Salt stress severely affects tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) survival and growth. Although the involvement of the tomato MYB gene family in response to salt stress has been well established, the mechanism underlying resistance to salt stress remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of MYB52 in conferring salt stress resistance using overexpression and knockout tomato seedlings obtained via genetic modification. We demonstrated that MYB52 improves the ability of tomato to withstand salt stress by enhancing antioxidant capacity, photosynthetic capacity, and proline content while reducing relative electrolyte leakage (REL) levels. Transcription of MYB52 was induced by salt stress-induced ABA accumulation. Activated MYB52 bound to the promoter of Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1), Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHX1), pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase 1 (P5CS1) and Ornithine δ-aminotransferase (OAT), thereby positively regulating their expression. This regulation resulted in enhanced potassium (K+) absorption, sodium (Na+) efflux, and proline content, which contributed to improved salt tolerance in tomato. Furthermore, silencing of SOS1, NHX1, P5CS1 and OAT impaired the salt tolerance of the WT and MYB52-OE plants. These results will refine the mechanistic framework for MYB52 and accelerate its application in crop improvement under increasing soil salinization, thereby advancing the sustainable and efficient production of tomatoes and other vegetable crops.

Tomato leaf mold, caused by Cladosporium fulvum, is a destructive foliar disease in protected cultivation. Biological control using Trichoderma and plant defense elicitors such as melatonin offers a sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides. However, the synergistic effect of combining Trichoderma with melatonin and the role of endogenous melatonin in Trichoderma-induced resistance to tomato leaf mold remain unclear. In this study, we screened ten Trichoderma strains and identified T. asperellum T141 strain as the most effective antagonist against C. fulvum in dual culture assays. Moreover, exogenous melatonin (100 μmol/L) resulted in the lowest disease index and significantly reduced malondialdehyde content. The combined application of T. asperellum and melatonin prior to pathogen inoculation reduced the disease index by 77.57% and promoted plant growth compared with pathogen-only controls. The combination also decreased H2O2 and O2·-, elevated antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) activities, and restored photosynthetic parameters, pigment contents, Rubisco activity, FBPase activity, and expression of photosynthesis-related genes (FBPase, SBPase, FBPA, and TPI). Virus-induced gene silencing of the COMT1 gene, a key melatonin biosynthesis gene, drastically reduced endogenous melatonin, and largely compromised T. asperellum-induced resistance, along with attenuated antioxidant defense and photosynthetic recovery. Collectively, our results demonstrate that T. asperellum and melatonin synergistically protect tomato against C. fulvum by mitigating oxidative stress and preserving photosynthetic function, and that COMT1-dependent endogenous melatonin synthesis is essential for T. asperellum-induced resistance. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing Trichoderma-melatonin biopreparations as an eco-friendly strategy for the management of tomato leaf mold.

Toxic heavy metal chromium (Cr) poses significant risks to crop yields and human health through contamination of the food chain. Dopamine, a naturally occurring bioactive amine, can enhance plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses; however, its specific role in Cr stress tolerance and the associated molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate that root application of dopamine effectively mitigates Cr stress in tomato plants. Cr stress was found to decrease chlorophyll content, maximum photochemical efficiency, shoot growth, and biomass accumulation, while simultaneously increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage. Exogenous dopamine application significantly reduced excessive ROS accumulation and malondialdehyde levels, thereby alleviating oxidative stress. This was achieved through the enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activity, increased glutathione and phytochelatin contents, and the upregulation of the expression of respective encoding genes, including Cu-Zn SOD, POD, CAT1, APX, GR1, GSH2, and PCS. Additionally, dopamine treatment induced the expression of RBOH1 and reduced Cr content. Notably, exogenous H2O2 application also improved Cr tolerance, but the application of diphenyleneiodonium, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, exacerbated Cr phytotoxicity and diminished the beneficial effects of dopamine on plant tolerance to Cr stress. These findings suggest that dopamine-induced H2O2 signaling plays a crucial role in enhancing Cr tolerance. This study elucidates a fundamental mechanism underlying dopamine-mediated Cr tolerance and expands our understanding of the stress resistance properties of dopamine in plants.

Root-knot nematode (RKN) infestation is a major threat to global agriculture, causing substantial damage to economically important crops such as tomatoes. Trichoderma species are promising biocontrol agents that can enhance plant growth, improve nutrient uptake, and induce systemic resistance against various pathogens, including RKNs. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor family plays a key role in plant secondary metabolism and defense mechanisms against biotic stressors. However, the specific role of tomato MYB108 in mediating resistance against RKNs remains underexplored. In this study, we found that RKN infestation decreases MYB108 expression, whereas Trichoderma harzianum inoculation significantly enhances MYB108 expression. Silencing MYB108 expression in tomato plants using the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technique enhances susceptibility to RKNs as evidenced by a marked increase in gall number and root galling index (increased by 16.53 % and 16.10 %, respectively), alongside a reduction in the biocontrol efficacy of Trichoderma (decreased by 29 %). Furthermore, MYB108 silencing exacerbates RKN-induced oxidative stress, as evinced by elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. MYB108 silencing also attenuates the accumulation of key secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenols, and lignins, and reduces the activities of enzymes and the expression of genes associated with secondary metabolite synthesis. Although Trichoderma inoculation mitigates RKN-induced oxidative stress and enhances secondary metabolite synthesis, the silencing of MYB108 refutes the beneficial effects of Trichoderma on both secondary metabolite production and antioxidant capacity. Analysis of the transcriptional start site located 2000 base pairs upstream of the promoter regions of PAL, C4H, 4CL, and DFR reveals multiple MYB binding sites, indicating that MYB108 potentially plays a significant role in the transcriptional regulation of secondary metabolism. En masse, these findings highlight the critical role of MYB108 in mediating Trichoderma-induced resistance to RKNs and emphasize its potential as a target for enhancing plant resilience to RKNs.

The genus Trichoderma comprises a group of fungi known for their beneficial effects on plant growth and stress tolerance. Light is a key environmental factor affecting many plant physiological processes. However, a significant research gap remains regarding the interaction between light quality and Trichoderma harzianum inoculation, particularly their combined effects on tomato plant growth and photosynthetic efficiency. Here, we showed that T. harzianum inoculation effectively alleviated the growth inhibition caused by monochromatic red light or blue light in tomato plants. Combined red and blue light treatment with T. harzianum inoculation (RBT) promoted root development by regulating the rational distribution of carbon assimilation products. Specifically, the RBT treatment upregulated the expression of photosynthesis-related genes, including key Calvin cycle enzyme genes such as FBPase, FBPA, TPI, and SBPase, as well as the light signal transduction factor HY5. In addition, T. harzianum inoculation increased the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), and the net photosynthetic rate (Pn). The activity of sucrose synthetase (SS) and sucrose phosphate synthetase (SPS) was also enhanced, promoting photosynthetic product accumulation in leaves and roots. Among all treatment groups, RBT performed the best in the above indexes.

In the complex interactions between plants and pathogens, the regulation of nutrient allocation plays a critical role in determining plant health and susceptibility to diseases. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne incognita) extract sugar from plants during their interactions with the hosts. SWEET (Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters) proteins are a class of non-energy-consuming sugar uniporters that regulate the allocation of sugars in plant. Here, it is find that SlSWEET17 (Solanum lycopersicum SWEET17), a member of the SWEET family in tomato, is localized to the plasma membrane, Golgi body and small vacuoles, and is highly expressed in galls. Further studies show that SlSWEET17 negatively regulates the sugar transport capacity of other SlSWEETs via protein interactions. Overexpression of SlSWEET17 significantly decreases the soluble sugar content in galls and susceptibility to RKNs, while SlSWEET17 knockout-mutation (ko-mutation) has the opposite effect. It is also identified SlDOF9 (Solanum lycopersicum DNA binding with one finger 9), an upstream negative regulator of SlSWEET17, using ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and dual-Luciferase assays. SlDOF9-overexpressing plants show increased sugar content in galls and susceptibility to RKNs, and sldof9cr ko-mutants have the opposite phenotype. This results show how SlDOF9-SlSWEET17 affects RKN infection through sugar partitioning from roots to galls.

Accurate estimation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) is essential for water resource management and irrigation scheduling. A multitude of empirical models have been employed to estimate ET0, yielding satisfactory outcomes. However, the performance of each model is contingent upon the empirical parameters utilized. This study examines the applicability of four empirical ET0 models, namely the Makkink (Mak), Irmark-Allen (IA), improved Baier-Robertson (MBR), and Brutsaert-Stricker (BS) models. Meteorological data from 24 weather stations across various regions in China were procured and employed to assess the ET0 simulation results. The study employed the Differential Evolution (DE) optimization algorithm, Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm, and a hybrid algorithm that combines DE and GWO algorithms (DE-GWO algorithm) to optimize the parameters of the four empirical models. The findings revealed that the optimization algorithms significantly enhanced the regional adaptability of the four models, particularly the BS model. The DE-GWO algorithm demonstrated superior optimization performance (RMSE=0.055-0.372, R-2=0.912-0.998, MAE=0.037-0.311, and FS=0.8640.982) compared to the DE (RMSE=0.101-2.015, R-2=0.529-0.997, MAE=0.075-1.695, and FS=0.383-0.967) and GWO (RMSE=0.158-0.915, R-2=0.694-0.987, MAE=0.111-0.701, and FS=0.688-0.947) algorithms. The DE-GWO-optimized BS model was the most accurate and improved, followed by the MBR model. The IA and Mak models also showed slightly better performance after optimization with the DE-GWO algorithm. The DE-GWO-optimized BS model performed better in the southern agricultural region than in other regions. It is recommended to utilize the DE-GWO to enhance the accurate prediction of empirical ET0 models across the nine agricultural regions of China.

Prunella vulgaris, an essential component of traditional Chinese medicine, is suitable for growing in soil with a pH value ranging from 6.5 to 7.5. However, it is primarily cultivated in acidic soil regions of China, where its growth is frequently compromised by acidic stress. Selenium (Se) has been recognized for its potential to enhance stress tolerance in plants. However, its role in acid-stress-induced oxidative stress is not clear. In this study, the effects of varying Se concentrations on the growth and quality of P. vulgaris under acidic stress were investigated. The results showed that acid stress enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, non-enzymatic antioxidant substances, and osmolyte content, accompanied by an increase in oxidant production and membrane damage. Furthermore, it decreased the photosynthetic capacity, inhibited root and shoot growth, and diminished the yield of P. vulgaris. In contrast, exogenous application of Se, particularly at 5 mg L−1, markedly ameliorated these adverse effects. Compared to acid-stressed plants, 5 mg L−1 Se treatment enhanced superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione peroxidase activities by 150.19%, 54.94%, 43.43%, and 45.55%, respectively. Additionally, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and proline contents increased by 11.75%, 23.32%, and 40.39%, respectively. Se application also improved root architecture and alleviated membrane damage by reducing hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage levels. Furthermore, it significantly enhanced the photosynthetic capacity by elevating pigment levels, the performance of PSI and PSII, electron transfer, and the coordination of PSI and PSII. Consequently, plant growth and spica weight were significantly promoted, with a 12.50% increase in yield. Moreover, Se application upregulated key genes involved in flavonoid and phenolic acid metabolic pathways, leading to elevated levels of total flavonoids, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, and hyperoside by 31.03%, 22.37%, 40.78%, 15.11%, and 20.84%, respectively, compared to acid-stressed plants. In conclusion, exogenous Se effectively alleviated the adverse effects of acid stress by improving the antioxidant system, growth, and photosynthetic capacity under acid stress, thus enhancing the yield and quality of P. vulgaris.

Climate change has profound impacts on plant growth, productivity, and immunity. Photosynthesis, a key biological process that sequesters atmospheric CO2, plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change. However, photorespiration, a process that consumes O2 instead of CO2 and is metabolically linked with photosynthesis, is often viewed as a wasteful process that reduces photosynthetic efficiency by nearly 48 % in C3 plants. This reduction has a significant impact on crop yield, given the direct contribution of photosynthesis to biomass accumulation. Over the years, numerous efforts have been made to rectify this perceived metabolic flaw to enhance photosynthetic efficiency. Interestingly, recent studies have unveiled a role for photorespiration in plant immunity, which can vary from positive to negative depending on the plant-pathosystem. A key challenge lies in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency by modulating photorespiration without compromising plant immunity. This review discusses the role of photorespiration in plant immunity under current and future climatic conditions. We explore how photorespiration and photorespiratory pathways influence plant defense, how alterations in photorespiration affect hormonal pathways and subsequently plant immunity, and how manipulations of photorespiration may impact plant growth and defense under elevated CO2 conditions. We highlight the roles of plant hormones such as salicylates and jasmonates as well as reactive oxygen species, in photorespiration-related plant immunity. We conclude that unraveling the underlying mechanisms of photorespiration-involved plant responses to various pathogens provides comprehensive insights for the management, breeding, and genetic improvement of crops, thereby enhancing their resilience to future climate change.

Crop yield prediction helps to enhance the stability of agricultural product supply and promote sustainable agricultural development, both of which are crucial for food production and security. To develop simple yet highly accurate crop yield prediction models, this study proposed a spring-and summer-maize yield prediction model based on the deep hybrid kernel extreme learning machine (DHKELM) algorithm. In this study, four tree-based feature importance analysis algorithms, including classification and regression tree, gradient boosting decision tree, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting algorithms, were utilized to analyze the importance of the factors affecting the yield of spring and summer maize. Then, based on the analysis of the four algorithms, different combinations of factors were established to obtain the optimal combination of features. Moreover, to improve the prediction accuracy of the machine learning model, this study utilized three optimization algorithms, including the bald eagle search algorithm, chaos game optimization (CGO) algorithm, and carnivorous plant algorithm, to optimize the hyperparameters in the DHKELM algorithm. The results of the study showed that planting density and plant height were important factors affecting maize yield, and net solar radiation (Rn) received during the reproductive period exhibited the highest relative importance. Appropriate feature combinations can effectively improve model prediction accuracy. The optimal feature combination for spring maize included planting density, plant height, Rn, mean temperature (Tmean), minimum temperature (Tmin), and cumulative temperature, and the optimal feature combination for summer maize included Rn, plant height, planting density, Tmin, and Tmean. Among the three optimization algorithms, the CGO algorithm exhibited the best optimization effect and could significantly improve the prediction accuracy of the DHKELM algorithm. When the optimal combination of features was used as input, the CGO-DHKELM model used for maize yield prediction provided the following values: RMSE=1.488 t/hm2, R2=0.862, MAE=1.051 t/hm2, and NSE=0.852 for spring maize; RMSE=1.498 t/hm2, R2=0.892, MAE=1.055 t/hm2, and NSE=0.891 for summer maize. Thus, the findings of the study provide a reference for high-precision prediction of spring and summer maize yields in China.

Biocontrol fungi may exert antagonistic effects by emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), thus identifying fungal VOCs is crucial for understanding biocontrol mechanisms and developing novel biofungicides. In this study, we examined the antagonistic effect of Irpex lacteus LL210 against three major fungal pathogens: Botrytis cinerea (tomato gray mold), Fusarium oxysporum (cucumber wilt), and Alternaria alternata (pepper leaf spots) using in vitro assays. The results of both the dual-culture and dual-petri-dish methods showed that I. lacteus LL210 strongly inhibited the growth of B. cinerea, likely through the release of volatile compounds. SPME-GC-MS analysis of I. lacteus LL210 identified 770 volatile compounds, of which 26 key volatiles were screened on the basis of their relative odor activity values, peak areas and concentrations. Further evaluation using the dual-petri-dish method showed that compounds such as 2-Octen-1-ol, (E)-; Benzeneacetaldehyde; (E)-2-Octenal; Hexanal; (E)-2-Butenal; 5-Heptenal, 2,6-dimethyl-; 1-Octanol; 2,3-dihydro-Benzofuran; Diallyl Sulfur compounds exhibited significant inhibition of B. cinerea, suggesting their potential utility in the development of novel fungicides. We also tested their effects on plant growth and physiology and found that 1-octanol had minimal deleterious effects on tomato plants, as evidenced by growth and oxidative stress markers. This study systematically deciphered the VOCs profile of I. lacteus LL210, revealing critical mechanisms of pathogen inhibition through both direct inhibitory effects of VOCs and plant-mediated enhanced defense. These findings have driven the development of potential biocontrol agents based on VOCs, thereby providing sustainable solutions for crop disease management.

Solar radiation is an important energy source, and accurately predicting it [daily global and diffuse solar radiation (Rs and Rd)] is essential for research on surface energy exchange, hydrologic systems, and agricultural production. However, Rs and Rd estimation relies on meteorological data and related model parameters, which leads to inaccuracy in some regions. To improve the estimation accuracy and generalization ability of the Rs and Rd models, 17 representative radiation stations in China were selected. The categorical boosting (CatBoost) feature selection algorithm was utilized to construct a novel stacking model from sample and parameter diversity perspectives. The results revealed that the characteristics related to sunshine duration (n) and ozone (O3) significantly affect solar radiation prediction. The proposed new ensemble model framework had better accuracy than base models in root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and global performance index (GPI). The solar radiation prediction model is more applicable to coastal areas, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, than to inland regions of China. The range and mean of RMSE, MAE, and R2 for Rs prediction are 1.5737–3.7482 (1.9318), 1.1773–2.6814 (1.4336), and 0.7597–0.9655 (0.9226), respectively; for Rd prediction, they are 1.2589–2.9038 (1.8201), 0.9811–2.1024 (1.3493), and 0.5153–0.9217 (0.7248), respectively. The results of this study can provide a reference for Rs and Rd estimation and related applications in China.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are crucial signaling molecules in plants that play multifarious roles in prompt response to environmental stimuli. Despite the classical thoughts that ROS are toxic when accumulate in excess, recent advances in plant ROS signaling biology reveal that ROS participate in biotic and abiotic stress perception, signal integration, and stress-response network activation, hence contributing to plant defense and stress tolerance. ROS production, scavenging and transport are fine-tuned by plant hormones and stress-response signaling pathways. Crucially, the emerging plant hormone melatonin attenuates excessive ROS accumulation under stress, whereas ROS signaling mediates melatonin-induced plant developmental response and stress tolerance. In particular, RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG (RBOH) proteins responsible for apoplastic ROS generation act downstream of melatonin to mediate stress response. In this review, we discuss promising developments in plant ROS signaling and how ROS might mediate melatonin-induced plant resilience to environmental stress.

In this paper, we discussed the physiological mechanism of enhanced chilling tolerance with combined treatment of nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in cucumber seedlings. With prolonged low temperature (10 °C/6 °C), oxidative stress improved, which was manifested as an increase the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), causing cell membrane damage, particularly after 48 h of chilling stress. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) enhanced the activity of nitric oxide synthase NOS-like, the contents of GSH and polyamines (PAs), and the cellular redox state, thus regulating the activities of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation components (CI, CII, CIV, CV). However, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, a GSH synthase inhibitor) treatment drastically reversed or attenuated the effects of NO. Importantly, the combination of SNP and GSH treatment had the best effect in alleviating chilling-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the activities of antioxidant enzyme, including superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POD) and improved the PAs content, thereby increased activities of CI, CII, CIII, CIV, and CV. This potentially contributes to the maintenance of oxidative phosphorylation originating from mitochondria. In addition, the high activity of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) in the combined treatment of SNP and GSH possibly mediates the conversion of NO and GSH to S-nitrosoglutathione. Our study revealed that the combined treatment with NO and GSH to synergistically improve the cold tolerance of cucumber seedlings under prolonged low-temperature stress.

Trichoderma spp. can enhance plant resistance against a wide range of biotic stressors. However, the fundamental mechanisms by which Trichoderma enhances plant resistance against Meloidogyne incognita, known as root-knot nematodes (RKNs), are still unclear. Here, we identified a strain of Trichoderma asperellum (T141) that could effectively suppress RKN infestation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Nematode infestation led to an increase in the concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in roots but pre-inoculation with T141 significantly decreased oxidative stress. The reduction in ROS and MDA was accompanied by an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the accumulation of flavonoids and phenols. Moreover, split root test-based analysis showed that T141 inoculation in local roots before RKN inoculation increased the concentration of phytohormone jasmonate (JA) and the transcripts of JA synthesis and signaling-related genes in distant roots. UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics analysis identified 1051 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) across 4 pairwise comparisons in root division test, including 81 flavonoids. Notably, 180 DAMs were found in comparison between RKN and T141-RKN, whereas KEGG annotation and enrichment analysis showed that the secondary metabolic pathways, especially the flavonoid biosynthesis, played a key role in the T141-induced systemic resistance to RKNs. The role of up-regulated flavonoids in RKN mortality was further verified by in vitro experiments with the exogenous treatment of kaempferol, hesperidin and rutin on J2-stage RKNs. Our results revealed a critical mechanism by which T141 induced resistance of tomato plants against the RKNs by systemically promoting secondary metabolism in distant roots.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal, increasingly accumulating in the environment and its presence in various environmental compartments represents a significant risk to human health via the food chain. Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) is a prominent secondary metabolite, which can safeguard plants from biotic and abiotic stress. However, the role of EGCG in flavonoid synthesis, nutrient acquisition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism under Cd stress remains unclear. Here, we examined the effects of EGCG and Cd treatment on leaf photochemical efficiency, cell ultrastructure, essential element acquisition, antioxidant system, and secondary metabolism in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The results showed that O-2(center dot-), H2O2, and malondialdehyde levels increased after Cd treatment, but Fv/Fm decreased significantly, suggesting that Cd induced oxidative stress and photoinhibition. However, EGCG mitigated the adverse effects of Cd-induced phytotoxicity in both the roots and leaves. A decrease in ROS accumulation under EGCG + Cd treatment was mainly attributed to the significant enhancement in antioxidant enzyme activity, flavonoid content, and PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE expression in roots. Moreover, EGCG reduced Cd content but increased some essential nutrient contents in tomato plants. Transmission electron microscopy-based observations revealed that EGCG treatment safeguards leaf and root cell ultrastructure under Cd stress. This implies that tomato plants subjected to Cd stress experienced advantageous effects upon receiving EGCG treatment. The present work elucidated critical mechanisms by which EGCG induces tolerance to Cd, thereby providing a basis for future investigations into environmentally sustainable agricultural practices in areas contaminated with heavy metals, for utilizing naturally occurring substances found in plants.

Crop evapotranspiration is a key parameter influencing water-saving irrigation and water resources management of agriculture. However, current models for estimating maize evapotranspiration primarily rely on meteorological data and empirical coefficients, and the estimated evapotranspiration contains uncertainties. In this study, the evapotranspiration data of summer maize were collected from typical stations in Northern China (Yucheng Station), and a back-propagation neural network (BP) model for predicting maize evapotranspiration was constructed based on meteorological data, soil data, and crop data. To further improve its accuracy, the maize evapotranspiration model was optimized using three bionic optimization algorithms, namely the sand cat swarm optimization (SCSO) algorithms, hunter-prey optimizer (HPO) algorithm, and golden jackal optimization (GJO) algorithm. The results showed that the fusion of meteorological, soil moisture, and crop data can effectively improve the accuracy of the maize evapotranspiration model. The model showed higher accuracy with the hybrid optimization model SCSO-BP compared to the stand-alone BP neural network model, with improvements of 2.7-4.8%, 17.2-25.5%, 13.9-26.8%, and 3.3-5.6% in terms of R2, RMSE, MAE, and NSE, respectively. Comprehensively compared with existing maize evapotranspiration models, the SCSO-BP model presented the highest accuracy, with R2 = 0.842, RMSE = 0.433 mm/day, MAE = 0.316 mm/day, NSE = 0.840, and overall global evaluation index (GPI) ranking the first. The results have reference value for the calculation of daily evapotranspiration of maize in similar areas of northern China.

Trichoderma can enhance the metabolism of organophosphate pesticides in plants, but the mechanism is unclear. Here, we performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of roots upon Trichoderma asperellum (TM) inoculation and phoxim (P) application in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). A total of 4059 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, including 2110 up-regulated and 1949 down-regulated DEGs in P vs TM+P. COG and KOG analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly enriched in signal transduction mechanisms. We then focused on the pesticide detoxification pathway and screened out cytochrome P450 CYP736A12 as a putative gene for functional analysis. We suppressed the expression of CYP736A12 in tomato plants by virusinduced gene silencing and analyzed tissue-specific phoxim residues, oxidative stress markers, glutathione pool, GST activity and related gene expression. Silencing CYP736A12 significantly increased phoxim residue and induced oxidative stress in tomato plants, by attenuating the TM-induced increased activity of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, redox homeostasis and transcripts of detoxification genes including CYP724B2, GSH1, GSH2, GR, GPX, GST1, GST2, GST3, and ABC. The study revealed a critical mechanism by which TM promotes the metabolism of phoxim in tomato roots, which can be useful for further understanding the Trichodermainduced xenobiotic detoxification and improving food safety.

Chemical fertilizers can improve crop productivity, but irrational fertilization often results in low crop quality and yield, poor soil fertility, and severe environmental pollution. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted with a close focus on the cultivation of radish in high mountain regions, a widely cultivated root vegetable known for its nutritional value and economic importance. Here, a method of reducing chemical fertilizers combined with the application of organic fertilizers is proposed upon studying four different ratios of chemical and organic fertilizers, including control (375 kg·ha−1 chemical fertilizer + 4500 kg·ha−1 organic fertilizer) and combinations (T1: 12% reduction in chemical fertilizer + 4500 kg·ha−1 organic fertilizer; T2: 20% reduction in chemical fertilizer + 4500 kg·ha−1 organic fertilizer; T3: 28% reduction in chemical fertilizer + 4500 kg·ha−1 organic fertilizer). Their effects on radish quality, yield, and soil environment were investigated. Compared with the control group, T2 significantly increased radish yield by 12.92% and improved the contents of vitamin C, soluble sugars, sulforaphane soluble solids, and titratable acidity in the radish roots by 10.62%, 2.15%, 50.00%, 26.90%, and 43.90%, respectively. The soil nutrient content was increased by the T2 treatment, with a 7.69% and 14.29% increase in total nitrogen and total phosphorus content, respectively, compared with the control. Moreover, soil urease activity, sucrase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, and catalase activity were significantly enhanced by the T2 treatment, showing an improvement of 11.13%, 44.30%, 26.41%, and 9.33% compared with the control, respectively (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of beneficial bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria was increased in the T2 treatment, potentially helping to maintain better soil health and long-term fertility. In summary, a promising fertilizer management strategy is herein unveiled through the reduction of chemical fertilizers and the application of organic fertilizer that not only improves radish yield and quality but also optimizes the soil environment, providing an effective means for sustainable crop production.