The extraction of effective components and an antioxidant activity study of Tulipa edulis

Plant extracts from natural sources are an excellent choice for food additives and natural antioxidants.In this study,the active components of Tulipa edulis were extracted and analysed,and their antioxidant capacity was measured.Then,the crude extract mixture was separated and purified using a Sephadex LH-20 gel,and the antioxidant activity of the purified products was determined.Human umbilical vein endothelial human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)cells were treated with 35 mmol/L glucose to construct a model of oxidative stress.Then,the cells were treated with the active component to observe whether the products of T.edulis could have a good protective effect on HUVEC cells induced by glucose.Transcriptome analysis was also performed on HUVEC cells after same treatment to explore the possible mechanism of the component F2 protecting HUVEC cells from oxidative stress induced by high glucose.The results showed that component F2 obtained from T.edulis has strong antioxidant activity.Moreover,F2 can play a strong antioxidant protective role in HUVEC cells.Meanwhile,the gene expression of heme oxygenase 1(HO-1),γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase catalytic subunit(GCLC)and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1(NQO1)in HUVEC cells was up-regulated after treated with F2.This study provides reference value for the further development and application of T.edulis and the d evelopment of functional food.

Development of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture over four decades(1980-2022)

The application of biofertilizers is becoming an inevitable trend to substitute chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.To better understand the development of biofertilizers from 1980 to 2022,we used bibliometric mining to analyze 12,880 journal articles related to biofertilizer.The network cooccurrence analysis suggested that the biofertilizers research can be separated into three stages.The first stage(1980-2005)focused on nitrogen fixation.The second stage(2006-2015)concentrated on the mechanisms for increasing plant yield.The third stage(2016-2022)was the application of biofertilizers to improve the soil environment.The keyword analysis revealed the mechanisms of biofertilizers to improve plant-growth:biofertilizers can impact the nutritional status of plants,regulate plant hormones,and improve soil environments and the microbiome.The bacteria use as biofertilizers,included Pseudomonas,Azospirillum,and Bacillus,were also identified through bibliometric mining.These findings provide critical discernment to aid further study of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture.

Analysis of Heavy Metal Sources for Vegetable Soils from Shandong Province, China

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils has serious negative influence on human health. Concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni in top soils （0-20 cm） of greenhouses and farmlands from four main vegetable production areas Shouguang, Laiyang, Jinxiang, and Zhangqiu in Shandong Province, one of the most rapidly developing regions in China, were measured in this study. Shouguang is mainly occupied by greenhouse vegetables and the other three areas are mainly open field culture. Total of 149 soil samples were collected. The average concentrations of the eight heavy metals of the tested 149 soil samples were all below the threshold values according to ＂Farmland environmental quality evaluation standards for edible agricultural products （HJ332-2006）＂ of China. However, most of the studied heavy metals were present at higher concentrations than those of the natural background levels in local agricultural soils. Among the total 149 soil samples, 22 samples were contaminated by Cd, Ni, Cu, or Hg. Comparisons showed that the main pollution element in greenhouse vegetable soils was Cd, while that of open field vegetable soils was Cu. The results of principal components analysis （PCA） suggested that concentrations of Cr, As, and Ni were mainly controlled by parent rocks; Hg and Pb were affected by anthropogenic activities such as vehicle and industrial fumes and waste water irrigation. Meanwhile, concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn were affected mainly by the use of agrochemicals. Most of the heavy metals were positively correlated with each other in concentration. Appropriate measures should be taken to effectively control heavy metal levels in vegetable soils and thus protect human health.

The Relationship Between Chinese Raw Dumpling Quality and Flour Characteristics of Shandong Winter Wheat Cultivars

Dumpling is one of the most important traditional wheat products in China. Dumpling quality is determined by the characteristics of both flour and filling, thus improvement of flour quality plays an important role in improving dumpling quality. Thirty-nine Shandong winter wheat cultivars and advanced lines sown in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, in the 2008-2009 cropping season were used to determine genetic variation in Chinese raw dumpling quality and its relationship with flour characteristics. Large variations were observed for protein quality parameters in comparison with starch properties. Variation in color of the raw dumpling sheet was broader than that of sensory evaluation parameters of boiled dumpling among tested wheat cultivars, indicating the large influence of filling on dumpling color. Two cultivars, Jimai 20 and Zimai 12, were identified as possessing very good quality of raw dumpling, and 21 cultivars and advanced lines showed good quality. Protein and total starch content influenced the L＊ value of raw dumpling sheets. L＂ value at 0 and 2 h after sheeting were significantly influenced by protein content （r=-0.46 and -0.52, P〈0.01） and total starch content （r=0.55 and 0.57, P〈0.01）, respectively. Flour yellow pigment was significantly corrected with a＊ （r=-0.67 and -0.62, P〈0.01） and b＊ （r=0.87 and 0.84, P〈0.01） value of raw dumpling sheets at 0 and 2 h after sheeting, respectively. Gluten strength parameters such as farinograph mixing tolerance index （MTI, r=-0.55, P〈0.01） were positively associated with appearance. MTI and energy were also significantly and positively correlated with elasticity of raw dumpling, with r=-0.54 and 0.47 （P〈0.01）. The positive relationships between peak viscosity （r=0.51, P〈0.01）, breakdown （r=0.54, P〈0.01）, and smoothness of raw dumpling were also observed. Therefore, it is suggested that breeding programs should give more attention to gluten strength and starch pasting parameters for raw dumpling quality improvement.

Status and Suggestions of the Pesticide Use in the Protected Vegetable Fields in Shandong Province

This paper briefly introduced the issues of food safety and environmental pollution caused by pesticide residues in protected vegetables, discussed the status and problems of pesticide use in the protected vegetables in Shandong Province, and analyzed the main factors leading to the pesticide residues, including the low education of most farmers, lack of correct identification of diseases and insect pests, use of pesticides based on personal experience, pesticide preparation by bare hands, large dose of pesticide, frequent application, pesticide spraying without protection, uneven spraying, leakage of pesticide from the sprayers, etc.. Finally, based on the vegetable planting features and advantages in Shandong Province, some suggestions were proposed for references, such as, to enhance the monitoring of pesticide residue, to improve the educational level of farmers and to scentifically use the pesticide.

Identification,evolution,expression and protein interaction analysis of genes encoding B-box zinc-finger proteins in maize

The B-box(BBX)family of proteins consists of zinc-finger transcription factors with one or two highly conserved B-box motifs at their N-termini.BBX proteins play crucial roles in various aspects of plant growth and development,including seedling photomorphogenesis,shade avoidance,flowering time,and biotic and abiotic stress responses.Previous studies have identified many different BBXs from several plant species,although the BBX family members in maize are largely unknown.Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of maize BBX(ZmBBX)expression and interaction networks would therefore provide valuable information for understanding their functions.In this study,36 maize BBXs in three major clades were identified.The ZmBBXs within a given clade were found to share similar domains,motifs,and genomic structures.Gene duplication analyses revealed that the expansion of BBX proteins in maize has mainly occurred by segmental duplication.The expression levels of ZmBBXs were analyzed in various organs and tissues,and under different abiotic stress conditions.Protein–protein interaction networks of ZmBBXs were established using bioinformatic tools and verified by bimolecular fluorescence complementation(BiFC)assays.Our findings can facilitate a greater understanding of the complexity of the ZmBBX family and provide novel clues for unravelling ZmBBX protein functions.

Inclusion of peanut in wheat–maize rotation increases wheat yield and net return and improves soil organic carbon pool by optimizing bacterial community

Improving soil quality while achieving higher productivity is the major challenge in the agricultural industry. Wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)–maize(Zea mays L.)(W–M) rotation is the dominant planting pattern in the Huang-HuaiHai Plain and is important for food security in China. However, the soil quality is deteriorating due to the W–M rotation’s long-term, intensive, and continuous cultivation. Introducing legumes into the W–M rotation system may be an effective way to improve soil quality. In this study, we aimed to verify this hypothesis by exploring efficient planting systems(wheat–peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)(W–P) rotation and wheat rotated with maize and peanut intercropping(W–M/P)) to achieve higher agricultural production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Using traditional W–M rotation as the control, we evaluated crop productivity, net returns, soil microorganisms(SMs), and soil organic carbon(SOC) fractions for three consecutive years. The results indicated that wheat yields were significantly increased under W–P and W–M/P(382.5–579.0 and 179.8–513.1 kg ha-1, respectively) compared with W–M. W–P and W–M/P provided significantly higher net returns(58.2 and 70.4%, respectively) than W–M. W–M/P and W–M retained the SOC stock more efficiently than W–P, increasing by 25.46–31.03 and 14.47–27.64%, respectively, in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Compared with W–M, W–M/P improved labile carbon fractions;the sensitivity index of potentially mineralizable carbon, microbial biomass carbon(MBC), and dissolved organic carbon was 31.5, 96.5–157.2, and 17.8% in 20–40, 10–40, and 10–20 cm soil layers, respectively. The bacterial community composition and bacteria function were altered as per the soil depth and planting pattern. W–M/P and W–M exhibited similar bacterial community composition and function in 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers. Compared with W–P, a higher abundance of functional genes, namely, contains mobile elements and stress-tolerant, and a lower abundance of genes, namely,potentially pathogenic, were observed in the 10–20 cm soil layer of W–M and the 0–20 cm soil layer of W–M/P. SOC and MBC were the main factors affecting soil bacterial communities, positively correlated with Sphingomonadales and Gemmatimonadales and negatively correlated with Blastocatellales. Organic input was the main factor affecting SOC and SMs, which exhibited feedback effects on crop productivity. In summary, W–M/P improved productivity, net returns, and SOC pool compared with traditional W–M rotation systems, and it is recommended that plant–soil–microbial interactions be considered while designing high-yield cropping systems.

Effects of Long-term Located Fertilization on Evolution of Available Phosphorus and Phosphorus Pool in Shandong Fluvo-aquic Soil

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of long-term located fertilization on soil phosphorus,the changes of soil available phosphorus（ OlsenP）,the evolution of soil total phosphorus（ TP） and the ratio change of Olsen-P to TP（ PAC） by 33-year fertilization experiments in winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in Shandong fluvo-aquic soil. Eight treatments were designed as no fertilization（ CK）,nitrogen fertilizer（ N）,nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer（ NP）,nitrogen and potassium fertilizer（ NK）,phosphate and potassium fertilizer（ PK）,nitrogen-phosphate-potassium fertilizer（ NPK）,reduced NPK fertilizer（ N（15） PK）,and increased NPK fertilizer（ N（25） PK）. Meanwhile,eight organic fertilizer-added treatments were designed based on the application of inorganic fertilizer the same as the above ones. The results showed that TP,Olsen-P and PAC of treatments added with organic fertilizer were higher than those without organic fertilizer,and those of the treatments applied with phosphate fertilizer were higher than those of no phosphate fertilizer. With the increase of years,soil P pool decreased due to crop absorption,nutrient loss and morphological transformation and other causes under the treatments of without and only phosphate fertilizer,while remained stable under the treatments added with organic fertilizer. The PAC values were generally lower in fluvo-aquic soil,and it could be improved by the application of organic fertilizer. On the whole,the application of chemical phosphate fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer could improve the phosphorus content in soil and ensure the supply of phosphorus nutrition. This study would provide scientific basis for fertilization management and soil fertility in fluvo-aquic soil.

Residue behaviors and dietary risk of cyazofamid in turnip,onion and romaine lettuce assessed by a QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS methods

In this study, the dissipation, terminal residues and dietary risk of the cyazofamid residue in three globally consumed minor crops, turnip(Brassica rapa L.), onion(Allium cepa L.)and romaine lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.)were assessed by supervised field trials at 6 locations of China in 2020. A reliable QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous analysis of cyazofamid and its primary metabolite, 4-chloro-5-p-tolylimidazole-2-carbonitrile(CCIM). The average recoveries of cyazofamid and CCIM in turnip, onion and romaine lettuce were 79%–97% and 77%–99%, respectively. The half-lives of cyazofamid in these crops were 5.7–6.5, 5.3–8.7 and 5.8–6.5 days in turnip, onion and romaine lettuce, respectively, with the final cyazofamid residues at harvest all lower than limit of quantitation(LOQ, 0.01 mg/kg). The turnip roots, onion bulbs and romaine lettuce leaves grown in China under Good Agricultural Practices conditions and harvested 10, 14 and 5 days, respectively, after the cyazofamid SC(100 g/L)application, would be reasonably safe for consumption by the general population. The maximum residue limit(MRL)values of cyazofamid could be tentatively set as 10 mg/kg for turnip leaves, 0.3 mg/kg for turnip roots, 0.05 mg/kg for onion bulbs, and 10 mg/kg for romaine lettuce leaves.

Observation of Flowering Process of Grape(Vitis vinifera L.)—Insight into the Starting of Pollination of Flower Hiding in Calyptras(Cap)

It is generally agreed that many Vitis vinifera L.cultivars are self-fertile,where self-pollination often occurs before capfall in a process called cleistogamy.Therefore,it is difficult to identify the right time to remove stamens before self-pollination during the cross-breeding of grape.For this paper,we observed the process of grape flowering and measured the pollen viability and stigma receptivity of grape flowers of‘Shine Muscat’in order to identify the starting time of self-pollination before capfall and to provide useful information for improving the efficiency of cross-breeding.The results demonstrate that the anther is not cracked during the visible clusters and separated clusters stages.Meanwhile,in the separated floral buds,flowering begins,and full bloom stages,the pollen viability is 60.7%,73.2%and 80.3%,respectively;however,at the berry set stage,pollen viability drops to zero.The top of the mature stigma is composed of a layer of nearly cylindrical papillary cells,and the stigma receptivity for pollen changes with the development of flowers:in particular,no reaction was observed in the visible clusters stage;weak positive reaction at the separated clusters stage;strong positive reaction at the separated floral buds,flowering begins,and full bloom stages;and no reaction at the berry set stage.In the separated floral buds stage,pollen tubes were seen germinating in the style.In the flowering begins stage,more pollen tubes were observed at the entry of the ovary.During the full bloom stage,most pollen tubes elongated into the ovary base and some entered the pearl hole.At the berry set stage,newborn endosperm nucleus could be seen in the ovule.From the above,we can conclude that the initiation time of closed fertilization for‘Shine Muscat’grape can be judged as the separated floral buds stage,and it is best to discard the stamen before the separated floral buds stage when conducting cross-breeding.

MdAIL5 overexpression promotes apple adventitious shoot regeneration by regulating hormone signaling and activating the expression of shoot development-related genes

Adventitious shoot(AS)regeneration is a significant factor in the genetic transformation of horticultural plants.It is also a noteworthy approach to their vegetative propagation.AS regeneration remains highly dependent on the genotype or maturity of explants.We here found that the AS regeneration abilities of apple leaves were positively correlated with MdAIL5 expression.MdAIL5 overexpression dramatically increased AS regeneration efficiency.Notably,MdAIL5 overexpression could restore the AS formation ability of explants to a certain extent,which was lost with an increase in maturity.Endogenous hormone detection revealed that MdAIL5 overexpression changed the contents of auxin,cytokinin(CK),and other hormones in apple leaves.Transcriptome analysis revealed that many genes related to auxin,CK,and brassinolide signaling pathways were significantly and differentially expressed between MdAIL5-overexpressing transgenic apple and wild-type apple plants.Yeast one-hybrid assays,the electrophoretic mobility shift assay,and the dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that MdAIL5 directly binds to MdARF9 and MdHB14 promoters and positively affects their expression.We here established a model of MdAIL5 regulating AS formation,which acts as a theoretical basis for facilitating genotype-or explant maturity-independent AS regeneration in the future.

Research on the Development of Rural Collective Economy in Shandong Province

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed a strategy for rural revitalization and made a scientific deployment.In this context,how to pursue the development of rural collective economy is of great significance.Analysis on the status of the development of rural collective economy in Shandong Province showed that decentralized small farmers had a wide range of wealth,poor income-generating capacity,and weak income growth.The development models of rural collective economy in Shandong mainly included the follows:property leasing to explore the way to make money on the spot;relying on resources to build advantageous industries;creating a livable living environment led by capable persons;cooperative management to sound agricultural production and management system;and reform of property rights system to develop the collective economy.In addition,it also found that the rural collective economy in Shandong Province had weak economic foundations,uneven development,financing difficulties,debt resolution difficulties,lack of scientific support policies,and limited innovation and development of leadership team.In response to these problems,countermeasures and suggestions were put forward in this article.

Study on High-efficiency Ecological Agricultural Development Based on Science and Technology in the Yellow River Delta

Based on the analysis of the status, characteristics and technological functions of high-efficiency ecological agricultural development in the Yellow river delta, the paper pointed out technological bottlenecks of the high-efficiency ecological agricultural development in the Yellow river delta. Some suggestions were proposed including changing the development concept, implementing nine projects, increasing capital investment, focusing on demonstration, and strengthening human resources.

Conservation and Utilization of Germplasm Resources of Shandong Local Chickens

In this article, we reviewed the achievements of our team in genetic resource conservation and innovative use of Shandong local chicken breeds from the conservation, assessment on germplasm characteristics and breeding of Shandong local chickens, so as to provide a reference for further research and development of local chicken breeds.

On the Preparation and Implementation of Research Budget in Agricultural Institutes

Over the years,more attention has been focused on the implementation than on the preparation of the research budget in the agricultural institutes of China,resulting in the unscientific and unreasonable budgeting of research funds. The practical implementation of the research funds has also been adversely affected. In this paper,the problems as well as the root causes of those problems in the budgeting and implementation of research funds were analyzed,and corresponding solutions and suggestions were also presented.

Investigation and Analysis of Crop Germplasm Resources in Coastal Areas of Shandong Province

This study focused on the investigation of crop germplasm resources in coastal areas of Shandong Province, including132 villages in 82 towns of 34 counties. The survey collected local varieties and wild resources of grain crops, economic crops,vegetables and fruit trees, and a total of 848 samples were collected, belonging to 54 species of 39 genera in 15 families. In this study, the current situation and growth and decline conditions of crop germplasm resources were investigated, and their botanical classification and utilization importance were analyzed. Furthermore, the conservation, development and utilization of crop germplasm resources in coastal areas of Shandong Province were also discussed in this paper.

Comparison Test of Black Grey Oyster Mushrooms in Shandong Province in Winter and Spring

[Objectives]This study was conducted to screen high-yield and high-quality strains suitable for promotion and cultivation in Shandong Province in winter and spring,and provide production enterprises with better production strains.[Methods]The clinker bag cultivation method was used to compare the cultivated products of 30 Pleurotus spp.strains,and the data on mycelial growth rate,growth morphology,biological characteristics of fruit bodies and yield were collected for comparison.[Results]Compared with other strains,such four strains as Pinggu 8633,Gaochan 8105,Tekang 650 and Ping 8129 had significantly higher adaptability,higher yield and better marketability.[Conclusions]Pinggu 8633,Gaochan 8105,Tekang 650 and Ping 8129 can be used as the main varieties for winter and spring oyster mushrooms production in Shandong Province.

Investigation and Research on the Current Status of Fertilization in Facility Vegetables of Shandong Province

In order to clarify the current situation and main problems in facility vegetable fertilization and guide farmers to fertilize scientifically,an investigation on the yield and fertilization of facility vegetables( tomato,cucumber,eggplant and celery) was carried out in six districts and counties in Shandong Province from 2016 to 2017. The results showed that among the four vegetables,the yield levels of eggplant and celery varied slightly with the coefficient of variation between 7. 18% and 27. 63%,and the yield levels of tomato and cucumber varied greatly with the coefficient of variation between 33. 84% and 65. 15%. In terms of fertilization,the differences in N,P2O5 and K2O inputs in cucumber was the largest,and the maximum values of the nutrient inputs were 7. 95,8. 54 and 8. 77 times of the corresponding minimum values,respectively. The input amounts of N,P2O5 and K2O in tomato,cucumber and eggplant were 1. 47-2. 68,3. 93-7. 50 and1. 09-1. 51 times of the corresponding demands,respectively. The N and P2O5 inputs of celery exceeded the demands by 32. 00% and 79. 00%,respectively,while the K2O input was only 49. 00% of the demand. The ratios of N∶ P2O5∶ K2O input in the total application amount,organic fertilizer,base fertilizer and topdressing chemical fertilizer of facility vegetables were,respectively,1∶ 0. 84∶ 1. 02,1∶ 0. 84∶ 0. 80,1∶ 0. 99∶ 1. 05 and 1∶ 0. 77∶ 1. 25. The proportion of P2O5 input was too high,while the proportion of K2O input coming from the organic fertilizer was insufficient. The average proportions of organic fertilizer in N,P2O5 and K2O inputs were 43. 96%,43. 72% and 36. 99% respectively. The proportions of organic fertilizer in N and P2O5 inputs were reasonable,while that in K2O was lower.In N,P2O5 and K2O inputs of different vegetables,the proportions from organic fertilizer were reasonable in cucumber,higher in eggplant and lower in tomato and celery. The recommendations were presented in this paper that the inputs of N and P2O5 should be reduced,and the inputs of K2O and organic fertilizer should be increased,while farmers should choose fertilizer with low P2O5 and high K2O contents.

Immunogenetic basis of chicken’s heterophil to lymphocyte ratio revealed by genome-wide indel variants analysis

Enhancing host immunity is an effective way to reduce morbidity in chickens.Heterophil to lymphocyte ratio(H/L)is associated with host disease resistance in birds.Chickens with different H/L levels show different disease resistances.However,the utility of the H/L as an indicator of immune function needs to be further analyzed.In this study,a H/L directional breeding chicken line(Jingxing yellow chicken)was constructed,which has been bred for 12 generations.We compared the function of heterophils,and combined statistical analysis to explore the candidate genes and pathways related to H/L.The oxidative burst function of the heterophils isolated from the H/L selection line(G12)was increased(P=0.044)compared to the non-selection line(NS).The 22.44 Mb genomic regions which annotated 300 protein-coding genes were selected in the genome of G9(n=92)compared to NS(n=92)based on a genome-wide selective sweep.Several selective regions were identified containing genes like interferon induced with helicase C domain 1(IFIH1)and moesin(MSN)associated with the intracellular receptor signaling pathway,C–C motif chemokine receptor 6(CCR6),dipeptidyl peptidase 4(DPP4)and hemolytic complement(HC)associated with the negative regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis and tight junction protein 1(TJP1)associated with actin cytoskeleton organization.In addition,45 genome-wide significant indels containing 29 protein-coding genes were also identified as associated with the H/L based on genome-wide association study(GWAS).The expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 5(PTPN5)(r=0.75,P=0.033)and oxysterol binding protein like 5(OSBPL5)(r=0.89,P=0.0027)were positively correlated with H/L.Compared to the high H/L group,the expressions of PTPN5 and OSBPL5 were decreased(P<0.05)in the low H/L group of Beijing you chicken.The A/A allelic frequency of indel 5_13108985(P=3.85E–06)within OSBPL5 gradually increased from the NS to G5 and G9,and the individuals with A/A exhibited lower H/L than individuals with heterozygote A/ATCT(P=4.28E–04)and homozygous ATCT/ATCT(P=3.40E–05).Above results indicated oxidative burst function of heterophils were enhanced,and 22.44 Mb genomic regions were selected with the directional selection of H/L.In addition,PTPN5 and OSBPL5 genes were identified as H/L-related candidate genes.These findings revealed the complex genetic mechanism of H/L related to immunity and will allow selection for improving chicken immunity based on the H/L.