Carbon dots (CDs) are emerging carbon-based nanomaterials with advantages including small size, excellent optical properties, tunable surface functionalities, and high biocompatibility attributes, making them highly promising for diverse agricultural applications. In recent years, the interaction mechanisms and molecular regulatory pathways between CDs and crops, soils, and microorganisms have been increasingly revealed. This review summarizes the multifunctional roles of CDs in agriculture. CDs enhance crop productivity by promoting seed germination, improving photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, and increasing stress tolerance. Their unique fluorescence enables high-sensitivity detection of pesticides and heavy metals for food safety. As efficient nonviral nanocarriers, CDs overcome limitations of traditional transformation and offer new tools for targeted gene delivery. This review places special emphasis on the chemical mechanisms of CDs applications, with the goal of promoting technological innovation and sustainable development in agriculture, thereby ultimately contributing to a more efficient, safe, and sustainable global food production system.

Cabbage is a widely cultivated leafy vegetable valued for both biomass and nutritional quality. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are essential plant hormones that regulate growth and metabolism, yet the molecular mechanisms linking BR signaling with cabbage head development and nutrient accumulation remain unclear. Here, we generated transgenic cabbage lines overexpressing BoBZR1d, a constitutively active form of the transcription factor BoBZR1 lacking the 14-3-3 binding site, to investigate its role in coordinating growth and nutritional metabolism. BoBZR1d-overexpressing lines exhibited significantly increased plant height, leaf expansion, head fresh weight, and enhanced photosynthetic performance. Metabolomic profiling revealed elevated levels of vitamin C, riboflavin (vitamin B2), glucose, fructose, sucrose, and raffinose, whereas flavonols kaempferol and quercetin were reduced. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differential expression of genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, auxin metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism, suggesting potential crosstalk between BR signaling and auxin-related processes; however, direct targeting of auxin-related genes by BoBZR1 remains to be determined. Yeast one-hybrid assays indicated potential interactions between BoBZR1 and the promoters of several candidate genes involved in vitamin C and sugar metabolism, including BoDHAR, BoGGP, BoGLA, BoINV, and BoHK. Collectively, these findings indicate that constitutive activation of BoBZR1 is associated with enhanced photosynthetic capacity and nutrient accumulation in cabbage. Our findings offer valuable insights for breeding high-yield, nutrient-dense leafy vegetable cultivars and highlight BoBZR1 as a promising genetic target for horticultural improvement.

Food security is increasingly threatened by population growth, regional conflicts, and climate disasters, making it imperative to further increase crop production. One safe approach to achieving this goal is to expand the utilization of agricultural inputs. Recent research has revealed that carbon dots (CDs), a class of carbon-based nanomaterials, have potential in interacting with plants to enhance growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we synthesized CDs that emit red light at a wavelength of 670 nm when excited by green light at 560 nm. When tomato seedlings were treated with these CDs via foliar spraying, their plant height increased by 10.26 % and fresh weight by 19.81 %. Measurements of photosynthesis and the Hill reaction showed significant improvements in both photosynthetic efficiency and chloroplast electron transport. Transcriptome analysis of tomato leaves revealed downregulation of genes associated with leaf senescence, including those involved in ethylene response, protein ubiquitination, chlorophyll degradation, ATP hydrolysis, and lignin synthesis. Transient expression assays of phyB1::GFP and phyB2::GFP demonstrated that CDs accelerate the translocation of red light-responsive phytochrome B (PhyB) from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, a process that may contribute to delayed leaf senescence. Additionally, during the harvesting period, CD-treated tomato plants showed evident enhancements in both fruit quantity and quality. These results collectively indicate that CDs promote tomato growth and fruit production by enhancing photosynthesis and delaying leaf senescence. This study not only provides insights for promoting tomato growth and yield but also offers valuable guidance for investigating interactions between nanomaterials and plants.

Fusarium wilt (FW) and black rot (BR) are the most devastating diseases affecting cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata), severely impacting the global cabbage yield, and the breeding of dual-resistant cabbage is an urgent necessity. However, Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) poses significant challenges for reusing most commercial varieties with multiple disease resistance in breeding programs. XG5 is an Ogura CMS commercial hybrid that is resistant to both FW and BR. We designed two steps to achieve the reapplication of XG5 in breeding. During the first stage, XG5 fertility was restored using two methods: crossing XG5 with the restorer line CB40 and transferring the restorer gene (Rfo) into XG5 via transgenic technology. Based on marker-assisted selection, field performance, and resistance identification, three individuals, F1-5, F1-9, and F1-21, from the restorer line cross and two individuals, T0-4 and T0-5, from transformation were selected and further crossed with the elite inbred line S01, which served as the recurrent backcross parent to generate the BC2 generation, successfully integrating resistance into the inbred line. During the second stage, to rapidly obtain the homozygous line, two techniques were used to generate double haploid (DH) lines: isolated microspore culture and haploid induction using the inducer line dmp9. Through in vitro/in vivo induction and colchicine treatment, a total of twenty DH lines were generated. Among these DH lines, D9, D10, and D16 presented normal fertility, dual resistance, and excellent agronomic characteristics. Using a two-by-two method, we reused FW- and BR-resistant germplasms, ultimately generating cabbage lines with dual major disease resistance and normal fertility. These results provide a new approach to the reapplication of Ogura CMS commercial crop hybrids via modern breeding techniques.

WD40 proteins constitute a substantial gene family within eukaryotic organisms, exhibiting a variety of biological functions. However, a comprehensive identification and analysis of WD40 proteins in carrot (Daucus carota L.) has not been conducted. This study identified 278 WD40 genes in carrot and assessed their chromosomal distribution, gene structure, and evolutionary relationships. The identified WD40 genes were found to be unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. These genes were classified into 12 distinct subfamilies based on their domain composition. The analysis of the replication patterns of the DcWD40 genes revealed that tandem duplication serves as the primary mode for the amplification of the DcWD40 gene family. Ka/Ks analysis indicated that all WD40 duplicated gene pairs have undergone purifying selection throughout their evolutionary history. RNA-seq data from various carrot tissues and qRT-PCR analysis under dark and drought stress revealed diverse expression patterns of the DcWD40 genes. Certain genes exhibited tissue-specific expression, while the majority of genes showed consistent expression levels across various tissues and developmental stages of carrot. This study enhances our understanding of the WD40 gene family in carrot and establishes a valuable basis for future investigations into the functional roles of WD40 genes.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world's main food crops and the largest phosphorus (P) fertilizer consumer globally. However, the molecular mechanism of P distribution in wheat remains largely unknown. This study investigated the TaSULTR gene family and functionally characterized TaSPDT (TaSULTR3;4). Thirty-three TaSULTR genes were identified and divided into four groups. These genes contained three tandem duplications and 28 segmental duplications. TaSPDT was localized on the plasma membrane and demonstrated P transport activity. TaSPDT was mainly expressed at nodes, and its expression was elevated under low P conditions. TaSPDT was distributed on the xylem and phloem of enlarged and diffuse vascular bundles at nodes, as well as on the parenchyma cell bridge between vascular bundles. TaSPDT knockout reduced P distribution to young leaves but increased it in older leaves during the vegetative stage under low P availability. P uptake by roots, transfer to above-ground tissues, and redistribution within aerial organs were unaffected. At the reproductive stage, TaSPDT knockout notably diminished P allocation to grains, resulting in a significant decrease in grain yield, particularly under P-deficient conditions. These results suggest that TaSPDT mediates the transmembrane transport of P from the xylem to the phloem at the nodes, resulting in the preferential distribution of P to grains. This study enables a better understanding of the TaSULTR gene family and P distribution in wheat.

As a crucial root vegetable, the phenomenon of bolting and flowering presents a significant challenge to the commercial value of carrot. However, the genetic mechanism of carrot bolting remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we conducted a two-year cultivation experiment with a population of 240 carrots to examine traits associated with bolting. We conducted whole-genome sequencing on these carrots and subsequently performed population structure analysis, as well as genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A total of nine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were identified across diverse environmental conditions that exhibited significant associations with bolting speed and other traits. Furthermore, within 93 candidate genes identified, the RING-domain zinc-finger protein LOC108205243 was determined to play a significant role in the regulation of bolting traits. The SNPs and candidate genes identified in this research may serve as molecular markers for bolting traits, thereby offering essential resources for genetic engineering breeding efforts aimed at managing bolting in carrots.

Introduction:Silicon can exert benefits on plants when they are suffering stresses, and the benefits are more obvious in high silicon accumulators. However, the molecular mechanism how silicon deposits in plants is not fully understood. Methods:This study identified the CsPRP family genes in cucumber, and analyzed their functions in cucumber silicon deposition via expression in Escherichia coli. Additionally, their intracellular localization was analyzed via transient expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion constructs in onion epidermal cells, and their expression profiles were characterized using ProCsPRP1::GUS and ProCsPRP3::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis. Results and Discussion:Seven PRP genes were identified in cucumber, of which CsPRP1 and CsPRP3 were identified as tandem duplication, CsPRP4 and CsPRP5 were identified as segmental duplication. The binding experiment of silicon showed that both CsPRP1 and CsPRP3 exhibited significant binding characteristics to silicon, but their optimal pH values were different. Transient expression in onion epidermal cells revealed that CsPRP1 and CsPRP3 were specifically localized on the cell wall. Staining of ProCsPRP1::GUS and ProCsPRP3::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis demonstrated that during the seedling phase, CsPRP1 and CsPRP3 were mainly expressed in the mature leaves and roots, and in the mature phase, they were mainly expressed in the leaves, roots, petals and stamens. These results may aid further research into the biological function of cucumber PRP and the molecular mechanism of silicon deposition in cucumber.

Sheep manure and mushroom residue are common agricultural waste which threaten environment but rich in mineral elements and organic matter. Even though fermentation and adding it to soil for crop growth is a commonly used approach, there are concerns about how efficient the fermentation process is and whether the microbial community remains safe for both the crops and those working in agriculture. We have discovered a composite microbial agent, previously known as CMA, that demonstrates significant efficacy in the fermentation of mushroom residue and sheep manure. Despite its high activity, the impact of this microbial agent on soil nutrient release, soil microbial composition, and plant growth remains still uncertain. After fermenting sheep manure and mushroom residue with Bacillus CMA, this study investigated the fermentation products mixed with vermiculite and perlite for the cultivation of tomato. The results demonstrate that the composite substrate align closely within the ideal range for seedling substrates. Notably, compounded with CMA compost products and vermiculite in a 2:1 ratio, yields the most favorable growth for tomato, which may be attributed to the increased nutrient release and most favorable microbial conditions. Moreover, it significantly decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria harmful to human and animal health, thereby reducing the risk to individuals engaged in field labor, and mitigating the threat of plant pathogenic bacteria. Sheep manure and mushroom residue fermentation with CMA added significantly promoted tomatoes growth and reduced the risk of diseases in crops, animals, and people. These findings hold significant implications also for the reuse of agricultural biowaste and residues, besides the crop growth and safety of humans and animals in agricultural environments.

本研究采用多样性分析、相关性分析、主成分分析及隶属函数多元分析法,探究彩色胡萝卜的表观性状、口感与内在营养品质的关联性.结果表明:肉质根尖形状与胡萝卜特殊风味相关,表皮状况、表皮色等与部分营养品质相关,说明表观可初步筛选高品质胡萝卜.主成分分析共提取到4个主成分,累计贡献率达89.291％,水分、可溶性糖、粗纤维含量和单根重可作为今后鲜食胡萝卜的评价指标.在12份胡萝卜综合分析排名中宁红2号和天紫表现优异,宁红2号的β-胡萝卜素、可溶性糖、水分含量高,口感好,适合鲜食;天紫花青素含量高,单根重最大,产量高.本研究为后续多色彩高品质鲜食胡萝卜品种表观形态鉴定及育种筛选提供前期理论参考.

To explore the light intensity suitable for the growth of purple leaf lettuce seedlings in plant factories and greenhouses, the effects of light intensity of 6000, 12,000, 18,000, 24,000, and 30,000 lx on growth morphology, nutritional quality, photosynthetic pigment, and photosynthetic characteristics of purple leaf lettuce seedlings were studied with ‘Beizisheng 3’ as the experimental material under the condition of white light quality unchanged. The results showed that under a light intensity of 30,000 lx, purple leaf lettuce seedlings grew well, and the biomass, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content, carotenoid content, total chlorophyll, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, vitamin C content, anthocyanin content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance were the largest, while the nitrate content and intercellular CO2 concentration were the lowest. However, chlorophyll b content, carotenoid content, soluble protein content, and transpiration rate had no significant difference compared with those under 24000 lx light intensity, and the plant height was the highest under 24,000 lx light intensity. Under the condition of white light quality, the most suitable light intensity for the growth of purple leaf lettuce seedlings is 30,000 lx.

本试验以具有除草活性的生防菌株椭圆葡萄孢菌HZ-011为研究对象,设计不同使用剂量处理,在水果豆苗期,各处理均匀喷施菌剂溶液,观察作物生长情况,确定生防菌剂安全性,调查杂草种类和数量,计算防除效果,确定最佳使用剂量.同时构建菌—药组合的复配菌剂,测定组合协同作用下对杂草的致病性以及菌—低量化学除草剂结合对作物安全性的影响试验,并协调运用其他环境友好型防治技术,旨在构建田间杂草生物防治技术体系,提高田间控草效果.

胡萝卜种子粒形和千粒重与种子产量和质量密切相关,以亲缘关系较远的胡萝卜品种松滋野生和Amsterdam构建的回交重组自交系(BIL)群体为试材,对胡萝卜种子的粒长、粒宽、长宽比和千粒重进行QTL分析.结果表明:胡萝卜BIL群体种子的粒长、粒宽、长宽比和千粒重均表现为偏正态分布;粒长、粒宽与千粒重呈两两极显著正相关,长宽比与粒长呈极显著正相关、与粒宽呈极显著负相关,说明粒长和粒宽均能够影响千粒重.基于前期构建的遗传图谱,获得3个与粒长相关的QTL位点,1个与粒宽相关的QTL位点,2个与千粒重相关的QTL位点,表型贡献率在8.8％～18.3％之间.

[目的]为测定生菜花粉的活力,优化生菜花粉离体萌发培养基,筛选最适的培养时间、温度及转速.[方法]以生菜品种'S39'为材料,使用BK培养基和ME3培养基测定生菜花粉的萌发率,并在这两种培养基的基础上添加不同质量浓度聚乙二醇1500和聚乙二醇4000,测定不同培养温度、时间及转速下的花粉萌发率.[结果]生菜花粉在BK培养基和ME3培养基中萌发率均极低,添加300 g/L聚乙二醇4000能极显著提高生菜花粉的萌发率.最适的培养条件为33℃100 r/min摇床中避光培养12h.[结论]采集生菜'S39'完全开放时期的花粉,使用优化后的培养基:200 g/L 蔗糖+0.1 g/L H3BO3+0.236 g/L Ca(NO3)2·4H2O+0.04 g/L CaCl2·H2O+0.12 g/L MgSO4·7H2O+300 g/L 聚乙二醇 4 000 在 33℃,100 r/min 摇床中避光培养 12 h,花粉萌发率最大能达到67.30％.该研究对生菜新品种的选育具有重要的意义.

Heterotic groups have been well studied in hybrid breeding of grain crops, such as maize. However, little such information is available for Chinese cabbage. Plant Gross Weight (PGW) is one of the most important yield traits of Chinese cabbage. In this work, 48 F-1 hybrids were obtained by incomplete diallel cross (6 x 8) of 14 Chinese cabbage inbred lines, then all parents and F-1 hybrids were cultivated to evaluate heterosis performance on the PGW trait in two growing seasons (2017 and 2018) at Yangling, China. A total of five methods were used to determine the heterotic groups of tested inbred lines, which include 1) SCA method based on specific combining ability effect, 2) SCA-Y method based on SCA effect by Yang's method, 3) HSGCA method based on heterotic group specific and general combining ability, 4) HGCAMT method based on general combining ability of multiple traits. Besides, the 14 parental lines also clustered by 5) SSR method based on similarity of a core set of 28 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The result showed that heterosis is obvious on the PGW trait in most F-1 hybrids, with the mean value of Mid-parent heterosis (MPH) and Better-parent heterosis (BPH) is 111.17 % and 82.03 % respectively. PGW and MPH of F-1 hybrids were used as final indexes to evaluate the efficiency of these five methods on heterotic group classification. The result revealed that HSGCA method and SCA method are most optimal to classify the heterotic groups in Chinese cabbage with identical division results. SSR method based on the core set of 28 SSR markers is also an effective way to predict heterosis in advance which can be used as the basis of field cross design. The 14 inbred lines of Chinese cabbage were classified into five heterotic groups based on common results of HSGCA method and SCA method. Furthermore, five inbred lines were selected as testers for further determining heterotic groups of other new inbred lines. This work is expected to raise the breeding efficiency of Chinese cabbage hybrid breeding and provide reference for classifying heterotic groups in other vegetable crops.

通过对大葱栽培品种,露地和覆膜、密度等条件对大葱产量和生长情况的影响研究,认为生产中适宜选用株型紧凑、生长速度快、硬杆直立的大葱品种(极晚抽一本、青竹);采用25cm高垄覆白膜(厚度0.01mm)密度(10cm×10cm)的覆膜密植栽培模式是青海2700m左右高海拔旱作地区大葱栽培的最优模式.

Chinese cabbage is an important vegetable in Asia, and high-yielding hybrids are needed to cope with the growing demand. A comparative transcriptome profiling was conducted to reveal the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with heterosis in two hybrids relative to their parents. Our data suggests that heterosis is underlined by a significant upregulation of gene expression. High expression of DEGs in glycolysis and photosynthesis pathways in hybrids depicted their relation with growth and hybrid vigor. Besides, DEGs related to auxin, abscisic acid, ethylene and gibberellin were identified, implying that these hormones may boost the mechanisms of growth and developmental processes in the hybrids. Furthermore, transcription factors, including bHLH, ERF, MYB and WRKY were predicted to regulate downstream genes linked to hybrid vigor. Collectively, the present study will be helpful for a better understanding of the regulation mechanisms of heterosis to aid cabbage yield improvement.

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is a biennial plant requiring vernalization to induce flowering, but long days can promote its premature bolting and flowering. The basic genetic network controlling the flowering time has been constructed for carrot, but there is limited information on the molecular mechanisms underlying the photoperiodic flowering response. The published carrot genome could provide an effective tool for systematically retrieving the key integrator genes of GIGANTEA (GI), CONSTANS-LIKE (COL), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) homologues in the photoperiod pathway. In this study, the bolting time of wild species "Songzi" (Ws) could be regulated by different photoperiods, but the orange cultivar "Amsterdam forcing" (Af) displayed no bolting phenomenon. According to the carrot genome and previous de novo transcriptome, 1 DcGI, 15 DcCOLs, 2 DcFTs, and 3 DcSOC1s were identified in the photoperiod pathway. The circadian rhythm peaks of DcGI, DcCOL2, DcCOL5a, and DcCOL13b could be delayed under long days (LDs). The peak value of DcCOL2 in Af (12.9) was significantly higher than that in Ws (6.8) under short day (SD) conditions, and was reduced under LD conditions (5.0). The peak values of DcCOL5a in Ws were constantly higher than those in Af under the photoperiod treatments. The expression levels of DcFT1 in Ws (463.0) were significantly upregulated under LD conditions compared with those in Af (1.4). These responses of DcCOL2, DcCOL5a, and DcFT1 might be related to the different bolting responses of Ws and Af. This study could provide valuable insights into understanding the key integrator genes in the carrot photoperiod pathway.

Petaloid cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited loss of male fertility due to the complete conversion of stamens into petal-like organs, and CMS lines have been widely utilized in carrot breeding. Petaloid CMS is an ideal model not only for studying the mitochondrial-nuclear interaction but also for discovering genes that are essential for floral organ development. To investigate the comprehensive mechanism of CMS and homeotic organ alternation during carrot flower development, we conducted transcriptome analysis between the petaloid CMS line (P2S) and its maintainer line (P2M) at four flower developmental stages (T1-T4). A total of 2838 genes were found to be differentially expressed, among which 1495 genes were significantly downregulated and 1343 genes were significantly upregulated in the CMS line. Functional analysis showed that most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, plant hormone signal transduction, and biosynthesis. A total of 16 MADS-box genes were grouped into class A, B, C, and E, but not class D, genes. Several key genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation showed continuously low expression from stage T2 in P2S, and the expression of DcPI and DcAG-like genes also greatly decreased at stage T2 in P2S. This indicated that energy deficiency might inhibit the expression of B- and C-class MADS-box genes resulting in the conversion of stamens into petals. Stamen petaloidy may act as an intrinsic stress, upregulating the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes and MADS-box genes at stages T3 and T4 in P2S, which results in some fertile revertants. This study will provide a better understanding of carrot petaloid CMS and floral development as a basis for further research.

A set of backcross inbred lines (BILs) crossed by a wild carrot species'Songzi'with an orange cultivar'Amsterdam'were used to deeply analyze the genetic influence of'Songzi'chromosome fragments on date of initial flowering (DIF),main stalk length (MSL),and seed weight per plant (SWP).The experimental results suggested that MSL was normal distributed in 2014 and 2015,but DIF was on the contrary,and that SWP was only normal distributed in 2015.ANOVA analysis indicated that there was significant difference among BILs genotypes,years,and genotypes × years.Based on the last carrot genome resequencing data,a genetic map consisted of 2 027 Bins and 154 776 SNPs was developed,and the total genetic distance was 1 436.433 cM with an average interval of 0.709 cM between Bin markers.Two,four and two QTLs associated with DIF,MSL and SWP were discovered,respectively,with 14.6％-23.8％ phenotypic variance.DIF5-1 locus was overlapped with MSL5-1 locus.