Search

Background: As a result of the world population and climate change impact increases (especially in arid environments), there is a critical need for high-yield, drought-tolerant wheat. Synthetic hexaploid wheat derived lines (SHW-DL), were created artificially by crossing different durum wheat cultivars (AABB) with accessions of Aegilops tauschii (DD), a beneficial source of new genes for common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L). Here, we studied the response of a panel of 91 SHW-DL for drought tolerance based on physiological, antioxidant enzyme activities, and drought tolerance indices., Results: A wide range of variation and high values of heritability observed for grain yield, physiological and antioxidant traits indicating that the SHW-DL panel constitutes a valuable gene source for drought tolerance improvement of wheat. Despite decreases in grain yield (YLD), leaf area index (LAI), and relative water content (RWC) an increase in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed. Moreover, drought streass increased the antioxidant enzyme activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), and also photosynthetic pigments, proline (Pro), and MDA content. With higher values of grain yield, physiological and biochemical traits such as photosynthetic pigments, and RWC, and lower content of MDA, and peroxidase (H 2 O 2 ) activity, SHW-DL performed better compared to common wheat lines under water stress conditions., Conclusions: Different responses to water stress within the germplasm and between synthetic and common wheat suggest that selection for adaptive and suitable genotypes is possible for drought tolerance in synthetic wheat germplasm. Genotypes 54, 98, 102, 105, 122, 124, 143, 159, 196, and 198 were identified to be directly used in breeding programs or indirectly by crossing them with other wheat germplasm collections., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

With advances in plastic resource utilization technologies, polystyrene (PS) and sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) microplastics continue to be produced and retained in environmental media, potentially posing greater environmental risks. These plastics, due to their different physicochemical properties, may have different environmental impacts when compounded with other pollutants. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined toxic effects of PS and SPS on wheat using cadmium (Cd) as a background contaminant. The results demonstrated that Cd significantly impeded the normal growth of wheat by disrupting root development. Both PS and SPS exhibited hormesis at low concentrations and promoted wheat growth. Under combined toxicity, PS reduced oxidative stress and promoted the uptake of essential metal elements in wheat. Additionally, KEGG pathway analysis revealed that PS facilitated the repair of Cd-induced blockage of the TCA cycle and glutathione metabolism. However, high concentrations of SPS in combined toxicity not only enhanced oxidative stress and interfered with the uptake of essential metal elements, but also exacerbated the blocked TCA cycle and interfered with pyrimidine metabolism. These differences are related to the different stability (Zeta potential, Hydrodynamic particle size) of the two microplastics in the aquatic environment and their ability to carry heavy metal ions, especially Cd. The results of this study provide important insights into understanding the effects of microplastics on crops in the context of Cd contamination and their environmental and food safety implications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Wheat grain starch content displays large variations within different pearling fractions, which affecting the processing quality of corresponding flour, while the underlying mechanism on starch gradient formation is unclear. Here, we show that wheat caryopses acquire sugar through the transfer of cells (TCs), inner endosperm (IE), outer endosperm (OE), and finally aleurone (AL) via micro positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). To obtain integrated information on spatial transcript distributions, developing caryopses are laser microdissected into AL, OE, IE, and TC. Most genes encoding carbohydrate transporters are upregulated or specifically expressed, and sugar metabolites are more highly enriched in the TC group than in the AL group, in line with the PET-CT results. Genes encoding enzymes in sucrose metabolism, such as sucrose synthase, beta-fructofuranosidase, glucose-1-phosphate adenylyltransferase show significantly lower expression in AL than in OE and IE, indicating that substrate supply is crucial for the formation of starch gradients. Furthermore, the low expressions of gene encoding starch synthase contribute to low starch content in AL. Our results imply that transcriptional regulation represents an important means of impacting starch distribution in wheat grains and suggests breeding targets for enhancing specially pearled wheat with higher quality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We conducted a 3-year (2017-2020) field experiment in the wheat base of Jinzhong Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone, aiming to determine the measures of nitrogen topdressing and the regulatory effect of cycocel in spring to increase wheat yield. Four nitrogen topdressing dates were set up under the condition of cycocel spraying and control (CK) during the rising period: 10 days (D10), 20 days (D20), 30 days (D30), and 40 days (D40) after regreening stage, to analyze the impact of different N topdressing dates on winter wheat yield and the regulation effect of cycocel on stem characteristics, lignin content and related synthetase activities. The results showed that compared to other nitrogen topdressing dates, D30 increased spike number by 1.4%-5.2%, grain number per spike by 0.4%-12.0%, 1000-grain weight by 1.7%-9.4% and yield 8.8%-22.1% respectively. Compared to D10 and D20, D30 significantly improved the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) at 0-21 days and 35-42 days after the formation of the second section and increased that of tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) at 0-42 days after the formation of the second section, and increased the lignin content of stem, the internode quality, and the breaking resistance of stem, reduced plant height, and thereby improved the lodging resistance. However, D40 increased grain number per spike by 4.5%-10.1% and yield 0.04%-11.3%, but reduced the activities of PAL and TAL at 0-42 days after the formation of the second internode, reduced the lignin content, weakened the stem strength, and increased the risk of lodging. After spraying cycocel, plant height decreased significantly, the activities of PAL and TAL enhanced, the lignin content in internodes increased, the stem strength advanced, and reached a significant level under D30. Under the condition of nitrogen topdressing combined with cycocel spraying in spring, PAL and TAL activities were significantly positively correlated with lignin content. Lignin content was significantly positively correlated with stem breaking resistance. Stem breaking resistance was significantly positively correlated with lodging resistance index. Yield and its components were significantly posi-tively correlated with internode diameter, weight and breaking resistance, and significantly negatively correlated with plant height and internode length. Overall, nitrogen topdressing combined with spraying cycocel 30 days after regreening could promote the synthesis and accumulation of lignin, and improve stem plumpness, plant lodging resistance and yield.

Starch structure is often characterized by the chain-length distribution (CLD) of the linear molecules formed by breaking each branch-point. More information can be obtained by expanding into a second dimension: in the present case, the total undebranched-molecule size. This enables answers to questions unobtainable by considering only one variable. The questions considered here are: (i) are the events independent which control total size and CLD, and (ii) do ultra-long amylopectin (AP) chains exist (these chains cannot be distinguished from amylose chains using simple size separation). This was applied here to characterize the structures of one normal (RS01) wheat and two high-amylose (AM) mutant wheats (an SBEIIa knockout and an SBEIIa and SBEIIb knockout). Absolute ethanol was used to precipitate collected fractions, then size-exclusion chromatography for total molecular size and for the size of branches. The SBEIIa and SBEIIb mutations significantly increased AM and IC contents and chain length. The 2D plots indicated the presence of small but significant amounts of long-chain amylopectin, and the asymmetry of these plots shows that the corresponding mechanisms share some causal effects. These results could be used to develop plants producing improved starches, because different ranges of the chain-length distribution contribute independently to functional properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Green manure with appropriate amount of chemical nitrogen fertilizer can increase crop yield, but also aggravate soil carbon emissions. However, it is unclear whether incorporation of green manure into the cropping pattern with reduced nitrogen amount can alleviate this situation and enhance carbon sequestration potential. So, a field experiment with split-plot design was set up in 2018 of northwest China, and studied the effects of nitrogen reduction on crop productivity, carbon emissions, and carbon sequestration potential in 2021-2023. The main plots were two cropping patterns, including multiple cropped green manure after wheat harvest (W-G) and fallow after wheat harvest (W). Three nitrogen application levels formed the split-plots, including local conventional nitrogen amount (N3, 180 kg ha -1 ), nitrogen amount reduced by 15% (N2, 153 kg ha -1 ) and 30% (N3, 126 kg ha -1 ). The results showed that W-G increased grain yield of wheat and energy yield of wheat multiple cropped green manure pattern. The multiple cropped green manure after wheat harvest with local conventional nitrogen amount reduced by 15% (W-GN2) had the significant increasing-effect, and increased grain yield of wheat by 9.6% and increased total energy yields by 39.3% compared to fallow after wheat harvest with local conventional nitrogen amount (W-N3). Relative to W-N3, W-GN2 did not significantly increase carbon emissions of wheat season, and increased total carbon emissions of cropping pattern by 11.1%. Compared to multiple cropped green manure after wheat harvest with local conventional nitrogen amount (W-GN3), W-GN2 decreased carbon emissions by 5.8% in wheat season and decreased by 3.9% in the whole cropping pattern. Therefore, W-GN2 gained high carbon emission efficiency based on grain yield, and were 9.9% and 11.2% higher than W-N3 and W-GN3, respectively. In addition, W-GN2 enhanced soil total nitrogen, carbon, and organic carbon contents, compared with W-N3, thus increasing soil carbon sequestration potential index (net primary productivity/carbon emissions). We conclude that multiple cropped leguminous green manure after wheat harvest with local conventional nitrogen amount reduced by 15% can enhance crop productivity and carbon sequestration potential of farmland in arid areas., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the effects of two nitrogen (N) levels with five nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) ratios on the growth status and Cd migration patterns of wheat seedlings under Cd5 and Cd30 level. Results showed that higher Cd were detrimental to the growth, absorption of K and Ca, expression of genes mediating NO 3 - -N and NH 4 + -N transport, which also increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in shoots and roots of wheat seedlings. Higher N treatment alleviated the inhibitory effects of Cd stress on the biomass, root development, photosynthesis and increased the tolerance index of wheat seedlings. The ratio of NO 3 - -N and NH 4 + -N was the main factor driving Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings, the combined application of NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N was more conducive for the growth, nitrogen assimilation and Cd tolerance to the Cd stressed wheat seedlings. Increased NO 3 - -N application rates significantly up-regulated the expression levels of TaNPF2.12, TaNRT2.2, increased NH 4 + -N application rates significantly up-regulated the expression levels of TaAMT1.1. The high proportion of NO 3 - -N promoted the absorption of K, Ca and Cd in the shoots and roots of wheat seedlings, while NH 4 + -N was the opposite. Under low Cd conditions, the NO 3 - -N to NH 4 + -N ratio of 1:1 was more conducive to the growth of wheat seedlings, under high Cd stress, the optimal of NO 3 - -N to NH 4 + -N was 1:2 for inhibiting the accumulation of Cd in wheat seedlings. The results indicated that increasing NH 4 + -N ratio appropriately could inhibit wheat Cd uptake by increasing NH 4 + , K + and Ca 2+ for K and Ca channels, and promote wheat growth by promoting N assimilation process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microorganisms harvest energy from agricultural waste by degrading its structure. By comparing with Trichoderma reesei QM6a in cellulase production, straw deconstruction and transcriptome response, Trichoderma asperellum T-1 was identified to be prioritized for the fermentation of natural straw. Cellulase activity of T-1 was 50%-102% higher than QM6a. And the degradation rate of hemicellulose and ligin in wheat straw by T-1 reached 40% and 42%. Time-driven changes in the gene expression of extracellular proteins involved in polysaccharide, xylan, and hemicellulose metabolism and hydrolysis indicated that T-1 positively responded in both solid state fermentation and submerged fermentation for lignocellulose degradation. A significantly enriched category encoding carbohydrate-binding modules is considered critical for the deconstruction of the natural structure by T-1. The findings highlight the superiority of T. asperellum T-1 in straw fermentation, base on which, the construction of efficient microbial agents is expected to enhance the utilization of biomass., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To reduce heavy metal toxicity, like that induced by thallium (TI) in plants, growth-promoting bacteria (GPB) are a widely used to enhance plant tolerance to heavy metals toxicity. In our study, we characterized seven GPB and identified Actinoplanes spp., as the most active strain. This bioactive strain was then applied to alleviate TI phytotoxicity. TI contamination (20 mg/kg soil) induced TI bioaccumulation, reducing wheat growth (biomass accumulation) and photosynthesis rate, by about 55% and 90%, respectively. TI stress also induced oxidative damages as indicated by increased oxidative markers (H 2 O 2 and lipid peroxidation (MDA)). Interestingly, Actinoplanes spp. significantly reduced growth inhibition and oxidative stress by 20% and 70%, respectively. As a defense mechanism to mitigate the TI toxicity, wheat plants showed improved antioxidant and detoxification defense including increased phenolic and tocopherols levels as well as peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione reductase (GR) enzymes activities. These defense mechanisms were further induced by Actinoplanes spp. Additionally, Actinoplanes spp. increased the production of heavy metal-binding ligands such as metallothionein, phytochelatins, total glutathione, and glutathione S-transferase activity by 100%, 90%, 120%, and 100%, respectively. This study, therefore, elucidated the physiological and biochemical bases underlying TI-stress mitigation impact of Actinoplanes spp. Overall, Actinoplanes spp. holds promise as a valuable approach for ameliorating TI toxicity in plants. KEYBOARD: Actinobacteria, Bioaccumulation, Detoxification, Membrane damage, Redox regulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aiming to investigate the changes and effects of different particle sizes of wheat A/B starch during dough fermentation, the present study reconstituted A/B starch fractions in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100, further blended with gluten and subjected to slight (20 min), medium (30 min), and high (60 min) fermentation processes by yeasts. Results showed that fermentation gas production promoted gluten network extension, inducing starch granule exposure and dough surface roughness. Also, fermentation fractured protein intermolecular disulfide bonds and decreased α-helix and β-folded structure content, contributing to GMP, LPP, and SPP content decreases. Moreover, moderately increasing the B-starch ratio in the dough can improve gluten network stability, continuity, and air-holding capacity. The 25A-75B steam bread exhibited optimal processing suitability (better morphology, texture, and quality) due to its higher GMP and polymer protein content with lower free sulfhydryl and monomeric protein content. Further, conformational relationships indicated the key indicators influencing dough products' properties were free sulfhydryl content, GMP content, protein molecular weight distribution, and secondary structure. The obtained findings contributed to understanding the effect of wheat starch granule size distribution on dough processing behavior, and future targeted breeding for wheat cultivars with high B-starch content for improved fermentation pasta product qualities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest in this work, the data of this work has not been published elsewhere., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hydrogen, a clean and sustainable energy source, faces challenges from energy-intensive pre-processing technologies. This study explores the synergistic enhancement of active electric fields on enzymolysis of wheat straw and hydrogen production through dark fermentation. The active electric field enzymolysis system improved the adsorption capacity of wheat straw to cellulase, increasing cellulase activity by 18.0 %, causing a 39.1 % increase in reducing sugar content. In the active fermentation system, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 activity was enhanced in the first stage, increasing hydrogenase activity by 23.0 %, prolonging the first hydrogen production peak. Elevated reducing sugars were observed in the second stage, with Prevotella_9 and Bacteroides becoming the dominant hydrogen-producing bacteria in the third stage, leading to a second hydrogen production peak. Overall, cumulative hydrogen production was enhanced by 50.9 % compared to the control. The synergistic pretreatment with an active electric field and cellulase provides a novel approach for efficiently utilizing wheat straw., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to determine the impact of supplementation with probiotically fermented chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) seeds on the quality parameters and functional characteristics of wheat bread. The addition of chickpea seeds caused significant changes in the chemical composition of the control wheat bread. The legume-supplemented products exhibited higher values of a* and b* color parameters and higher hardness after 24 h of storage than the control. The application of fermented or unfermented chickpeas contributed to an increase in total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, iron chelating capacity, and antioxidant properties of the final product. The variant containing unfermented seeds had the highest riboflavin content (29.53 ± 1.11 µg/100 g d.w.), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (227.02 ± 7.29 µmol·L -1 TX/100 g d.w.), and free radical scavenging activity (71.37 ± 1.30 % DPPH inhibition). The results of this preliminary research have practical importance in the production of innovative bakery products with potential properties of functional food., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) phytohormone pathways are important regulators of stress tolerance. Knowledge regarding the diversity, phylogeny and functionality of wheat genes involved in JA and SA response is limited. Using Arabidopsis, rice and wheat genomic and wheat disease transcriptomic data, we deduced the size, phylogenetic diversity and pathogen-responsiveness of seven hormone-responsive gene families, and thus selected 14 candidates as potential hormone responsive gene markers. Gene-specific expression studies assessed the impact of exogenous JA and SA on their transcriptional activation in leaves of two distinct wheat cultivars. RNAseq data were interrogated to assess their disease responsiveness and tissue-specific expression. This study elucidated the number, phylogeny and pathogen-responsiveness of wheat genes from seven families, including 12 TaAOS, 6 TaJAMyb, 256 TaWRKY group III, 85 TaPR1, 205 TaPR2, 76 TaPR3 and 124 TaPR5. This included the first description of the wheat AOS, JAMyb, PR2, PR3 and PR5 gene families. Gene expression studies delineated TaAOS1-5B and TaJAMyb-4A as JA-responsive in leaves, but not significantly responsive to SA treatment, while TaWRKY45-B was a SA- but not a JA-responsive marker. Other candidate genes were either unresponsive or non-specific to SA or JA. Our findings highlight that all seven gene families are greatly expanded in wheat as compared to other plants (up to 7.6-fold expansion), and demonstrate disparity in the response to biotic stress between some homoeologous and paralogous sequences within these families. The SA- and JA-responsive marker genes identified herein will prove useful tools to monitor these signalling pathways in wheat., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

Analysis of salinity tolerance processes in wheat has focused on salt exclusion from shoots while root phenotypes have received limited attention. Here, we consider the varying phenotypic response of four bread wheat varieties that differ in their type and degree of salt tolerance and assess their molecular responses to salinity and changes in root cell wall lignification. These varieties were Westonia introgressed with Nax1 and Nax2 root sodium transporters (HKT1;4-A and HKT1;5-A) that reduce Na + accumulation in leaves, as well as the 'tissue tolerant' Portuguese landrace Mocho de Espiga Branca that has a mutation in the homologous gene HKT1;5-D and has high Na + concentration in leaves. These three varieties were compared with the relatively more salt-sensitive cultivar Gladius. Through the use of root histochemical analysis, ion concentrations, as well as differential proteomics and targeted metabolomics, we provide an integrated view of the wheat root response to salinity. We show different metabolic re-arrangements in energy conversion, primary metabolic machinery and phenylpropanoid pathway leading to monolignol production in a genotype and genotype by treatment-dependent manner that alters the extent and localisation of root lignification which correlated with an improved capacity of wheat roots to cope better under salinity stress., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

One of the most significant problems of the 21st century is the anthropogenic strain on the environment. The development of nanotechnology makes it possible to produce a variety of nanomaterials widely used in people's daily lives. However, nanomaterials can accumulate in ecosystems and spread through food chains. The environmental risks of nanoparticle proliferation are unclear. At the same time, certain nanoparticles act as adaptogens, improving plant tolerance to unfavorable stress factors. It is quite realistic to choose such experimental conditions, under which the effect on plant stress tolerance will be obvious and the accumulation of nanoparticles in tissues will be minimal. In this case, the main relevant factors are the type of nanoparticles, their concentration and their way of penetration into plants. We chose to study gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), widely used in biomedical research. The concentration of Au-NPs was 20 μg/mL, which is considered safe for living organisms. The influence of Au-NPs on some physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics of wheat plants during low temperature hardening was examined. The study of the photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant system was the primary focus. The stimulating effect of Au-NPs on cold tolerance of wheat plants was shown. The results expand our knowledge of the processes by which nanoparticles impact plants and the potential applications of nanoparticles as adaptogens in science and agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The significant increase in cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) pollution in agricultural soil has greatly heightened environmental contamination issues and the risk of human diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the transformation of Cd and Pb in soil as well as the influencing factors during their accumulation in crop grains remain unclear. Based on the analysis of the distribution trend of Cd and Pb in soil during the growth and development stages of wheat (tillering, filling, and maturity) in alkaline heavy metal-polluted farmland in northern China, this study investigated the response mechanism of soil heavy metal form transformation to soil physicochemical properties, and elucidated the main determining periods and influencing factors for Cd and Pb enrichment in wheat grains. The results showed that an increase in CEC and SOM levels, along with a decrease in pH level, contributed to enhancing the bioavailability of Cd in the soil. This effect was particularly evident during the tillering stage and grain filling stage of wheat. Nevertheless, the effects of soil physicochemical properties on bioavailable Pb was opposite to that on bioavailable Cd. The enrichment of Cd and Pb in grain was significantly influenced by soil pH (r = -0.786, p < 0.01), SOM (r = 0.807, p < 0.01), K (r = -0.730, p < 0.01), AK (r = 0.474, p = 0.019), and AP (r = -0.487, p = 0.016). The reducible form of Cd in soil during the wheat tillering stage was identified as the primary factor contributing to the accumulation of Cd and Pb in wheat grains, with a significant contribution rate of 84.5%. This study provides a greater scientific evidence for the management and risk control of heavy metal pollution in alkaline farmland., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Vacuoles account for 90% of plant cell volume and play important roles in maintaining osmotic pressure, storing metabolites and lysosomes, compartmentalizing harmful ions, and storing and reusing minerals. These functions closely relay on the ion channels and transporters located on the tonoplast. The separation of intact vacuoles from plant cells is the key technology utilized in the study of tonoplast-located ion channels and transporters. However, the current vacuole separation methods are available for Arabidopsis and some other dicotyledons but are lacking for monocot crops. In this study, we established a new method for the vacuole separation from wheat mesophyll cells and investigated the transmembrane proton flux of tonoplasts with non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT). Moreover, our study provides a technology for the study of vacuole functions in monocot crops., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Wheat cadmium (Cd) contamination is a critical food security issue worldwide, and selenium (Se) and silicon (Si) are widely reported to reduce Cd accumulation in cereal crops. However, few studies have compared the most effective pathway to reduce Cd accumulation in crops using Se nanoparticles (nano-Se), Si nanoparticles (nano-Si), and their mixtures. Here, we investigated the concentrations of Cd in wheat using four application modes: soil addition, foliar spraying, seed soaking, and seed dressing combined with three different materials. The concentration of Cd in wheat grains can be significantly reduced by 31.30-62.99% and 36.96-51.04% through four applications of nano-Se and soil application and seed soaking of nano-Si, respectively. However, all treatments involving mixtures of nano-Si and nano-Se did not show a reduction in Cd concentration. The applications of both nano-Se and nano-Si can enhance antioxidant enzyme systems and regulate Cd-related gene expression to safeguard wheat tissues from Cd stress. Downregulation of the influx transporter from soil to root (TaNramp5) and from root to shoot (TaLCT1), along with the upregulation of the efflux transporter from cytoplasm to vacuole (TaHMA3), contributed to the nano-Si/nano-Se dependent Cd transport and reduced Cd accumulation in wheat grains. Overall, the application of nano-Se instead of nano-Si, and soil addition rather than foliar spraying, seed soaking, and seed dressing, can be efficiently utilized to reduce grain Cd accumulation from Cd-contaminated soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In wheat, the transition of the inflorescence meristem to a terminal spikelet (IM→TS) determines the spikelet number per spike (SNS), an important yield component. In this study, we demonstrate that the plant-specific transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) physically and genetically interacts with WHEAT ORTHOLOG OF APO1 (WAPO1) to regulate SNS and floret development. Loss-of-function mutations in either or both genes result in significant and similar reductions in SNS, as a result of a reduction in the rate of spikelet meristem formation per day. SNS is also modulated by significant genetic interactions between LFY and the SQUAMOSA MADS-box genes VRN1 and FUL2, which promote the IM→TS transition. Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed a downregulation of LFY and upregulation of the SQUAMOSA MADS-box genes in the distal part of the developing spike during the IM→TS transition, supporting their opposite roles in the regulation of SNS in wheat. Concurrently, the overlap of LFY and WAPO1 transcription domains in the developing spikelets contributes to normal floret development. Understanding the genetic network regulating SNS is a necessary first step to engineer this important agronomic trait., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2024. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Global yield gaps can be reduced through breeding and improved agronomy. However, signs of yield plateaus from wheat and rice grown in intensively farmed systems indicate a need for new strategies if output is to continue to increase. Approaches to improve photosynthesis are suggested as a solution. Empirical evidence supporting this approach comes from small-scale free-CO 2 air enrichment and transgenic studies. However, the likely achievable gains from improving photosynthesis are less understood. Models predict maximum increases in yield of 5.3-19.1% from genetic manipulation depending on crop, environment, and approach, but uncertainty remains in the presence of stress. This review seeks to provide context to the rationale for improving photosynthesis, highlight areas of uncertainty, and identify the steps required to create more accurate projections., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Plant fungal parasites manipulate host metabolism to support their own survival. Among the many central metabolic pathways altered during infection, the glyoxylate cycle is frequently upregulated in both fungi and their host plants. Here, we examined the response of the glyoxylate cycle in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) to infection by the obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Gene expression analysis revealed that wheat genes encoding the two unique enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, isocitrate lyase (TaICL) and malate synthase, diverged in their expression between susceptible and resistant Pst interactions. Focusing on TaICL, we determined that the TaICL B homoeolog is specifically upregulated during early stages of a successful Pst infection. Furthermore, disruption of the B homoeolog alone was sufficient to significantly perturb Pst disease progression. Indeed, Pst infection of the TaICL-B disruption mutant (TaICL-B Y400 *) was inhibited early during initial penetration, with the TaICL-B Y400 * line also accumulating high levels of malic acid, citric acid, and aconitic acid. Exogenous application of malic acid or aconitic acid also suppressed Pst infection, with trans-aconitic acid treatment having the most pronounced effect by decreasing fungal biomass 15-fold. Thus, enhanced TaICL-B expression during Pst infection may lower accumulation of malic acid and aconitic acid to promote Pst proliferation. As exogenous application of aconitic acid and malic acid has previously been shown to inhibit other critical pests and pathogens, we propose TaICL as a potential target for disruption in resistance breeding that could have wide-reaching protective benefits for wheat and beyond., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the present work, liposomes have been used as nanocarriers in the biofortification of wheat plants with selenium (Se) through foliar application. Liposomal formulations were prepared using 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and Phospholipon®90H (P90H) (average size <100 nm), loaded with different concentrations of inorganic Se (selenite and selenate) and applied twice to the plants in the stage of vegetative growth. Liposomes enhanced Se uptake by wheat plants compared to direct application. The highest Se enrichment was achieved using the phospholipid DPPC and a concentration of 1000 μmol·L -1 of Se without affecting the biomass, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and the concentration of mineral nutrients of the plants. The chemical speciation of Se in the plants was further investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The results from XAS spectra revealed that most of the inorganic Se was transformed to organic Se and that the use of liposomes influenced the proportion of C-Se-C over C-Se-Se-C species., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to investigate the effect of isolated drought-tolerant rhizobacteria, spanning various groups, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), and other plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), on the growth of wheat (Triticum durum) plants, focusing on various morphological and physiological responses under moderate drought and low-P availability. Among 343 rhizobacterial morphotypes, 16 exhibited tolerance to NaCl and PEG-6000. These included 8 PSB, 4 NFB, and 4 osmotolerant-PGPR groups, distributed across 14 different genera. Biochemical characterization showcased diverse PGP capabilities, particularly in P solubilization. The dynamic responses of drought-tolerant PSB to salt and PEG-6000-induced drought stress involved variations in organic acid (OA) secretion, with specific acids, including palmitic, lactic, and stearic, playing crucial roles in enhancing available P fractions. Inoculation with rhizobacteria significantly increased both shoot (SDW) and root (RDW) dry weights of wheat plants, as well as rhizosphere available P. PSB 11 (Arthrobacter oryzae) emerged as the most effective strain, plausibly due to its positive impact on root morphological traits (length, surface, and volume). Other isolates, PSB 10 (Priestia flexa), PSB 13 (Bacillus haynesii), and particularly PGPR 2 (Arthrobacter pascens) significantly increased shoot P content (up to 68.91 %), with a 2-fold increase in chlorophyll content. The correlation analysis highlighted positive associations between SDW, shoot P content, chlorophyll content index (CCI), and leaf area. Additionally, a negative correlation emerged between microbial biomass P and root morphophysiological parameters. This pattern could be explained by reduced competition between plants and rhizobacteria for accessible P, as indicated by low microbial biomass P and strong plant growth. Our investigation reveals the potential of drought-tolerant rhizobacteria in enhancing wheat resilience to moderate drought and low-P conditions. This is demonstrated through exceptional performance in influencing root architecture, P utilization efficiency, and overall plant physiological parameters. Beyond these outcomes, the innovative isolation procedure employed, targeting rhizobacteria from diverse groups, opens new avenues for targeted isolation techniques. This unique approach contributes to the novelty of our study, offering promising prospects for targeted bioinoculants in mitigating the challenges of drought and P deficiency in wheat cultivation., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

In North Bihar (NB), the conventional rice-wheat cropping system has led to soil, water, and environmental degradation, alongside low profitability, threatening sustainability. To address these concerns, a thorough field research was conducted over the course of three years to assess different methods of tillage and crop establishment in a rice, wheat, and greengram cycle. The experiment involved five scenarios with different combinations of crop rotation, tillage techniques, seeding procedures, fertilizer use, and irrigation strategies. Uncertainty analysis showed no significant change in mean and variance estimation among seven scenario replications at 5% significance level. Compared to traditional farming (SN-1), managing DSR-rice (SN-5) increased profitability by 17.56%, improved energy use efficiency (EUE) by 32.16%, and reduced irrigation by 24.76% and global warming potential (GWP) by 23.46%. Similarly, substituting zero tillage wheat (ZTW) SN-5 resulted in comparable profitability gains (18.25%) and significant improvements in irrigation (10 %), EUE (+48.65%), and GWP (-20 %) compared to SN-1. Green gram ZT also showed increased profitability (17.35%), with notable improvements in EUE (+38.31%) and GWP (-12.92%) compared to SN-1. Principal component and correlation analyses revealed relationships between total energy inputs, yields, economic returns, and sustainability indices, highlighting the benefits of crop rotation and tillage practices in optimizing resource use. The study suggests that compared to conventional systems, significant improvements in productivity, profitability, energy-use efficiency, and environmental mitigation can be achieved with Crop Rotation and Tillage Operations techniques., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Tarun Kumar, declare that they have no conflicts of interest linked to this research work named " Impact of Crop Rotation and Tillage Operations on Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions and evaluation of sustainability index in Rice- Wheat-Green Gram Cropping System of North Bihar" There are no financial that may be interpreted as impacting the impartiality, integrity, or validity of the study. This research was conducted with the sole objective of enhancing scientific knowledge in the field of the Journal of Environmental Management. The conclusions presented in the publication are based on an impartial analysis and interpretation of the data., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Despite the considerable efforts reported so far to enhance seed priming, novel ideas are still needed to be suggested to this sustainable sector of agri-seed industry. This could be the first study addressing the effect of nitric oxide (NO) under open field conditions. The impacts of seed redox-priming using sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and osmo-priming with calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), both applied individually or successively, were investigated under salinity stress conditions on wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.). Various parameters, including water relations, growth, yield, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant activities (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), were recorded to assess the outcomes of these priming agents on mitigating the negative impacts of salinity stress on wheat plants. Water consumptive use (ETa) and irrigation water applied (IWA) decreased with seeds priming. Successive priming with SNP + CaCl 2 induced the greatest values of crop water productivity (CWP), irrigation water productivity (IWP), seed index, grain yield and grain nitrogen content.Under salinity stress, the dry weight of plants was decreased. However, hydro-priming and successive chemical priming agents using combinations of calcium chloride and sodium nitroprusside (CaCl 2  + SNP & SNP + CaCl 2 ) preserved growth under salinity stress.Individual priming with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) resulted in the lowest recorded content of sodium in the shoot, with a value of 2 ppm. On the other hand, successive priming using CaCl 2  + SNP or SNP + CaCl 2 induced the contents of potassium in the shoot, with values of 40 ppm and 39 ppm, respectively. Malondialdehyde decreased in shoot significantly withapplicationof priming agents. Successive priming with CaCl 2  + SNP induced the highest proline contents in shoot (6 µg/ g FW). The highest value of phenolics and total antioxidants contents in shoot were recorded under successive priming using CaCl 2  + SNP and SNP + CaCl 2 .Priming agents improved the activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase enzymes. The successive priming improved water relations (ETa, IWA, CWP and IWP) and wheat growth and productivity under salinity stress more than individual priming treatments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Integrated nutrient management and crop rotation are important farming practices, which enhance the nutrient use efficiency of crops and reduce the incidence of diseases and insect pests. The study was carried out to address the gap in using integrated nutrient management in crop rotation systems for soil qualities and crop yield improvement. That was done by adjusting the balance ratio of dry bio-slurry and nitrogen fertilizers. The experiment was containing ten levels; Control (0,0), recommended nitrogen, 50% dry-bio slurry, 100% dry-bio slurry, 75% dry-bio slurry, 75% dry-bio slurry+25% recommended nitrogen, 50% dry-bio slurry+50% recommended nitrogen, 25% dry-bio slurry+75% recommended nitrogen, 100% dry-bio slurry + 25% recommended nitrogen and 100% dry-bio slurry + 50% recommended nitrogen that was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications for three years. The data on soil properties and yield components of potatoes and wheat were collected and analyzed using statistical analysis system software 9.4. An application of dry bio-slurry with nitrogen fertilizer was significantly affected both crop yield and soil properties in the rotation system. The application of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen gave the highest tuber yield of potato (27.6 tha-1) as compared to control. Similarly, using 100% and 75% sole dry bio-slurry resulted in the highest grain yield (3.85 tha-1) and above-ground biomass (9.59 tha-1) of wheat. The combination of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen scored the highest net benefit (2889.2 US$) with an acceptable marginal return (4463.3%) via by improving crops yield in the system. So, an application of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen could be promoted for yield-soil improvement in the study area and similar agroecology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Addis et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Photo-thermo-sensitive male sterility (PTMS), which refers to the male sterility triggered by variations in photoperiod and temperature, is a crucial element in the wheat two-line hybrid system. The development of safe production and efficient propagation for male sterile lines holds utmost importance in two-line hybrid wheat. Under the stable photoperiod condition, PTMS is mainly induced by high or low temperatures in wheat, but the effect of daily temperature difference (DTD) on the fertility conversion of PTMS lines has not been reported. Here, three BS type PTMS lines including BS108, BS138, and BS366, as well as a control wheat variety J411 were used to analyze the correlation between fertility and DTD using differentially sowing tests, photo-thermo-control experiments, and transcriptome sequencing., Results: The differentially sowing tests suggested that the optimal sowing time for safe seed production of the three PTMS lines was from October 5th to 25th in Dengzhou, China. Under the condition of 12 h 12 °C, the PTMS lines were greatly affected by DTD and exhibited complete male sterility at a temperature difference of 15 °C. Furthermore, under different temperature difference conditions, a total of 20,677 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained using RNA sequencing. Moreover, through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and KEGG enrichment analysis, the identified DEGs had a close association with "starch and sucrose metabolism", "phenylpropanoid biosynthesis", "MAPK signaling pathway-plant", "flavonoid biosynthesis", and "cutin, and suberine and wax biosynthesis". qRT-PCR analysis showed the expression levels of core genes related to KEGG pathways significantly decreased at a temperature difference of 15 ° C. Finally, we constructed a transcriptome mediated network of temperature difference affecting male sterility., Conclusions: The findings provide important theoretical insights into the correlation between temperature difference and male sterility, providing guidance for the identification and selection of more secure and effective PTMS lines., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Heavy metal accumulation in agricultural products has become a major concern. Previous studies have focused on the transport of heavy metals from the soil and their accumulation in crops. However, recent studies revealed that wheat leaves, ears, and awns can also transport and accumulate heavy metals. Wheat grains can be influenced by two sources of heavy metals: soil contamination and atmospheric deposition. To comprehend the transport characteristics of heavy metals in soil, atmospheric deposition, and wheat, 37 samples each for wheat rhizosphere soil, wheat roots, stems, leaves, and grains were collected. Fifteen samples of atmospheric dry deposition and atmospheric wet deposition were collected from Linshu County (northern area), China. Based on the test data, the characteristics of heavy metals and their distribution in the study area were analyzed. Migration patterns of heavy metals in crops from different sources were investigated using Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis. Finally, a predictive model for heavy metals in wheat grains was developed using multiple linear regression analysis. Significant disparities in the distribution of heavy metals existed among wheat roots, stems, leaves, and grains. The coefficient of variation of heavy metals in atmospheric deposition was relatively high, indicating discernible spatial patterns influenced by human activities. Notably, a positive correlation was observed between the concentration of heavy metals in wheat grains and atmospheric deposition of Hg, Cd, and Pb. Conversely, Zn and Ni levels in wheat grains were significantly negatively associated with soil Zn, Ni, pH, and OM content. The contribution of heavy metal elements from different sources varied in their impact on the grain's heavy metal content. Specifically, atmospheric deposition was the primary source of Hg and Pb in wheat grains, while Cd, Ni, Cu, and Zn were predominantly derived from soil. Using a multiple linear regression model, we could accurately predict Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and As concentrations in crop grains. This model can facilitate quantitative evaluation of ecological risk of heavy metals accumulation in crops in the study area., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Salt stress is a serious problem, because it reduces the plant growth and seed yield of wheat. To investigate the salt-tolerant mechanism of wheat caused by plant-derived smoke (PDS) solution, metabolomic and proteomic techniques were used. PDS solution, which repairs the growth inhibition of wheat under salt stress, contains metabolites related to flavonoid biosynthesis. Wheat was treated with PDS solution under salt stress and proteins were analyzed using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Oppositely changed proteins were associated with protein metabolism and signal transduction in biological processes, as well as mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi, and plasma membrane in cellular components with PDS solution under salt stress compared to control. Using immuno-blot analysis, proteomic results confirmed that ascorbate peroxidase increased with salt stress and decreased with additional PDS solution; however, H + -ATPase displayed opposite effects. Ubiquitin increased with salt stress and decreased with additional PDS solution; nevertheless, genomic DNA did not change. As part of mitochondrion-related events, the contents of ATP increased with salt stress and recovered with additional PDS solution. These results suggest that PDS solution enhances wheat growth suppressed by salt stress through the regulation of energy metabolism and the ubiquitin-proteasome system related to flavonoid metabolism.

Background: Drought stress limits significantly the crop productivity. However, plants have evolved various strategies to cope with the drought conditions by adopting complex molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms. Members of the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor (TF) family constitute one of the largest TF classes and are involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses., Results: TaNF-YB2, a NY-YB subfamily gene in T. aestivum, was characterized in this study focusing on its role in mediating plant adaptation to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid (Y-2 H), biomolecular fluoresence complementation (BiFC), and Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays indicated that TaNF-YB2 interacts with the NF-YA member TaNF-YA7 and NF-YC family member TaNF-YC7, which constitutes a heterotrimer TaNF-YB2/TaNF-YA7/TaNF-YC7. The TaNF-YB2 transcripts are induced in roots and aerial tissues upon drought signaling; GUS histochemical staining analysis demonstrated the roles of cis-regulatory elements ABRE and MYB situated in TaNF-YB2 promoter to contribute to target gene response to drought. Transgene analysis on TaNF-YB2 confirmed its functions in regulating drought adaptation via modulating stomata movement, osmolyte biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. TaNF-YB2 possessed the abilities in transcriptionally activating TaP5CS2, the P5CS family gene involving proline biosynthesis and TaSOD1, TaCAT5, and TaPOD5, the genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. Positive correlations were found between yield and the TaNF-YB2 transcripts in a core panel constituting 45 wheat cultivars under drought condition, in which two types of major haplotypes including TaNF-YB2-Hap1 and -Hap2 were included, with the former conferring more TaNF-YB2 transcripts and stronger plant drought tolerance., Conclusions: TaNF-YB2 is transcriptional response to drought stress. It is an essential regulator in mediating plant drought adaptation by modulating the physiological processes associated with stomatal movement, osmolyte biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, depending on its role in transcriptionally regulating stress response genes. Our research deepens the understanding of plant drought stress underlying NF-Y TF family and provides gene resource in efforts for molecular breeding the drought-tolerant cultivars in T. aestivum., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Squamosa promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) proteins are essential to plant growth and development as plant-specific transcription factors. However, the functions of SPL proteins in wheat need to be further explored., Results: We cloned and characterized TaSPL6B of wheat in this study. Analysis of physicochemical properties revealed that it contained 961 amino acids and had a molecular weight of 105 kDa. Full-length TaSPL6B transcription activity was not validated in yeast and subcellular localization analysis revealed that TaSPL6B was distributed in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of TaSPL6B in Arabidopsis led to increasing number of branches and early flowering. TaSPL6B was highly transcribed in internodes of transgenic Arabidopsis. The expression of AtSMXL6/AtSMXL7/AtSMXL8 (homologous genes of TaD53) was markedly increased, whereas the expression of AtSPL2 (homologous genes of TaSPL3) and AtBRC1 (homologous genes of TaTB1) was markedly reduced in the internodes of transgenic Arabidopsis. Besides, TaSPL6B, TaSPL3 and TaD53 interacted with one another, as demonstrated by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Therefore, we speculated that TaSPL6B brought together TaD53 and TaSPL3 and enhanced the inhibition effect of TaD53 on TaSPL3 through integrating light and strigolactone signaling pathways, followed by suppression of TaTB1, a key repressor of tillering., Conclusions: As a whole, our findings contribute to a better understanding of how SPL genes work in wheat and will be useful for further research into how TaSPL6B affects yield-related traits in wheat., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To non-destructively and rapidly monitor the chlorophyll content of winter wheat leaves under CO 2 microleakage stress, and to establish the quantitative relationship between chlorophyll content and sensitive bands in the winter wheat growing season from 2023 to 2024, the leakage rate was set to 1 L/min, 3 L/min, 5 L/min, and 0 L/min through field experiments. The dimensional reduction was realized, fractional differential processing of a wheat canopy spectrum was carried out, a multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) estimation model was constructed using a SPA selection band, and the model's accuracy was evaluated. The optimal model for hyperspectral estimation of wheat SPAD under CO 2 microleakage stress was screened. The results show that the spectral curves of winter wheat leaves under CO 2 microleakage stress showed a "red shift" of the green peak and a "blue shift" of the red edge. Compared with 1 L/min and 3 L/min, wheat leaves were more affected by CO 2 at 5 L/min. Evaluation of the accuracy of the MLR and PLSR models shows that the MLR model is better, where the MLR estimation model based on 1.1, 1.8, 0.4, and 1.7 differential SPAD is the best for leakage rates of 1 L/min, 3 L/min, 5 L/min, and 0 L/min, with validation set R 2 of 0.832, 0.760, 0.928, and 0.773, which are 11.528, 14.2, 17.048, and 37.3% higher than the raw spectra, respectively. This method can be used to estimate the chlorophyll content of winter wheat leaves under CO 2 trace-leakage stress and to dynamically monitor CO 2 trace-leakage stress in crops.

Global warming has led to the expansion of arid lands and more frequent droughts, which are the largest cause of global food production losses. In our previous study, we developed TaPYLox wheat overexpressing the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) receptor, which is important for the drought stress response in plants. TaPYLox showed resistance to drought stress and acquired water-saving traits that enable efficient grain production with less water use. In this study, we used TaPYLox to identify ABA-dependent and -independent metabolites in response to drought stress. We compared the variation of metabolites in wheat under well-watered, ABA treatment, and drought stress conditions using the ABA-sensitive TaPYLox line and control lines. The results showed that tagatose and L-serine were ABA-dependently regulated metabolites, because their stress-induced accumulation was increased by ABA treatment in TaPYLox. In contrast, L-valine, L-leucine, and DL-isoleucine, which are classified as branched chain amino acids, were not increased by ABA treatment in TaPYLox, suggesting that they are metabolites regulated in an ABA-independent manner. Interestingly, the accumulation of L-valine, L-leucine, and DL-isoleucine was suppressed in drought-tolerant TaPYLox under drought stress, suggesting that drought-tolerant wheat might be low in these amino acids. 3-dehydroshikimic acid and α-ketoglutaric acid were decreased by drought stress in an ABA-independent manner. In this study, we have succeeded in identifying metabolites that are regulated by drought stress in an ABA-dependent and -independent manner. The findings of this study should be useful for future breeding of drought-tolerant wheat., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Weng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Recycling of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular structures through autophagy plays a critical role in cellular homeostasis and environmental resilience. Therefore, the autophagy trait may have been unintentionally selected in wheat breeding programs for higher yields in arid climates. This hypothesis was tested by measuring the response of three common autophagy markers, ATG7, ATG8, and NBR1, to a heat wave under reduced soil moisture content in 16 genetically diverse spring wheat landraces originating from different geographical locations. We observed in the greenhouse trials that ATG8 and NBR1 exhibited genotype-specific responses to a 1 h, 40 °C heat wave, while ATG7 did not show a consistent response. Three genotypes from Uruguay, Mozambique, and Afghanistan showed a pattern consistent with higher autophagic activity: decreased or stable abundance of both ATG8 and NBR1 proteins, coupled with increased transcription of ATG8 and NBR1 . In contrast, three genotypes from Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Egypt exhibited elevated ATG8 protein levels alongside reduced or unaltered ATG8 transcript levels, indicating a potential suppression or no change in autophagic activity. Principal component analysis demonstrated a correlation between lower abundance of ATG8 and NBR1 proteins and higher yield in the field trials. We found that (i) the combination of heat and drought activated autophagy only in several genotypes, suggesting that despite being a resilience mechanism, autophagy is a heat-sensitive process; (ii) higher autophagic activity correlates positively with greater yield; (iii) the lack of autophagic activity in some high-yielding genotypes suggests contribution of alternative stress-resilient mechanisms; and (iv) enhanced autophagic activity in response to heat and drought was independently selected by wheat breeding programs in different geographic locations.

The mechanism for water-saving and high-yield of wide-range precision sowing technology remains unclear. We investigated the impact of wide-range precision sowing on the physiological characteristics of root system, water consumption, and grain yield of wheat 'Jimai 22' during the growing seasons of 2017-2019. We set up two planting modes: wide precision sowing and conventional strip sowing, and three row spacings of 20 cm, 25 cm, and 30 cm under water-saving cultivation with supplemental irrigation to examine the effects of planting modes on root biomass and senescence characteristics of wheat, water utilization characteristics, interplant evaporation, grain yield, and water utilization efficiency. The results showed that the 25 cm treatment (K25) led to an increase in root weight density, root soluble protein content, and root activity by 7.2%-23.9%, 8.7%-25.1%, 10.7%-29.9%, and 7.3%-27.6%, 8.0%-38.5%, 15.2%-32.7%, respectively, compared to the other treatments. At the same row spacing, the wide-range precision sowing treatment showed a significantly higher soil water storage consumption and proportion to total water consumption compared to the conventional strip-tillage treatment. Additionally, irrigation and interplant evaporation were lower in the wide-range precision sowing treatment. The K25 treatment exhibited significantly higher water consumption and modal coefficient of water consumption from flowering to ripening than other treatments. Furthermore, it had significantly higher seed yield, water utilization efficiency, and irrigation utilization efficiency than the other treatments. We found that a 25 cm spacing in the lower rows and density of 180-270 plants·m -2 was the water-saving and high-yielding planting pattern of wide-range precision sowing wheat in Huang-Huai-Hai region.

The widespread application of antibiotics and plastic films in agriculture has led to new characteristics of soil pollution. The impacts of combined contamination of microplastics and antibiotics on plant growth and rhizosphere soil bacterial community and metabolisms are still unclear. We conducted a pot experiment to investigate the effects of polyethylene (0.2%) and norfloxacin/doxycycline (5 mg kg -1 ), as well as the combination of polyethylene and antibiotics, on the growth, rhizosphere soil bacterial community and metabolisms of wheat and maize seedlings. The results showed that combined contamination caused more serious damage to plant growth than individual contamination, and aggravated root oxidative stress responses. The diversity and structure of soil bacterial community were not markedly altered, but the composition of the bacterial community, soil metabolisms and metabolic pathways were altered. The co-occurrence network analysis indicated that combined contamination may inhibit the growth of wheat and maize seedings by simplifying the interrelationships between soil bacteria and metabolites, and altering the relative abundance of specific bacteria genera (e.g. Kosakonia and Sphingomonas) and soil metabolites (including sugars, organic acids and amino acids). The results help to elucidate the potential mechanisms of phytotoxicity of the combination of microplastic and antibiotics., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Biofortification represents a promising and sustainable strategy for mitigating global nutrient deficiencies. However, its successful implementation poses significant challenges. Among staple crops, wheat emerges as a prime candidate to address these nutritional gaps. Wheat biofortification offers a robust approach to enhance wheat cultivars by elevating the micronutrient levels in grains, addressing one of the most crucial global concerns in the present era., Main Text: Biofortification is a promising, but complex avenue, with numerous limitations and challenges to face. Notably, micronutrients such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and copper (Cu) can significantly impact human health. Improving Fe, Zn, Se, and Cu contents in wheat could be therefore relevant to combat malnutrition. In this review, particular emphasis has been placed on understanding the extent of genetic variability of micronutrients in diverse Triticum species, along with their associated mechanisms of uptake, translocation, accumulation and different classical to advanced approaches for wheat biofortification., Conclusions: By delving into micronutrient variability in Triticum species and their associated mechanisms, this review underscores the potential for targeted wheat biofortification. By integrating various approaches, from conventional breeding to modern biotechnological interventions, the path is paved towards enhancing the nutritional value of this vital crop, promising a brighter and healthier future for global food security and human well-being., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Expansin is a cell wall relaxant protein that is common in plants and directly or indirectly participates in the whole process of plant root growth, development and morphogenesis. A well-developed root system helps plants to better absorb water and nutrients from the soil while effectively assisting them in resisting osmotic stress, such as salt stress. In this study, we observed and quantified the morphology of the roots of Arabidopsis overexpressing the TaEXPAs gene obtained by the research group in the early stage of development. We combined the bioinformatics analysis results relating to EXPA genes in five plants and identified TaEXPA7-B , a member of the EXPA family closely related to root development in winter wheat. Subcellular localization analysis of the TaEXPA7-B protein showed that it is located in the plant cell wall. In this study, the TaEXPA7-B gene was overexpressed in rice. The results showed that plant height, root length and the number of lateral roots of rice overexpressing the TaEXPA7-B gene were significantly higher than those of the wild type, and the expression of the TaEXPA7-B gene significantly promoted the growth of lateral root primordium and cortical cells. The plants were treated with 250 mM NaCl solution to simulate salt stress. The results showed that the accumulation of osmotic regulators, cell wall-related substances and the antioxidant enzyme activities of the overexpressed plants were higher than those of the wild type, and they had better salt tolerance. This paper discusses the effects of winter wheat expansins in plant root development and salt stress tolerance and provides a theoretical basis and relevant reference for screening high-quality expansin regulating root development and salt stress resistance in winter wheat and its application in crop molecular breeding.

Wheat is one of the most important food crops globally, and understanding the regulation of grain size is crucial for wheat breeding to achieve a higher grain yield. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in plant growth and development. However, the miRNA-mediated mechanism underlying grain size regulation remains largely elusive in wheat. Here, we report the characterization and functional validation of a miRNA, TamiR397a, associated with grain size regulation in wheat. The function of three TaMIR397 homoeologs was determined through histochemical β-glucuronidase-dependent assay. MiRNA expression was detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the function of TamiR397a was validated through its transgenic overexpression and repression in wheat. It was found that TaMIR397-6A and TaMIR397-6B encode active TamiR397a. The expression profiling indicated that TamiR397a was differentially expressed in various tissues and gradually up-regulated during grain filling. The inhibition of TamiR397a perturbed grain development, leading to a decrease in grain size and weight. Conversely, the overexpression of TamiR397a resulted in increased grain size and weight by accelerating the grain filling process. Transcriptome analysis revealed that TamiR397a regulates a set of genes involved in hormone response, desiccation tolerance, regulation of cellular senescence, seed dormancy, and seed maturation biological processes, which are important for grain development. Among the down-regulated genes in the grains of the TamiR397a-overexpressing transgenic plants, 11 putative targets of the miRNA were identified. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TamiR397a is a positive regulator of grain size and weight, offering potential targets for breeding wheat with an increased grain yield.

Background: Heat stress is a detrimental abiotic stress that limits the development of many plant species and is linked to a variety of cellular and physiological problems. Heat stress affects membrane fluidity, which leads to negative effects on cell permeability and ion transport. Research reveals that heat stress causes severe damage to cells and leads to rapid accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could cause programmed cell death., Methods and Results: This current study aimed to validate the role of Triticum aestivum Salt Stress Root Protein (TaSSRP) in plants' tolerance to heat stress by modulating its expression in tobacco plants. The Relative Water Content (RWC), total chlorophyll content, and Membrane Stability Index (MSI) of the seven distinct transgenic lines (T 0 - 2 , T 0 - 3 , T 0 - 6 , T 0 - 8 , T 0 - 9 , T 0 - 11 , and T 0 - 13 ), increased in response to heat stress. Despite the fact that the same tendency was detected in wild-type (WT) plants, changes in physio-biochemical parameters were greater in transgenic lines than in WT plants. The expression analysis revealed that the transgene TaSSRP expressed from 1.00 to 1.809 folds in different lines in the transgenic tobacco plants. The gene TaSSRP offered resistance to heat stress in Nicotiana tabacum, according to the results of the study., Conclusion: These findings could help to improve our knowledge and understanding of the mechanism underlying thermotolerance in wheat, and the novel identified gene TaSSRP could be used in generating wheat varieties with enhanced tolerance to heat stress., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Lead (Pb) contamination in wheat grain is of great concern, especially in North China. Atmospheric deposition is a major contributor to Pb accumulation in wheat grain. Screening low Pb accumulating wheat varieties has been an effective method for addressing Pb contamination in wheat grain. However, identifying wheat varieties with low Pb accumulation based on foliar uptake of atmospheric Pb has been neglected. Therefore, two field trials with distinct atmospheric Pb deposition were conducted to screen for stable varieties with low Pb accumulation. It was verified that YB700 and CH58, which have high thousand-grain weights and stable low Pb accumulation in field 1 (0.19 and 0.13 mg kg -1 ) and field 2 (0.17 and 0.20 mg kg -1 ), respectively, were recommended for cultivation in atmospheric Pb contaminated farmlands in North China. Furthermore, indoor experiments were conducted to investigate Pb uptake by the roots and leaves of different wheat varieties. Our findings indicate that Pb accumulation in different wheat varieties is primarily influenced by foliar Pb uptake rather than root Pb uptake. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the Pb concentrations in leaves and the stomatal width and trichome length of the adaxial epidermal surface. Additionally, there is a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between the Pb concentration in the wheat grain and trichome length. In conclusion, the screening of wheat varieties with narrower stomatal widths or shorter trichomes based on foliar uptake pathways is an effective strategy for ensuring food safety in areas contaminated by atmospheric Pb., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Drought stress is a major abiotic stress affecting the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The current study evaluated the effects of drought on wheat phenology, physiology, and biochemistry; and assessed the effectiveness of foliar-applied sulfhydryl thiourea to mitigate drought-induced oxidative stress. The treatments were: wheat varieties; V 1  = Punjab-2011, V 2  = Galaxy-2013, V 3  = Ujala-2016, and V 4  = Anaaj-2017, drought stress; D 1  = control (80% field capacity [FC]) and D 2  = drought stress (40% FC), at  the reproductive stage, and sulfhydryl thiourea (S) applications; S 0  = control-no thiourea and S 1  = foliar thiourea application @ 500 mg L -1 . Results of this study indicated that growth parameters, including height, dry weight, leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR) were decreased under drought stress-40% FC, as compared to control-80% FC. Drought stress reduced the photosynthetic efficiency, water potential, transpiration rates, stomatal conductances, and relative water contents by 18, 17, 26, 29, and 55% in wheat varieties as compared to control. In addition, foliar chlorophyll a, and b contents were also lowered under drought stress in all wheat varieties due to an increase in malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage. Interestingly, thiourea applications restored wheat growth and yield attributes by improving the production and activities of proline, antioxidants, and osmolytes under normal and drought stress as compared to control. Thiourea applications improved the osmolyte defense in wheat varieties as peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, proline, glycine betaine, and total phenolic were increased by 13, 20, 12, 17, 23, and 52%; while reducing the electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content by 49 and 32% as compared to control. Among the wheat varieties, Anaaj-2017 showed better resilience towards drought stress and also gave better response towards thiourea application based on morpho-physiological, biochemical, and yield attributes as compared to Punjab-2011, Galaxy-2013, and Ujala-2016. Eta-square values showed that thiourea applications, drought stress, and wheat varieties were key contributors to most of the parameters measured. In conclusion, the sulfhydryl thiourea applications improved the morpho-physiology, biochemical, and yield attributes of wheat varieties, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of drought.  Moving forward, detailed studies pertaining to the molecular and genetic mechanisms under sulfhydryl thiourea-induced drought stress tolerance are warranted., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of farmland soils leads to Cd accumulation in crops and reduced micronutrient uptake, posing grave risks to food safety. Herein, we investigated the enrichment and transportation patterns of Cd and trace elements in different parts of six wheat genotypes grown in weakly alkaline Cd-contaminated soils via pot experiments. The results revealed that the wheat grain variety with high Cd accumulation (Ningmai13) demonstrated a 1.94-fold increase compared to the variety with low accumulation (Yanong0428). The transfer factor of Cd from wheat straw to grain ranged from 0.319 to 0.761, while the transfer factor of Cd from root to straw ranged from 0.167 to 0.461. Furthermore, the concentrations of other metals in wheat grains followed the order of Zn > Mn > Fe > Cu. There was a significant positive correlation between Cd and Mn in grains, indicating a potential synergistic effect. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the regulation of micronutrient intake to modulate Cd uptake in wheat., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms convert insoluble phosphorus in the soil into phosphorus that can be absorbed by plants. Soluble phosphate combines with heavy metals to form precipitation, reducing the content of available heavy metals, thereby reducing the absorption of heavy metals by crops, which plays an important role in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. The effects of the immobilization of Cd and Pb and the release of PO 4 3- by the phosphorus-solubilizing bacterium Klebsiella sp. M2 were studied through solution culture experiments. In addition, the effects of strain M2 on wheat uptake of Cd and Pb and its microbiological mechanism were also explored through pot experiments. The results showed that strain M2 reduced the concentrations of Cd and Pb and increased the concentration of PO 4 3- in the solution through cell wall adsorption and induced phosphate precipitation. Pot experiments showed that compared to those in the CK group and inactivated strain M2 group, inoculation with live strain M2 significantly increased （123%-293%） the contents of Ca 2 -P and Ca 8 -P in rhizosphere soil, decreased the content of DTPA-Cd （34.48%） and DTPA-Pb （36.72%） in wheat rhizosphere soil, and thus hindered the accumulation of Cd and Pb in wheat grains. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing results showed that strain M2 significantly increased the diversity of wheat rhizosphere bacterial communities； increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Bacteroidota in wheat rhizosphere soil； and increased the proportion of heavy metal-immobilizing and phosphorus-promoting bacteria in wheat rhizosphere soil （mainly Sphingomonas , Nocardioides , Bacillus , Gemmatimonas , and Enterobacter ）. These bacterial genera played an important role in immobilizing heavy metals and preventing wheat from absorbing heavy metals. These results provide bacterial resources and theoretical basis for the bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated farmland.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) has been reported as a beneficial role in alleviating cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plant. However, underlying molecular mechanisms about SeNPs reducing Cd accumulation and alleviating Cd toxicity in wheat are not well understood. A hydroponic culture was performed to evaluate Cd and Se accumulation, cell wall components, oxidative stress and antioxidative system, and transcriptomic response of wheat seedlings after SeNPs addition under Cd stress. Results showed that SeNPs application notably reduced Cd concentration in root and in shoot by 56.9% and 37.3%, respectively. Additionally, SeNPs prompted Cd distribution in root cell wall by 54.7%, and increased lignin, pectin and hemicellulose contents by regulating cell wall biosynthesis and metabolism-related genes. Further, SeNPs alleviated oxidative stress caused by Cd in wheat through signal transduction pathways. We also observed that Cd addition reduced Se accumulation by downregulating the expression level of aquaporin 7. These results indicated that SeNPs alleviated Cd toxicity and reduced Cd accumulation in wheat, which were associated with the synergetic regulation of cell wall biosynthesis pathway, uptake transporters, and antioxidative system via signaling pathways., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Crop plants face complex tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) stress, emphasizing the need for a food security-focused management strategy. While research extensively explores O 3 's harmful effects, this study delves into the combined impacts of O 3 and CO 2 . This study investigates the contrasting responses of O 3 -sensitive (PBW-550) and O 3 -resistant (HUW-55) wheat cultivars, towards elevated ozone (eO 3 ) and elevated carbon dioxide (eCO 2 ), both individually and in combination. The output of the present study confirms the positive effect of eCO 2 on wheat cultivars exposed to eO 3 stress, with more prominent effects on O 3 -sensitive cultivar PBW-550, as compared to the O 3 -resistant HUW-55. The differential response of the two wheat cultivars can be attributed to the mechanistic variations in the enzyme activities of the Halliwell-Asada pathway (AsA-GSH cycle) and the ascorbate and glutathione pool. The results indicate that eCO 2 was unable to uplift the regeneration of the glutathione pool in HUW-55, however, PBW-550 responded well, under similar eO 3 conditions. The study's findings, highlighting mechanistic variations in antioxidants, show a more positive yield response in PBW-550 compared to HUW-55 under ECO treatment. This insight can inform agricultural strategies, emphasizing the use of O 3 -sensitive cultivars for sustained productivity in future conditions with high O 3 and CO 2 concentrations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There are many heavy metal stresses in agricultural biological systems, especially cadmium (Cd) stress, which prevent the full growth of plants, lead to a serious decline in crop yield, and endanger human health. Molybdenum (Mo), an essential nutrient element for plants, regulates plant growth mainly by reducing the absorption of heavy metals and protecting plants from oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of Mo (1 μM) application on wheat plants under conditions of Cd (10 μM) toxicity. The biomass, Cd and Mo contents, photosynthesis, leaf and root ultrastructure, antioxidant system, and active oxygen content of the wheat plants were determined. Mo increased the total chlorophyll content of wheat leaves by 43.02% and the net photosynthetic rate by 38.67%, and ameliorated the inhibitory effect of cadmium on photosynthesis by up-regulating photosynthesis-related genes and light-trapping genes. In addition, Mo reduced the content of superoxide anion (O 2 •- ) by 16.55% and 31.12%, malondialdehyde (MDA) by 20.75% and 7.17%, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by 24.69% and 8.17%, and electrolyte leakage (EL) by 27.59% and 16.82% in wheat leaves and roots, respectively, and enhanced the antioxidant system to reduce the burst of reactive oxygen species and alleviate the damage of Cd stress on wheat. According to the above results, Mo is considered a plant essential nutrient that enhances Cd tolerance in wheat by limiting the absorption, accumulation and transport of Cd and by regulating antioxidant defence mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Cadmium (Cd)，is one of the most toxic heavy metals in the environment, and Cd pollution is a global environmental problem that threatens food security and human health. Molybdenum (Mo), as an essential plant nutrient, is often used to resist environmental stress. However, the mechanism of Mo treatment on wheat subjected to Cd stress has not been reported. In this study, we systematically analysed the effects of Mo on the phenotype, physiology, biochemistry, ultrastructure and Cd content of wheat subjected to Cd stress, and comprehensively analysed the transcriptomics. It not only reveals the mechanism of Mo tolerance to Cd stress in wheat, but also provides new insights into phytoremediation and plant growth in Cd-contaminated soil., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cold injury is a major environmental stress affecting the growth and yield of crops. Brassinosteroids (BRs) and salicylic acid (SA) play important roles in plant cold tolerance. However, whether or how BR signaling interacts with the SA signaling pathway in response to cold stress is still unknown. Here, we identified an SA methyltransferase, TaSAMT1 that converts SA to methyl SA (MeSA) and confers freezing tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum). TaSAMT1 overexpression greatly enhanced wheat freezing tolerance, with plants accumulating more MeSA and less SA, whereas Tasamt1 knockout lines were sensitive to freezing stress and accumulated less MeSA and more SA. Spraying plants with MeSA conferred freezing tolerance to Tasamt1 mutants, but SA did not. We revealed that BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (TaBZR1) directly binds to the TaSAMT1 promoter and induces its transcription. Moreover, TaBZR1 interacts with the histone acetyltransferase TaHAG1, which potentiates TaSAMT1 expression via increased histone acetylation and modulates the SA pathway during freezing stress. Additionally, overexpression of TaBZR1 or TaHAG1 altered TaSAMT1 expression and improved freezing tolerance. Our results demonstrate a key regulatory node that connects the BR and SA pathways in the plant cold stress response. The regulatory factors or genes identified could be effective targets for the genetic improvement of freezing tolerance in crops., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Wheat straw returning is a common agronomic measure in the farmland. Understanding organic carbon transformation is of great significance for carbon budget under the premise of widespread distribution of cadmium (Cd) contaminated soils. An incubation experiment was conducted to assess the influence of Cd contamination on the decomposition and accumulation of total organic carbon (TOC) as well as the composition and abundance of bacterial communities in eight soil types with wheat straw addition. The results showed that inhibition of Cd contamination on microbially mediated organic carbon decomposition was affected by soil types. The lower cumulative C mineralization and higher TOC content could be observed in the acidic soils relative to that in the alkaline soils. The content of Cd in soil exhibits different effects on the inhibition in decomposition of TOC. The high dosage level of Cd had stronger inhibitory impact due to its high toxicity. The decomposition of TOC was restricted by a reduction in soil bacterial abundance and weakening of bacterial activities. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were abundant in alkaline Cd-contaminated soils with wheat straw addition, while Bacteroidetes dominated cumulative C mineralization in acidic Cd-contamination soils. Moreover, the abundance of predicted functional bacteria indicated that high-dose Cd-contamination and acid environment all inhibited the decomposition of TOC. The present study suggested that pH played an important role on carbon dynamics in the Cd-contaminated soils with wheat straw addition., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In Mediterranean countries, late-sown durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) may face waterlogging (WL) at early stages. As mitigation of waterlogging by melatonin (MT) has been poorly explored, we analyzed the effects of exogenous MT foliar application to WL-stressed durum wheat on its ecophysiological performance, growth and biomass production. Late-sown plants of a relatively tolerant cultivar (i.e., Emilio-Lepido) were subjected to two WL durations (i.e., 14 and 35 days of WL; DOW) at tillering, with or without exogenous MT application (i.e., 0 and 100 μM). Prolonged WL reduced shoot biomass (-43%), but the application of MT mitigated this detrimental effect. Waterlogging impaired photosynthesis, reducing leaf CO 2 assimilation and chlorophyll content (-61 and - 57%, at 14 and 35 DOW). In control, MT increased the photosynthetic pigments (+48%), whereas it exacerbated the decrease in photosynthesis under both WL conditions (-72%, on average). Conversely, MT reduced WL-induced oxidative damage in both shoots and roots (-25% hydrogen peroxide production), facilitating osmotic adjustments and mitigating oxidative stress. The accumulation of osmotic regulators in MT + WL plants (+140 and + 42%, in shoots and roots at 35 DOW; respectively) and mineral solutes (+140 and + 104%, on average, in shoots and roots at 14 DOW) likely mitigated WL stress, limiting the impact of oxidative stress and promoting biomass accumulation. Our results highlight the potential of MT as a bioactive compound in mitigating the adverse effects of WL on late-sown durum wheat and the importance of the complex interactions between physiological responses and environmental stressors., (© 2024 The Author(s). Physiologia Plantarum published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)