基于STRAW+10分期的广州地区围绝经期代谢综合征患者中医体质调查

【目的】基于生殖衰老分期(STRAW)+10调查广州地区围绝经期代谢综合征患者的中医体质类型分布,为围绝经期代谢综合征患者提供中医体质调养理论依据。【方法】根据代谢综合征的诊断标准,纳入围绝经期代谢综合征患者共90例,根据STRAW+10分期标准分为绝经过渡早期(-2期)组49例、绝经过渡晚期(-1期)组24例、绝经后期早期(+la期)组17例。采用《中医体质分类与判定标准》对所有调查对象进行中医体质调查,同时采用焦虑自评量表(SAS)及抑郁自评量表(SDS)进行焦虑抑郁评分,分析不同STRAW+10分期患者的中医体质类型分布,比较不同STRAW+10分期患者的SAS、SDS评分情况。【结果】(1)绝经过渡早期(-2期)组的最主要中医体质类型中,出现频次最高的中医体质为阳虚质14例(29.79%),其次为平和质10例(21.28%),再次之为阴虚质和血瘀质各6例(12.76%);绝经过渡晚期(-1期)组的最主要中医体质类型中,出现频次最高的中医体质为阳虚质6例(25.00%),其次为平和质和血瘀质各4例(16.66%),再次之为气虚质和痰湿质各3例(12.50%);绝经后期早期(+la期)组的最主要中医体质类型中,出现频次最高的中医体质为阳虚质7例(46.67%),其次为平和质、痰湿质、血瘀质各2例(13.33%),再次之为气虚质、气郁质各1例(6.67%)。(2)绝经过渡早期(-2期)患者的SAS评分和SDS评分分别为(34.55±7.46)、(35.55±10.61)分,均高于绝经过渡晚期(-1期)患者的(33.83±7.73)、(35.46±11.35)分和绝经后期早期(+la期)患者的(35.65±8.67)、(36.59±12.07)分,且均高于总体平均水平。【结论】围绝经期代谢综合征患者的中医体质以阳虚质为主,平和质随着分期的进展逐渐减少,而偏颇体质从阴虚质、血瘀质逐渐转变为气虚质、痰湿质,再到痰湿质、血瘀质;随着分期进展,围绝经期代谢综合征患者本虚更虚而标实之邪也在加重。

Straw return increases crop production by improving soil organic carbon sequestration and soil aggregation in a long-term wheat-cotton cropping system

Straw return is a promising strategy for managing soil organic carbon(SOC)and improving yield stability.However,the optimal straw return strategy for sustainable crop production in the wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)-cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)cropping system remains uncertain.The objective of this study was to quantify the long-term(10 years)impact of carbon(C)input on SOC sequestration,soil aggregation and crop yields in a wheat-cotton cropping system in the Yangtze River Valley,China.Five treatments were arranged with a single-factor randomized design as follows:no straw return(Control),return of wheat straw only(Wt),return of cotton straw only(Ct),return of 50%wheat and 50%cotton straw(Wh-Ch)and return of 100%wheat and 100%cotton straw(Wt-Ct).In comparison to the Control,the SOC content increased by 8.4 to 20.2%under straw return.A significant linear positive correlation between SOC sequestration and C input(1.42-7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1))(P<0.05)was detected.The percentages of aggregates of sizes>2 and 1-2 mm at the 0-20 cm soil depth were also significantly elevated under straw return,with the greatest increase of the aggregate stability in the Wt-Ct treatment(28.1%).The average wheat yields increased by 12.4-36.0%and cotton yields increased by 29.4-73.7%,and significantly linear positive correlations were also detected between C input and the yields of wheat and cotton.The average sustainable yield index(SYI)reached a maximum value of 0.69 when the C input was 7.08 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1),which was close to the maximum value(SYI of 0.69,C input of 7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(-1))in the Wt-Ct treatment.Overall,the return of both wheat and cotton straw was the best strategy for improving SOC sequestration,soil aggregation,yields and their sustainability in the wheat-cotton rotation system.

Simulation of gas-solid adsorption process considering particle-size distribution

The particle-size distribution of adsorbents usually plays an important role on the adsorption performance. In this study, population balance equation(PBE) is utilized in the simulation of an adsorption process to model the time-dependent adsorption amount distribution on adsorbent particles of a certain size distribution. Different adsorption kinetics model can be used to build the adsorption rate function in PBE according to specific adsorption processes. Two adsorption processes, including formaldehyde on activated carbon and CO_(2)/N_(2)/CH_(4) mixture on 4A zeolite are simulated as case studies, and the effect of particle-size distribution of adsorbent is analyzed. The simulation results proved that the influence of particle-size distribution is significant. The proposed model can help consider the influence of particlesize distribution of adsorbents on adsorption processes to improve the prediction accuracy of the performance of adsorbents.

Dynamic changes of rumen microbiota and serum metabolome revealed increases in meat quality and growth performances of sheep fed bio‑fermented rice straw

Background Providing high-quality roughage is crucial for improvement of ruminant production because it is an essential component of their feed.Our previous study showed that feeding bio-fermented rice straw(BF)improved the feed intake and weight gain of sheep.However,it remains unclear why feeding BF to sheep increased their feed intake and weight gain.Therefore,the purposes of this research were to investigate how the rumen micro-biota and serum metabolome are dynamically changing after feeding BF,as well as how their changes influence the feed intake,digestibility,nutrient transport,meat quality and growth performances of sheep.Twelve growing Hu sheep were allocated into 3 groups:alfalfa hay fed group(AH:positive control),rice straw fed group(RS:negative control)and BF fed group(BF:treatment).Samples of rumen content,blood,rumen epithelium,muscle,feed offered and refusals were collected for the subsequent analysis.Results Feeding BF changed the microbial community and rumen fermentation,particularly increasing(P<0.05)relative abundance of Prevotella and propionate production,and decreasing(P<0.05)enteric methane yield.The histomorphology(height,width,area and thickness)of rumen papillae and gene expression for carbohydrate trans-port(MCT1),tight junction(claudin-1,claudin-4),and cell proliferation(CDK4,Cyclin A2,Cyclin E1)were improved(P<0.05)in sheep fed BF.Additionally,serum metabolome was also dynamically changed,which led to up-regulating(P<0.05)the primary bile acid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid in sheep fed BF.As a result,the higher(P<0.05)feed intake,digestibility,growth rate,feed efficiency,meat quality and mono-unsaturated fatty acid concentration in muscle,and the lower(P<0.05)feed cost per kg of live weight were achieved by feeding BF.Conclusions Feeding BF improved the growth performances and meat quality of sheep and reduced their feed cost.Therefore,bio-fermentation of rice straw could be an innovative way for improving ruminant production with mini-mizing production costs.

Common Organic Amendment (Rice Straw) Can Reduce Salinity Effects on Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Growth with or without Photoperiod Manipulation

Soil salinity is a major limiting factor for crop production in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Cheap and sustainable management of soil salinity is hence most sought out topics in agricultural research. Conceptualizing that idea in mind, a pot experiment was conducted in the Department of Soil, Water & Environment, University of Dhaka in order to analyze if common organic amendments (rice straw, saw dust) coupled with reduce photoperiod can mitigate salinity effect on the growth of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The experiment was set up following completely randomized design (CRD) with nine treatments and three replications containing Tc (Control), T1 (Ambient photoperiod + 110 mM Salinity treatment + Rice straw), T2 (Reduced photoperiod + 110 mM Salinity treatment + Rice straw), T3 (Ambient photoperiod + 220 mM Salinity treatment + Rice straw), T4 (Reduced photoperiod + 220 mM Salinity treatment + Rice straw), T5 (Ambient photoperiod + 110 mM Salinity treatment + Saw dust), T6 (Reduced photoperiod + 110 mM Salinity treatment + Saw dust), T7 (Ambient photoperiod + 220 mM Salinity treatment + Saw dust) and T8 (Reduced photoperiod + 220 mM Salinity treatment + Saw dust). Organic amendments were used separately at the rate of 12 ton/ha. The highest plant height (98.67 cm), root length (12.5 cm), pod number (10.33), leaf area (13.99 cm2), fresh weight (680 kg/ha), dry weight (316.67 kg/ha) were recorded with the treatment T1 while the second-best treatment was treatment T2 (with highest harvest index 0.040) and these results were statistically significant (p < 0.001). In post-harvest soil, pH, EC, OC, OM;available N, P, K, S;total Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn were increased significantly in treatment T1. The overall results illustrated that the best growth and yield performances were achieved in the treatment T1 and T2.

The nitrogen transformation behavior based on the pyrolysis products of wheat straw

In order to provide basic design parameters for the industrial pyrolysis process,the transformation behavior of nitrogen was investigated using wheat straw as raw material.The distributions of nitrogen in pyrolysis char,oil,and gas were obtained and the nitrogenous components in the products were analyzed systematically by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Py-GC/MS)and thermogravimetric-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(TG-FTIR).The nitrogen distribution ranges of the pyrolysis char,oil,and gas were 37.34%–54.82%,32.87%–40.94%and 10.20%–28.83%,respectively.More nitrogen was retained in char at lower pyrolysis temperature and the nitrogen distribution of oil was from rise to decline with increasing temperature.The most abundant N-containing compounds in three-phase products were pyrrole-N,amines,and HCN,respectively.In addition,the transformation mechanism of nitrogen from wheat straw to pyrolysis products was concluded.

The Advantages of Methane Production by Combined Fermentation of Lignite and Wheat Straw

Biogasification of coal is important for clean utilization of coal. Experiments on the fermentation of single lignite, single straw and their mixture were performed to explore the variation characteristics of gas production potential, microbial community and methanogenic metabolic pathways of mixture. Research has shown that mixed fermentation of lignite and straw significantly promoted biomethane production. The abundance of hydrolytic acidifying functional bacteria genera (Sphaerochaeta, Lentimicrobium) in mixed fermentation was higher than that in the fermentation of single lignite and single straw. The abundance of some key CAZy metabolic enzyme gene sequences in mixed fermentation group was increased, which was favorable to improve methane production. Aceticlastic methanogenesis was the most critical methanogenic pathway and acetic acid pathway was more competitive in methanogenic mode during peak fermentation. Macrogenomics provided theoretical support for the claim that mixed fermentation of coal and straw promoted biomethane metabolism, which was potentially valuable in expanding methanogenesis from mixed fermentation of lignite with different biomasses.

Influences of fractional separation on the structure and reactivity of wheat straw cellulose for producing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

High-efficient production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF),a“sleeping giant”in sustainable chemistry,from cellulose depends significantly on the effective separation of cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass.Herein,we report the fractional separation of wheat straw cellulose(WSC)from wheat straw under solvothermal conditions using a mixed solvent of γ-valerolactone(GVL)and H_(2)O as the separating solvent,wherein the impacts of fractional separation parameters(solvent composition,temperature,and time)on removals of lignin and hemicellulose as well as purity and recovery of cellulose were studied by a Box-Behnken Design of response surface method.The optimization of the solvothermal parameters enabled an optimal fractional separation condition(V_(GVL):~60.0%,T:205℃,t:~1.7 h)that led to a higher purity(89.4%)and recovery(86.7%)of cellulose in WSC.A further correlation of the removals of lignin and hemicellulose as well as purity and recovery of cellulose with the yield of HMF excluded an independent influence of the above factors.Instead,a comprehensive contribution of high fractional separation efficiency(defined as the product of cellulose purity and recovery)and low crystallinity of WSC was found to improve the HMF yield.However,the heat-and freeze-dryings of WSC after the solvothermal separation were found to lower the HMF molar yield because it re-improved the crystallinity of WSC.A high HMF molar yield of 58.6%was achieved after reacting wet-WSC in a mixed solvent of 1,4-dioxane and H_(2)O at 180℃for 20 min,which was 1.5 fold higher than that from microcrystalline cellulose.This work highlights the importance of enhancing the fractional separation efficiency of cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass while avoiding the drying process for future HMF biorefinery.

Klebsiella as an α-tocopherol source facilitating Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation in rice straw silage

Silage serves as the indispensable diet of ruminants,the increasing mechanism of α-tocopherol during silage making is unclear.Rice straw lacks chlorophyll after harvesting the grain,this can eliminate the impact of tocopherols formed by the breakdown of chlorophyll.Here,we explored the α-tocopherol source,its influencing factor,and its relationship with dominant lactic acid bacteria in rice straw silage treated without or with different additives(sodium benzoate,Lactobacillus plantarum,cell wall degrading enzymes,the combination of L.plantarum and cell wall degrading enzymes)and vacuum times(5,8,11,and 14 s)after ensiling for 42 d.We found that the pathogenic Klebsiella was traced as the source of increasedα-tocopherol in rice straw silage.The residue air in the silo,pH value,and additive variety had impacts on Klebsiella activity,which was strongly active at levels of residue air in the silo and pH that were high.As an acidic niche creator,L.plantarum was more effective than sodium benzoate in restraining Klebsiella.Despite having a low acidity tolerance,Klebsiella was still present in rice straw silage treated with L.plantarum.The relationship between Klebsiella and L.plantarum was that Klebsiella could affordα-tocopherol to the multiplication of L.plantarum and residue capsular polysaccharide protected Klebsiella from escaping the extinction in rice straw silage.

Plastic mulch increases dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity,while straw mulch increases soil water storage

Amplifying drought stress and high precipitation variability impair dryland wheat production.These problems can potentially be minimized by using plastic mulch(PM)or straw mulch(SM).Therefore,wheat grain yield,soil water storage,soil temperature and water-use productivity of PM and SM treatments were compared with no mulch(CK)treatment on dryland wheat over a period of eight seasons.Compared to the CK treatment,PM and SM treatments on average significantly increased grain yield by 12.6 and 10.5%,respectively.Compared to the CK treatment,SM treatment significantly decreased soil daily temperature by 0.57,0.60 and 0.48℃ for the whole seasons,growing periods and summer fallow periods,respectively.In contrast,compared to the CK treatment,PM treatment increased soil daily temperature by 0.44,0.51 and 0.27℃ for the whole seasons,growing periods and summer fallow periods,respectively.Lower soil temperature under SM allowed greater soil water storage than under PM.Soil water storage pre-seeding was 17%greater under the SM than under the PM treatment.Soil water storage post-harvest was similar for the PM and SM treatments,but evapotranspiration was 4.5%higher in the SM than in the PM treatment.Consequently,water-use productivity was 6.6%greater under PM than under the SM treatment.Therefore,PM treatment increased dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity,while straw mulch increased soil water storage.

Co-incorporating green manure and crop straw increases crop productivity and improves soil quality with low greenhouse-gas emissions in a crop rotation

In a nine-year field experiment in a wheat-maize-sunflower cropping system in Hetao Irrigation Area,Inner Mongolia,China,organic amendments applied as straw,manure,green manure,and the combination of green manure and straw increased wheat and maize yield,soil aggregate stability,and soil microbial activity in comparison with chemical fertilizer,without changing greenhouse gas emission intensity.

Sugarcane/soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen addition enhances residue-derived labile soil organic carbon and microbial network complexity in the soil during straw decomposition

Sugarcane/soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen addition is an important sustainable agricultural pattern that can alter soil ecological functions,thereby affecting straw decomposition in the soil.However,the mechanisms underlying changes in soil organic carbon(SOC)composition and microbial communities during straw decomposition under long-term intercropping with reduced nitrogen addition remain unclear.In this study,we conducted an in-situ microplot incubation experiment with^(13)C-labeled soybean straw residue addition in a two-factor(cropping pattern:sugarcane monoculture(MS)and sugarcane/soybean intercropping(SB);nitrogen addition levels:reduced nitrogen addition(N1)and conventional nitrogen addition(N2))long-term experimental field plot.The results showed that the SBN1 treatment significantly increased the residual particulate organic carbon(POC)and residual microbial biomass carbon(MBC)contents during straw decomposition,and the straw carbon in soil was mainly conserved as POC.Straw addition changed the structure and reduced the diversity of the soil microbial community,but microbial diversity gradually recovered with decomposition time.During straw decomposition,the intercropping pattern significantly increased the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Ascomycota.In addition,straw addition reduced microbial network complexity in the sugarcane/soybean intercropping pattern but increased it in the sugarcane monoculture pattern.Nevertheless,microbial network complexity remained higher in the SBN1 treatment than in the MSN1 treatment.In general,the SBN1 treatment significantly increased the diversity of microbial communities and the relative abundance of microorganisms associated with organic matter decomposition,and the changes in microbial communities were mainly driven by the residual labile SOC fractions.These findings suggest that more straw carbon can be sequestered in the soil under sugarcane/soybean intercropping with reduced nitrogen addition to maintain microbial diversity and contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture.

Numerical Simulation and Optimization of the Gas-Solid Coupled Flow Field and Discharging Performance of Straw Crushers

The quality of crushing,power consumption,and discharging performance of a straw crusher are greatly influenced by the characteristics of its internalflowfield.To enhance the straw crusher’sflowfield properties and improve the efficiency with which crushed material is discharged,first,the main structural parameters influencing the airflow in the crusher are discussed.Then,the coupled gas-solidflowfield in the straw crusher is numerically calculated through solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and application of the discrete element method(DEM).Finally,the discharge performance index of the crusher is examined through detailed analysis of the crushed material dynamics.Additionally,a multi-island genetic algorithm is used to optimize the structure and operational factors that have significant effects on the discharge performance.With optimization,the accumulation rate of crushed materials in the bottom region of the straw crusher decreases by 20.08%,and the massflow rate at the discharge outlet increases by 11.63%.

A combination of straw incorporation and polymer-coated urea offsets soil ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions in winter wheat fields

The combined effects of straw incorporation(SI)and polymer-coated urea(PCU)application on soil ammonia(NH_(3))and nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)emissions from agricultural fields have not been comprehensively evaluated in Northwest China.We conducted a two-year field experiment to assess the effects of combining SI with either uncoated urea(U)or PCU on soil NH_(3)emissions,N_(2)O emissions,winter wheat yields,yield-scaled NH_(3)(/NH_(3)),and yield-scaled N_(2)O(/N_(2)O).Five treatments were investigated,no nitrogen(N)fertilizer(N_(0)),U application at 150 kg N ha-1 with and without SI(SI+U and S_(0)+U),and PCU application at 150 kg N ha^(-1) with and without SI(SI+PCU and S_(0)+PCU).The results showed that the NH_(3);emissions increased by 20.98-34.35%following Sl compared to straw removal,mainly due to increases in soil ammonium(NH_(4)^(+)-N)content and water-flled pore space(WFPS).SI resulted in higher N_(2)O emissions than under the So scenario by 13.31-49.23%due to increases in soil inorganic N(SIN)contents,WFPS,and soil microbial biomass.In contrast,the PCU application reduced the SIN contents compared to the U application,reducing the NH_(3)and N_(2)O emissions by 45.99-58.07 and 18.08-53.04%,respectively.Moreover,no significant positive effects of the SI or PCU applications on the winter wheat yield were observed.The lowest /NH_(3) and /N_(2)O values were observed under the S_(0)+PCU and SI+PCU treatments.Our results suggest that single PCU applications and their combination with straw are the optimal agricultural strategies for mitigating gaseous N emissions and maintaining optimal winter wheat yields in Northwest China.

Applicability of Fractal Models in Estimating Soil Water Retention Characteristics from Particle-Size Distribution Data

Soil water retention characteristics are the key information required in hydrological modeling. Frac-tal models provide a practical alternative for indirectly estimating soil water retention characteristics fromparticle-size distribution data. Predictive capabilities of three fractal models, i.e, Tyler-Wheatcraft model,Rieu-Sposito model, and Brooks-Corey model, were fully evaluated in this work using experimental datafrom an international database and literature. Particle-size distribution data were firstly interpolated into20 classes using a van Genuchten-type equation. Fractal dimensions of the tortuous pore wall and the poresurface were then calculated from the detailed particle-size distribution and incorporated as a parameter infractal water retention models. Comparisons between measured and model-estimated water retention cha-racteristics indicated that these three models were applicable to relatively different soil textures and pressurehead ranges. Tyler-Wheatcraft and Brooks-Corey models led to reasonable agreements for both coarse- andmedium-textured soils, while the latter showed applicability to a broader texture range. In contrast, Rieu-Sposito model was more suitable for fine-textured soils. Fractal models produced a better estimation of watercontents at low pressure heads than at high pressure heads.

Sorption of pyrene on two paddy soils and their particle-size fractions

In the present study, the sorption of pyrene on two kinds of bulk paddy soils, Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, and Ferric accumulic Stagnic Anthrosols as well as their particle-size fractions was investigated. The sorption isotherms fitted well with Freundlich equation. For both soils, the clay fraction（ 〈 2μm） and coarse sand fraction（2000-250μm） had higher sorption capacity than fine sand fraction（250-20 μm） and silt fraction（20-2 μm）. The IogKoc values obtained of each soil and its particle-size fractions were similar, proving that SOM content was a key factor affecting pyrene sorption. The Kd values showed a significant correlation with contents of dithionite-extractable Fe in both paddy soils and a good relationship with CEC in Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, indicating possible effects of surface properties of particle-size fractions on the sorption of pyrene.

The telomere-to-telomere genome of Fragaria vesca reveals the genomic evolution of Fragaria and the origin of cultivated octoploid strawberry

Fragaria vesca,commonly known as wild or woodland strawberry,is the most widely distributed diploid Fragaria species and is native to Europe and Asia.Because of its small plant size,low heterozygosity,and relative ease of genetic transformation,F.vesca has been a model plant for fruit research since the publication of its Illumina-based genome in 2011.However,its genomic contribution to octoploid cultivated strawberry remains a long-standing question.Here,we de novo assembled and annotated a telomere-to-telomere,gap-free genome of F.vesca‘Hawaii 4’,with all seven chromosomes assembled into single contigs,providing the highest completeness and assembly quality to date.The gap-free genome is 220785082 bp in length and encodes 36173 protein-coding gene models,including 1153 newly annotated genes.All 14 telomeres and seven centromeres were annotated within the seven chromosomes.Among the three previously recognized wild diploid strawberry ancestors,F.vesca,F.iinumae,and F.viridis,phylogenomic analysis showed that F.vesca and F.viridis are the ancestors of the cultivated octoploid strawberry F.×ananassa,and F.vesca is its closest relative.Three subgenomes of F.×ananassa belong to the F.vesca group,and one is sister to F.viridis.We anticipate that this high-quality,telomere-to-telomere,gap-free F.vesca genome,combined with our phylogenomic inference of the origin of cultivated strawberry,will provide insight into the genomic evolution of Fragaria and facilitate strawberry genetics and molecular breeding.

CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the polygalacturonase FaPG1 gene improves strawberry fruit firmness

Firmness is one of the most important fruit quality traits in strawberries.The postharvest shelf life of this soft fruit is highly limited by the loss of firmness,where cell wall disassembly plays an important role.Previous studies demonstrated that the polygalacturonase FaPG1 has a key role in remodelling pectins during strawberry softening.In this study,FaPG1 knockout strawberry plants have been generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system delivered via Agrobacterium tumefaciens.Ten independent lines,cv.“Chandler”,were obtained,and all of them were successfully edited as determined by PCR amplification and T7 endonuclease assay.The targeted mutagenesis insertion and deletion rates were analyzed using targeted deep sequencing.The percentage of edited sequences varied from 47%up to almost 100%,being higher than 95%for seven of the selected lines.Phenotypic analyses showed that 7 out of the eight lines analyzed produced fruits significantly firmer than the control,ranging from 33 to 70%increase in firmness.There was a positive relationship between the degree of FaPG1 editing and the rise in fruit firmness.Minor changes were observed in other fruit quality traits,such as colour,soluble solids,titratable acidity or anthocyanin content.Edited fruits showed a reduced softening rate during postharvest,displayed a reduced transpirational water loss,and were less damaged by Botrytis cinerea inoculation.The analysis of four potential off-target sites revealed no mutation events.In conclusion,editing the FaPG1 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is an efficient method for improving strawberry fruit firmness and shelf life.

No-tillage with straw mulching boosts wheat grain yield by improving the eco-physiological characteristics in arid regions

Straw returning to the field is a technical measure of crop production widely adopted in arid areas. It is unknown whether crop yield can be further increased by improving the eco-physiological characteristics when straw returning is applied in the crop production system. So, a three-year field experiment was conducted with various straw returning treatments for wheat production:(i) no-tillage with straw mulching(NTSM),(ii) no-tillage with straw standing(NTSS),(iii) conventional tillage with straw incorporation(CTS), and(iv) conventional tillage with no straw returning(CT, control). The eco-physiological and yield formation indicators were investigated to provide the basis for selecting the appropriate straw returning method to increase wheat yield and clarifying its regulation mechanism on eco-physiology. The results showed that NTSM and NTSS treatments had better regulation of eco-physiological characteristics and had a higher yield increase than CTS and CT. Meanwhile, NTSM had a relatively higher yield than NTSS through better regulation of eco-physiological characteristics. Compared to CT, the leaf area index of NTSM was decreased by 6.1–7.6% before the Feekes 10.0 stage of wheat, but that of NTSM was increased by 38.9–45.1% after the Feekes 10.0 stage. NTSM effectively regulated the dynamics of the photosynthetic source of green leaves during the wheat growth period. NTSM improved net photosynthetic rate by 10.2–21.4% and 11.0–21.6%, raised transpiration rate by 4.4–10.0% and 5.3–6.1%, increased leaf water use efficiency by 5.6–10.4% and 5.4–14.6%, at Feekes 11.0 and 11.2 stages of wheat, compared to CT, respectively. NTSM had higher leaf water potential(LWP) by 7.5–12.0% and soil water potential(SWP) by 8.9–24.0% from Feekes 10.3 to 11.2 stages of wheat than CT. Meanwhile, the absolute value of difference on LWP and SWP with NTSM was less than that with CT, indicating that NTSM was conducive to holding the stability of water demand for wheat plants and water supply of soil at arid conditions. Thus, NTSM had a greater grain yield of wheat by 18.6–27.3% than CT, and the high yield was attributed to the synchronous increase and cooperative development of ear number, grain number per ear, and 1 000-grain weight. NTSM had a positive effect on regulating the eco-physiological characteristics and can be recommended to enhance wheat grain yield in arid conditions.

FvWRKY50 is an important gene that regulates both vegetative growth and reproductive growth in strawberry

The WRKY transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and resistance,but only a few members have been identified in strawberry.Here we identified a WRKY transcription factor,FvWRKY50,in diploid strawberry which played essential roles in strawberry vegetative growth,and reproductive growth.Knocking out FvWRKY50 by genome editing accelerated flowering time and leaf senescence but delayed anthocyanin accumulation in fruit.Further analysis showed that FvWRKY50 acted as a transcriptional repressor to negatively regulate the expression of flowering-and leaf senescence-related genes,including FvFT2,FvCO,FvFT3,and FvSAUR36.Notably,FvWRKY50 directly upregulated the expression of FvCHI and FvDFR by binding their promoter under normal conditions,but at low temperature FvWRKY50 was phosphorylated by FvMAPK3 and then induced protein degradation by ubiquitination,delaying anthocyanin accumulation.In addition,the homozygous mutant of FvWRKY50 was smaller while the biallelic mutant showed normal size.These new findings provide important clues for us to further reveal the regulatory mechanisms of strawberry growth and fruit ripening.