The rhizosphere microbiota is critical for crop productivity, but the mechanisms by which host genotype shapes microbial communities to influence yield, especially in legumes, are not well understood. This study aimed to determine whether high-yield pea genotypes are associated with specific beneficial bacteria and whether these microbes can transfer their growth-promoting effects to a low-yield genotype. We investigated four pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties with contrasting grain-yield phenotypes under field conditions. Rhizosphere microbiomes were characterized using amplicon sequencing and differential abundance analysis, and representative bacterial strains were isolated and functionally characterized in vitro. A greenhouse experiment was then conducted to assess the effects of single and co-inoculation of these strains on the growth and yield of a low-yield pea genotype. Two representative strains, Agrobacterium salinitolerans S1 and Neobacillus drentensis S2, were isolated from taxa enriched in high-yield genotypes and both exhibited multiple plant growth-promoting traits in vitro. Reintroduction of these strains into the rhizosphere of a low-yield genotype improved plant growth and grain yield under greenhouse conditions, with co-inoculation showing stronger effects than single-strain treatments. Our findings provide direct evidence that high-yield pea genotypes link to beneficial rhizosphere bacteria with transferable growth-promoting effects. This study provides a microbiome-guided framework for identifying candidate beneficial bacteria linked to host genotype and offers a basis for developing genotype-informed microbial strategies to improve pea productivity.
Fresh corn is widely recognized for its outstanding nutritional value. However, the structural integrity of corn kernels is readily compromised by minimally processing operations, which triggers surface browning, nutrient loss, and a marked reduction in antioxidant activity, thereby impairing its edible quality and commercial market value. In this study, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) low-temperature plasma (LTP) technology was employed to characterize the changes in sensory and nutritional quality of minimally processed corn across different storage durations (0, 4, 8, and 12 d) under standard commercial storage conditions (4 degrees C, 85% relative humidity, RH). Results demonstrated that the texture and color attributes of minimally processed corn were effectively preserved, and the degradation of nutritional compounds as well as lipid oxidation were significantly retarded by LTP. The optimal treatment power is identified as 50 W. After 12 d of storage, the alpha-amylase activity, total soluble solid, and total phenolic content of samples treated at this power are increased by 35%, 16%, and 37%, respectively, relative to the control group; the total antioxidant capacity is elevated by 32%, and antioxidant enzyme activities remain consistently higher than those of the control group throughout the entire storage period. This work holds critical scientific implications for enhancing the nutritional value and sensory quality of minimally processed corn, as well as for advancing the development of green, sustainable food processing technologies.
Sponge gourd fruit browning decreases edibility and sensory quality, with adverse effects on marketability. Physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches were combined to clarify the differences in YN-20 and Z-37 fruit browning. The degree of browning as well as the melanin, total phenol, and soluble quinone contents were higher in Z-37 than in YN-20. Similarly, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) activities as well as the malondialdehyde content were higher in Z-37 than in YN20. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses identified 80 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 78 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) potentially associated with sponge gourd fruit browning. An integrated analysis suggested that DEGs and DAMs related to lipid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis contribute to sponge gourd fruit browning. Furthermore, PPO in YN-20 and Z-37 had a higher affinity for caffeic acid than for ferulic acid, with higher affinities in Z-37 than in YN-20. A potential mechanism involving key DEGs (4, 1, 1, 1, and 10 genes encoding lipoxygenase, allene oxide synthase, PAL, PPO, and POD, respectively) and DAMs (lipid peroxidation products, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid) underlying fruit browning was proposed. The study findings provide new insights into the fruit browning mechanism and serve as a theoretical foundation for the breeding of browning-resistant sponge gourd varieties.
Developing technologies for saline-alkali soil reclamation is crucial for enhancing global soil productivity and improving the ecological environment. This study developed a novel ball-milled biochar composite (DGBC) using desulfurized gypsum and wheat straw biochar to remediate coastal saline-alkali soil. Elemental sulfur (S) was combined with biochar to enhance amelioration efficiency. Soil column leaching and pot experiments evaluated the ameliorative effects of different biochars on saline-alkaline soils. Leaching experiments demonstrated the ability of DGBC to accelerate Na+ removal, reducing soil salinity. Pot experiments showed that DGBC significantly decreased soil pH (by 1.17 units), increased soil cation exchange capacity, nutrient availability, and decreased soil exchange sodium percentage (ESP, by 93.4 %). However, combination of DGBC and S (DGBC+S) significantly reduced soil bacterial diversity, favoring the dominance of Ralstonia (65.8 %), impairing soil ecological balance. Biochar materials significantly alleviated salt stress in plants by reducing oxidative damage and enhancing chlorophyll content, particularly when combined with sulfur. However, combination of pristine biochar with sulfur (BC+S) achieved the highest soil quality index (SQI, 0.76), resulting the highest biomass of Chinese cabbage growing in the saline-alkaline soils. These findings highlighted the trade-offs between physicochemical improvements and microbial impacts in a short term when using modified biochar. While DGBC alone effectively mitigated salinity, its combination with sulfur required optimization to avoid adverse microbial shifts. The present short-term pot experiments demonstrate that the combination of pristine biochar with sulfur is more beneficial for vegetable cultivation in saline-alkali soil, while long-term effects, particularly on soil microbial ecology, require further investigation.
Artificial selection has greatly shaped crop agronomic traits1-3; however, the mechanistic basis of how immunity is selected remains unclear. Here we identify the Oryza sativa nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptor XA48 and downstream transcription factors OsVOZ1 and OsVOZ2 (OsVOZ1/2), which confer resistance to bacterial blight. XA48 perceives the ancient pathogen effector XopG, activating effector-triggered immunity by degrading the negative regulator OsVOZ1/2. The XA48-OsVOZ1 module has undergone subspecies-specific selection: Xa48 is retained only in Oryza sativa indica and was lost in Oryza sativa japonica. By contrast, OsVOZ1 has diverged into two haplotypes-O. s. indica retains both OsVOZ1A/S alleles compatible with Xa48, whereas O. s. japonica has only OsVOZ1A. Reintroducing Xa48 into O. s. japonica severely compromises yield owing to the XA48-OsVOZ1A-mediated immune incompatibility. Stacking XA48-mediated effector-triggered immunity with XA21-mediated pattern-triggered immunity reconstitutes the broad-spectrum resistance from wild rice. Our study therefore reveals how asymmetric selection of an NLR-transcription factor module shapes disease resistance and reproductive development, providing a strategy for breeding crops by harnessing the relative immunity of wild rice.
