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Soil salinization and/or alkalization is a major constraint to crop production worldwide. Approximately 60% of the cultivated land is affected by salt, over half of which is alkalized. Alkaline soils are characterized by high alkalinity and typically high salinity, which creates a complex saline-alkaline (SA) stress that affects plant growth. Rice cultivation has been accepted as an important strategy for effective utilization of SA land if water is available for irrigation. Nevertheless, as a salt-sensitive plant, rice plants suffer severe SA-induced damage, which results in poor plant growth and grain yield. Various approaches have been employed to improve rice productivity in SA land. Among them, the priming technique has emerged as a powerful method for enhancing SA tolerance in rice plants. In this review, we summarized how SA stress damages rice plants, and then presented how priming treatment can mitigate such damage.

The management of crop residues in farmland is crucial for increasing soil organic matter and reducing soil erosion. Identifying the regional extent of crop residue cover (CRC) is vital for implementing conservation tillage and formulating agricultural subsidy policies. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) and remote sensing images from 2019 to 2023 were used to obtain spectral characteristics before the maize seedling stage in Northeast China, followed by constructing the CRC estimation models using machine learning algorithms. To avoid the impact of multicollinearity among data, three machine learning algorithms—ridge regression (RR), partial least squares regression (PLSR), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)—were employed. By comparing the accuracy of these methods, the most accurate model was determined and applied to subsequent CRC estimation. Based on the estimated CRC and Conservation Technology Information Center definitions of tillage practices, the conservation tillage mapping was completed, and the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics were thoroughly analyzed. The following findings were demonstrated: (1) the PLSR-based model outperformed RR (Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) = 0.8875, R2 = 0.7877, RMSE = 6.99%) and LASSO (r = 0.8903, R2 = 0.7926, RMSE = 6.88%) with higher accuracy (r = 0.9264, R2 = 0.8582, RMSE = 4.93%). (2) Over the five years, the average no-tillage (NT) proportion in the study area was 15.9%, reduced tillage (RT) was 17.8%, and conventional tillage (CT) was 66.3%. In 2020 and 2022, NT rates were significantly higher at 27.5% and 15.5%, while RT were 15.7% and 30.0%, respectively. (3) Compared to the Sanjiang and Liaohe Plains (RT = 1907 km2 and 1336 km2, and NT = 559 km2 and 585 km2, respectively), the Songnen Plain exhibited higher conservation tillage rates (where RT was 3791 km2 and NT was 1265 km2). This provides crucial scientific evidence for the management and planning of conservation tillage, thereby optimizing farmland production planning, enhancing production efficiency, and promoting the development of sustainable agricultural production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginsenosides are the primary active substance in ginseng plants and have a variety of benefits. However, its light and heat stability are weak and easy to decompose. This study used gum arabic (GA) and maltodextrin (MD) as wall materials, and 1% Tween 80 was used as emulsifier. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the preparation process of total saponins in the stems–leaves of Panax notoginseng (SLPNs) (SSLP) microcapsules by spray drying and freeze drying techniques. Under optimal process conditions, the two microcapsules have better solubility and lower moisture content (MC). The color of spray‐dried SSLP microcapsules was greener and bluer, and the color was brighter. In morphology, the spray‐dried SSLP microcapsules were spherical with a slightly shrunk surface, whereas the freeze‐dried ones were lamellar and porous. The two microcapsules have strong stability under different storage conditions and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion simulation. In addition, both microcapsules and free SSLP contained multiple ginsenosides. At the same time, both microcapsules had good free radical scavenging ability. These results indicate that the microencapsulation technology could improve the stability and bioavailability of SSLP, which is expected to provide a reference for the intensive processing of the SLPN. Practical Application: After microencapsulation, the stem and leaf extract of Panax notoginseng improved its stability and taste, which laid a foundation for making more nutritious and better tasting food of the stem and leaf of P. notoginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of saline-alkali land plays a key role in ensuring food security and promoting agricultural development. Saline soils modifies the response of the soil microbial community, but research is still limited. The effects of applying phosphogypsum with rice cultivation (PRC) on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community in soda saline-alkali paddy fields in Songnen Plain, China were studied. The results showed that the PRC significantly improved the physicochemical properties of soil, significantly reduced the salinity, increased the utilization efficiency of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and significantly increased the activities of urease and phosphatase. The activities of urease and phosphatase were significantly correlated with the contents of total organic carbon and total carbon. A redundancy analysis showed that pH, AP, ESP, HCO3−, and Na+ were dominant factors in determining the bacterial community structure. The results showed that PRC could improve soil quality and enhance the ecosystem functionality of soda saline-alkali paddy fields by increasing nutrient content, stimulating soil enzyme activity, and regulating bacterial community improvement. After many years of PRC, the soda-alkali soil paddy field still develops continuously and healthily, which will provide a new idea for sustainable land use management and agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐collisional potassic‐ultrapotassic rocks can provide key clues to the change of the recycled material type and/or tectonic transition in subduction‐related zones. Despite continental materials widely recognized in their sources, it remains unclear whether such continental materials were contributed by former oceanic subduction or recent continental subduction. Here we address this issue by systematically investigating previously reported and our new chemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of the post‐collisional K‐rich rocks in Southeast Tibet. Kink‐like compositional variations provide solid evidence for a primary control of fractional crystallization on the evolution of these K‐rich magmas. Their primary melts are demonstrated to have been produced by partial melting of phlogopite‐bearing peridotites in subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). The trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic signatures argue against involvement of the deeply subducted Indian continent but suggest a great contribution from sediments in oceanic slabs. A thinned (∼70–100 km) and hot (∼55–70 mW/m2) lithosphere is also unraveled beneath Southeast Tibet during the potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism. Together with geophysical data, here we suggest a two‐stage geodynamic model for post‐collisional potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism in Southeast Tibet: (a) Before the Indian‐Asia continental collision, phlogopite/K‐richterite‐bearing SCLM sources were formed through oceanic subduction‐related metasomatism; (b) After the Indian‐Asia continental collision, asthenosphere upwelling induced by post‐collisional tectonic extension or deep subduction of the Indian continental slab caused lithospheric thinning, partial melting of pre‐existing phlogopite/K‐richterite‐rich SCLM and thus K‐rich magmatism. This study provides new insights into the role of oceanic subduction and continental collision in post‐collisional potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism. Plain Language Summary: Potassic‐ultrapotassic rocks, a special group of K‐rich igneous rocks with K2O > 3.0 wt.% and K2O/Na2O > 1, have been widely recognized in post‐collisional settings. A large part of them also has low SiO2 (<56 wt.%), high MgO (>6.0 wt.%) and Mg# (>0.65; molar Mg/(Mg + Fe)), suggesting derivation from the mantle depths. Post‐collisional K‐rich rocks are widely distributed within the Himalaya‐Tibet Orogen. Over the last decades, numerous studies have focused on these K‐rich rocks because of their potentially great importance for understanding plateau uplift, continental subduction and Cu‐Mo‐Au mineralization. Although there is an increasingly clear consensus on the relevance of the deeply subducted Indian continent in the formation of the post‐collisional (<25 Ma) K‐rich rocks in Southwest Tibet, there remain considerable uncertainties about the mechanism of the potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism in Southeast Tibet. Based on the systematic investigation of previously reported and our new chemical and Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotopic data of the post‐collisional K‐rich rocks in Southeast Tibet, here we unravel phlogopite‐bearing peridotite lithospheric mantle sources for these K‐rich rocks. This study highlights that the potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism in Southeast Tibet was a combined result of pre‐collisional oceanic subduction‐related metasomatism and post‐collisional lithospheric thinning, a mechanism distinct from that in Southwest Tibet. Key Points: A primary control of fractional crystallization on magmatic evolution of post‐collisional potassic‐ultrapotassic rocks in Southeast TibetSubducting sediments within oceanic slabs rather than the deeply subducted Indian continent provided K‐rich materials in the sourcesA critical role of post‐collisional lithospheric thinning in the post‐collisional potassic‐ultrapotassic magmatism in Southeast Tibet [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline stress with high pH levels could significantly influence plant growth and survival. The enzyme 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) serves as a critical bottleneck in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), making it essential for regulating stress tolerance. Here, we show that OsNCED3-overexpressing rice lines have increased ABA content by up to 50.90% and improved transcription levels of numerous genes involved in stress responses that significantly enhance seedling survival rates. Overexpression of OsNCED3 increased the dry weight contents of the total chlorophyll, proline, soluble sugar, starch, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes of rice seedlings, while reducing the contents of O2·−, H2O2, and malondialdehyde under hydroponic alkaline stress conditions simulated by 10, 15, and 20 mmol L−1 of Na2CO3. Additionally, the OsNCED3-overexpressing rice lines exhibited a notable increase in the expression of OsNCED3; ABA response-related genes OsSalT and OsWsi18; ion homeostasis-related genes OsAKT1, OsHKT1;5, OsSOS1, and OsNHX5; and ROS scavenging-related genes OsCu/Zn-SOD, OsFe-SOD, OsPOX1, OsCATA, OsCATB, and OsAPX1 in rice seedling leaves. The results of these findings suggest that overexpression of OsNCED3 upregulates endogenous ABA levels and the expression of stress response genes, which represents an innovative molecular approach for enhancing the alkaline tolerance of rice seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max) is the main oilseed crop that provides vegetable oil for human nutrition. The main objective of its breeding research is to increase the total oil content. In the Kennedy pathway, Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is a rate-limiting enzyme that converts diacylglycerol (DAG) to triacylglycerol (TAG). Here, the AhDGAT3 gene was cloned from peanut and overexpressed in the wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis. The total fatty acid content in T3AhDGAT3 transgenic Arabidopsis seeds was 1.1 times higher on average than that of the WT. Therefore, AhDGAT3 was transferred into the WT (JACK), and four T3 transgenic soybean lines were obtained, which proved to be positive using molecular biological detection. Specific T-DNA insertion region location information was also obtained via genome re-sequencing. The results of high-performance gas chromatography showed that the contents of oleic acid (18:1) composition and total fatty acids in transgenic soybean plants were significantly higher than that of the WT. However, linoleic acid (18:2) was much lower compared to the WT. The agronomic trait survey showed that the quantitative and yield traits of AhDGAT3 transgenic soybean were better than those of the WT. These results suggest that fatty acids in transgenic soybeans, especially oleic acid and total fatty acid, are enhanced by the over-expression of AhDGAT3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) is a crucial information technology that promotes the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry. It has been widely used in various stages of construction projects, including design, construction, and operation. However, BIM technology still faces numerous obstacles in practice. From the perspective of construction practitioners, this study constructs a structural equation model to explore the obstacles encountered by construction practitioners in the process of applying BIM technology. Task–technology fit, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, user trust, and facilitating conditions can significantly improve practitioners' behavioral intention, with task–technology fit having the most significant impact on behavioral intention. Facilitating conditions and behavioral intention significantly affect usage behavior, while perceived cost does not significantly affect behavioral intention. The multiple-group analysis found that in the path of performance expectancy on behavioral intention, males have a significant effect while females do not; in the path of facilitating conditions on behavioral intention, higher education levels have a significant effect while lower education levels do not; in the path of facilitating conditions on behavioral behavior, lower usage time has a significant effect while higher usage time does not. Suggestions for promoting the application of BIM technology are proposed in this article to improve its utilization rate. This study provides more perspectives and ideas for future research on BIM diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]