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Background: Wheat is one of major sources of human cadmium (Cd) intake. Reducing the grain Cd concentrations in wheat is urgently required to ensure food security and human health. In this study, we performed a field experiment at Wenjiang experimental field of Sichuan Agricultural University (Chengdu, China) to reveal the effects of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 on reducing grain Cd concentrations in dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L., 2n = 4x = 28, AABB). Results: Soil application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 (0.04 M Fe3+/m2) significantly reduced grain Cd concentration in DPW at maturity by 19.04% and 33.33%, respectively. They did not reduce Cd uptake or root-to-shoot Cd translocation, but increased Cd distribution in lower leaves, lower internodes, and glumes. Meanwhile, application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 up-regulated the expression of TpNRAMP5, TpNRAMP2 and TpYSL15 in roots, and TpYSL15 and TpZIP3 in shoots; they also downregulated the expression of TpZIP1 and TpZIP3 in roots, and TpIRT1 and TpNRAMP5 in shoots. Conclusions: The reduction in grain Cd concentration caused by application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 was resulted from changes in shoot Cd distribution via regulating the expression of some metal transporter genes. Overall, this study reports the physiological pathways of soil applied Fe fertilizer on grain Cd concentration in wheat, suggests a strategy for reducing grain Cd concentration by altering shoot Cd distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-yielding traits can potentially improve yield performance under climate change. However, data for these traits are limited to specific field sites. Despite this limitation, field-scale calibrated crop models for high-yielding traits are being applied over large scales using gridded weather and soil datasets. This study investigates the implications of this practice. The SIMPLACE modeling platform was applied using field, 1 km, 25 km, and 50 km input data resolution and sources, with 1881 combinations of three traits [radiation use efficiency (RUE), light extinction coefficient (K), and fruiting efficiency (FE)] for the period 2001–2010 across Germany. Simulations at the grid level were aggregated to the administrative units, enabling the quantification of the aggregation effect. The simulated yield increased by between 1.4 and 3.1 t ha− 1 with a maximum RUE trait value, compared to a control cultivar. No significant yield improvement (< 0.4 t ha− 1) was observed with increases in K and FE alone. Utilizing field-scale input data showed the greatest yield improvement per unit increment in RUE. Resolution of water related inputs (soil characteristics and precipitation) had a notably higher impact on simulated yield than of temperature. However, it did not alter the effects of high-yielding traits on yield. Simulated yields were only slightly affected by data aggregation for the different trait combinations. Warm-dry conditions diminished the benefits of high-yielding traits, suggesting that benefits from high-yielding traits depend on environments. The current findings emphasize the critical role of input data resolution and source in quantifying a large-scale impact of high-yielding traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary To identify efficient salt‐tolerant genes is beneficial for coping with the penalty of salt stress on crop yield. Reversible conjugation (sumoylation and desumoylation) of Small Ubiquitin‐Like Modifier (SUMO) is a crucial kind of protein modifications, but its roles in the response to salt and other abiotic stress are not well addressed. Here, we identify salt‐tolerant SUMO protease gene TaDSU for desumoylation from wheat, and analyze its mechanism in salt tolerance and evaluate its role in yield in saline–alkaline fields. TaDSU overexpression enhances salt tolerance of wheat. TaDSU overexpressors have lower Na+ but higher K+ contents and consequently higher K+ : Na+ ratios than the wild‐type under salt stress. TaDSU interacts with transcriptional factor MYC2, reduces the sumoylation level of SUMO1‐conjugated MYC2, and promotes its transcription activity. MYC2 binds to the promoter of TaDSU and elevates its expression. TaDSU overexpression enhances grain yield of wheat in the saline soil without growth penalty in the normal field. Especially, TaDSU ectopic expression also enhances salt tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana, showing this SUMO protease allele has the inter‐species role in the adaptation to salt stress. Thus, TaDSU is an efficient candidate gene for molecular breeding of salt‐tolerant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The intricate task of achieving three‐dimensional (3D) visual reconstruction of wheat kernels represents a notable challenge within the domain of digital grain analysis, playing a pivotal role in the realms of grain storage, processing, and breeding. However, existing investigations focused on individual kernels predominantly encompass dimensions such as length, width, height, and epidermal texture features, with a tendency to be invasive to the internal organisational structure of the kernel. Non‐local mean filtering algorithm is proposed to segment various tissues, and the 2D grey scale images are extracted from X‐ray micro‐computed tomography (μCT) to reconstruct a meticulous 3D visualisation model of individual wheat grains. Furthermore, building upon this foundation, an exhaustive assessment of morphological and structural parameters pertaining to each facet of the internal organisation of the wheat seed grain is conducted. Notably, these calculated parameters align with data generated by prior researchers，with 80% of the volume of the endosperm, 12% of the pericarp, about 2% of the endosperm and scutellum, and 4% of the pores. The established parameters and resultant 3D visual models serve as foundational components for subsequent in‐depth examinations into various physicochemical properties, including quality characteristics, heat, and mass transfer attributes, as well as variations in its morphological structure during breeding, which are pertinent to individual grains. This research contributes valuable insights and methodologies that can propel the advancement of studies in wheat kernel analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium is commonly recognized as toxic to plant growth, low-level Cd has promoting effects on growth performance, which is so-called hormesis. Although Cd toxicity in wheat has been widely investigated, knowledge of growth response to a broad range of Cd concentrations, especially extremely low concentrations, is still unknown. In this study, the morphological, physiological, and biochemical performance of wheat seedlings to a wide range of Cd concentrations (0–100 µΜ) were explored. Low Cd treatment (0.1–0.5 µM) improved wheat biomass and root development by enhancing the photosynthetic system and antioxidant system ability. Photosynthetic rate (Pn) was improved by 5.72% under lower Cd treatment (1 µΜ), but inhibited by 6.05–49.85% from 5 to 100 µΜ. Excessive Cd accumulation induced oxidative injury manifesting higher MDA content, resulting in lower photosynthetic efficiency, stunted growth, and reduction of biomass. Further, the contents of ascorbate, glutathione, non-protein thiols, and phytochelatins were improved under 5–100 µΜ Cd treatment. The ascorbate peroxidase activity in the leaf showed a hormetic dose–response characteristic. Correlation analysis and partial least squares (PLS) results indicated that antioxidant enzymes and metabolites were closely correlated with Cd tolerance and accumulation. The results of the element network, correlation analysis, and PLS showed a crucial role for exogenous Cd levels in K, Fe, Cu, and Mn uptake and accumulation. These results provided a deeper understanding of the hormetic effect of Cd in wheat, which would be beneficial for improving the quality of hazard and risk assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cookies are an exceptional energy source due to their elevated fat and carbohydrate content. Beyond their delectable taste, they are also rich in essential nutrients, including valuable proteins and minerals. This study evaluated the potential of the wheat variety NARC‐2011 for cookie production, focusing on nutritional enhancement by adding white sesame seeds at different proportions (5%, 10%, and 15%) to both whole and fine wheat flour. White sesame seeds were added to cookies mainly for their visual appeal, creating a nice contrast with the dough. They also have a mild flavor that complements the cookie without overwhelming it. Besides, they pack essential nutrients like protein, fiber, calcium, and iron, making the cookies more nutritious. The physical, chemical, and sensory properties of the different cookies were evaluated using standard methods. In terms of physical parameters, fine wheat flour cookies exhibited a diameter (46.45–50.47 mm), thickness (8.47–9.77 mm), and spreading factor (5.16–5.46 mm), and whole wheat flour cookies exhibited a diameter (48.47–52.31 mm), thickness (9.22–10.73 mm), and spreading factor (4.87–5.25 mm). Chemical analysis revealed moisture (5.78%–7.66%), fat (10.89%–16.16%), fiber (6.10%–8.46%), ash (4.82%–7.40%), protein (0.74%–1.40%), non‐fiber carbohydrates (63.67%–67.55%) for fine wheat flour cookies, and moisture (5.67%–7.39%), fat (10.89%–16.16%), fiber (11.47%–15.98%), ash (0.54%–0.83%), protein (5.65%–8.13%), non‐fiber carbohydrates (57.86%–66.55%), total phenolic content (2.86 mg/g), flavonoids (1.46 mg/g), and antioxidant activity (80.76%) in whole wheat flour cookies with sesame fortification. Gas chromatography revealed higher unsaturated fatty acids (83.22%) in NARC‐2011 wheat oil compared to white sesame seed oil (79.78%). In sensory evaluations, cookies fortified with 10% sesame seeds in fine wheat flour received the highest level of acceptability from the panelists. On the other hand, cookies made from whole wheat flour fortified with 15% sesame seeds garnered the maximum acceptability ratings from the panelists. In conclusion, supplementing NARC‐2011 wheat flour with sesame seeds, whether in fine or whole wheat form, improves the quality of cookies and nutritional content while offering appropriate sensory attributes at particular sesame seed levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zymoseptoria tritici is the most economically significant fungal pathogen of wheat in Europe. However, despite the importance of this pathogen, the molecular interactions between pathogen and host during infection are not well understood. Herein, we describe the use of two libraries of cloned Z. tritici effectors that were screened to identify effector candidates with putative pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP)‐triggered immunity (PTI)‐suppressing activity. The effectors from each library were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana, and expressing leaves were treated with bacterial or fungal PAMPs to assess the effectors' ability to suppress reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. From these screens, numerous effectors were identified with PTI‐suppressing activity. In addition, some effectors were able to suppress cell death responses induced by other Z. tritici secreted proteins. We used structural prediction tools to predict the putative structures of all of the Z. tritici effectors and used these predictions to examine whether there was enrichment of specific structural signatures among the PTI‐suppressing effectors. From among the libraries, multiple members of the killer protein‐like 4 (KP4) and killer protein‐like 6 (KP6) effector families were identified as PTI suppressors. This observation is intriguing, as these protein families were previously associated with antimicrobial activity rather than virulence or host manipulation. This data provides mechanistic insight into immune suppression by Z. tritici during infection and suggests that, similar to biotrophic pathogens, this fungus relies on a battery of secreted effectors to suppress host immunity during early phases of colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown wheat mite, Petrobia tritici, poses a significant threat to wheat fields. While fertilizers can increase crop productivity, imbalanced application may exacerbate plant susceptibility to pests. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of various NPK fertilization programs on P. tritici infestations over two consecutive cropping seasons. The results revealed significant differences in mite infestation among the treatment groups (p < 0.001). The lowest populations (1.1 and 3.0 mites/leaf) were observed in the treatments sprayed with phosphoric acid (at 0.75 and 1.00 cm/L), where the infestation appeared approximately 120 days after sowing; in contrast, it appeared early at 75 days in the other treatments. Conversely, treatments lacking potassium fertilizer presented the greatest degree of mite injury levels (49.5–57.7 mites/leaf). Although these treatments provided moderate leaf nutrition and crop yield, the highest nutritional content and total yield (10.49 and 9.71 1 t/ha for the two years) were observed in the treatment that received 224:70:100 kg fad−1 commercial fertilizers (=178:25:114 kg ha−1 NPK units) as soil fertilization, which was followed by the treatment with a foliar application of phosphoric acid (1.00 cm/L) with a total yield of 9.34 and 8.53 1 t/ha for the two years. In this treatment, the P. tritici density was moderately high at 9.40 and 6.32 mites/leaf over the two years, respectively. The consistency of P. tritici density and total yield ranking across both years indicated reliable estimates of the impact of fertilization. This study suggests that potassium sulfate application is crucial for reducing P. tritici density and that foliar phosphoric acid application instead of soil application reduces the number of P. tritici and delays its occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most agriculturally and economically important crops in the world. Wheat fungal diseases are becoming more severe and frequent due to global climate change, threatening wheat yields and security. While fungal diseases such as fusarium head blight, stripe rust, and powdery mildew have been extensively studied, the newly emerged fungal pathogens in wheat are still under-researched. In May 2023, black mold symptoms were observed on wheat spikes in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China. However, the causal agent of this disease was not known. We employed a combination of morphological examination and molecular techniques to identify the pathogen. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), and actin (act) genes of the fungus were partially sequenced (accession no. OR186209, PQ271633 and PQ271632) and showed 99.59–100% identity with the previously reported Cladosporium cladosporioides, which affects wheat, pokeweed, and black-eyed pea. The pathogenicity of this fungus was confirmed by fulfilling Koch's postulates. Through a rigorous screening process, we found Simplicillium aogashimaense, Trichothecium roseum, and Bacillus velezensis as effective biocontrol agents, with B. velezensis demonstrating the most potent antagonistic activity against the Cladosporium mold. This discovery showed the potential of B. velezensis as a biocontrol agent for wheat disease management. The findings underscore the importance of the present study in advancing the control of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by the Fusarium graminearum species complex, causes significant losses in grain yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum) by inducing floret sterility. Grains become contaminated with mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol (DON), making them unsuitable for consumption. To clarify the impact of wheat cultivar resistance, infection level, and climate after anthesis on the efficacy of a fungicide for the control of FHB, we treated two moderately susceptible cultivars and 11 susceptible cultivars with fungicide (48% phenamacril + tebuconazole) at anthesis over two years. FHB incidence (INC), disease severity index (DSI), Fusarium-damaged kernels, DON contamination, thousand-kernel weight, and yield were evaluated under artificially inoculated and naturally infected field trials in 2018 and 2021. The results of multi-factor variance analysis show that the control efficacy with respect to INC and DSI is affected by cultivar, fungicide, infection level, and climatic conditions including the average daily temperature, average daily relative humidity, and total rainfall from anthesis to 21 days after anthesis (p < 0.01). Notably, cultivar resistance (deviance = 13.34, 9.55, and 11.22) is more important than fungicide (deviance = 5.77, 6.66, and 6.69) to control the efficacy of INC, DSI, and DON. The results also suggest that infection level appears to be more important than cultivars and fungicide to control the efficacy of INC, and more important than fungicide to control the efficacy of DSI. Total rainfall is more important than other climatic factors. Our results reveal that fungicide is more effective in moderately susceptible cultivars ('Zhengmai 9023' and 'Xinong 979', 89.5%~98.9%) and some susceptible cultivars than in other susceptible cultivars ('Zhengmai 7698' and 'Zhoumai 27', 51.9%~67.2%). Thus, integrating cultivar resistance with fungicide application can be an effective strategy for the management of FHB and DON in winter wheat in the Huang-huai-hai Plain of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This work investigates the olfactory mechanism of aphids with varying preferences for TMX-coated and uncoated wheat plants. This study utilized the olfactory localization preferences of aphids to identify the volatile metabolites of both TMX-coated and uncoated wheat. The differential metabolites were then used to assess the olfactory behavior of aphids. The results indicated that four compounds had repellent activity towards aphids, while two compounds demonstrated attracting activity towards aphids. These findings highlight the potential of using TMX-induced VOCs to manage aphid behavior and develop environmentally friendly pest control strategies. Pesticides can induce target plants to release odors that are attractive or repellent to their herbivore insects. But, to date, the activity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), singly or as mixtures, which play a crucial role in the olfactory behavior of herbivore insects, remains unclear. The objective of our research was to investigate the impact of thiamethoxam (TMX), a pesticide, on the emission of odors by wheat plants, and how these odors influence the behavior of grain aphids (Sitobion miscanthi). S. miscanthi showed a greater repellent response to the volatiles emitted by Thx-induced plants compared to those emitted by uncoated plants. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS), we discovered that TMX greatly induced the release of VOCs in wheat plants. For instance, the levels of Bornyl acetate, 2-Oxepanone, Methyl acrylate, Cyclohexene, α-Pinene, and 1-Nonanol in coated wheat plants were significantly higher as compared to uncoated wheat plants. Moreover, varying concentrations also had an impact on the olfactory behavior of S. miscanthi. For instance, Cyclohexene exhibited clear attractiveness to aphids at concentrations of 100 μL/mL, whereas it displayed evident repellent properties at concentrations of 1 μL/mL and 10 μL/mL. These new findings demonstrate how TMX-induced VOCs affect the behavior of S. miscanthi and could help in developing innovative approaches to manage aphids by manipulating the emission of plant volatiles. Furthermore, these findings can also be utilized to evaluate substances that either attract or repel aphids, with the aim of implementing early monitoring and environmentally friendly methods to manage aphids, while simultaneously impeding the spread of viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global concerns about climate change affect every individual, family, and society. Most farm households are especially vulnerable to the consequences of climate change because agriculture is their principal source of income. For this reason, it is important to evaluate how climate change is affecting agricultural output in order to put effective adaptation measures in place. For this purpose, we employ climate analogue approach which is a promising adaptation tool that can be applied in practice, and offers a simple alternative using Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFs), and Hallegatte backward methods throughout Ethiopia. The analysis is based on downscaled future (2040–2069 and 2070–2099) rainfall and temperature through an ensemble of 20 General Circulation Models (GCMs) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), 4.5 and 8.5. Point-based future climate data are generated using the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) climate scenario generation tool coded in R software, and trends are analyzed using Mann-Kendall test. Projected annual rainfall is expected to decrease in the study area during 2040–2069 and 2070–2099 under RCP 4.5 while it is expected to increase during 2040–2069 and 2070–2099 in the RCP 8.5 scenario compared to the baseline period (1980–2009). In the RCP 4.5, warming ranges between 2.26 °C and 3.01 °C. In RCP 8.5, ranges between 3.11oC to 5.10oC. The study identified several analogues sites with five candidate sites at high correlation (P < 0.05) with the reference site, aiming to aid in climate change adaptation for sustainable wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium graminearum is the most important pathogen of maize and winter wheat in Canada, resulting in yield loss and mycotoxin contamination. Fungicides are essential to manage F. graminearum in cereal crops. Until pydiflumetofen became commercial, the only available fungicides were triazoles, limiting the potential to manage fungicide resistance. Fusarium graminearum isolates were surveyed from wheat, grain maize and overwintering maize stalks in southern Ontario. Chemotype and the baseline sensitivity to pydiflumetofen were determined in addition to sensitivity to common fungicides used to control F. graminearum. Fusarium graminearum has several strains producing different trichothecenes called chemotypes. In Ontario, 73.3% of the F. graminearum isolates were 3ANX chemotypes producing 7α-hydroxy, 15-deacetylcalonectrin, in addition to 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol; the remaining isolates were 15ADON chemotypes producing only 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol. Chemotype was not affected by isolate source (wheat grain, maize grain, maize stalks) nor by location. All isolates were sensitive to pydiflumetofen and fungicide products containing pydiflumetofen. The mean EC50 for isolates exposed to pydiflumetofen was 0.05 µg mL−1 (range 0.01–0.10 µg mL−1). The mean EC50 for isolates exposed to Miravis®Ace (containing pydiflumetofen and propiconazole), Miravis®Neo 300SE (containing pydiflumetofen, azoxystrobin and propiconazole), Caramba® (containing metconazole), Proline® (containing prothioconazole) and Prosaro (containing prothioconazole and tebuconazole) was 0.06, 0.13, 0.18, 0.05, 3.75 and 0.30 µg mL−1, respectively. These data will be useful in monitoring the development of fungicide resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem rust of barley and wheat is caused by the obligate pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) and stem rust of oat is caused by P. graminis f. sp. avenae (Pga). Stem rust can be a very destructive disease of cereal crops and, until the development of resistant host varieties, was responsible for millions of dollars of losses to producers. Genetic host resistance is the most common and effective method to control stem rust on cereals. Knowledge of the virulence genes and races present in the pathogen population is important to identify effective host resistance genes for use by cereal plant breeders. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence and severity of P. graminis in wheat, barley and oat in Manitoba, Canada, and assess the virulence frequencies and races of isolates collected from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario, Canada during 2020 to 2022. Stem rust incidence and severity was very light in Manitoba in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Virulence was not observed on resistance genes Sr30, Sr24 and Sr31 from Canadian collections of Pgt isolates made during 2020 to 2022. Race QFCSC was the most common race of Pgt in Canada, and races MCCFC and TPMKC were also common in Manitoba in 2022. Virulence to resistance genes Pg6, Pg10 and Pg16 was not observed among Pga isolates. The most common race of Pga from Manitoba and Saskatchewan was TGN, followed by SGB and TJS. The most frequent Pga races were TDJ, TDD and TGN in Ontario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat streak mosaic virus is one of the most widespread viruses in cereal crops, causing severe losses and dramatically affecting worldwide wheat production. Currently, four distinct clades of WSMV have been grouped and named: A (Mexico), B (Europe, Asia, Russia, the USA), C (Iran), and D (The USA, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Türkiye). In this study, we determined the nearly complete and partial nucleotide sequences of WSMV type B isolates collected from wheat found in the European part of Türkiye using high throughput sequencing. Excluding the poly(A) tail, the genome of isolate S34Edirne (GenBank acc.no. MZ405098) consisted of 9360 nucleotides and contained a single large open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 3033 amino acids. The partial sequence of WSMV in wheat isolate (GenBank acc.no. ON364116) is 3348 nt long. The characteristic lack of a GGA (Gly2761) codon within coat protein (CP) of the polyprotein of S34Edirne complete nucleotide sequence is typical for the clade B, WSMV-ΔE isolates, which are widely found throughout the European continent. Sequence comparisons revealed that WSMV Turkish wheat isolate is the most closely related to Czech isolate, with highly similar nucleotide and amino acid identities at 98.83 and 99.13%, respectively. The result of this study indicates that the nearly complete and partial genome sequences of S34Edirne and S34_Edirne24 isolates should be placed into clade B of the European WSMV-ΔE isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial. Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population. Methods: A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors. Results: During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating disease of wheat globally. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between F. graminearum and wheat remain unclear. Here, we identified a secreted effector protein, FgEC1, that is induced during wheat infection and is required for F. graminearum virulence. FgEC1 suppressed flg22‐ and chitin‐induced callose deposition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst in Nicotiana benthamiana. FgEC1 directly interacts with TaGF14b, which is upregulated in wheat heads during F. graminearum infection. Overexpression of TaGF14b increases FHB resistance in wheat without compromising yield. TaGF14b interacts with NADPH oxidase respiratory burst oxidase homolog D (TaRBOHD) and protects it against degradation by the 26S proteasome. FgEC1 inhibited the interaction of TaGF14b with TaRBOHD and promoted TaRBOHD degradation, thereby reducing TaRBOHD‐mediated ROS production. Our findings reveal a novel pathogenic mechanism in which a fungal pathogen acts via an effector to reduce TaRBOHD‐mediated ROS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous emergence of new Puccinia striiformis Westend f. sp. tritici Erikss (Pst) races requires a sustained search for useful sources of resistance. A CIMMYT bread wheat line (pedigree: Milan/S87230//Babax; renamed NSRPan4) was identified as highly resistant to South African Pst races. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population was developed by crossing NSRPan4 with Avocet S. Stripe rust data collected for RILs, using Pst race 6E22A + , include seedling infection types determined under controlled conditions as well as adult plant responses determined in field trials over three consecutive seasons. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping identified stripe rust resistance genes/QTL on chromosomes 2A and 2B, temporarily designated as QYr.ufs-2A.2(YR17) and QYr.ufs-2B.1, respectively. The QTL interval on chromosome 2A, which includes the LR37/YR17/SR38 gene complex (also referred to as the 2NS/2AS or 2NVS segment), conferred a significant seedling (R2 23.5%) and adult plant resistance effect (R2 up to 54.5%). The QTL on 2B contributed up to 46.4% of phenotypic variance observed. Three minor QTL, temporarily designated as QYr.ufs-1B.1 (possibly LR46/YR29), QYr.ufs-3D.1 and QYr.ufs-7A.1 were also detected. Our results support findings that notwithstanding the reported virulence for YR17, the LR37/YR17/SR38 segment remains useful in combination with other sources of resistance in certain genetic backgrounds and environments. Together with QYr.ufs-2B.1 and in the presence of the detected minor QTL and yet unidentified resistances, it was a consistent major contributor to the high level of stripe rust resistance in NSRPan4 to South African races of Pst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freezing damage in spring is one of the serious agricultural meteorological disasters for winter wheat production in the Huang-Huai-Hai plain. In order to effectively identify freezing damages of winter wheat in spring, this paper used a deep learning long short-term memory model LSTM to identify the occurrences of freezing damages of winter wheat in spring in Henan province, which was an important winter wheat planting area in China. The spatiotemporal distributions and decadal changes of freezing damages of winter wheat in spring based on the multi-source meteorological, crop, and disaster data from 99 meteorological stations from 1981 to 2020 were explored. The results indicated that: (1) the optimized LSTM model effectively identified freezing damages of winter wheat in spring. The daily minimum temperature simulated by LSTM model from 2017 to 2020 showed an average absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 8.73% and a goodness of fit (R2 ) with 0.90 compared to the actual minimum temperature. Based on the disaster data and freezing damage index for winter wheat in spring, the actual disaster situations from 2017 to 2020 were found to be consistent with the simulated results by the optimized LSTM model. (2) From 1981 to 2020, the harm of mild freezing damage to winter wheat in spring in Henan province had gradually weakened, and the high frequency area of mild freezing damage moved from the Northeast to the East. The overall distribution of mild freezing damage of winter wheat in spring in Henan province between 1981 and 2020 was higher in the northeastern Henan, and lower in the southwestern and southeastern Henan, with an average frequency of 0-1.75 times·10y-1 during the past 40 years. The frequency of mild freezing damage of winter wheat in spring decreased per decade, gradually decreasing from 0.843 times per decade to 0.157 times per decade. The high frequency area of mild freezing damage of winter wheat in spring moved from the Northeast to the East. (3) From 1981 to 2020, the frequency of severe freezing damage of winter wheat in spring in Henan province showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The high frequency area of severe freezing damage of winter wheat in spring moved from the Northeast to the East. The overall distribution of severe freezing damage during the 40a period was higher in the East than in the West, and higher in the North than in the South. The average frequency of severe freezing damage in the 40a period was 0-2.75times·10y-1 . The frequency of severe freezing damage of winter wheat in spring increased from 0.508 times per decade to 0.857 times per decade and then decreased to 0.289 times per decade. The high frequency area of severe freezing damage moved from the Northeast to the East. The overall trend of severe freezing damage of winter wheat in spring in Henan Province was decreasing, but the frequency of extreme weather events under climate warming was increasing. Strengthening the researches on the impacts of major agricultural meteorological disasters on agricultural production in various regions in China under climate change was still one of the future research focuses. Various accuracy evaluation indicators of the deep learning LSTM model for identifying freezing damage of winter wheat in spring proposed in this study were improved, and the simulation results of freezing damage by LSTM model were basically consistent with the actual occurrences. Our results can provide ideas and methods for large-scale freezing damage identification of winter wheat under global climate change, and also have certain reference values for other agricultural meteorological disaster identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the primary grain crop in China, wheat holds a significant position in the country's agricultural production, circulation, consumption, and various other aspects. However, the presence of imperfect grains has greatly impacted wheat quality and, subsequently, food security. In order to detect perfect wheat grains and six types of imperfect grains, a method for the fast and non-destructive identification of imperfect wheat grains using hyperspectral images was proposed. The main contents and results are as follows: (1) We collected wheat grain hyperspectral data. Seven types of wheat grain samples, each containing 300 grains, were prepared to construct a hyperspectral imaging system for imperfect wheat grains, and visible near-infrared hyperspectral data from 2100 wheat grains were collected. The Savitzky–Golay algorithm was used to analyze the hyperspectral images of wheat grains, selecting 261 dimensional effective hyperspectral datapoints within the range of 420.61–980.43 nm. (2) The Successive Projections Algorithm was used to reduce the dimensions of the 261 dimensional hyperspectral datapoints, selecting 33 dimensional hyperspectral datapoints. Principal Component Analysis was used to extract the optimal spectral wavelengths, specifically selecting hyperspectral images at 647.57 nm, 591.78 nm, and 568.36 nm to establish the dataset. (3) Particle Swarm Optimization was used to optimize the Support Vector Machines model, Convolutional Neural Network model, and MobileNet V2 model, which were established to recognize seven types of wheat grains. The comprehensive recognition rates were 93.71%, 95.14%, and 97.71%, respectively. The results indicate that a larger model with more parameters may not necessarily yield better performance. The research shows that the MobileNet V2 network model exhibits superior recognition efficiency, and the integration of hyperspectral image technology with the classification model can accurately identify imperfect wheat grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild and cultivated relatives of wheat are an important source of genetic factors for improving the mineral composition of wheat. In this work, a wheat panel consisting of modern bread wheat varieties, landraces, and introgression lines with genetic material of the wheat species Triticum timopheevii, T. durum, T. dicoccum, and T. dicoccoides and the synthetic line T. kiharae was used to identify loci associated with the grain zinc (GZnC) and iron (GFeC) content. Using a BLINK model, we identified 31 and 73 marker–trait associations (MTAs) for GZnC and GFeC, respectively, of which 19 were novel. Twelve MTAs distributed on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 5A, and 5B were significantly associated with GZnC, five MTAs on 2A, 2B, and 5D chromosomes were significantly associated with GFeC, and two SNPs located on 2A and 2B were related to the grain concentration of both trace elements. Meanwhile, most of these MTAs were inherited from At and G genomes of T. timopheevii and T. kiharae and positively affected GZnC and GFeC. Eight genes related to iron or zinc transporters, representing diverse gene families, were proposed as the best candidates. Our findings provide an understanding of the genetic basis of grain Zn and Fe accumulation in species of the Timopheevi group and could help in selecting new genotypes containing valuable loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world; its production is severely disrupted by increasing water deficit. Plant roots play a crucial role in the uptake of water and perception and transduction of water deficit signals. In the past decade, the mechanisms of drought tolerance have been frequently reported; however, the transcriptome and metabolome regulatory network of root responses to water stress has not been fully understood in wheat. In this study, the global transcriptomic and metabolomics profiles were employed to investigate the mechanisms of roots responding to water stresses using the drought-tolerant (DT) and drought-susceptible (DS) wheat genotypes. The results showed that compared with the control group, wheat roots exposed to polyethylene glycol (PEG) had 25941 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and more upregulated genes were found in DT (8610) than DS (7141). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the DEGs of the drought-tolerant genotype were preferably enriched in the flavonoid biosynthetic process, anthocyanin biosynthesis and suberin biosynthesis. The integrated analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that in DT, the KEGG pathways, including flavonoid biosynthesis and arginine and proline metabolism, were shared by differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and DEGs at 6 h after treatment (HAT) and pathways including alanine, aspartate, glutamate metabolism and carbon metabolism were shared at 48 HAT, while in DS, the KEGG pathways shared by DAMs and DEGs only included arginine and proline metabolism at 6 HAT and the biosynthesis of amino acids at 48 HAT. Our results suggest that the drought-tolerant genotype may relieve the drought stress by producing more ROS scavengers, osmoprotectants, energy and larger roots. Interestingly, hormone signaling plays an important role in promoting the development of larger roots and a higher capability to absorb and transport water in drought-tolerant genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular wax mixtures cover the epidermis of land plants and shield plant tissues from abiotic and biotic stresses. Although cuticular wax-associated traits are employed to improve the production of bread wheat, regulatory mechanisms underlying wheat cuticular wax biosynthesis remain poorly understood. In this research, partially redundant transcription factors TaMYB60-1 and TaMYB60-2 were identified as positive regulators of wheat cuticular wax biosynthesis. Knock-down of wheat TaMYB60-1 and TaMYB60-2 genes by virus-induced gene silencing resulted in attenuated wax accumulation and enhanced cuticle permeability. The roles of wheat fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase genes TaFATB1 and TaFATB2 in cuticular wax biosynthesis were characterized. Silencing wheat TaFATB1 and TaFATB2 genes led to reduced wax accumulation and increased cuticle permeability, suggesting that TaFATB1 and TaFATB2 genes positively contribute to wheat cuticular wax biosynthesis. Importantly, transcription factors TaMYB60-1 and TaMYB60-2 exhibit transcriptional activation ability and could stimulate the expression of wax biosynthesis genes TaFATB1, TaFATB2, and ECERIFERUM 1 (TaCER1). These findings support that transcription factor TaMYB60 positively regulates wheat cuticular wax biosynthesis probably by activating transcription of TaFATB1, TaFATB2, and TaCER1 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed purity assurance is an important aspect of maintaining the quality standards of wheat seeds. It relies significantly on quality parameters, like varietal classification and geographical origin identification. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged as an advanced nondestructive technique to determine various quality parameters. In recent years, several studies have utilized HSI for varietal classification, although a limited number of varieties were considered. Additionally, no attention has been paid to determining the geographical origin of wheat seeds. To address these gaps, two separate experiments were performed for varietal classification and geographical origin identification. The seeds from 96 varieties grown across 5 different agricultural regions in India were collected. Hyperspectral images of wheat seeds were acquired in the wavelength ranging 900–1700 nm. The spectral reflectance values were obtained from the region of interest (ROI) corresponding to each seed. Subsequently, the deep learning models (convolutional neural networks [CNNs]) were established and compared with two conventional algorithms, including support vector machines (SVMs) and K‐nearest neighbors (KNNs). The experimental results indicated that the proposed CNN models outperformed the SVM and KNN models, achieving an overall accuracy of 94.88% and 99.02% for varietal classification and geographical origin identification, respectively. These results demonstrate that HSI combined with deep learning has the potential to accurately classify a large number of wheat varieties. Moreover, HSI can be used to precisely identify the geographical origins of wheat seeds. This study provides an accurate and nondestructive method that can assist in breeding, quality evaluation, and the development of high‐quality wheat seeds. This study explores the use of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with deep learning for wheat seed quality assessment. We conducted experiments on 96 wheat varieties from five Indian geographical regions, utilizing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for varietal classification and geographical origin identification. Results showed CNNs outperforming support vector machines (SVMs) and K‐nearest neighbors (KNNs), with accuracies of 94.88% and 99.02%, respectively. Our findings highlight the potential of HSI as an accurate, non‐destructive method for wheat seed quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose and Methods: Crop identification using remotely sensed imagery provides useful information to make management decisions about land use and crop health. This research used phonecams to acquire the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of various crops for three crop seasons. NDVI time series from Sentinel (L121-L192) images was also acquired using Google Earth Engine (GEE) for the same period. The resolution of satellite data is low therefore gap filling and smoothening filters were applied to the time series data. The comparison of data from satellite images and phenocam provides useful insight into crop phenology. The results show that NDVI is generally underestimated when compared to phenocam data. The Savitzky-Golay (SG) and some other gap filling and smoothening methods are applied to NDVI time series based on satellite images. The smoothened NDVI curves are statistically compared with daily NDVI series based on phenocam images as a reference. Results: The SG method has performed better than other methods like moving average. Furthermore, polynomial order has been found to be the most sensitive parameter in applying SG filter in GEE. Sentinel (L121-L192) image was used to identify wheat during the year 2022–2023 in Sargodha district where experimental fields were located. The Random Forest Machine Leaning algorithm was used in GEE as a classifier. Conclusion: The classification accuracy has been found 97% using this algorithm which suggests its usefulness in applying to other areas with similar agro-climatic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although separate immunogenic mechanisms are involved, IgE-type sensitization to wheat and celiac disease (CD) may coexist. We observationally assessed the importance of this relationship in daily practice using CD and wheat sensitization screenings. Methods: Celiac antibody (CA) screening and food prick tests (FPTs) were requested simultaneously from patients who presented to the Allergy Clinic between January 2022 and December 2023 and had any complaint accompanied by CD symptoms/findings (non-celiac group). Patients with positive CA (CA+) underwent endoscopy. As another group, FPT results were recorded for patients previously diagnosed with CD following a gluten-free diet (celiac group). Results: In total, 169 patients (124 non-celiac and 45 celiac) were included in the study. Wheat prick positivity (WP+) was observed in 1 patient with CD. Among 65 WP+ patients without a CD diagnosis, 14 (20.3%) tested positive for CA+, and histopathology detected CD in 4 of these cases. Among the 59 WP– patients, 4 (8.8%) had CA+. The CA+ status of those with WP+ was significantly higher than those with WP– (p = 0.023). Conclusion: The 4 patients unaware of their CD exhibited WP+, with a higher rate of CA+ observed in the WP+ group. The association between WP+ and CA+ suggests that an impaired intestinal barrier may lead to simultaneous T helper 1 and 2 type inflammatory responses. Although different types of sensitization to the same food would not typically be expected, growing evidence indicates that this phenomenon does occur. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings and to explore the underlying causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manganese (Mn) deficiency due to nutrient mining by high yielding cereal–cereal cropping patterns and forgetfulness of Mn fertilizer applications becomes potential challenge in crop production. Aim: Nano‐enabled Mn fertilizers can be safer and more nutrient efficient than conventional Mn fertilizers (nutrient use efficiency ≈ 1%–3%). However, studies about nano‐Mn fertilizer synthesis and their behaviour in soil–plant system are rare. Methods: In this study, two novel nano‐Mn fertilizers, that is nano‐MnO2 (NMO) and manganese nanoclay polymer composites (Mn‐NCPC), were synthesized, characterized (dynamic light scattering, X‐ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopic and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy etc.) and investigated for their impact on growth, yield and nutrient acquisition by wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L., variety HD‐2967) in a pot culture experiment. Treatment comprised 25%, 50% and 100% of recommended dose of Mn (RDMn) through NMO along with 100% RDMn through MnSO4·H2O (MS). Effect of exposure route was also investigated using foliar spray of NMO at tillering stage. Mn‐NCPC was found to be most efficient Mn fertilizer in terms of yield, Mn uptake and use efficiency by wheat crop. Results: Nano‐sized formulations improved the solubility of Mn in soil due to its higher active surface area (NMO) and slow‐release behaviour (Mn‐NCPC); thus, minimal losses happened due to the fixing of Mn in oxide/hydroxide forms. Application of 25% RDMn through NMO fertilizers maintained equitant diethylenetriamine pentaacetate Mn content to 100% RDMn through MnSO4·H2O. Mn‐NCPC stimulated the soil enzymatic activities, namely dehydrogenase, acid–alkaline phosphatase activities. Mn‐NCPC and NMO at 100% RDMn recorded 3.51% and 5.20% improvement in grain yield, respectively, when compared to MnSO4·H2O 100%. Conclusions: Mn fertilizer doses can be reduced up to 25% of RDMn when applied through NMO or Mn‐NCPC fertilizers. However, effects of Mn‐NCPC and NMO need to be critically evaluated in long‐term field experiments in various cropping systems especially under cereal–cereal sequences for economic profitability and wide‐scale farmer's adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nanofertilisers can enhance the efficiency of nutrient utilization in crop production. Nevertheless, it is unclear how soil microbial and enzyme activities are affected by the application of nanofertilisers to wheat inter‐root soil. Aims: The study aims to investigate the influences of nanocarbon (NC) and nano‐calcium carbonate (NCC) on soil enzyme activities and microbial community in the open field setting. Methods: The effects of nanofertilisers on soil wheat rhizosphere soil were studied through the evaluation of soil microbial quantity, enzyme activity, and microbial diversity. Results: The findings revealed that the combined utilization of nanofertilizers and compound fertilizers (CF) led to an augmentation in the diversity of the soil microbial community. When comparing the effects of 100% composite nanofertilizers (100% CF + 50% NC + 50% NCC) with the control (CK) (100% CF), it was observed that the activities of urease (EC 3.5.1.5), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1), sucrase (EC.3.2.1.26), as well as the number of fungi, actinomycetes, and bacteria, increased by 22.4%, 7.7%, 17.8%, 9.3%, 35.9%, 27.7%, and 26.0%, respectively. Similarly, the employment of 70% composite nanofertilizers (70% CF + 35% NC + 35% NCC) also resulted in an enhancement of these aforementioned indicators. The magnitude of increase over the 100% CF was 19.0%, 6.6%, 13.6%, 6.2%, 26.8%, 21.3%, and 23.5%, respectively. Notably, there was no significant difference observed between 100% CF + 50% NC + 50 % NCC and 70% CF + 35% NC + 35% NCC within the 0–35 d after anthesis. Furthermore, both 100% CF + 50% NC + 50% NCC and 70% CF + 35% NC + 35% NCC contributed to an improvement in the species uniformity and operational taxonomic unit abundance of wheat rhizosphere microorganisms, while also increasing the abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria compared to the CK. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria was found to be elevated in the nanomaterials‐treated groups, both at 0–7 d and 14–21 d after anthesis, and positively correlated with soil enzyme activities and soil microbial populations. Conclusions: These results indicate that the application of composite nanofertilizers can enhance the soil microenvironment in wheat fields, particularly under reduced fertilization conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study investigated the phenolic profile, sugar composition and amino acid profile of lyophilised 10‐day‐old wheatgrass cultivated under varying temperature and photoperiod conditions. The targeted phenolic profile showed the abundant presence of chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic and p‐coumaric acid. The phenolic content varied with temperature and photoperiod conditions. The comprehensive sugar profile indicated the variation in the concentration of glucose with different growing conditions altered carbohydrate metabolism in wheatgrass. Similarly, the concentration of amino acids also varied with growing conditions. Notably, the concentration of proline, arginine and GABA in wheatgrass from all wheat varieties increased more prominently in photoperiod of 22 h and growth temperature of 22 °C in light and 17 °C in dark as a response of defence mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is increasingly becoming a production constraint in wheat world-wide. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-bread wheat symbiosis has been shown to improve the tolerance under drought stress. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of AMF inoculation on yield attributes (spike number per plant, spike weight per plant, number of grains per spike, grain weight per spike and 1000 grain weight) and protein quantity and quality in two bread wheat cultivars (PAN3497 and SST806) grown under drought stress. Plant growth was significantly reduced due to drought stress in both cultivars. Shoot dry weight was significantly increased (23%) due to AMF inoculation in SST806. AMF inoculation caused a further significant increase of protein content in both cultivars (10.70% and 13.42% in PAN3497 and SST806, respectively). Low molecular weight (LMW) glutenin was significantly decreased in PAN3497 under drought stress. However, the monomeric proteins were significantly increased by drought and/or a combination of drought and AMF inoculation in both cultivars. In cultivar SST806, significant reduction of polymeric protein was observed due to application of both AMF (6%) and a combination of AMF with drought stress (4%). Regarding the two-dimensional separation of the gluten proteins, drought had the largest effect on protein spots, with AMF causing up-regulation of only some spots. SST806 was generally more drought tolerant than PAN3497. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a vital crop, providing calories, nutrients and versatility in the food industry. However, the combination of heat and drought stress, exacerbated by climate change, poses a significant threat to wheat production, leading to potential yield losses. To ensure the sustainability of wheat production it is crucial to prioritize research on developing stress-tolerant wheat genotypes. The current study focused on identifying the traits that are important for developing stress-tolerant wheat varieties under timely sown irrigated, drought stress, heat stress, and combined stress conditions. It addresses the knowledge gap regarding the combined effects of heat and drought stress on wheat physiology and yield, aiming to shed light on the intricate interactions between these stresses. The experiment was conducted at CCS HAU, Hisar, during the Rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. By evaluating variability parameters, conducting correlation analysis, and path coefficient analysis among 80 diverse wheat genotypes, this research identifies genetic factors contributing to stress tolerance and helps select plants with desirable characteristics. The results showed that traits i.e., malendialdehyde, wax covering on blade, wax covering on sheath and wax covering on spike had high potential for improvement through selection among genotypes for grain yield and its component traits. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting wheat varieties with early maturity to mitigate the risk of yield loss under combined stress conditions. Moreover, the interaction between drought and heat stress can increase oxidative stress, leading to elevated malondialdehyde levels. Selecting varieties with lower malondialdehyde and optimal canopy temperature is important. Understanding the complex response of wheat to heat, drought, and their combined stress is essential for improving crop quality and production potential. Overall, this research contributes to the field of plant breeding by facilitating the development of wheat varieties with high and stable yields in challenging environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat and drought are two important constraints to global wheat productivity; understanding the genotypic responses for quality parameters under harsh production conditions (drought and heat) is very important for developing nutrient‐dense wheat varieties. A set of 15 modern bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) cultivars were tested in nine environments, including three different production conditions (normal, heat and drought) during 2020–21. Genotype stability performance for yield, nutrition and quality parameters is assessed using multienvironment trials through AMMI and GGE Biplot analysis. We discovered intriguing stress dynamics in grain zinc content (Zn) and grain iron content (Fe). Under heat stress, zinc concentration increases but decreases under drought stress, while iron does the opposite. Selecting zinc, starch and kernel weight under terminal heat stress can boost yield. Protein content and yield are inversely related, making it difficult for breeders to optimise both traits. G × E interactions and stability indices across all environments have found genotypes with high‐yielding stable genotypes, G12 (MP1358) (42.09 ppm) and G5 (HI1544) (42.41 ppm) have high Fe content. G12 (MP1358) (14.98%) ranked highest in protein concentration. Meanwhile, for Zn content, G11 (MACS 4058) (45.23 ppm) and G15 (WH730) (42.44 ppm) were top performers across environments. G7 (HI 1636) and G12 (MP1358) stand out as a win‐win genotype for their high potential and stability in yield, protein, Zn and Fe content. Our study shows the complex relationships and possible suggestions for targeted breeding programmes under heat and drought stress conditions to improve wheat grain quality and micronutrient profiles without yield loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating grain yield, component traits and metabolite profiles aids in selecting drought‐adapted and climate‐smart crop varieties preferred by end users. Understanding the trends and magnitude of grain‐based metabolites is vital for selecting wheat genotypes with higher grain yield, drought tolerance, water use efficiency and product profiles. The aim of this study was to determine the response of newly developed wheat genotypes for grain yield and component traits and metabolites under drought stress to guide selection. One hundred wheat genotypes were preliminarily evaluated for agro‐morphological traits and water use efficiency under drought‐stressed and non‐stressed conditions during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons using a 5 × 20 alpha lattice design with two replications. Ten high‐yielding genotypes were selected based on grain yield and were validated for agronomic traits and water use efficiency (WUE), and grain samples were assayed to profile their key metabolites under drought‐stressed conditions. Significant differences existed (p < 0.05) among the tested wheat genotypes for yield and yield components, WUE, drought tolerance and major metabolites to discern trait associations. The grain yield of the 10 genotypes ranged from 590.00 g m−2 (genotype LM70 × BW140) to 800.00 g m−2 (BW141 × LM71) under drought‐stressed treatment, whilst under non‐stressed it ranged from 760.06 g m −2 (LM70 × BW140) to 908.33 g m−2 (LM71 × BW162). Grain yield‐based water use efficiency of the assessed genotypes was higher under non‐stressed (0.18 g mm−1) than drought‐stressed (0.17 g mm−1) conditions. The highest drought tolerance index (211.67) and stress susceptibility index (0.77) were recorded for BW162 × LM71, whilst the lowest tolerance index (23.33) and stress susceptibility index (0.09) were recorded in BW141 × LM71. Grain metabolites, including the apigenin‐8‐C‐glucoside (log2Fold = 3.00) and malate (log2Fold = 3.60) were present in higher proportions in the high‐yielding genotypes (BW141 × LM71 and LM71 × BW162) under drought‐stressed conditions, whilst fructose (log2Fold = −0.50) and cellulose (log2Fold = −3.90) showed marked decline in the two genotypes. Based on phenotypic and metabolite profile analyses, genotypes BW141 × LM71 and LM71 × BW162 were selected for being drought‐tolerant, water‐use efficient and recommended for production or breeding. The findings revealed associations between yield components, water use efficiency and grain metabolites to guide the selection of best‐performing and drought‐tolerant wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is crucial for crop production. Crop sequences with different legume participation affect N availability and therefore N fertiliser management. The study aimed to assess the inclusion of winter crops (WC) with different amounts of residues and different C:N ratios on the following: (i) the response to N fertilisation in the following late‐maize (Zea mays L.), and to carry that comparison into a subsequent wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.), and (ii) identify soil N indicators associated with these responses. Two field experiments (E1 and E2) were conducted in the Argentinean Pampas during two growing seasons to evaluate a WC/late‐maize‐wheat sequence under no‐tillage. In each experiment, late‐maize was sown after a bare‐fallow and three WC: wheat, vetch (Vicia villosa L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.), where five rates of N fertilisation were evaluated. An area of late‐maize that was not fertilised with N within each previous WC was used to evaluate the response to N fertilisation in the subsequent wheat crop. Indigenous N was estimated by using N uptake in the non‐N‐fertilised treatments. Soil N indicators and C:N ratio of WC residues were evaluated as indicators of response to N fertilisation in both crops. Significant responses to N fertilisation in grain yield and N uptake were observed in late‐maize when bare‐fallow and wheat were the previous treatments in both experiments. In contrast, vetch and field pea supplied 32 and 40 kg N ha−1 in E1 and E2, respectively, and showed no response to N fertilisation, satisfying the N required by late‐maize. However, this supply was not enough to sustain the N demand of the subsequent wheat, where the response to N addition ranged from 36% to 74% when vetch and wheat were the previous WC, respectively. Only soil inorganic N indicators were associated with indigenous N supply. Moreover, the apparent net WC effect was linked to late‐maize (r2 = 0.91) and subsequent wheat (r2 = 0.67) grain yield response, which was also related to the C:N ratio of the WC residues in late‐maize and the subsequent wheat (r2 = 0.78), suggesting that mineralisation occurs when C:N ratio is below 18. Consequently, in future studies the C:N ratio of the WC residues can be included in N fertilisation recommendation schemes when late‐maize is sown as a double crop in more intensified crop sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant basis for winter wheat production in China is the North China Plain (NCP). However, winter wheat production is severely hampered by water shortages in this area. Transpiration co‐occurs with photosynthesis, affecting crop water productivity (CWP). The purpose of this experiment is to use Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) to study actual transpiration (AT) and evaporation (AE) under different irrigation schedules and then determine its impact on grain yield and CWP. In the 2019–2022 winter wheat growing seasons, four experimental treatments were set up: no irrigation during growth period (I0), irrigation at jointing stage (I1), irrigation at jointing and anthesis stage (I2) and irrigation at jointing, anthesis and filling stage (I3), and the RZWQM2 model was calibrated and verified in this experiment. A higher yield (7840.90 kg/ha for an average of 3 years) and the highest CWP can be obtained in I2 treatment (increased by 12.72%, 5.98% and 4.28% for an average of 3 years, respectively, compared to the other three treatments). The model has a good simulation effect on soil water dynamic change and plant physiological performance of the four treatments; the model showed that irrigation increased the simulated AE and AT; however, reduced AE/actual evapotranspiration. For the whole growth period, AT in I3, I2, I1 and I0 was 351.70, 317.30, 271.50 and 223.70 mm, respectively. Especially in the late growth stage of winter wheat, the AT in I3 was 65.20 mm for an average of 3 years, which was significantly higher than I2, I1 and I0 by 31.60, 13.50 and 10.00 mm, respectively. Thus, I3 increased AT at the late growth stage of winter wheat and resulted in an increase in grain yield; however, it did not significantly increase CWP. This study demonstrated that irrigation at winter wheat jointing and anthesis stages can improve the CWP to achieve the goal of stable grain yield and water saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress significantly challenges wheat production globally, and drought priming has emerged as an effective strategy to mitigate yield loss under drought stress events. However, the effect of drought priming on plant nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the effects of drought priming at the six‐leaf stage on NUE under drought stress during grain filling in four wheat varieties with distinct responses to drought priming. Our results indicate that there is no correlation between inherent drought tolerance and the effects of drought priming among the wheat varieties studied. In priming‐sensitive varieties, drought‐primed plants exhibited significant improvements in grain yield and NUE under drought stress compared to non‐primed plants. Conversely, priming‐insensitive varieties showed no significant differences in yield or NUE between primed and non‐primed plants under similar conditions. Notably, under drought stress, primed plants exhibited higher yield and NUE than non‐primed plants in drought priming positive variety, while the opposite trend was observed in drought priming negative response variety. The enhancement of NUE through drought priming was associated with improved nitrogen uptake efficiency and its allocation to spikes, with abscisic acid accumulation playing a pivotal role. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms by which drought priming enhances NUE under drought stress, contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural practices amid climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antioxidant enzymes in plants are critical for protection against oxidative stress and for the overall health and resilience of plant systems. However, antioxidant responses of plants grown in shallow and saline groundwater are poorly understood. Therefore, understanding the biochemical responses of plants to shallow groundwater significantly affects food security and environmental conservation. With this aim, the present work was carried out for 2 years in drainable lysimeters to assess the effects of four different groundwater salinities (0.38, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 dS m−1) on the temporal changes in antioxidant enzymatic activity in wheat plants under three different groundwater depths (30, 55 and 80 cm). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S‐transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities varied significantly based on groundwater depth and salinity. CAT and GST enzyme levels increased curvilinearly with rising groundwater depth and salinity. Conversely, the GR enzyme activity showed no significant change with groundwater depths but increased linearly with higher salinity. SOD enzyme activity notably increased at a groundwater depth of 30 cm but decreased at a depth of 80 cm. Moreover, the peak activity of the GR enzyme was observed at a 6 dS m−1 groundwater salinity under groundwater depths. Additionally, the GST and CAT enzyme activities were inhibited more when the groundwater depth was <55 cm and the groundwater salinity was >4.20 dS m−1. Finally, identifying the peak levels of antioxidant enzymes could potentially serve as an indicator for determining the optimal timing for applying stress mitigation methods in areas with shallow and saline groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Hypersensitive response‐programmed cell death (HR‐PCD) regulated by Ca2+ signal is considered the major regulator of resistance against Puccinia triticina (Pt.) infection in wheat. In this study, the bread wheat variety Thatcher and its near‐isogenic line with the leaf rust resistance locus Lr26 were infected with the Pt. race 260 to obtain the compatible and incompatible combinations, respectively. The expression of translationally controlled tumor protein (TaTCTP) was upregulated upon infection with Pt., through a Ca2+‐dependent mechanism in the incompatible combination. The knockdown of TaTCTP markedly increased the area of dying cell and the number of Pt. haustorial mother cells (HMCs) at the infection sites, whereas plants overexpressing the gene exhibited enhanced resistance. The interaction between TaTCTP and calcineurin B‐like protein‐interacting protein kinase 23 (TaCIPK23) was also investigated, and the interaction was found occurred in the endoplasmic reticulum. TaCIPK23 phosphorylated TaTCTP in vitro. The expression of a phospho‐mimic TaTCTP mutant in Nicotiana benthamiana promoted HR‐like cell death. Silencing TaCIPK23 or TaCIPK23/TaTCTP co‐silencing resulted in the same results as silencing TaTCTP. This suggested that TaTCTP is a novel phosphorylation target of TaCIPK23, and both participate in the resistance of wheat to Pt. in the same pathway. Significance Statement: Wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina infection causes losses to agriculture worldwide. Calcium signaling and its mediated hypersensitive response are critical for leaf rust resistance in wheat. By demonstrating the phosphorylation of TaTCTP by TaCIPK23 and their contribution to the leaf rust resistance phenotype in wheat, this study reveals the mechanism by which calcium mediates biotic stress resistance and provides valuable insights for future crop improvement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Strigolactones (SLs) are key regulators of shoot growth and responses to environmental stimuli. Numerous studies have indicated that nitrogen (N) limitation induces SL biosynthesis, suggesting that SLs may play a pivotal role in coordinating systemic responses to N availability, but this idea has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we generated triple knockout mutants in the SL synthesis gene TaDWARF17 (TaD17) in bread wheat and investigated their phenotypic and transcriptional responses under N limitation, aiming to elucidate the role of SLs in the adaptation to N limitation. Tad17 mutants display typical SL mutant phenotypes, and fail to adapt their shoot growth appropriately to N. Despite exhibiting an increased tillering phenotype, Tad17 mutants continued to respond to N limitation by reducing tiller number, suggesting that SLs are not the sole regulators of tillering in response to N availability. RNA‐seq analysis of basal nodes revealed that the loss of D17 significantly altered the transcriptional response of N‐responsive genes, including changes in the expression profiles of key N response master regulators. Crucially, our findings suggest that SLs are required for the transcriptional downregulation of cytokinin (CK) synthesis and signalling in response to N limitation. Collectively, our results suggest that SLs are essential for the appropriate morphological and transcriptional adaptation to N limitation in wheat, and that the repressive effect of SLs on shoot growth is partly mediated by their repression of CK synthesis. Significance Statement: This research investigates the key role of strigolactones (SLs) in bread wheat tillering and adaptation to nitrogen limitation. Our findings using TaDWARF17 mutants reveal that SLs, while not the sole regulators of tillering under nitrogen limitation, crucially mediate the transcriptional downregulation of cytokinin synthesis and signalling, underscoring the importance of SLs in coordinating morphological and transcriptional responses to nitrogen availability in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying small, overlapping wheat ears in UAV images continues to be a difficult task. This paper proposes SCP-YOLO, a novel detection model that addresses this limitation. Initially, the dataset comprises remote sensing images of wheat kernels captured at two periods and three altitudes. Using the YOLOv8n network as a baseline, SCP-YOLO processes the network's low-resolution feature layer using the space-to-depth (SPD) approach. At the stage of feature fusion, the Context-Aggregation structure is executed to facilitate the aggregation and interaction of data on the feature map on a global scale. The PConv method ingeniously implements the lightweight detection head structure. On top of that, a new detection scale that integrates more superficial information with location data is positioned. The experimental outcomes demonstrate that the proposed method outperformed several established state-of-the-art detection models by achieving a detection speed of 90 frames per second and an AP@50 value of 96.3%. Compared with the baseline network, the AP@0.5, and AP@0.5:95 exhibited respective increases of 2.5% and 6.3%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the methodology demonstrates exceptional robustness for six scenario datasets. About counting, it is exact and capable of quantifying wheat ears in images acquired through remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in GDH activity has been established in the first six hours after plants are exposed to hypoxic conditions, which ensures the formation of an adaptive response of cellular metabolism to the lack of oxygen in the cell. A difference in the transcriptional activity of homologous GDH-1 genes in wheat leaves under stress conditions was shown. An increase in the mRNA content of the GDH-1(5A) gene in wheat leaves after plants are exposed to hypoxic conditions is observed in the first hours of the experiment, which correlates with a change in the catalytic activity of glutamate dehydrogenase. Regulation of this gene is carried out by the transcription factor HIF, the specific landing site of which is found in the transcription initiation site of the promoter of this gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of exogenously applied ascorbic acid (AsA, 1 mM) and proline (Pro, 1 mM), were evaluated on the growth, nutritional behavior, some key biochemical attributes, oxidative damage indicators, osmolytes accumulation as well as antioxidant system in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum cv. Salammbô) grown in the presence of 100 mM NaCl. AsA or Pro supplementation ameliorated wheat seedlings' growth and increased parameters that were reduced by salinity. Relative water content, total chlorophyll, K+ and total carbohydrates contents as well as K+/Na+ ratio and root-to-shoot K+ translocation were significantly increased. Osmoprotectant contents were remarkably accumulated, whereas Na+ content and root-to-shoot Na+ translocation were significantly declined. Additionally, exogenous AsA or Pro application enhanced the antioxidant defense system components and insured better oxidative stress tolerance, as indicated by reduced H2O2 production and lipid peroxidation, resulting in an increased membrane stability index. Such effects were further enhanced following the simultaneous application of AsA and Pro, resulting in a better growth, as compared to single applications of these substances. Taken together, findings of this study provide strong arguments highlighting the potential synergy between exogenously applied AsA and Pro in mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress of wheat plants at the early seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sourdough bread has gained interest with the increasing demand of consumers for more natural, delicious and healthy foods. Also, consumption of whole grain flour is increasing due to the bioactive compounds it contains. This study aimed to investigate the effects of wheat variety (Tosunbey, Kenanbey, İkizce-96, Bezostaja-1), sourdough treatment [Spontaneous fermentation (SP), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP), Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis (LS)] and sourdough level (0–10–20–30%) on the technological characteristics of whole wheat bread. The investigated factors had significant effects on pH, total titratable acidity, specific volume, color and textural parameters. The increasing levels of sourdough decreased the specific volume of whole wheat bread and increased the crumb hardness. The whole wheat sourdough breads produced with LP and LS had lower specific volumes due to the acidity, but were more favorable in terms of smell compared to SP. The hardness and chewiness of the bread samples significantly increased with the three days of storage, while the cohesiveness and springiness decreased. Wheat varieties with higher protein content and Zeleny sedimentation value had better performance for whole wheat sourdough bread production. The study showed that sourdough with selected lactic starters (LP and LS) could be used at 10–20% levels in whole wheat bread formulations to have acceptable technological and sensory characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat protein and fat contents directly affect the flavor and yield of liquor. This study utilized hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology along with an integrated learning model to rapidly and non-destructively detect protein and fat contents in wheat. The hyperspectral data of the wheat grains was preprocessed using various methods. The competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm, the successive projections algorithm (SPA), and the combination of the two algorithms (CARS-SPA) were used to extract the characteristic wavelengths. Three support vector regression (SVR) models were created to forecast wheat protein and fat contents using full-band spectral data and characteristic wavelengths. These models are gray wolf optimized support vector regression (GWO-SVR), particle swarm optimized support vector regression (PSO-SVR), and support vector regression-based integrated learning (AdaBoost-SVR). Comparing the models showed that the AdaBoost-SVR model, utilizing the Eigen wavelengths extracted through the CARS-SPA and CARS algorithms, stood out as the most accurate in predicting wheat protein and fat contents, with Rp2 values of 0.9789 and 0.9651, respectively. The study findings indicate that combining HSI with AdaBoost-SVR integrated learning modeling enables rapid, non-destructive determination of wheat protein and fat contents with greater accuracy than using a single machine learning (ML) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is the main raw material in liquor brewing. However, the protein content (PC) and starch content (SC) in wheat will affect the quality and flavor of the final liquor. In this study, the rapid, non-destructive determination of the PC and SC in wheat was achieved by combining hyperspectral imaging (HSI) with a convolutional neural network regression (CNNR) model established using the original spectral data in the hyperspectral images. The best preprocessing method was first determined, and then the performance of CNNR, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were compared at full wavelength, and it was concluded that CNNR based on the original spectrum was the optimal model for predicting wheat PC (R-square (R2) = 0.9942, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.1041, relative percentage difference (RPD) = 13.1306) and SC (R2 = 0.9329, RMSE = 0.8633, RPD = 3.8605) at full wavelength. Finally, to further explore the feature extraction capability of the CNN model, different feature selection and extraction methods are used to build the PLSR model, and the comparison revealed that the PLSR model built by feature extraction using convolutional neural network (CNN_F) performed best in predicting wheat PC and SC. These results showed that HSI combined with a CNNR model could enable the rapid and accurate analysis of the PC and SC in wheat, since the CNNR can extract features from samples better than the traditional machine learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a mega‐staple for millions of the world's populations and its yield potential is impacted by soil salinization. This study investigated genotypic variation in salt tolerance among six wheat genotypes, Gladius, Drysdale, GD0014, GD0120, GD0180, and GD0185. The study also characterized shoot traits, photosynthetic traits, leaf Na and K concentrations, and phloem sucrose. The plants were grown under controlled growth room conditions at 0 mM NaCl (Control) and 100 mM NaCl. The results showed that the salt tolerance index (STISFW, SFW: shoot fresh weight) varied from 0.52 for GD0120 to 0.69 for GD0180. Based on the STISFW, salt tolerance for the wheat genotypes was in the order, GD0180 > Gladius > GD0185 > Drysdale > GD0014 > GD0120. Projected shoot area (PSA) at all growth stages, 14, 20, 27, 34, and 40 DAS were strongly correlated with SFW at 45 DAS. Salt treatment significantly increased phloem sucrose level in the salt intolerant, Drysdale, while having no effect on this parameter in Gladius. Gladius showed greater maintenance of stomatal conductance than Drysdale. The relative ratio of K/Na between treatment and control was strongly correlated with the relative ratio of SFW (r =.85). The correlation between PSA at 14 DAS and SFW at 45 DAS and the correlation between the relative ratio of K/Na between treatment and control with STISFW identify these parameters to be potential traits for screening salt tolerance in wheat. Higher salt tolerance in Gladius would be associated with higher maintenance of stomatal conductance and enhanced phloem sucrose transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization during wheat cultivation considerably diminishes soil fertility and impedes wheat growth, primarily due to rhizosphere microbial community changes. Our study investigates the application of Bacillus subtilis YJ-15, a strain isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat cultivated in salinized soil, as a soil remediation agent. This strain has demonstrated significant salt tolerance, disease suppression capabilities, and growth-promoting attributes in previous studies. The wheat rhizosphere was examined to assess the impact of Bacillus subtilis YJ-15 on microbial community composition and soil fertility. Fertility of soil in saline soil was significantly increased by inoculating wheat with YJ-15. The microbial community structure within the wheat rhizosphere inoculated with Bacillus subtilis YJ-15 was analyzed through sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Phyla Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were identified as the dominant bacteria. Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Ascomycota dominated the fungal phyla. Among the bacterial genera, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, and Bacillus were predominant. The predominant fungal genera included Alternaria, Cephalotrichum, Mortierella, and Chaetomium. A significant increase in Gaiella and Haliangium levels was observed in the YJ group compared to the control group. Additionally, the fungal genera Epicoccum, Sporidiobolus, and Lecythophora have significantly increased in YJ abundance. One of the potential benefits of Bacillus subtilis YJ-15 in the cultivation of wheat on salinized land is its ability to enhance the rhizosphere microbial community structure and improve soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant nitrogen concentration (PNC) is a key indicator reflecting the growth and development status of plants. The timely and accurate monitoring of plant PNC is of great significance for the refined management of crop nutrition in the field. The rapidly developing sensor technology provides a powerful means for monitoring crop PNC. Although RGB images have rich spatial information, they lack the spectral information of the red edge and near infrared bands, which are more sensitive to vegetation. Conversely, multispectral images offer superior spectral resolution but typically lag in spatial detail compared to RGB images. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of crop PNC monitoring by combining the advantages of RGB images and multispectral images through image-fusion technology. This study was based on the booting, heading, and early-filling stages of winter wheat, synchronously acquiring UAV RGB and MS data, using Gram–Schmidt (GS) and principal component (PC) image-fusion methods to generate fused images and evaluate them with multiple image-quality indicators. Subsequently, models for predicting wheat PNC were constructed using machine-selection algorithms such as RF, GPR, and XGB. The results show that the RGB_B1 image contains richer image information and more image details compared to other bands. The GS image-fusion method is superior to the PC method, and the performance of fusing high-resolution RGB_B1 band images with MS images using the GS method is optimal. After image fusion, the correlation between vegetation indices (VIs) and wheat PNC has been enhanced to varying degrees in different growth periods, significantly enhancing the response ability of spectral information to wheat PNC. To comprehensively assess the potential of fused images in estimating wheat PNC, this study fully compared the performance of PNC models before and after fusion using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB). The results show that the model established by the fusion image has high stability and accuracy in a single growth period, multiple growth periods, different varieties, and different nitrogen treatments, making it significantly better than the MS image. The most significant enhancements were during the booting to early-filling stages, particularly with the RF algorithm, which achieved an 18.8% increase in R2, a 26.5% increase in RPD, and a 19.7% decrease in RMSE. This study provides an effective technical means for the dynamic monitoring of crop nutritional status and provides strong technical support for the precise management of crop nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Canopy coverage calculated from 2D images effectively estimates several parameters, such as dry weight above the ground, stem number, and risk of lodging, without destroying the crops. This study aimed to clarify how to accurately calculate canopy coverage, regardless of environmental conditions, using various colour models and a relative depth estimation model, MiDaS. For wheat cultivated in 2022/23, the canopy coverage at the initiation of the stem elongation stage (CC30), calculated using only the HSV colour model, was overestimated because of the presence of weeds. However, when the heatmap generated using MiDaS was combined with the results extracted from the HSV colour model, it showed a CC30 similar to the accurate CC30 calculated by hand drawing, regardless of the wheat variety, sowing pattern, and location of the image taken, with an RMSE as low as 3.48. The CC30 calculated by combining the HSV colour model and MiDaS was significantly positively correlated with the number of stems, dry weight above ground, and nitrogen content above ground at the initiation of the stem elongation stage of 'Sanukinoyume 2009' grown in 2021/22 and 2022/23 (n = 72, r > 0.798). The combination of the HSV colour model and MiDaS effectively and accurately calculates canopy coverage regardless of environmental conditions and can be used for growth diagnosis and variable nitrogen fertiliser application after the initiation of the stem elongation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]