Coordinated improvement of maize grain yield and protein quality by the ZmMADS8-ZmMADS47-O2 module and a G protein gamma subunit
Available online 20 March 2025
Improving protein quality and grain yield traits coordinately is an important goal for crop breeding. Until now, many protein-quality or grain-yield regulation genes have been identified. However, it...
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TaMs6, encoding a GDSL esterase/lipase protein, functions in male fertility in common wheat
Available online 20 March 2025
Male reproductive development is necessary for the alternation of the life cycle in angiosperms. Due to functional redundancy of genes in the allohexaploid genome of common wheat, there are only two...
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The rice OsCBL3-OsCIPK31 module regulates root development via abscisic acid and auxin signaling pathways
Available online 18 March 2025
CALCINEURIN B-LIKE PROTEINS (CBLs) function in osmotic stress responses, root morphogenesis and ion uptake in various plants such as Arabidopsis. However, the roles of OsCBLs in regulating root growth...
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Molecular dissection of hemizygote-dependent dominance of super-early flowering in soybean
Available online 14 March 2025
In plants, numerous non-Mendelian inherited dominant effects, including over-, incomplete-, and co-dominance, are frequently observed, yet they remain insufficiently understood. A novel phenotype has...
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Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis identified key folate biosynthesis gene in waxy maize
Available online 14 March 2025
One-third of the global population is affected by micronutrient deficiency, particularly folate. Although folate synthesis has been relatively well characterized, few folate-related genes in maize have...
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Optimized boll-loading capacity of cotton root system increases seedcotton yield under wheat-cotton straw return with appropriate nitrogen fertilization
Available online 11 March 2025
Long-term straw return with appropriate nitrogen (N) fertilization increases seedcotton yield and fiber quality, and the root system plays an important role in cotton production. However, under straw...
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The OsSAPK10-OsPAL1 module contributes to rice blast resistance
Available online 2 March 2025
The SnRK2 gene family plays important roles in ABA mediated abiotic stress responses. However, the roles and functional mechanism of the SnRK2 gene family in plant immunity are largely unknown. In this...
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Modulation of flowering by an alternatively spliced AGL18-1 transcript in Brassica juncea
Available online 2 March 2025
Photoperiod and temperature are crucial factors that trigger flowering in Brassica juncea (B. juncea). However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. The MADS-box transcription...
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Chalcone isomerase gene (OsCHI3) increases rice drought tolerance by scavenging ROS via flavonoid and ABA metabolic pathways
Available online 1 March 2025
The chalcone isomerase gene OsCHI, one of the key genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, plays an important role in rice (Oryza sativa) resistance to abiotic stresses. This study reveals how the...
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A new strategy of molecular breeding for optimal heading date and grain yield in rice by modulating elite allelic combinations of Ghd7, Hd3a, RFT1 and Gn1a
Available online 1 March 2025
A later heading date generally leads to higher grain yield in favorable ecological regions; however, grain yield reaches a limit as the heading date exceeds a certain threshold. Ghd7 is the first cloned...
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Brassica napus BnaWIP2 transcription factor promotes seed germination under salinity stress by repressing ABA biosynthesis and signaling
Available online 1 March 2025
Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a global oil crop. Salinity stress impedes the growth of rapeseed, especially during seed germination. The key genes mediating salinity stress response during seed germination...
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The role of imprinted gene ZmFIE1 during maize kernel development
Available online 1 March 2025
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally significant crop essential for food, feed, and bioenergy production. The maize kernel, serving as a primary sink for starch, proteins, lipids, and essential micronutrients,...
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Multi-activity ferruginated carbon quantum dots nanozyme improves wheat seedling growth and Cd tolerance
Available online 1 March 2025
Excessive accumulation of cadmium (Cd) impairs crop growth by inducing oxidative damage through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, a biocompatible ferruginated carbon quantum...
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Eukaryotic translation initiation factor OseIF5A4 negatively regulates rice immunity against blast and bacterial blight diseases
February 2025
The RING-type E3 ligase OsBBI1 regulates rice resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae through modifying cell wall defenses. In this study, we report the function of an OsBBI1 substrate, eukaryotic translation...
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How to select favorable and promising alleles and genotypes for breeding: A case study of rice blast resistance genes in Southern and Northeastern China
February 2025
Asian rice comprises two major subspecies: Xian (X) and Geng (G), and the diverged resistance genes (R) have provided a foundation for breeding improved cultivars to control rice blast disease. After...
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A morphological and anatomical study for tracking the growth and development of individual flowers and pods in soybean (Glycine max L.)
February 2025
A morphology-based growth stage system should describe the growth and development of a crop and thereby help farmers and agronomists in formulating reasonable managementmeasures conducive to the development...
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Pentaploidization allows introgression of Aegilops tauschii into tetraploid wheat
February 2025
Pentaploid hybrids produced from crosses between hexaploid and tetraploid wheats combine the genetic variation of both parents. Crossing a synthetic hexaploid wheat LM/AT23 with its AB-genome donor,...
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RPSR1, a major quantitative trait locus for Pythium stalk rot resistance in maize
February 2025
Pythium stalk rot (PSR) is a destructive disease of maize, severely affecting yield and grain quality. The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) or genes for resistance to PSR forms the basis...
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The fourth exon confers antagonistic activity of OsMFT1 and OsMFT2 in rice pre-harvest sprouting
February 2025
Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) describes the germination of physiologically mature grains in spikes prior to harvest in cereal crops. PHS could seriously decrease grain yield and quality, which makes it...
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qRfv2, a quantitative resistance locus against Fusarium ear rot in maize
February 2025
Fusarium ear rot (FER), caused by Fusarium verticillioides, is a destructive fungal disease of maize. FER resistance is a complex, quantitatively inherited trait controlled by multiple minor-effect...
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Development and characterization of bacterial wilt-resistant synthetic polyploid peanuts
February 2025
Wild peanut (Arachis) species are promising sources of disease resistance for improving peanut cultivars. The objective of this study was to assess cross-compatibility among cultivated and wild peanuts...
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Fine mapping of Pm71, a novel powdery mildew resistance gene from emmer wheat
February 2025
Powdery mildew negatively impacts wheat yield and quality. Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), an ancestral species of common wheat, is a gene donor for wheat improvement. Cultivated emmer accession H1-707...
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Message from the Editor-in-Chief: Embracing challenges and opportunities in crop sciences in the new year
February 2025
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Crop disease resistance: Genes, mechanisms, and breeding
February 2025
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Maize Prolonged Prophase 1 is essential for meiotic progression in pollen mother cells
February 2025
Meiosis, a critical process for sexual reproduction, requires precise regulation to ensure the correct progression of meiotic stages. In yeast and animals, errors in meiotic recombination and homologous...
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