Breeding maize of ideal plant architecture for high-density planting tolerance through modulating shade avoidance response and beyond

Maize is a major staple crop widely used as food,animal feed,and raw materials in industrial production.High-density planting is a major factor contributing to the continuous increase of maize yield.However,high planting density usually triggers a shade avoidance response and causes increased plant height and ear height,resulting in lodging and yield loss.Reduced plant height and ear height,more erect leaf angle,reduced tassel branch number,earlier flowering,and strong root system architecture are five key morphological traits required for maize adaption to high-density planting.In this review,we summarize recent advances in deciphering the genetic and molecular mechanisms of maize involved in response to high-density planting.We also discuss some strategies for breeding advanced maize cultivars with superior performance under high-density planting conditions.

Serum cystatin C,monocyte/high-density lipoprotein-C ratio,and uric acid for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease and heart failure

BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease(CHD)and heart failure(HF)are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Early and accurate diagnoses of CHD and HF are essential for optimal management and prognosis.However,conventional diagnostic methods such as electrocardiography,echocardiography,and cardiac biomarkers have certain limitations,such as low sensitivity,specificity,availability,and cost-effectiveness.Therefore,there is a need for simple,noninvasive,and reliable biomarkers to diagnose CHD and HF.AIM To investigate serum cystatin C(Cys-C),monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(MHR),and uric acid(UA)diagnostic values for CHD and HF.METHODS We enrolled 80 patients with suspected CHD or HF who were admitted to our hospital between July 2022 and July 2023.The patients were divided into CHD(n=20),HF(n=20),CHD+HF(n=20),and control groups(n=20).The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were measured using immunonephelometry and an enzymatic method,respectively,and the diagnostic values for CHD and HF were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.RESULTS Serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD,HF,and CHD+HF groups than those in the control group.The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD+HF group than those in the CHD or HF group.The ROC curve analysis showed that serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA had good diagnostic performance for CHD and HF,with areas under the curve ranging from 0.78 to 0.93.The optimal cutoff values of serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA for diagnosing CHD,HF,and CHD+HF were 1.2 mg/L,0.9×10^(9),and 389μmol/L;1.4 mg/L,1.0×10^(9),and 449μmol/L;and 1.6 mg/L,1.1×10^(9),and 508μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA are useful biomarkers for diagnosing CHD and HF,and CHD+HF.These can provide information for decision-making and risk stratification in patients with CHD and HF.

Tandem hydroalkylation and deoxygenation of lignin-derived phenolics to synthesize high-density fuels

Lignin is the most abundant naturally phenolic biomass,and the synthesis of high-performance renewable fuel from lignin has attracted significant attention.We propose the efficient synthesis of high-density fuels using simulated lignin cracked oil in tandem with hydroalkylation and deoxygenation reactions.First,we investigated the reaction pathway for the hydroalkylation of phenol,which competes with the hydrodeoxygenation form cyclohexane.And then,we investigated the effects of metal catalyst types,the loading amount of metallic,acid dosage,and reactant ratio on the reaction results.The phenol hydroalkylation and hydrodeoxygenation were balanced when 180℃ and 5 MPa H_(2)with the alkanes yield of 95%.By extending the substrate to other lignin-derived phenolics and simulated lignin cracked oil,we obtained the polycyclic alkane fuel with high density of 0.918 g·ml^(-1)and calorific value of41.2 MJ·L^(-1).Besides,the fuel has good low-temperature properties(viscosity of 9.3 mm^(2)·s^(-1)at 20℃ and freezing point below-55℃),which is expected to be used as jet fuel.This work provides a promising way for the easy and green production of high-density fuel directly from real lignin oil.

Kinetic-Thermodynamic Promotion Engineering toward High-Density Hierarchical and Zn-Doping Activity-Enhancing ZnNiO@CF for High-Capacity Desalination

Despite the promising potential of transition metal oxides(TMOs)as capacitive deionization(CDI)electrodes,the actual capacity of TMOs electrodes for sodium storage is significantly lower than the theoretical capacity,posing a major obstacle.Herein,we prepared the kinetically favorable Zn_(x)Ni_(1−x)O electrode in situ growth on carbon felt(Zn_(x)Ni_(1−x)O@CF)through constraining the rate of OH^(−)generation in the hydrothermal method.Zn_(x)Ni_(1−x)O@CF exhibited a high-density hierarchical nanosheet structure with three-dimensional open pores,benefitting the ion transport/electron transfer.And tuning the moderate amount of redox-inert Zn-doping can enhance surface electroactive sites,actual activity of redox-active Ni species,and lower adsorption energy,promoting the adsorption kinetic and thermodynamic of the Zn_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)O@CF.Benefitting from the kinetic-thermodynamic facilitation mechanism,Zn_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)O@CF achieved ultrahigh desalination capacity(128.9 mgNaCl g^(-1)),ultra-low energy consumption(0.164 kW h kgNaCl^(-1)),high salt removal rate(1.21 mgNaCl g^(-1) min^(-1)),and good cyclability.The thermodynamic facilitation and Na^(+)intercalation mechanism of Zn_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)O@CF are identified by the density functional theory calculations and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring,respectively.This research provides new insights into controlling electrochemically favorable morphology and demonstrates that Zn-doping,which is redox-inert,is essential for enhancing the electrochemical performance of CDI electrodes.

Tomato detection method using domain adaptive learning for dense planting environments

This study aimed to address the challenge of accurately and reliably detecting tomatoes in dense planting environments,a critical prerequisite for the automation implementation of robotic harvesting.However,the heavy reliance on extensive manually annotated datasets for training deep learning models still poses significant limitations to their application in real-world agricultural production environments.To overcome these limitations,we employed domain adaptive learning approach combined with the YOLOv5 model to develop a novel tomato detection model called as TDA-YOLO(tomato detection domain adaptation).We designated the normal illumination scenes in dense planting environments as the source domain and utilized various other illumination scenes as the target domain.To construct bridge mechanism between source and target domains,neural preset for color style transfer is introduced to generate a pseudo-dataset,which served to deal with domain discrepancy.Furthermore,this study combines the semi-supervised learning method to enable the model to extract domain-invariant features more fully,and uses knowledge distillation to improve the model's ability to adapt to the target domain.Additionally,for purpose of promoting inference speed and low computational demand,the lightweight FasterNet network was integrated into the YOLOv5's C3 module,creating a modified C3_Faster module.The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed TDA-YOLO model significantly outperformed original YOLOv5s model,achieving a mAP(mean average precision)of 96.80%for tomato detection across diverse scenarios in dense planting environments,increasing by 7.19 percentage points;Compared with the latest YOLOv8 and YOLOv9,it is also 2.17 and 1.19 percentage points higher,respectively.The model's average detection time per image was an impressive 15 milliseconds,with a FLOPs(floating point operations per second)count of 13.8 G.After acceleration processing,the detection accuracy of the TDA-YOLO model on the Jetson Xavier NX development board is 90.95%,the mAP value is 91.35%,and the detection time of each image is 21 ms,which can still meet the requirements of real-time detection of tomatoes in dense planting environment.The experimental results show that the proposed TDA-YOLO model can accurately and quickly detect tomatoes in dense planting environment,and at the same time avoid the use of a large number of annotated data,which provides technical support for the development of automatic harvesting systems for tomatoes and other fruits.

Low Stress TSV Arrays for High-Density Interconnection

In three-dimensional(3D)stacking,the thermal stress of through-silicon via(TSV)has a significant influence on chip performance and reliability,and this problem is exacerbated in high-density TSV arrays.In this study,a novel hollow tungsten TSV(W-TSV)is presented and developed.The hollow structure provides space for the release of thermal stress.Simulation results showed that the hollow W-TSV structure can release 60.3%of thermal stress within the top 2 lm from the surface,and thermal stress can be decreased to less than 20 MPa in the radial area of 3 lm.The ultra-high-density(1600 TSV∙mm2)TSV array with a size of 640×512,a pitch of 25 lm,and an aspect ratio of 20.3 was fabricated,and the test results demonstrated that the proposed TSV has excellent electrical and reliability performances.The average resistance of the TSV was 1.21 X.The leakage current was 643 pA and the breakdown voltage was greater than 100 V.The resistance change is less than 2%after 100 temperature cycles from40 to 125℃.Raman spectroscopy showed that the maximum stress on the wafer surface caused by the hollow W-TSV was 31.02 MPa,which means that there was no keep-out zone(KOZ)caused by the TSV array.These results indicate that this structure has great potential for applications in large-array photodetectors and 3D integrated circuits.

Predictive value of intracranial high-density areas in neurological function

BACKGROUND Intracranial high-density areas(HDAs)have attracted considerable attention for predicting clinical outcomes;however,whether HDAs predict worse neurological function and mental health remains controversial and unclear,which requires further investigation.In this prospective study,96 patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS)who accepted endovascular mechanical thrombectomy(EMT)were included.The enrolled patients underwent cranial computed tomography(CT)examination within 24 hours after EMT.Clinical data in terms of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS),the 3-month modified Rankin Scale(mRS),self-rating depression scale(SDS),and self-rating anxiety scale(SAS)scores were collected and compared between patients with HDAs and non-HDAs and between patients with good and poor clinical prognosis.Compared to patients without HDAs,patients with HDAs presented severe neurological deficits(admission NIHSS score:18±3 vs 19±4),were more likely to have post-stroke disabilities(mRS<3:35%vs 62%),and suffered more severe depression(SDS score:58±16 vs 64±13)and anxiety disorder(SAS score:52±8 vs 59±10).Compared to patients with a good prognosis,patients with a poor prognosis presented severe neurological deficits(admission NIHSS score:17±4 vs 20±3),were more likely to have HDAs on CT images(64%vs 33%),and suffered more severe depression(SDS score:55±19 vs 65±11)and anxiety(SAS score:50±8 vs 58±12).Multivariate analysis revealed that HDAs were independent nega-tive prognostic factors.CONCLUSION In conclusion,HDAs on CT images predicted poor prognosis and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with AIS who underwent EMT.

Sorghum Productivity and Its Farming Feasibility in Dryland Agriculture:Genotypic and Planting Distance Insights

Sorghum(Sorghum bicolor L.Moench)is an essential food crop for more than 750 million people in tropical and sub-tropical dry climates of Africa,India,and Latin America.The domestic sorghum market in Indonesia is still limited to the eastern region(East Nusa Tenggara,West Nusa Tenggara,Java,and South Sulawesi).Therefore,it is crucial to carry out sorghum research on drylands.This research aimed to investigate the effect of sorghum genotype and planting distance and their interaction toward growth and sorghum’s productivity in the Gunungkidul dryland,Yogyakarta,Indonesia.In addition,the farm business analysis,including the feasibility of sorghum farming,was also examined.The research used a randomized complete block design(RCBD),arranged in a 5×4 factorial with 3 replicates.The first treatment consisted of 5 varieties(2 high-yielding varieties(Bioguma 1 and Kawali)and 3 local sorghum varieties(Plonco,Ketan Merah,and Hitam Wareng)).The second treatment consisted of 4 levels of planting distance,namely 50×20 cm,60×20 cm,70×15 cm,and 70×20×20 cm.Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data,where Duncan’s multiple range test(DMRT)was used post hoc.Plant height,panicle height,panicle width,panicle weight,stover weight,grains weight/plot,and productivity were significantly affected by sorghum varieties(p<0.05).However,there was no significant effect from the planting distance treatment and no interaction between planting distance and varietal treatments.Ketan Merah had the highest height,panicle length,and panicle width,while Bioguma 1 had the highest stover weight,panicle weight,grain weight/plot,and productivity.There was a significant linear regression equation,i.e.,productivity=0.0054–0.0003 panicle height+0.4163 grains weight/plot.Our findings on farm business analysis suggested that four out of five tested sorghum varieties were feasible to grow,except for the Ketan Merah variety.The most economically profitable sorghum variety to grow in Gunungkidul dryland was Bioguma 1.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Perennial Ryegrass Mixed Planting with Legumes under Heavy Metal Pollution

In artificially controlled pot experiments,perennial ryegrass was mixed with other leguminous plants(white clo-ver and alfalfa)and treated with lead,zinc and cadmium(337 mg·kg^(-1),648 mg·kg^(-1),and 9 mg·kg^(-1),respectively)to simulate compound pollution conditions.The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals,trans-port factors,and bioconcentration factors in mixed planting of ryegrass decreased compared with those in mono-culture.Regardless of whether heavy metal pollution was introduced,mixed planting increased the aboveground and underground biomasses of ryegrass.The different mixed planting treatments had no significant impact on the chlorophyll concentration of ryegrass.The mowing time,mixed planting treatment,and heavy metal treatment had impacts on antioxidant and osmotic adjustment substances,and there were some interactions.The mixed planting treatment did not significantly affect glutathione concentration,cysteine concentration,or nonprotein thiol.Mixed planting generally increased the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of ryegrass while reducing the stoichiometric ratio of carbon,nitrogen,and phosphorus.These results suggest that the mixed planting of ryegrass with legumes promotes the growth of ryegrass in the presence of high concentrations of heavy metal pollution.However,it does not enhance the ability of ryegrass to remediate heavy metal pollution in the soil.

Exploring the impact of high density planting system and deficit irrigation in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.):a comprehensive review

Lessons learned from past experiences push for an alternate way of crop production.In India,adopting high density planting system(HDPS)to boost cotton yield is becoming a growing trend.HDPS has recently been considered a replacement for the current Indian production system.It is also suitable for mechanical harvesting,which reducing labour costs,increasing input use efficiency,timely harvesting timely,maintaining cotton quality,and offering the potential to increase productivity and profitability.This technology has become widespread in globally cotton growing regions.Water management is critical for the success of high density cotton planting.Due to the problem of freshwater availability,more crops should be produced per drop of water.In the high-density planting system,optimum water application is essential to control excessive vegetative growth and improve the translocation of photoassimilates to reproductive organs.Deficit irrigation is a tool to save water without compromising yield.At the same time,it consumes less water than the normal evapotranspiration of crops.This review comprehensively documents the importance of growing cotton under a high-density planting system with deficit irrigation.Based on the current research and combined with cotton production reality,this review discusses the application and future development of deficit irrigation,which may provide theoretical guidance for the sustainable advancement of cotton planting systems.

Dry Breeding and Dry Planting Techniques for Indica Hybrid Rice in Karst Mountain Areas of Gejiu City

Based on the arable land situation in Gejiu City,upland dry planting of indica hybrid rice is being expanded in Karst mountain areas with a rainfall of over 1400 mm and an altitude of 1100-1600 m to develop grain production.This paper gives a specific description of hybrid rice upland dry seedling technology,upland transplanting technology,fertilization technology,field management,weed prevention and control technology,and disease and pest control.

Conversion of lignin oil and hemicellulose derivative into high-density jet fuel

Synthesizing high-density fuel from lignocellulose can not only achieve green and low-carbon development,but also expand the feedstock source of hydrocarbon fuel.Here,we reported a route of producing high-density fuel from lignin oil and hemicellulose derivative cyclopentanol through alkylation and hydrodeoxygenation,HY with SiO_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3) molar ratio of 5.3 was screened as the alkylation catalyst in the reaction of model phenolic compounds and mixtures,and the reaction conditions were optimized to achieve conversion of phenolic compounds higher than 87%and selectivity of bicyclic and tricyclic products higher than 99%.Then two phenolic pools simulating the composition of two typic lignin oils were studied to validate the alkylation and analyze the competition mechanism of phenolic compounds in mixture system.Finally,real lignin oil from depolymerized of beech powder was tested,and notably80%of phenolic monomers in the oil were converted into fuel precursor.After hydrodeoxygenation,the alkylated product was converted to fuel blend with a density of 0.91 g/mL at 20℃and a freezing point lower than-60℃,very promising as high density fuel.This work provides a facile and energyefficient way of synthesizing high-performance jet fuel directly from lignocellulosic derivatives,which decreases processing energy consumption and improve the utilization rate of feedstock.

QTL mapping for berry shape based on a high-density genetic map constructed by whole-genome resequencing in grape

Grape berry shape is an important agricultural trait.Clarifying its genetic basis is significant for cultivating grape varieties that meet market demands.However,the current study by forward genetics has not achieved in-depth results.Here,a high-density map was constructed to identify quantitative trait loci(QTLs)for berry shape.A total of 358709 polymorphic SNPs were obtained using whole-genome resequencing(WGS)based on 208 F2 individuals derived from round grape‘E42-6’and oblong grape‘Rizamat’.The 1635.65 cM high-density map was divided into 19 linkage groups with an average distance of 0.37 cM.Using this map,three significant QTLs for fruit shape index(ShI:ratio of berry length to berry width)identified over three years were mapped onto LG4 and LG5,including one stable QTL on Chr5 with the genomic region of 0.47–1.94 Mb.Combining with gene annotation and expression patterns based on RNA-seq data from two contrasting F2 individuals with round and oblong berry(their average ShI was 1.89 and 1.10,respectively)at four developmental stages,four candidate genes were selected from the above QTLs.They were mainly involved in DNA replication,cell wall modification,and phytohormone biosynthesis.Further analysis of RNA-seq data revealed that several important phytohormone synthesis and metabolic pathways were enriched based on differentially expressed genes(DEGs),which was consistent with the results of QTL mapping for genes related to plant hormone biosynthesis in the F2 population.Furthermore,a comparison of plant hormone content showed that there were significant differences in IAA and tZ content between the two contrasting F2 individuals at different developmental stages.Our findings provide molecular insights into the genetic variation in grape berry shape.Stable QTLs and their tightly linked markers offer the possibility of marker-assisted selection to accelerate berry shape breeding.

Changes in the root system of the herbaceous peony and soil properties under different years of continuous planting and replanting

The herbaceous peony(Paeonia lactiflora Pall.)has high ornamental value.Replanting problems occur when seedlings are replanted into previous holes.We studied the root system and soil environment of the'Dongjingnvlang'variety under a continuous planting regime of one,four,and seven years,and a replanting regime of one and four years.Under the condition of continuous planting,with the increase of number of years,pH,ammonium nitrogen,and nitrate nitrogen decreased in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils,whereas organic matter,available phosphorus and potassium,enzyme activities,and the number of bacteria,fungi,and actinomycetes increased.Under the condition of replanting,with the increase of number of years,fungi and actinomycetes in both soils increased,while pH,organic matter,nutrients,enzyme activities,and bacterial number decreased.pH,organic matter,nutrient content,enzyme activity and the number of bacterial were lower in soil replanted for four years,whereas the abundance of fungi and actinomycetes was higher,altering the soil from“bacterial high-fertility”to“fungal low-fertility”with increasing years of replanting.The activity of antioxidant enzymes and MDA content in roots of peony in replanting were higher than those in continuous planting,while the content of osmotic regulatory substances in replanting was lower than that in continuous planting.The results showed that there were no obvious adverse factors in soil during seven years of continuous planting,and herbaceous peony could maintain normal growth and development.However,soils after four years of replanting were not suitable for herbaceous peony growth.Benzoic acid increased with years of replanting,which potentially caused replanting problems.This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of replanting problems in the herbaceous peony.

基于Plant Simulation的化纤自动落丝系统仿真实验分析

基于Plant Simulation软件,构建一种化纤自动落丝系统的3D数字化模型,对系统效率关键输入因子进行参数化设置,将系统各工位三维数字模型导入软件中建立层次化运动机构图形结构,并运用Simltalk语言实现三维动作仿真,通过基础物理参数设置,保证了仿真数字化模型与现实系统更具一致性。通过多级实验设计分析了系统影响因子对于系统效率的影响特性曲线,并进一步通过动态参数化实验方法,计算出双输入因子对系统效能影响的敏感度。该实验结果可为化纤自动落丝系统的建设成本控制与可行性分析提供指导,具有较好的工程应用价值。

基于Plant Simulation的压气机叶片型线加工产线分析与优化

运用专业仿真软件Plant Simulation,根据压气机叶片型线机械加工工艺特点和物料运行流程建立生产线仿真模型,从产能、设备利用率及产线瓶颈等多方面进行仿真分析与优化。结果表明:Plant Simulation仿真平台的仿真可以找出规划设计方案中存在的问题并验证方案的合理性。该仿真结果为型线机械加工产线的优化设计提供了可靠依据,达到了节约投资成本和缩短设计周期的目的。

A Full-Scale Optimization of a Crop Spatial Planting Structure and its Associated Effects

Driven by the concept of agricultural sustainable development,crop planting structure optimization(CPSO)has become an effective measure to reduce regional crop water demand,ensure food security,and protect the environment.However,traditional optimization of crop planting structures often ignores the impact on regional food supply–demand relations and interprovincial food trading.Therefore,using a system analysis concept and taking virtual water output as the connecting point,this study proposes a theoretical CPSO framework based on a multi-aspect and full-scale evaluation index system.To this end,a water footprint(WF)simulation module denoted as soil and water assessment tool–water footprint(SWAT-WF)is constructed to simulate the amount and components of regional crop WFs.A multi-objective spatial CPSO model with the objectives of maximizing the regional economic water productivity(EWP),minimizing the blue water dependency(BWFrate),and minimizing the grey water footprint(GWFgrey)is established to achieve an optimal planting layout.Considering various benefits,a fullscale evaluation index system based on region,province,and country scales is constructed.Through an entropy weight technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution(TOPSIS)comprehensive evaluation model,the optimal plan is selected from a variety of CPSO plans.The proposed framework is then verified through a case study of the upper–middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in Gansu province,China.By combining the theory of virtual water trading with system analysis,the optimal planting structure is found.While sacrificing reasonable regional economic benefits,the optimization of the planting structure significantly improves the regional water resource benefits and ecological benefits at different scales.

Monitoring Study of Long-Term Land Subsidence during Subway Operation in High-Density Urban Areas Based on DInSAR-GPS-GIS Technology and Numerical Simulation

During subway operation,various factors will cause long-term land subsidence,such as the vibration subsidence of foundation soil caused by train vibration load,incomplete consolidation deformation of foundation soil during tunnel construction,dense buildings and structures in the vicinity of the tunnel,and changes in water level in the stratum where the tunnel is located.The monitoring of long-term land subsidence during subway operation in high-density urban areas differs from that in low-density urban construction areas.The former is the gathering point of the entire urban population.There are many complex buildings around the project,busy road traffic,high pedestrian flow,and less vegetation cover.Several existing items requiremonitoring.However,monitoring distance is long,and providing early warning is difficult.This study uses the 2.8 km operation line between Wulin Square station and Ding’an Road station of Hangzhou Subway Line 1 as an example to propose the integrated method of DInSAR-GPS-GIS technology and the key algorithm for long-term land subsidence deformation.Then,it selects multiscene image data to analyze long-termland subsidence of high-density urban areas during subway operation.Results show that long-term land subsidence caused by the operation of Wulin Square station to Ding’an Road station of Hangzhou Subway Line 1 is small,with maximumsubsidence of 30.64 mm,and minimumsubsidence of 11.45 mm,and average subsidence ranging from 19.27 to 21.33 mm.And FLAC3D software was used to verify the monitoring situation,using the geological conditions of the soil in the study area and the tunnel profile to simulate the settlement under vehicle load,and the simulation results tended to be consistent with the monitoring situation.

GmSTF accumulation mediated by DELLA protein GmRGAs contributes to coordinating light and gibberellin signaling to reduce plant height in soybean

Plant height influences plant architecture,lodging resistance,and yield performance.It is modulated by gibberellic acid(GA)metabolism and signaling.DELLA proteins,acting as central repressors of GA signaling,integrate various environmental and hormonal signals to regulate plant growth and development in Arabidopsis.We examined the role of two DELLA proteins,GmRGAa and GmRGAb,in soybean plant height control.Knockout of these proteins led to longer internodes and increased plant height,primarily by increasing cell elongation.GmRGAs functioned under different light conditions,including red,blue,and far-red light,to repress plant height.Interaction studies revealed that GmRGAs interacted with the blue light receptor GmCRY1b.Consistent with this,GmCRY1b partially regulated plant height via GmRGAs.Additionally,DELLA proteins were found to stabilize the protein GmSTF1/2,a key positive regulator of photomorphogenesis.This stabilization led to increased transcription of GmGA2ox-7b and subsequent reduction in plant height.This study enhances our understanding of DELLA-mediated plant height control,offering Gmrgaab mutants for soybean structure and yield optimization.

Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.