Mixing trait-based corn(Zea mays L.)cultivars increases yield through pollination synchronization and increased cross-fertilization

Abiotic stress such as high temperature at flowering is one of many conditions reducing yield of corn(Zea mays L.).Mixing corn cultivars with diverse functional traits increases within-crop diversity and provides a potential means of mitigating yield losses under stress conditions.We conducted a three-year field study to investigate the effects of cultivar mixtures on kernel setting rate,pollen sources,and yield.This study consisted of six treatments,including two high temperature-tolerant(HTT)monocrops of WK702 and DH701,two high temperature-sensitive(HTS)monocrops of DH605 and DH662,and two HTT–HTS mixtures of WK702-DH605 and DH701-DH662.The anthesis–silking interval(ASI)was 0.9–1.6 days shorter in mixtures than in monocrops.Kernel setting rate was increased in mixtures(86.4%–88.7%)compared with those in monocrops(74.7%–84.1%)as a result of synchrony and complementarity of pollination.Grain yields of the HTT–HTS mixtures increased by 13.3%–18.7%,equivalent to 1169 to1605 kg ha^(-1),in comparison with HTS corn monocrops.The results of SSR markers showed that crossfertilization percentage in corn cultivar mixtures ranged from 29.3%to 47.8%,partially explaining yield improvement.Land equivalent ratio(LER)was 1.12 for corn mixtures and the partial land equivalent ratio(e.g.,>0.5)showed the complementary benefits in corn mixtures.The results indicated that mixing corn cultivars with diverse flowering and drought-tolerance traits increased yields via pollination synchrony.

Molecular characterization of glutaredoxin 2 from Ostrinia furnacalis

Glutaredoxins(GRXs)play very important roles in maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis.In the present study,the full-length cDNA sequence encoding GRX2,named OfurGRX2(GenBank accession no.GU393246),was obtained from Ostrinia furnacalis,using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends.Sequence analysis revealed that the open reading frame of OfurGRX2 consists of 351 nucleotides encoding 116 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 12.6 kDa.Homolog research revealed that OfurGRX2 shares a common active site,CPYC/CPFC,with other insect counterparts.Expression profiles revealed that OfurGRX2 is a ubiquitous gene expressed in insect heads,fat bodies,epidermises,mid guts and muscles.The OfurGRX2 transcript peaked in 36-h larvae of 4th instars,and then suddenly declined in the molting stage.Hormone treatment experiments revealed that 20-hydroxyecodyson(20e)significantly induces the expression of the OfurGRX2 transcript,whereas juvenile hormone(JH)counteracts 20e effects.Adverse stress factors(including starvation,ultraviolet light,mechanical injury,Escherichia coli exposure,and high and low temperatures)dramatically induced OfurGRXGRX2 transcript expression,which confirmed for the first time that GRX2 play important roles in insecta during exposure to adverse environments.

Flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic effect in trapezoid-shaped NaNbO_(3)nanotube array composites

In this work,we successfully prepared vertically aligned NaNbO_(3)nanotube(NN-NT)with trapezoidal shapes,in which the orthorhombic and monoclinic phases coexisted.According to the structure analysis,the NN-NT/epoxy composite film had excellent flexoelectric properties due to the lattice distortion caused by defects and irregular shape.The flexoelectric effect is the greatest in the vertical direction in the flexible NN-NT/epoxy composite film,and the flexoelectric coefficient()is 2.77×10^(−8)C·m^(−1),which is approximately 5-fold higher than that of the pure epoxy film.The photovoltaic current of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film increased from 39.9 to 71.8 nA·cm^(−2)in the direction of spontaneous polarization when the sample was bent upward due to the flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic(FPV)effect.The flexoelectric effect of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film could modulate the photovoltaic response by increasing it by 80%or reducing it to 65%of the original value.This work provides a new idea for further exploration in efficient and lossless ferroelectric memory devices.

The calcium-dependent protein kinase ZmCDPK7 functions in heat-stress tolerance in maize

Global warming poses a serious threat to crops.Calcium-dependent protein kinases(CDPKs)/CPKs play vital roles in plant stress responses,but their exact roles in plant thermotolerance remains elusive.Here,we explored the roles of heat-induced ZmCDPK7 in thermotolerance in maize.ZmCDPK7-overexpressing maize plants displayed higher thermotolerance,photosynthetic rates,and antioxidant enzyme activity but lower H2 O2 and malondialdehyde(MDA)contents than wild-type plants under heat stress.ZmCDPK7-knockdown plants displayed the opposite patterns.ZmCDPK7 is attached to the plasma membrane but can translocate to the cytosol under heat stress.ZmCDPK7 interacts with the small heat shock protein sHSP17.4,phosphorylates sHSP17.4 at Ser-44 and the respiratory burst oxidase homolog RBOHB at Ser-99,and up regulates their expression.Site-directed mutagenesis of sHSP17.4 to generate a Ser-44-Ala substitution reduced ZmCDPK7’s enhancement of catalase activity but enhanced ZmCDPK7’s suppression of MDA accumulation in heat-stressed maize protoplasts.sHSP17.4,ZmCDPK7,and RBOHB were less strongly upregulated in response to heat stress in the abscisic acid-deficient mutant vp5 versus the wild type.Pretreatment with an RBOH inhibitor suppressed sHSP17.4 and ZmCDPK7 expression.Therefore,abscisic acid-induced ZmCDPK7 functions both upstream and downstream of RBOH and participates in thermotolerance in maize by mediating the phosphorylation of sHSP17.4,which might be essential for its chaperone function.