH) and carboxylation (-COOH), to promote MOF anchoring. Cotton fabric functionalization and MOF growth were confirmed by ATR and X-ray diffraction, while SEM and EDX analyses revealed that carboxylated fibers achieved higher MOF loading. Photocatalytic experiments under simulated solar irradiation demonstrated significantly higher degradation of acetaminophen when the carboxylated cotton fabric-based catalyst (F-COOH-UiO-66-NH₂) was used. Mott–Schottky analysis and band alignment revealed that, under the applied reaction conditions, hydroxyl radical generation was not favored due to the position of the valence band. Studies with scavengers identified the superoxide radical as the dominant oxidative agent responsible for the photodegradation process. In particular, the F-COOH-UiO-66-NH₂ system demonstrated its suitability for application in continuous flow systems, achieving acetaminophen conversion of up to 50% under simulated solar irradiation. This confirms its potential for scalable application in practical water treatment technologies. These results reinforce the feasibility of immobilizing MOF-based photocatalysts on functionalized textile waste, offering a dual-purpose solution that combines the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants with the valorization of waste materials. The synergistic integration of high photocatalytic efficiency, sunlight harvesting and recyclability of the materials underlines the eco-friendly and cost-effective nature of the proposed strategy. Full article

Despite the enormous amounts of waste textiles produced by the world’s textile industry’s explosive growth, resource utilization rates are still poor. Cotton/polyester blended waste fabrics make up a sizable share, and sorting them precisely is essential to increasing recycling value and promoting the circular economy in the textile industry. Traditional mechanical and human sorting techniques are ineffective and inaccurate; current spectral analysis algorithms mainly concentrate on quantitative composition prediction and are insufficiently capable of differentiating between waste fabrics with comparable content gradients. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an improved 1DCNN model (Dual-1DCNN-Residual-SE) integrated with Near-Infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging technology. This model takes raw spectral data and Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing data as dual-channel inputs, introducing residual connections to capture subtle spectral differences between similar fabric categories, and employs SE attention mechanisms to adaptively enhance key features. Comparative experiments with four traditional algorithms—KNN, RF, SVM, and PLS—demonstrate that the proposed model achieves a classification accuracy of 95.94%, surpassing the best traditional algorithm SVM (88.12%) by 7.82%. Ablation experiments confirm each enhanced module’s efficacy. This study achieves high-precision classification of cotton/polyester blended waste fabrics, providing technical support for intelligent sorting of industrial waste fabrics. Full article

Purpose: Gibberellins (GAs) are key phytohormones that regulate plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stress, and their metabolism is mediated by 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2OGDs). Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a polyploid crop with a complex genome; however, the evolutionary characteristics and stress-responsive regulation of GA-related 2OGDs remain poorly understood. This study aimed to systematically investigate the evolution, expression patterns, and stress-associated regulation of the cotton 2OGD multigene family, with particular emphasis on GA-related members. Methods: 2OGD genes were identified genome-wide in four Gossypium species and Arabidopsis thaliana. Phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, cis-acting regulatory elements, and synteny were analyzed. Transcriptomic data from multiple tissues and developmental stages, together with time-course RNA-seq under salt stress, were examined. Transcriptome–metabolome association analysis, endogenous GA quantification, and predicted protein–protein interaction analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 583 2OGD genes were identified and classified into three major classes, including a Class C group comprising GA2ox, GA3ox, and GA20ox genes. Polyploidization-associated duplication contributed to the expansion of the 2OGD family, and most duplicated gene pairs exhibited signatures of purifying selection. GA-related 2OGDs displayed conserved motif compositions with variation in cis-acting elements. Promoter analysis identified abundant hormone-responsive, stress-responsive, and growth-related cis-elements, suggesting complex regulatory control of GA-related 2OGDs in cotton. Under salt stress, GhGA2OX1 and GhGA20OX2 were upregulated, whereas GhGA3OX1 was downregulated, accompanied by reduced endogenous GA levels. Conclusions: GA-related 2OGDs in cotton are transcriptionally responsive to salt stress and are associated with changes in GA metabolism, providing a basis for future functional studies. Full article

Cotton is an important cash crop globally. Cotton fiber is the main economic product of cotton plants. Phosphorus, as one of the essential nutrients, plays an important role in plant growth and development. However, few studies focus on phosphorus regulating fiber elongation. In this study, we used the cotton ovule culture system in vitro to explore the effects of various phosphorus levels on fiber and ovule growth, and screened for phosphorus-responsive factor, as well as revealed its action mechanism. The results indicated that fiber elongation was more sensitive than ovule growth to phosphorus deficiency. GhPHR1, a homolog of phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1) in upland cotton, was significantly upregulated in fibers and ovules under phosphorus-deficient conditions. GhPHR1 directly binds to the promoter of the glucosylceramide synthase gene in cotton (GhGCS1) and positively regulates its expression. Overexpressing GhGCS1 enhanced phosphorus uptake and transport in cotton, increased phosphorus content in fiber cells, and promoted fiber cell elongation. Conversely, downregulating GhGCS1 reduced phosphorus content in fiber cells and suppressed fiber elongation. These findings demonstrate the importance of the GhPHR1-GhGCS1 molecular module in regulating fiber cell elongation and elucidate the molecular mechanism by which phosphorus influences fiber elongation. Full article