Drought-Tolerant Rice at Molecular Breeding Eras:An Emerging Reality

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)stands as the most significantly influential food crop in the developing world,with its total production and yield stability affected by environmental stress.Drought stress impacts about 45%of the world’s rice area,affecting plants at molecular,biochemical,physiological,and phenotypic levels.The conventional breeding method,predominantly employing single pedigree selection,has been widely utilized in breeding numerous drought-tolerant rice varieties since the Green Revolution.With rapid progress in plant molecular biology,hundreds of drought-tolerant QTLs/genes have been identified and tested in rice crops under both indoor and field conditions.Several genes have been introgressed into elite germplasm to develop commercially accepted drought-tolerant varieties,resulting in the development of several drought-tolerant rice varieties through marker-assisted selection and genetically engineered approaches.This review provides up-to-date information on proof-of-concept genes and breeding methods in the molecular breeding era,offering guidance for rice breeders to develop drought-tolerant rice varieties.

Long-term trends in the abundance and breeding performance in Adélie penguins:the Argentine Ecosystem Monitoring Program

In this work,we report long-term trends in the abundance and breeding performance of Adélie penguins(Pygoscelis adeliae)nesting in three Antarctic colonies(i.e.,at Martin Point,South Orkneys Islands;Stranger Point/Cabo Funes,South Shetland Islands;and Esperanza/Hope Bay in the Antarctic Peninsula)from 1995/96 to 2022/23.Using yearly count data of breeding groups selected,we observed a decline in the number of breeding pairs and chicks in crèche at all colonies studied.However,the magnitude of change was higher at Stranger Point than that in the remaining colonies.Moreover,the index of breeding success,which was calculated as the ratio of chicks in crèche to breeding pairs,exhibited no apparent trend throughout the study period.However,it displayed greater variability at Martin Point compared to the other two colonies under investigation.Although the number of chicks in crèche of Adélie penguins showed a declining pattern,the average breeding performance was similar to that reported in gentoo penguin colonies,specifically,those undergoing a population increase(even in sympatric colonies facing similar local conditions).Consequently,it is plausible to assume a reduction of the over-winter survival as a likely cause of the declining trend observed,at least in the Stranger Point and Esperanza colonies.However,we cannot rule out local effects during the breeding season affecting the Adélie population of Martin Point.

Artificial selection of the Green Revolution gene Semidwarf 1 is implicated in upland rice breeding

Semidwarf breeding has boosted crop production and is a well-known outcome from the first Green Revolution. The Green Revolution gene Semidwarf 1(SD1), which modulates gibberellic acid(GA) biosynthesis, plays a principal role in determining rice plant height. Mutations in SD1 reduce rice plant height and promote lodging resistance and fertilizer tolerance to increase grain production. The plant height mediated by SD1 also favors grain yield under certain conditions. However, it is not yet known whether the function of SD1 in upland rice promotes adaptation and grain production. In this study, the plant height and grain yield of irrigated and upland rice were comparatively analyzed under paddy and dryland conditions. In response to dryland environments, rice requires a reduction in plant height to cope with water deficits. Upland rice accessions had greater plant heights than their irrigated counterparts under both paddy and dryland conditions, and appropriately reducing plant height could improve adaptability to dryland environments and maintain high grain yield formation. Moreover, upland rice cultivars with thicker stem diameters had stronger lodging resistance, which addresses the lodging problem. Knockout of SD1 in the upland rice cultivar IRAT104 reduced the plant height and grain yield, demonstrating that the adjustment of plant height mediated by SD1 could increase grain production in dryland fields. In addition, an SD1 genetic diversity analysis verified that haplotype variation causes phenotypic variation in plant height. During the breeding history of rice, SD1 allelic mutations were selected from landraces to improve the grain yield of irrigated rice cultivars, and this selection was accompanied by a reduction in plant height. Thus, five known mutant alleles were analyzed to verify that functional SD1 is required for upland rice production. All these results suggest that SD1 might have undergone artificial positive selection in upland rice, which provides further insights concerning greater plant height in upland rice breeding.

Creating large EMS populations for functional genomics and breeding in wheat

Wheat germplasm is a fundamental resource for basic research,applied studies,and wheat breeding,which can be enriched normally by several paths,such as collecting natural lines,accumulating breeding lines,and introducing mutagenesis materials.Ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS)is an alkylating agent that can effectively introduce genetic variations in a wide variety of plant species.In this study,we created a million-scale EMS population(MEP)that started with the Chinese wheat cultivars‘Luyan 128’,‘Jimai 38’,‘Jimai 44’,and‘Shannong 30’.In the M1 generation,the MEP had numerous phenotypical variations,such as>3,000 chlorophyll-deficient mutants,2,519 compact spikes,and 1,692 male sterile spikes.There were also rare mutations,including 30 independent tillers each with double heads.Some M1 variations of chlorophyll-deficiency and compact spikes were inheritable,appearing in the M2 or M3 generations.To advance the entire MEP to higher generations,we adopted a single-seed descendent(SSD)approach.All other seed composites of M2 were used to screen other agronomically important traits,such as the tolerance to herbicide quizalofop-P-methyl.The MEP is available for collaborative projects,and provides a valuable toolbox for wheat genetics and breeding for sustainable agriculture.

3D genome organization and its study in livestock breeding

Eukaryotic genomes are hierarchically packaged into cell nucleus,affecting gene regulation.The genome is organized into multiscale structural units,including chromosome territories,compartments,topologically associating domains(TADs),and DNA loops.The identification of these hierarchical structures has benefited from the development of experimental approaches,such as 3C-based methods(Hi-C,ChIA-PET,etc.),imaging tools(2D-FISH,3D-FISH,Cryo-FISH,etc.)and ligation-free methods(GAM,SPRITE,etc.).In recent two decades,numerous studies have shown that the 3D organization of genome plays essential roles in multiple cellular processes via various mechanisms,such as regulating enhancer activity and promoter-enhancer interactions.However,there are relatively few studies about the 3D genome in livestock species.Therefore,studies for exploring the function of 3D genomes in livestock are urgently needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of potential relationships between the genome and production traits.In this review,we summarize the recent advances of 3D genomics and its biological functions in human and mouse studies,drawing inspiration to explore the 3D genomics of livestock species.We then mainly focus on the biological functions of 3D genome organization in muscle development and its implications in animal breeding.

A method for Improving the Efficiency of Pear Tree Crossbreeding

In view of the short blooming period of pear tree crossbreeding and the complexity of pollination process, a method that can improve the efficiency of crossbreeding of pear trees was provided. Meanwhile, this method can also be applied to the study of pollen xenia effect, pollination tree selection and pure pollen collection in pear tree cultivation.

Feeding Practices and Use of Lysine and Methionine in Pigrationing on Intensified Pig Breeding in the West Center and Hauts Bassins Regions of Burkina Faso

The aim of the study was to assess feeding practices and the use of lysine and methionine in pig rationing on intensified and semi-intensive pig breeding in the Koudougou and Bobo-Dioulasso areas. To this end, a cross-sectional survey was carried out on 87 breeding in these towns. A Discriminant Factorial Analysis (DFA) confirming a k-means classification of the data collected was used to retain 71 breeding divided into three breeding classes: Class A (32.4% of breeding), Class B (14.08%) and Class C (53.52%). The results show that the majority of pig breeders were men between the ages of 36 and 59. Average herd sizes were 35 ± 28;79 ± 42 and 89 ± 21 pigs for Classes A, B and C respectively. The main breeds of pig found on the breeding were crossbred, Large white, local, Landrace and Duroc. Class A (26.1%), B (30%) and C (15.8%) breeders were familiar with both lysine and methionine. Class A breeders distributed feed staggered (65.2%) and in rations (34.8%). Lysine (13%) and methionine (8.7%) were purchased at 5250 FCFA/kg. Those in class B distributed feed staggered (50%) and in the form of rations (50%), in which they incorporated lysine (30%) and methionine (30%) purchased at a cost of 2500 FCFA/kg and 3000 FCFA/kg respectively. Rationing and staggered feeding were practiced by 23.7% and 76.3% of Class C breeders respectively. Only lysine purchased at 3400 FCFA/kg was incorporated into rations by 10.5% of breeders. The high cost of lysine and methionine was incriminated by Class A (100%), B (33.3%) and C (50%) breeders. In conclusion, intensive pig breeding, the practice of rationing and the incorporation of the amino acids lysine and methionine are of ascending importance from classes C, A to B. The high cost of feedstuffs, particularly lysine and methionine, compromises their use in rations, which could have a negative impact on expected breeding performance. The screening and use of feeds rich in and/or enriched with these amino acids, through the development or adaptation of technologies, could improve the efficiency of rations and the productivity of intensive pig breeding in Burkina Faso.

Breed identification using breed‑informative SNPs and machine learning based on whole genome sequence data and SNP chip data

Background Breed identification is useful in a variety of biological contexts.Breed identification usually involves two stages,i.e.,detection of breed-informative SNPs and breed assignment.For both stages,there are several methods proposed.However,what is the optimal combination of these methods remain unclear.In this study,using the whole genome sequence data available for 13 cattle breeds from Run 8 of the 1,000 Bull Genomes Project,we compared the combinations of three methods(Delta,FST,and In)for breed-informative SNP detection and five machine learning methods(KNN,SVM,RF,NB,and ANN)for breed assignment with respect to different reference population sizes and difference numbers of most breed-informative SNPs.In addition,we evaluated the accuracy of breed identification using SNP chip data of different densities.Results We found that all combinations performed quite well with identification accuracies over 95%in all scenarios.However,there was no combination which performed the best and robust across all scenarios.We proposed to inte-grate the three breed-informative detection methods,named DFI,and integrate the three machine learning methods,KNN,SVM,and RF,named KSR.We found that the combination of these two integrated methods outperformed the other combinations with accuracies over 99%in most cases and was very robust in all scenarios.The accuracies from using SNP chip data were only slightly lower than that from using sequence data in most cases.Conclusions The current study showed that the combination of DFI and KSR was the optimal strategy.Using sequence data resulted in higher accuracies than using chip data in most cases.However,the differences were gener-ally small.In view of the cost of genotyping,using chip data is also a good option for breed identification.

Breeding design in wheat by combining the QTL information in a GWAS panel with a general genetic map and computer simulation

A large amount of genome-wide association study(GWAS)panels together with quantitative-trait locus(QTL)information associated with breeding-targeted traits have been described in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.).However,the application of mapping results from a GWAS panel to conventional wheat breeding remains a challenge.In this study,we first report a general genetic map which was constructed from 44 published linkage maps.It permits the estimation of genetic distances between any two genetic loci with physical map positions,thereby unifying the linkage relationships between QTL,genes,and genomic markers from multiple genetic populations.Second,we describe QTL mapping in a wheat GWAS panel of 688 accessions,identifying 77 QTL associated with 12 yield and grain-quality traits.Because these QTL have known physical map positions,they could be mapped onto the general map.Finally,we present a design approach to wheat breeding by using known QTL information and computer simulation.Potential crosses between parents in the GWAS panel may be evaluated by the relative frequency of the target genotype,trait correlations in simulated progeny populations,and genetic gain of selected progenies.It is possible to simultaneously improve yield and grain quality by suitable parental selection,progeny population size,and progeny selection scheme.Applying the design approach will allow identifying the most promising crosses and selection schemes in advance of the field experiment,increasing predictability and efficiency in wheat breeding.

Socio-Economic and Technical Characteristics of Beef Cattle Breeding in Ndé Division, West Region of Cameroon

Insight is here provided into the socio-economic and technical characteristics of cattle production in the Ndé Division (West Cameroon region). Using a semi-structured questionnaire, information on the activity was assessed following onsite visits and interviewing breeders. Through a random sampling scheme, 110 breeders in the four subdivisions of the Ndé Division were shadowed. The majority (98.18%) of breeders were men aged 20 to 40 and married (91.82%). They belong to the Mbororo ethnic group, having cumulated more than 10 years in the activity. Most respondents (50.91%) did not attend school and earn their living mainly from livestock (78.18%). Cattle were raised for sale and to feed the breeder’s family (77.27%). The main mode of acquisition of animals was through inheritance (81.82%). The cattle breeds were mostly made up of white Fulani (70%), living in private farms using a combination of stake and barbed wires (67.27%) as fences. The combination of natural fodder and cooking salt was used by most breeders (59.09%) as a daily ration. Reproduction was by natural mating (97.07%). Parasites (internal and external) and foot-and-mouth disease were the main diseases reported by the majority of farmers. Self-treatment (50%) was the main prophylactic measure taken by farmers in case of disease symptoms. Cattle herders faced several challenges, such as insufficient pasture (67.27%), agro-pastoral conflicts (76.36%) and diseases (90.91%). Cattle breeding was rather a widespread activity with no particular restriction.

Kidding after Transfer of in Vitro Produced Saanen Goat Embryos into Local Ukrainian Breed Recipients in Different Seasons

In recent years, the demand for goat products has been growing due to the fact that goat milk has a number of advantages over cow milk, for example, it is low in lactose, and is considered less allergenic and easier to digest. To increase production during both breeding and non-breeding seasons and reduce the price of dairy products, it is necessary to effectively use reproductive management and assisted reproductive technologies. In vitro embryo production makes it possible to obtain a large number of eggs from goats, which for some reason are unable to conceive, but have genetic value. Afterward in vitro produced embryos can be transferred into recipient goats of other less genetically valuable breeds, such as the Ukrainian local breed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of transfers of in vitro produced embryos of Saanen goats into surrogate sires of the Ukrainian local breed in different seasons. All manipulations with animals were carried out following ethical standards (Strasbourg, 1986). Six Saanen goats were selected as the oocyte donors. After the hormonal stimulation oocytes were retrieved by laparoscopic ovum pick-up. In vitro produced embryos were transferred laparotomically into 24 recipients of Ukrainian local breed. Fifty days after embryo transfers, pregnancies were determined by ultrasound diagnostics. Although the embryo development rate in the breeding season was 20% higher than in the non-breeding season, there was no difference in pregnancy and kidding rates between seasons. In conclusion, the transfer of in vitro produced Saanen goat embryos to recipients of the Ukrainian local breed gives the opportunity to achieve pregnancy and kidding regardless of the breeding season, which will enable a faster and more efficient increase in the livestock of highly productive goats in Ukraine in the post-war period.

The complete reference genome for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) genetics and breeding

Grapevine is one of the most economically important crops worldwide.However,the previous versions of the grapevine reference genome tipically consist of thousands of fragments with missing centromeres and telomeres,limiting the accessibility of the repetitive sequences,the centromeric and telomeric regions,and the study of inheritance of important agronomic traits in these regions.Here,we assembled a telomere-to-telomere(T2T)gap-free reference genome for the cultivar PN40024 using PacBio HiFi long reads.The T2T reference genome(PN_T2T)is 69 Mb longer with 9018 more genes identified than the 12X.v0 version.We annotated 67%repetitive sequences,19 centromeres and 36 telomeres,and incorporated gene annotations of previous versions into the PN_T2T assembly.We detected a total of 377 gene clusters,which showed associations with complex traits,such as aroma and disease resistance.Even though PN40024 derives from nine generations of selfing,we still found nine genomic hotspots of heterozygous sites associated with biological processes,such as the oxidation–reduction process and protein phosphorylation.The fully annotated complete reference genome therefore constitutes an important resource for grapevine genetic studies and breeding programs.

A review of the pangenome:how it affects our understanding of genomic variation,selection and breeding in domestic animals?

As large-scale genomic studies have progressed,it has been revealed that a single reference genome pattern cannot represent genetic diversity at the species level.While domestic animals tend to have complex routes of origin and migration,suggesting a possible omission of some population-specific sequences in the current reference genome.Conversely,the pangenome is a collection of all DNA sequences of a species that contains sequences shared by all individuals(core genome)and is also able to display sequence information unique to each individual(variable genome).The progress of pangenome research in humans,plants and domestic animals has proved that the missing genetic components and the identification of large structural variants(SVs)can be explored through pangenomic studies.Many individual specific sequences have been shown to be related to biological adaptability,phenotype and important economic traits.The maturity of technologies and methods such as third-generation sequencing,Tel-omere-to-telomere genomes,graphic genomes,and reference-free assembly will further promote the development of pangenome.In the future,pangenome combined with long-read data and multi-omics will help to resolve large SVs and their relationship with the main economic traits of interest in domesticated animals,providing better insights into animal domestication,evolution and breeding.In this review,we mainly discuss how pangenome analysis reveals genetic variations in domestic animals(sheep,cattle,pigs,chickens)and their impacts on phenotypes and how this can contribute to the understanding of species diversity.Additionally,we also go through potential issues and the future perspectives of pangenome research in livestock and poultry.

Development of a target capture sequencing SNP genotyping platform for genetic analysis and genomic breeding in rapeseed

Rapeseed(Brassica napus)is an oil crop grown worldwide,making it a key plant species in molecular breeding research.However,the complexity of its polyploid genome increases sequencing costs and reduces sequencing accuracy.Target capture coupled with high-throughput sequencing is an efficient approach for detecting genetic variation at genomic regions or loci of interest.In this study,588 resequenced accessions of rapeseed were used to develop a target capture sequencing SNP genotyping platform named BnaPan50T.The platform comprised 54,765,with 54,058 resequenced markers from the pan-genome,and 855 variant trait-associated markers for 12 agronomic traits.The capture quality of BnaPan50T was demonstrated well in 12 typical accessions.Compared with a conventional genotyping array,BnaPan50T has a high SNP density and a high proportion of SNPs in unique physical positions and in annotated functional genes,promising wide application.Target capture sequencing and wholegenome resequencing in 90 doubled-haploid lines yielded 60%specificity,78%uniformity within tenfold coverage range,and 93%genotyping accuracy for the platform.BnaPan50T was used to construct a genetic map for quantitative trait loci(QTL)mapping,identify 21 unique QTL,and predict several candidate genes for yield-related traits in multiple environments.A set of 132 core SNP loci was selected from BnaPan50T to construct DNA fingerprints and germplasm identification resources.This study provides genomics resources to support target capture sequencing,genetic analysis and genomic breeding of rapeseed.

Rape Breeding and Its Intellectual Property Protection in China

Rape is the third largest oil crop in the world and the first one in China.The national average rapeseed yield is only 2077.5 kg/hm^(2),and the rapeseed oil yield is 894 kg/hm^(2).This paper introduced the main types,germplasm resources,breeding bases and breeding progress of Chinese rape,and studied its high-quality varieties,breeding patents and new varieties of agricultural plants.We analyzed the main problems such as serious loss of germplasm resources in Brassica campestris L.and Brassica juncea(L.)Czern.et Coss and weak"agricultural chip"in rape field,and put forward strategies such as strengthening the protection of rape germplasm resources,encouraging the development of"agricultural chip"in rape industry clusters with national advantages and characteristics,and strengthening the protection of agricultural intellectual property rights.

Habitat-dependent breeding biology of the Blue Tit(Cyanistes caeruleus)across a continuous and heterogeneous Mediterranean woodland

Mediterranean woodland environments are characterised by high spatial and temporal heterogeneity,which means the inhabiting species face a wide variety of selective pressures.Species may respond differently to habitat heterogeneity and so distinct eco-evolutionary scenarios may be responsible for the inter-habitat variability in reproductive strategies observed in certain species.The inter-forest variability of some reproductive traits in passerines has been examined by comparing forest patches or separated fragments.However,there is still little information regarding how such highly mobile animals adjust their breeding performance across continuous and heterogeneous woodlands.Here we studied the reproductive performance of a population of Blue Tits(Cyanistes caeruleus) in an area of continuous Mediterranean woodland that included two mountain slopes and four different types of forest,ranging from deciduous oak forests to perennial non-oak forests.We studied the habitat heterogeneity and inter-forest phenotypic variation in terms of reproductive performance and adult and nestling biometry,besides also exploring the effects of ectoparasites on Blue Tit reproduction.Eggs were laid earliest in deciduous Pyrenean Oak(Quercus pyrenaica) forests,while clutch size and the number of fledglings were highest in the humid Pyrenean Oak forest,which had the greatest tree coverage and most humid climate,and lowest in the coniferous Scots Pine(Pinus sylvestris) forest.There were no inter-forest differences in hatching(percentage of nests with at least one egg hatched) and fledging(percentage of nests in which at least one nestling fledged)success.Similarly,there were no inter-forest differences in adult and nestling biometry,but adults that raised more fledglings had a lower body mass,while males whose females laid larger clutches had smaller tarsi.Most ectoparasites did not affect Blue Tit reproduction,although Culicoides had a negative impact on nestling body mass.These results suggest that Blue Tits can adjust their reproductive effort to the forest where they breed even across a very small spatial scale.Different eco-evolutionary scenarios,such as phenotypic plasticity or genetic structuring and local adaptation,might explain the phenotypic differentiation in the reproductive strategies observed over small areas in woodlands.

Minimizing sperm oxidative stress using nanotechnology for breeding programs in rams

Background Artificial insemination(AI)is a routine breeding technology in animal reproduction.Nevertheless,the temperature-sensitive nature and short fertile lifespan of ram sperm samples hamper its use in AI.In this sense,nanotechnology is an interesting tool to improve sperm protection due to the development of nanomaterials for AI,which could be used as delivery vehicles.In this work,we explored the feasibility of vitamin E nanoemulsion(NE)for improving sperm quality during transport.Results With the aim of evaluating this proposal,ejaculates of 7 mature rams of Manchega breed were collected by artificial vagina and extended to 60×10^(6)spz/mL in AndromedR.Samples containing control and NE(12 mmol/L)with and without exogenous oxidative stress(100μmol/L Fe2+/ascorbate)were stored at 22 and 15℃and motility(CASA),viability(YO-PRO/PI),acrosomal integrity(PNA-FITC/PI),mitochondrial membrane potential(Mitotracker Deep Red 633),lipoperoxidation(C11 BODIPY 581/591),intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)production and DNA status(SCSAR)monitored during 96 h.Our results show that NE could be used to maintain ram spermatozoa during transport at 15 and 22℃for up to 96 h,with no appreciable loss of kinematic and physiological characteristics of freshly collected samples.Conclusions The storage of ram spermatozoa in liquid form for 2-5 d with vitamin E nanoemulsions may lead more flexibility to breeders in AI programs.In view of the potential and high versatility of these nanodevices,further studies are being carried out to assess the proposed sperm preservation medium on fertility after artificial insemination.

Spatial-temporal dynamics of bacterioplankton communities in the breeding area of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea in Sansha Bay,China

As an important spawning ground for large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea,Sansha Bay,South China Sea has been a research hotspot.However,studies on the influence of the bacterioplankton community and assessments of its seasonal succession of bacterioplankton in different sea areas in Sansha Bay are still limited.To address the issue,we use 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and functional prediction to investigate the spatial-temporal dynamics of the bacterioplankton community in three distinct areas,i.e.,Breeding Area(BA),Yantian Harbor(YH),and Bay Margin(BM)of Sansha Bay.Results show that the structure of the bacterioplankton community in Sansha Bay had a significant seasonal succession.Moreover,the representative zero-radius Operation Taxon Units in different seasons were significantly different among the three selected sea areas.Specifically,during the breeding season,bacterioplankton communities in BA were characterized by compound-degrading bacteria,such as Rhodococcus and Owenweeksia,while in YH and BM,animal parasites or symbionts such as Vibrio and Arcobacter were dominant.Furthermore,the redundancy analysis and Spearman correlation analysis further explained that water temperature,dissolved oxygen,and ammonia nitrogen were the main environmental factors responsible for the difference.In addition,the bioindicator functions screened by Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa and random forest machine learning mainly relied on compound degradation,nitrite oxidation,and photoheterotrophy.The compound-degradationcorresponded bacterioplankton genera such as Rhodococcus had relatively higher abundance in BM,while Nitrospina corresponding to nitrite oxidation tended to be abundant in YH and BA.Based on the spatial and temporal variation in the composition and function of bacterioplankton,our findings provide a basis for understanding the theory of bacterioplankton community structure in the inner-bay habitat of the large yellow croaker in Sansha Bay.

Germplasm and molecular breeding in horticultural crops

Horticulture is an important part of agricultural planting and production, which is of great significance for enriching human nutrition and beautifying and transforming the human living environment. At present, the area of horticultural crops in China is about 40 million ha, accounting for about onefourth of the national crop planting area, while the production of primary agricultural products is 1 billion tons, and the output value accounts for more than half of the total output value of the planting industry.

Abiotic stress tolerance:Genetics,genomics,and breeding

1.Tenth anniversary of The Crop Journal The Crop Journal will be 10 years old in October 2023.The journal is sponsored by the Crop Science Society of China,the Institute of Crop Sciences,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,and China Science Publishing&Media Group Ltd.(Science Press).It is published by Science Press and Ke Ai (founded by China Science Publishing&Media Ltd.and Elsevier).