Sand dust belts span approximately one-fifth of the global land surface.In these regions,dust tends to settle on vegetation surfaces,altering the observed reflectance and affecting remote sensing detections.To enhance...Sand dust belts span approximately one-fifth of the global land surface.In these regions,dust tends to settle on vegetation surfaces,altering the observed reflectance and affecting remote sensing detections.To enhance the accuracy of maize growth monitoring in dust-affected regions,this study aims to quantify the effect of sand dust retention on maize during the tasseling stage in the Kashgar Prefecture,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,by analyzing changes in canopy reflectance and vegetation indices.First,field sampling was conducted to measure the key canopy structure parameters and dust retention levels of maize,and laboratory spectral measurements were performed on leaf spectral properties under gradient dust retention.The measured data were then used to drive the LargE-Scale remote sensing data and image Simulation framework(LESS)model for simulating realistic maize canopy spectra across different dust levels,with validation against Sentinel-2 imagery.Second,on the basis of the simulated and satellite-derived spectra,the dust resistance of 36 common vegetation indices was systematically evaluated,and new robust dust-resistant indices were developed.The results showed that compared with dust-free maize,the canopy reflectance of dust-retained maize followed an increase–decrease–increase pattern,with critical turning points at 735 and 1325 nm.The maximum reflectance difference of–0.11755(change rate:29.002%)occurred within the 735–1325 nm range at 24 g/m^(2)dust retention,and the minimum reflectance difference of 0.04285(change rate:148.950%)was observed in the 350–735 nm range under the same dust retention level.Among the 36 vegetation indices,only the global environment monitoring index(GEMI)and the ratio of transformed chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index to optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index(TCARI/OSAVI)exhibited dust resistance,with GEMI being effective below 6 g/m^(2)and TCARI/OSAVI remaining stable across all levels(average ratio:0.970).The newly developed indices in this study,(RE3–RE2)/(NIR–RE2),(RE3–RE2)/(RE4–RE2),and(NIR–RE2)/(RE4–RE2),retained values within the predefined dust-resistant range over the full dust retention levels of 0–24 g/m^(2),thus showing a more stable dust resistance compared with the commonly used 36 vegetation indices.Specially,(RE3–RE2)/(RE4–RE2)performed the most robustly in Sentinel-2 imagery,that is,58.020%of pixels were within the dust-resistant range,and an average ratio of 0.937 was obtained for the original-spectra index.This study provides a scientific basis for crop monitoring and management in dust-affected regions.展开更多
Salinization of agricultural land is becoming increasingly severe worldwide,posing a significant threat to food security.The exogenous application of bioactive substances has been widely used to enhance plant resistan...Salinization of agricultural land is becoming increasingly severe worldwide,posing a significant threat to food security.The exogenous application of bioactive substances has been widely used to enhance plant resistance to salt stress.In this study,we used corn steep liquor(CSL),myo-inositol(MI),and their combination to improve salt tolerance in Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa L.ssp.pekinensis)under salt stress conditions.All three treatments significantly increased plant biomass and nutrient uptake,and improved soil physicochemical properties,while alleviating oxidative damage and ion toxicity.展开更多
Rice is one of the most important staple crops globally.Rice plant diseases can severely reduce crop yields and,in extreme cases,lead to total production loss.Early diagnosis enables timely intervention,mitigates dise...Rice is one of the most important staple crops globally.Rice plant diseases can severely reduce crop yields and,in extreme cases,lead to total production loss.Early diagnosis enables timely intervention,mitigates disease severity,supports effective treatment strategies,and reduces reliance on excessive pesticide use.Traditional machine learning approaches have been applied for automated rice disease diagnosis;however,these methods depend heavily on manual image preprocessing and handcrafted feature extraction,which are labor-intensive and time-consuming and often require domain expertise.Recently,end-to-end deep learning(DL) models have been introduced for this task,but they often lack robustness and generalizability across diverse datasets.To address these limitations,we propose a novel end-toend training framework for convolutional neural network(CNN) and attention-based model ensembles(E2ETCA).This framework integrates features from two state-of-the-art(SOTA) CNN models,Inception V3 and DenseNet-201,and an attention-based vision transformer(ViT) model.The fused features are passed through an additional fully connected layer with softmax activation for final classification.The entire process is trained end-to-end,enhancing its suitability for realworld deployment.Furthermore,we extract and analyze the learned features using a support vector machine(SVM),a traditional machine learning classifier,to provide comparative insights.We evaluate the proposed E2ETCA framework on three publicly available datasets,the Mendeley Rice Leaf Disease Image Samples dataset,the Kaggle Rice Diseases Image dataset,the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute dataset,and a combined version of all three.Using standard evaluation metrics(accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-score),our framework demonstrates superior performance compared to existing SOTA methods in rice disease diagnosis,with potential applicability to other agricultural disease detection tasks.展开更多
As we welcome the spring of 2026,we extend our sincere greetings and best wishes to colleagues worldwide in the field of crop science,our partners,and all those committed to sustainable agricultural development!The Ye...As we welcome the spring of 2026,we extend our sincere greetings and best wishes to colleagues worldwide in the field of crop science,our partners,and all those committed to sustainable agricultural development!The Year of the Horse symbolizes endeavor and far-reaching journeys,reflecting our own spirit of continuous exploration and breakthrough innovation on the path of crop science.Here,I extendmysincere appreciation to all our authors and reviewers for their invaluable time,expertise,and dedication,which are instrumental in the success of The Crop Journal,establishing it as a premier platform for the global crop science research community.The Crop Journal publishes its 2026 first issue as a special issue themed“Synthetic Biology for Crop Improvement”,ably vip-edited by four young scientists.The issue provides a comprehensive overview of major advances in the field.In the past few years,crop science has made long strides in metabolic engineering of important pathways in secondary metabolism.The achievements expedite the emergence of synthetic biology as a potent methodology for crop breeding and represent a fundamental paradigm shift from“deciphering crops”to“designing crops”,which is further empowered by artificial intelligence(AI).At this turning point of the New Year,I would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief retrospective and future perspective.展开更多
Brown spot(BS)of rice,caused by Bipolaris oryzae,is a serious concern that not only causes quantitative losses but also affects grain quality.To manage this disease,the use of resistant genetic sources and QTLs is an ...Brown spot(BS)of rice,caused by Bipolaris oryzae,is a serious concern that not only causes quantitative losses but also affects grain quality.To manage this disease,the use of resistant genetic sources and QTLs is an eco-friendly and economical option.In the current study,F_(3) progenies derived from a cross of susceptible parent PMS-18-B(PAU 10845-1-1-1-1)×resistant parent RP Path 77(RP patho-17)were used to identify potential QTLs linked to BS resistance and to associate this resistance with a temporal spike in defense-related enzymes.展开更多
Located in southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,northwest China,the Liupan Mountain National Nature Reserve covers a total area of 26,783.64 hectares.Established in 1982 and upgraded to national status in 1988,it pr...Located in southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,northwest China,the Liupan Mountain National Nature Reserve covers a total area of 26,783.64 hectares.Established in 1982 and upgraded to national status in 1988,it protects a vital temperate mountainous forest ecosystem on the Loess Plateau.The reserve is centred around the Liupan Mountain range,one of China’s youngest mountain chains,formed by Himalayan tectonic movements.展开更多
1.Introduction Crop breeding is transitioning to engineering by synthetic biology.Conventional breeding,constrained by limited genetic variation and lengthy development cycles,cannot meet the challenges of micronutrie...1.Introduction Crop breeding is transitioning to engineering by synthetic biology.Conventional breeding,constrained by limited genetic variation and lengthy development cycles,cannot meet the challenges of micronutrient malnutrition and yield reductions from climate change with sufficient speed or precision[1].Consequently,agriculture is transitioning from selection-based breeding to designbased engineering.Synthetic biology enables the precision modification of metabolic pathways and the construction of novel trait combinations[1,2].This special issue,Synthetic Biology for Crop Improvement,brings together 26 articles that showcase the field’s transition from laboratory curiosity to field-validated agricultural technology.The collection spans 13 plant species,from staple grains and major industrial crops to horticultural and medicinal plants,demonstrating the universal applicability of metabolic engineering.These studies reveal maturation toward field readiness:independent groups achieving reproducible results in identical pathways,greenhouse concepts advancing to multi-season field trials,and engineered traits delivering measurable agronomic value.This progression answers the central question in crop synthetic biology,shifting the paradigm from asking“can it work?”to demonstrating“how it works,and here are the yields”.This transformation is grounded in understanding and manipulating plant metabolism at molecular resolution[3].展开更多
The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucas...The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucasus under the global climate change conditions are introduced in the current article.The main goal of our scientific work is to study and assess the current ecological and resource state of natural phytocenoses,pastures and hayfields in the arid and semi-arid landscapes under climate change.The paper presents the results of determining the areas and levels of degradation of the natural biogeocenoses and biogeocenoses of the pastures and hayfields in the mountain and highland landscapes.The results were obtained using remote sensing,field and laboratory studies and analyses.The conducted studies have revealed that along 34,174.5 ha pasture and 1342.0 meadows areas of the pastures at the Areni,Yeghegis,Yeghegnadzor and Vayq consolidated administrative territories situated in the arid and semi-arid zones of the Vayots Dzor Region high degradation was recorded in about 6508 hectares of pasture and 407 hectares of meadows areas,which is related to irregular and uncontrolled economic mismanagement of the local population and global climate change.To improve the ecological condition,accessibility and quality of ecosystem services of the pastures,hayfields and natural meadows,comprehensive restoration bioecological and agrotechnical measures have been proposed.They are aimed at improving the air,water and nutrient regimes of soils,at their bioprotection,as well as at the general increase in area and at improving the economic characteristics of the vegetation cover.Such measures on the ecosystem basis are appropriate in the context of enriching the qualitative composition of plants with useful ecological and economic bioecological characteristics,taking into account the characteristics of landscapes,weather and climatic conditions,and agricultural opportunities.展开更多
In tomato,early fruit development involves rapid cell division and expansion,which are highly dependent on sugar availability(Huang et al.,2025;Yuan et al.,2025).After fruit set,soluble sugars are loaded into pericarp...In tomato,early fruit development involves rapid cell division and expansion,which are highly dependent on sugar availability(Huang et al.,2025;Yuan et al.,2025).After fruit set,soluble sugars are loaded into pericarp cells through the symplasmic(cytosol)or apoplasmic pathway(cell wall and extracellular matrix)(Patrick and Offler,1996).Sucrose,as the major form of carbon translocated to tomato fruit,can be directly unloaded into fruit cells.However,some sucrose can be hydrolyzed by extracellular invertase,producing glucose and fructose for metabolism and biosynthesis in pericarp cells(Ruan,2014).展开更多
The Crop Journal is a bimonthly scientific journal co-sponsored by the Crop Science Society of China and the Institute of Crop Science,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,and China Science Publishing&Media Gr...The Crop Journal is a bimonthly scientific journal co-sponsored by the Crop Science Society of China and the Institute of Crop Science,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,and China Science Publishing&Media Group Ltd.It is published by Science Press and KeAi(founded by China Science Publishing&Media Ltd.and Elsevier).展开更多
Members of genus Chrysanthemum,comprising approximately 40 species,hold economic significance as edible,medicinal,and ornamental plants.Among these species,Chrysanthemum indicum and the cultivated chrysanthemum C.mori...Members of genus Chrysanthemum,comprising approximately 40 species,hold economic significance as edible,medicinal,and ornamental plants.Among these species,Chrysanthemum indicum and the cultivated chrysanthemum C.morifolium have been used for tea and traditional Chinese medicine to treat common cold symptoms,impaired vision,dizziness,and skin irritation.The medicinal properties of chrysanthemum are primarily derived from its bioactive compounds,including flavonoids.展开更多
Plants deploy a two-layered immune system:pathogen-associated molecular pattern(PAMP)-triggered immunity(PTl)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI).While PTI is initiated by cell surface receptors,ETI relies on intracel...Plants deploy a two-layered immune system:pathogen-associated molecular pattern(PAMP)-triggered immunity(PTl)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI).While PTI is initiated by cell surface receptors,ETI relies on intracellular NLR receptors that recognize pathogen effectors(Jones et al.,2024).The nucleoporin CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSER OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 5(CPR5)is a key negative regulator of ETI.CPR5 integrates nuclear transport,cell cycle control,and RNA processing to suppress immune signaling(Wang et al.,2014;Gu et al.,2016;Peng et al.,2022).Recent work revealed that CPR5 also modulates immunity through another nucleoporin,GUANYLATE-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3(GBPL3),which interaCtS with PWWP-DOMAIN INTERACTOR OF POLYCOMBS1(PWO1),a key component of the chromatin-associated methyltransferase POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX 2(PRC2)(Reimann et al.,2023;Pan et al.,2025).These findings suggest unexplored roles for chromatin remodeling in the CPR5-mediated immunity.展开更多
Ascorbate(Asc),commonly known as vitamin C,is a vital molecule for plant growth,development,and stress resilience.It is also known to play a crucial role in various physiological processes,including photosynthesis,cel...Ascorbate(Asc),commonly known as vitamin C,is a vital molecule for plant growth,development,and stress resilience.It is also known to play a crucial role in various physiological processes,including photosynthesis,cell division,and differentiation.This article thoroughly explores the processes governing the metabolism of Asc in plants and its roles in physiological functions.It lays down a robust theoretical groundwork for delving into Asc production,transportation,functions,and its potential applications in stress alleviation and horticulture.Furthermore,recent studies indicate that Asc plays a role in regulating fruit development and affecting postharvest storage characteristics,thereby influencing fruit ripening and resilience to stress.Hence,there is a growing importance in studying the synthesis and utilization of Asc in plants.Although the critical role of Asc in controlling plant redox signals has been extensively studied,the precise mechanisms by which it manages cellular redox homeostasis to maintain the equilibrium between reactive oxygen scavenging and cell redox signaling remain elusive.This gap in knowledge presents fresh opportunities to explore how the production of Asc in plants is regulated and how plants react to environmental stressors.Furthermore,this article delves into the potential for a comprehensive investigation into the essential function of Asc in fruits,the development of Asc-rich fruits,and the enhancement of postharvest storage properties.展开更多
Emerging and powerful genome editing tools,particularly CRISPR/Cas9,are facilitating functional genomics research and accelerating crop improvement(Jiang et al.2021;Cao et al.2023;Chen C et al.2023;Liu et al.2023a).Ho...Emerging and powerful genome editing tools,particularly CRISPR/Cas9,are facilitating functional genomics research and accelerating crop improvement(Jiang et al.2021;Cao et al.2023;Chen C et al.2023;Liu et al.2023a).However,the detection and screening of transgenic lines remain major bottlenecks,being time-consuming,labor-intensive,and inefficient during transformation and subsequent mutation identification.A simple and efficient visual marker system plays a critical role in addressing these challenges.Recent studies demonstrated that the GmW1 and RUBY reporter systems were used to obtain visual transgenic soybean(Glycine max) plants(Chen L et al.2023;Chen et al.2024).展开更多
The shift from seedling transplanting to direct-seeding cultivation in rice demands robust root systems for early seedling establishment and yield stability.While the pleiotropic gene OsSP3(also designated TAC4 or SG2...The shift from seedling transplanting to direct-seeding cultivation in rice demands robust root systems for early seedling establishment and yield stability.While the pleiotropic gene OsSP3(also designated TAC4 or SG2)is known to regulate aboveground traits,including tiller angle,grain size,and panicle development,its function in root morphogenesis remains uncharacterized.展开更多
Highlights By conjugating the same anti-N monoclonal antibody(mAb4-mAb1)with colloidal gold or fluorescent microspheres,this study developed two rapid point-of-care antigen immunochromatographic strips for the detecti...Highlights By conjugating the same anti-N monoclonal antibody(mAb4-mAb1)with colloidal gold or fluorescent microspheres,this study developed two rapid point-of-care antigen immunochromatographic strips for the detection of porcine deltacoronavirus.The fluorescent microsphere-based lateral flow test strip demonstrated a sensitivity of 10^(1.7)TCID_(50)/0.1 mL,which is fourfold higher than that of the colloidal gold-based assay.Porcine deltacoronavirus(PDCoV)is a recently identified enteric coronavirus that causes an acute infectious disease in piglets,leading to diarrhea,vomiting,dehydration,and mortality(Hu et al.2015).展开更多
We investigated the impact of convexity and isoperimetric deficits on the accuracy of sectional area estimates of tree stems using traditional methods(caliper,tape,formulas based on stem diameter and circumference).In...We investigated the impact of convexity and isoperimetric deficits on the accuracy of sectional area estimates of tree stems using traditional methods(caliper,tape,formulas based on stem diameter and circumference).In two complementary experiments,the use of photographs to estimate cross-sectional areas was first validated,then the use of a caliper and diameter tape was computer-simulated.The results indicated that the photographic method offers high precision,with mean relative errors below 0.1%,minimal deviation,and no significant bias,and the traditional methods led to substantial and systematic errors,with deviations from circularity and convexity significantly increasing the errors in area estimation.展开更多
[Objectives]To provide a reference for the efficient use of wild Paeonia suffruticosa germplasm resources and the scientific selection of parents.[Methods]This study systematically evaluated cross-compatibility by con...[Objectives]To provide a reference for the efficient use of wild Paeonia suffruticosa germplasm resources and the scientific selection of parents.[Methods]This study systematically evaluated cross-compatibility by conducting interspecific crosses among the major wild species subsect.Delavayanae(Paeonia delavayi,Paeonia lutea,Paeonia potaninii,and Paeonia ludlowii)as well as reciprocal crosses between these species and cultivated varieties from the subsect.Vaginatae.[Results]Crosses among P.delavayi,P.lutea,and P.potaninii generally exhibited good seed set,with the resulting seeds showing a high emergence rate.In contrast,crosses involving P.ludlowii as a parent produced only a limited number of seeds,none of which germinated.In crosses with cultivated varieties where the wild species served as the maternal parent,the average seed set ranked as follows:P.lutea>P.delavayi>P.ludlowii>P.potaninii.When wild species were used as paternal parent,the average seed set ranked as follows:P.potaninii>P.lutea>P.delavayi>P.ludlowii.On the whole,most crosses between wild species of subsect.Delavayanae and cultivated varieties achieved normal seed set,demonstrating a certain degree of cross-compatibility.However,when the wild species served as the maternal parent,both the seed set and seedling emergence rate were superior to those in the reciprocal crosses(with wild species as the paternal parent).[Conclusions]Significant differences in cross-compatibility were observed among species within Paeonia subsect.Delavayanae.In addition,a significant maternal effect was identified in crosses between wild species of this subsection and cultivated varieties.These findings suggest that by selecting highly compatible combinations,there remains considerable potential for utilizing these wild species in peony breeding.展开更多
Understory plants are an integral part of forests,serving a variety of functions that help maintain healthy ecosystems.The structure and composition of the understory are influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic fact...Understory plants are an integral part of forests,serving a variety of functions that help maintain healthy ecosystems.The structure and composition of the understory are influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic factors,with light being critical.The introduction of the pathogen Cronartium ribicola,which causes white pine blister rust,into North America in the early 20 th century led to the near total loss of western white pine(Pinus monticola)from moist forests of the Northern Rockies.Management is reintroducing blister rust-resistant western white pine across the landscape,but the effects on the understory are unknown.We examined the effects of stand structure and proportion of western white pine in the overstory on understory diversity of vascular plants in closed canopy stands dominated by blister rust-resistant western white pine across northern Idaho.Habitat series explained the greatest amount of variation(34%)in species presence-absence,while canopy cover accounted for 25%,basal area of all trees for 18%,and the proportion of western white pine composition by 14%.Our analysis revealed positive relationships between the proportion of western white pine in the overstory and both the presence of understory plants and the cover of several understory species.For both the presence and cover,separate sets of thirteen species were found to have a positive relationship with the proportion of western white pine in the overstory,with eight species in common.This research fills a knowledge gap by using data from a range of stands across northern Idaho with varying abundance of western white pine in the overstory to evaluate the relationship between the understory and overstory composition.As land managers plant more western white pine trees,we are likely to see the concomitant increase in understory plant diversity across the landscape,in addition to numerous other benefits,including disturbance resistance and resilience.展开更多
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(N2001020)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41201359).
文摘Sand dust belts span approximately one-fifth of the global land surface.In these regions,dust tends to settle on vegetation surfaces,altering the observed reflectance and affecting remote sensing detections.To enhance the accuracy of maize growth monitoring in dust-affected regions,this study aims to quantify the effect of sand dust retention on maize during the tasseling stage in the Kashgar Prefecture,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,by analyzing changes in canopy reflectance and vegetation indices.First,field sampling was conducted to measure the key canopy structure parameters and dust retention levels of maize,and laboratory spectral measurements were performed on leaf spectral properties under gradient dust retention.The measured data were then used to drive the LargE-Scale remote sensing data and image Simulation framework(LESS)model for simulating realistic maize canopy spectra across different dust levels,with validation against Sentinel-2 imagery.Second,on the basis of the simulated and satellite-derived spectra,the dust resistance of 36 common vegetation indices was systematically evaluated,and new robust dust-resistant indices were developed.The results showed that compared with dust-free maize,the canopy reflectance of dust-retained maize followed an increase–decrease–increase pattern,with critical turning points at 735 and 1325 nm.The maximum reflectance difference of–0.11755(change rate:29.002%)occurred within the 735–1325 nm range at 24 g/m^(2)dust retention,and the minimum reflectance difference of 0.04285(change rate:148.950%)was observed in the 350–735 nm range under the same dust retention level.Among the 36 vegetation indices,only the global environment monitoring index(GEMI)and the ratio of transformed chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index to optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index(TCARI/OSAVI)exhibited dust resistance,with GEMI being effective below 6 g/m^(2)and TCARI/OSAVI remaining stable across all levels(average ratio:0.970).The newly developed indices in this study,(RE3–RE2)/(NIR–RE2),(RE3–RE2)/(RE4–RE2),and(NIR–RE2)/(RE4–RE2),retained values within the predefined dust-resistant range over the full dust retention levels of 0–24 g/m^(2),thus showing a more stable dust resistance compared with the commonly used 36 vegetation indices.Specially,(RE3–RE2)/(RE4–RE2)performed the most robustly in Sentinel-2 imagery,that is,58.020%of pixels were within the dust-resistant range,and an average ratio of 0.937 was obtained for the original-spectra index.This study provides a scientific basis for crop monitoring and management in dust-affected regions.
基金supported by the sub-project“Research and Application of In-Situ Value-Added Water-Soluble Fertilizer Application Technology”(Grant No.2023YFD1700204-3)under the 14th Five-Year National Key R&D Program Project“Development and Industrialization of Novel Green Value-Added Fertilizers”.
文摘Salinization of agricultural land is becoming increasingly severe worldwide,posing a significant threat to food security.The exogenous application of bioactive substances has been widely used to enhance plant resistance to salt stress.In this study,we used corn steep liquor(CSL),myo-inositol(MI),and their combination to improve salt tolerance in Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa L.ssp.pekinensis)under salt stress conditions.All three treatments significantly increased plant biomass and nutrient uptake,and improved soil physicochemical properties,while alleviating oxidative damage and ion toxicity.
基金the Begum Rokeya University,Rangpur,and the United Arab Emirates University,UAE for partially supporting this work。
文摘Rice is one of the most important staple crops globally.Rice plant diseases can severely reduce crop yields and,in extreme cases,lead to total production loss.Early diagnosis enables timely intervention,mitigates disease severity,supports effective treatment strategies,and reduces reliance on excessive pesticide use.Traditional machine learning approaches have been applied for automated rice disease diagnosis;however,these methods depend heavily on manual image preprocessing and handcrafted feature extraction,which are labor-intensive and time-consuming and often require domain expertise.Recently,end-to-end deep learning(DL) models have been introduced for this task,but they often lack robustness and generalizability across diverse datasets.To address these limitations,we propose a novel end-toend training framework for convolutional neural network(CNN) and attention-based model ensembles(E2ETCA).This framework integrates features from two state-of-the-art(SOTA) CNN models,Inception V3 and DenseNet-201,and an attention-based vision transformer(ViT) model.The fused features are passed through an additional fully connected layer with softmax activation for final classification.The entire process is trained end-to-end,enhancing its suitability for realworld deployment.Furthermore,we extract and analyze the learned features using a support vector machine(SVM),a traditional machine learning classifier,to provide comparative insights.We evaluate the proposed E2ETCA framework on three publicly available datasets,the Mendeley Rice Leaf Disease Image Samples dataset,the Kaggle Rice Diseases Image dataset,the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute dataset,and a combined version of all three.Using standard evaluation metrics(accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-score),our framework demonstrates superior performance compared to existing SOTA methods in rice disease diagnosis,with potential applicability to other agricultural disease detection tasks.
文摘As we welcome the spring of 2026,we extend our sincere greetings and best wishes to colleagues worldwide in the field of crop science,our partners,and all those committed to sustainable agricultural development!The Year of the Horse symbolizes endeavor and far-reaching journeys,reflecting our own spirit of continuous exploration and breakthrough innovation on the path of crop science.Here,I extendmysincere appreciation to all our authors and reviewers for their invaluable time,expertise,and dedication,which are instrumental in the success of The Crop Journal,establishing it as a premier platform for the global crop science research community.The Crop Journal publishes its 2026 first issue as a special issue themed“Synthetic Biology for Crop Improvement”,ably vip-edited by four young scientists.The issue provides a comprehensive overview of major advances in the field.In the past few years,crop science has made long strides in metabolic engineering of important pathways in secondary metabolism.The achievements expedite the emergence of synthetic biology as a potent methodology for crop breeding and represent a fundamental paradigm shift from“deciphering crops”to“designing crops”,which is further empowered by artificial intelligence(AI).At this turning point of the New Year,I would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief retrospective and future perspective.
基金supported by Punjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana,India,for providing the infrastructure and other facilities for conducting experiments.All other forms of support and financial assistance are duly acknowledged.
文摘Brown spot(BS)of rice,caused by Bipolaris oryzae,is a serious concern that not only causes quantitative losses but also affects grain quality.To manage this disease,the use of resistant genetic sources and QTLs is an eco-friendly and economical option.In the current study,F_(3) progenies derived from a cross of susceptible parent PMS-18-B(PAU 10845-1-1-1-1)×resistant parent RP Path 77(RP patho-17)were used to identify potential QTLs linked to BS resistance and to associate this resistance with a temporal spike in defense-related enzymes.
文摘Located in southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,northwest China,the Liupan Mountain National Nature Reserve covers a total area of 26,783.64 hectares.Established in 1982 and upgraded to national status in 1988,it protects a vital temperate mountainous forest ecosystem on the Loess Plateau.The reserve is centred around the Liupan Mountain range,one of China’s youngest mountain chains,formed by Himalayan tectonic movements.
文摘1.Introduction Crop breeding is transitioning to engineering by synthetic biology.Conventional breeding,constrained by limited genetic variation and lengthy development cycles,cannot meet the challenges of micronutrient malnutrition and yield reductions from climate change with sufficient speed or precision[1].Consequently,agriculture is transitioning from selection-based breeding to designbased engineering.Synthetic biology enables the precision modification of metabolic pathways and the construction of novel trait combinations[1,2].This special issue,Synthetic Biology for Crop Improvement,brings together 26 articles that showcase the field’s transition from laboratory curiosity to field-validated agricultural technology.The collection spans 13 plant species,from staple grains and major industrial crops to horticultural and medicinal plants,demonstrating the universal applicability of metabolic engineering.These studies reveal maturation toward field readiness:independent groups achieving reproducible results in identical pathways,greenhouse concepts advancing to multi-season field trials,and engineered traits delivering measurable agronomic value.This progression answers the central question in crop synthetic biology,shifting the paradigm from asking“can it work?”to demonstrating“how it works,and here are the yields”.This transformation is grounded in understanding and manipulating plant metabolism at molecular resolution[3].
基金the framework of the Project 21T-4C045 of the Higher Education and Science Committee(RA)。
文摘The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucasus under the global climate change conditions are introduced in the current article.The main goal of our scientific work is to study and assess the current ecological and resource state of natural phytocenoses,pastures and hayfields in the arid and semi-arid landscapes under climate change.The paper presents the results of determining the areas and levels of degradation of the natural biogeocenoses and biogeocenoses of the pastures and hayfields in the mountain and highland landscapes.The results were obtained using remote sensing,field and laboratory studies and analyses.The conducted studies have revealed that along 34,174.5 ha pasture and 1342.0 meadows areas of the pastures at the Areni,Yeghegis,Yeghegnadzor and Vayq consolidated administrative territories situated in the arid and semi-arid zones of the Vayots Dzor Region high degradation was recorded in about 6508 hectares of pasture and 407 hectares of meadows areas,which is related to irregular and uncontrolled economic mismanagement of the local population and global climate change.To improve the ecological condition,accessibility and quality of ecosystem services of the pastures,hayfields and natural meadows,comprehensive restoration bioecological and agrotechnical measures have been proposed.They are aimed at improving the air,water and nutrient regimes of soils,at their bioprotection,as well as at the general increase in area and at improving the economic characteristics of the vegetation cover.Such measures on the ecosystem basis are appropriate in the context of enriching the qualitative composition of plants with useful ecological and economic bioecological characteristics,taking into account the characteristics of landscapes,weather and climatic conditions,and agricultural opportunities.
基金supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.32120103010,32341045,and 32272729).
文摘In tomato,early fruit development involves rapid cell division and expansion,which are highly dependent on sugar availability(Huang et al.,2025;Yuan et al.,2025).After fruit set,soluble sugars are loaded into pericarp cells through the symplasmic(cytosol)or apoplasmic pathway(cell wall and extracellular matrix)(Patrick and Offler,1996).Sucrose,as the major form of carbon translocated to tomato fruit,can be directly unloaded into fruit cells.However,some sucrose can be hydrolyzed by extracellular invertase,producing glucose and fructose for metabolism and biosynthesis in pericarp cells(Ruan,2014).
文摘The Crop Journal is a bimonthly scientific journal co-sponsored by the Crop Science Society of China and the Institute of Crop Science,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,and China Science Publishing&Media Group Ltd.It is published by Science Press and KeAi(founded by China Science Publishing&Media Ltd.and Elsevier).
基金supported by The Scientific and technological innovation capacity building project of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences(Grant Nos.KJCX20251011,PT2025-31)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32402610)Chinese Universities Scientific Fund(Grant Nos.2024TC162,2025TC154).
文摘Members of genus Chrysanthemum,comprising approximately 40 species,hold economic significance as edible,medicinal,and ornamental plants.Among these species,Chrysanthemum indicum and the cultivated chrysanthemum C.morifolium have been used for tea and traditional Chinese medicine to treat common cold symptoms,impaired vision,dizziness,and skin irritation.The medicinal properties of chrysanthemum are primarily derived from its bioactive compounds,including flavonoids.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32270290)the Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Plant Germplasm Resources(17DZ2252700).
文摘Plants deploy a two-layered immune system:pathogen-associated molecular pattern(PAMP)-triggered immunity(PTl)and effector-triggered immunity(ETI).While PTI is initiated by cell surface receptors,ETI relies on intracellular NLR receptors that recognize pathogen effectors(Jones et al.,2024).The nucleoporin CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSER OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 5(CPR5)is a key negative regulator of ETI.CPR5 integrates nuclear transport,cell cycle control,and RNA processing to suppress immune signaling(Wang et al.,2014;Gu et al.,2016;Peng et al.,2022).Recent work revealed that CPR5 also modulates immunity through another nucleoporin,GUANYLATE-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3(GBPL3),which interaCtS with PWWP-DOMAIN INTERACTOR OF POLYCOMBS1(PWO1),a key component of the chromatin-associated methyltransferase POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX 2(PRC2)(Reimann et al.,2023;Pan et al.,2025).These findings suggest unexplored roles for chromatin remodeling in the CPR5-mediated immunity.
基金supported by the Lendület/Momentum Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciencesthe National Research, Development, and Innovation Office, Hungary (Grant Nos. LP2024/21 and K146791)+2 种基金Bayers fellowship program MEDHA and Department of Botany, University of Calicutthe financial assistance provided in the form of Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission (UGC), Indiathe financial assistance provided by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR), India
文摘Ascorbate(Asc),commonly known as vitamin C,is a vital molecule for plant growth,development,and stress resilience.It is also known to play a crucial role in various physiological processes,including photosynthesis,cell division,and differentiation.This article thoroughly explores the processes governing the metabolism of Asc in plants and its roles in physiological functions.It lays down a robust theoretical groundwork for delving into Asc production,transportation,functions,and its potential applications in stress alleviation and horticulture.Furthermore,recent studies indicate that Asc plays a role in regulating fruit development and affecting postharvest storage characteristics,thereby influencing fruit ripening and resilience to stress.Hence,there is a growing importance in studying the synthesis and utilization of Asc in plants.Although the critical role of Asc in controlling plant redox signals has been extensively studied,the precise mechanisms by which it manages cellular redox homeostasis to maintain the equilibrium between reactive oxygen scavenging and cell redox signaling remain elusive.This gap in knowledge presents fresh opportunities to explore how the production of Asc in plants is regulated and how plants react to environmental stressors.Furthermore,this article delves into the potential for a comprehensive investigation into the essential function of Asc in fruits,the development of Asc-rich fruits,and the enhancement of postharvest storage properties.
基金supported by the Jilin Science and Technology Development Program,China (20240602032RC)the Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project,China (CXGC2024ZD001)+1 种基金the Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project,China (CXGC2024ZY012)the Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission-Project for Improving the Independent Innovation Capacity of Major Grain Crops,China (2024C002)。
文摘Emerging and powerful genome editing tools,particularly CRISPR/Cas9,are facilitating functional genomics research and accelerating crop improvement(Jiang et al.2021;Cao et al.2023;Chen C et al.2023;Liu et al.2023a).However,the detection and screening of transgenic lines remain major bottlenecks,being time-consuming,labor-intensive,and inefficient during transformation and subsequent mutation identification.A simple and efficient visual marker system plays a critical role in addressing these challenges.Recent studies demonstrated that the GmW1 and RUBY reporter systems were used to obtain visual transgenic soybean(Glycine max) plants(Chen L et al.2023;Chen et al.2024).
基金funded by the Major Science and Technology Projects of Zhejiang Province,China(Grant No.2021C02063-5)the Key Research and Development Projects of Hainan Province,China(Grant No.ZDYF2023XDNY086)+2 种基金the State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety Hazard Factors and Risk Prevention and Control of Agricultural Products Jointly Constructed by the Ministry and the Province,China(Grant No.2010DS700124)the Zhejiang Province Vanguard Leading Goose Project,China(Grant Nos.2023C02055 and 2022C02034)the Jiaxing Nanhu District Science and Technology Plan Project,China(Grant No.2023017).
文摘The shift from seedling transplanting to direct-seeding cultivation in rice demands robust root systems for early seedling establishment and yield stability.While the pleiotropic gene OsSP3(also designated TAC4 or SG2)is known to regulate aboveground traits,including tiller angle,grain size,and panicle development,its function in root morphogenesis remains uncharacterized.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFF0703600)。
文摘Highlights By conjugating the same anti-N monoclonal antibody(mAb4-mAb1)with colloidal gold or fluorescent microspheres,this study developed two rapid point-of-care antigen immunochromatographic strips for the detection of porcine deltacoronavirus.The fluorescent microsphere-based lateral flow test strip demonstrated a sensitivity of 10^(1.7)TCID_(50)/0.1 mL,which is fourfold higher than that of the colloidal gold-based assay.Porcine deltacoronavirus(PDCoV)is a recently identified enteric coronavirus that causes an acute infectious disease in piglets,leading to diarrhea,vomiting,dehydration,and mortality(Hu et al.2015).
文摘We investigated the impact of convexity and isoperimetric deficits on the accuracy of sectional area estimates of tree stems using traditional methods(caliper,tape,formulas based on stem diameter and circumference).In two complementary experiments,the use of photographs to estimate cross-sectional areas was first validated,then the use of a caliper and diameter tape was computer-simulated.The results indicated that the photographic method offers high precision,with mean relative errors below 0.1%,minimal deviation,and no significant bias,and the traditional methods led to substantial and systematic errors,with deviations from circularity and convexity significantly increasing the errors in area estimation.
文摘[Objectives]To provide a reference for the efficient use of wild Paeonia suffruticosa germplasm resources and the scientific selection of parents.[Methods]This study systematically evaluated cross-compatibility by conducting interspecific crosses among the major wild species subsect.Delavayanae(Paeonia delavayi,Paeonia lutea,Paeonia potaninii,and Paeonia ludlowii)as well as reciprocal crosses between these species and cultivated varieties from the subsect.Vaginatae.[Results]Crosses among P.delavayi,P.lutea,and P.potaninii generally exhibited good seed set,with the resulting seeds showing a high emergence rate.In contrast,crosses involving P.ludlowii as a parent produced only a limited number of seeds,none of which germinated.In crosses with cultivated varieties where the wild species served as the maternal parent,the average seed set ranked as follows:P.lutea>P.delavayi>P.ludlowii>P.potaninii.When wild species were used as paternal parent,the average seed set ranked as follows:P.potaninii>P.lutea>P.delavayi>P.ludlowii.On the whole,most crosses between wild species of subsect.Delavayanae and cultivated varieties achieved normal seed set,demonstrating a certain degree of cross-compatibility.However,when the wild species served as the maternal parent,both the seed set and seedling emergence rate were superior to those in the reciprocal crosses(with wild species as the paternal parent).[Conclusions]Significant differences in cross-compatibility were observed among species within Paeonia subsect.Delavayanae.In addition,a significant maternal effect was identified in crosses between wild species of this subsection and cultivated varieties.These findings suggest that by selecting highly compatible combinations,there remains considerable potential for utilizing these wild species in peony breeding.
基金supported by the United States Department of Agriculture,Forest Service,Rocky Mountain Research Station through Research Joint Venture Agreement 17–098Funding was provided by the USDA Forest Service Northern Region。
文摘Understory plants are an integral part of forests,serving a variety of functions that help maintain healthy ecosystems.The structure and composition of the understory are influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic factors,with light being critical.The introduction of the pathogen Cronartium ribicola,which causes white pine blister rust,into North America in the early 20 th century led to the near total loss of western white pine(Pinus monticola)from moist forests of the Northern Rockies.Management is reintroducing blister rust-resistant western white pine across the landscape,but the effects on the understory are unknown.We examined the effects of stand structure and proportion of western white pine in the overstory on understory diversity of vascular plants in closed canopy stands dominated by blister rust-resistant western white pine across northern Idaho.Habitat series explained the greatest amount of variation(34%)in species presence-absence,while canopy cover accounted for 25%,basal area of all trees for 18%,and the proportion of western white pine composition by 14%.Our analysis revealed positive relationships between the proportion of western white pine in the overstory and both the presence of understory plants and the cover of several understory species.For both the presence and cover,separate sets of thirteen species were found to have a positive relationship with the proportion of western white pine in the overstory,with eight species in common.This research fills a knowledge gap by using data from a range of stands across northern Idaho with varying abundance of western white pine in the overstory to evaluate the relationship between the understory and overstory composition.As land managers plant more western white pine trees,we are likely to see the concomitant increase in understory plant diversity across the landscape,in addition to numerous other benefits,including disturbance resistance and resilience.
