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The document presents research studies conducted in Alberta and Saskatchewan on plant pathogens affecting crops such as barley, canola, wheat, and peas. The studies focus on assessing fungicide sensitivity, breeding disease-resistant cultivars, identifying mycotoxin-producing pathogens, developing bioherbicides, and conducting surveys on canola diseases. The research aims to enhance understanding of pathogen dynamics, develop resistant crops, and improve disease management strategies in agricultural settings. One study specifically examined blackleg resistance in canola plants with the Rlm1 gene, revealing that proteins related to redox regulation play a crucial role in the resistance mechanism. Another survey in Saskatchewan identified various fungal species causing leaf spot diseases in wheat, emphasizing the diversity of fungal populations in the region. [Extracted from the article]

Identifying key genes involved in Cadmium (Cd) response pathways in plants and developing low-Cd-accumulating cultivars may be the most effective and eco-friendly strategy to tackle the problem of Cd pollution in crops. In our previous study, Stressseventy subfamily A 4 (SSA4) was identified to be associated with Cd tolerance in yeast. Here, we investigated the mechanism of SSA4 in regulating Cd tolerance in yeast. ScSSA4 binds to POre Membrane 34 (POM34), a key component of nuclear pore complex (NPC), and translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where it regulates the expression of its downstream gene, Viable in a Hal3 Sit4 background 1 (VHS1), resulting in reduced Cd accumulation in yeast cells. Additionally, we identified a Chinese cabbage SSA4 gene, BrSSA4c, which could enhance the Cd tolerance in Chinese cabbage. This study offers new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of Cd tolerance in yeast, a model organism, and paves the way for the genetic enhancement of Cd tolerance in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving vegetable yield and optimizing its quality through nutrient management have long been central to plant nutrition and horticultural science. Copper (Cu) is recognized as an essential trace element that promotes plant growth and development. However, the mechanisms by which Cu influences nitrogen (N) metabolism remain largely unknown, with limited studies exploring the interaction between Cu and varying nitrate-to-ammonium (nitrate/ammonium) ratios. In this study, Chinese cabbage was exposed to two Cu concentrations (0 and 0.02 mg L-1) in combination with three nitrate/ammonium ratios (10/90, 50/50, and 90/10) under hydroponic conditions. The results showed that Cu application increased plant biomass, nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) enzyme activities, the expression of NR (NIA) and GS2 (Gln2) genes, and N content in both shoots and roots. Additionally, Cu treatment decreased nitrate and free amino acid contents, as well as the expression of nitrate transporters NRT1.1 and NRT2.1 in roots while increasing these four parameters in shoots. Additionally, these effects were significantly modulated by the nitrate/ammonium ratios. In conclusion, Cu may facilitate nitrate transportation, enhance nitrate reduction, promote ammonium assimilation, and influence the transformation of organic N compounds, highlighting its potential role in improving N metabolism in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In silico characterization of the Gretchen Hagen3 (GH3) gene family is required for understanding phytohormone regulation and stress responses in Brassica rapa to develop the improved stress‐tolerant cultivars. The main objective of this research was to identify the key BrGH3 genes under different abiotic stresses. Using bioinformatics tools, a total of 27 BrGH3 genes were identified in B. rapa for which phylogenetic relationship, syntenic pairing, conserved motifs, miRNA regulation, and cis‐regulatory elements of BrGH3s were also studied. BrGH3 gene expression has been examined in numerous tissues and under various abiotic and phytohormone stressors. Phylogenetic studies separated BrGH3 genes into three major classes and nine subclasses based on gene functional evolution. Collinearity analysis demonstrated that all BrGH3 genes had syntenic linkage with AtGH3, BnaGH3, and BolGH3, indicating that genome duplication mechanisms were crucial to BrGH3 gene evolution. The expression dynamics of BrGH3 under diverse phytohormonal stresses methyl jasmonate (MeJA), auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), and salicylic acid (SA) at different time intervals suggest that BrGH3‐5.1 has a consistently greater expression than other BrGH3 genes. Under salt, drought, and low temperature stress, BrGH3‐1 and BrGH3‐4 genes expressed comparatively higher. The findings suggest that five genes (BrGH3‐5.1, BrGH3‐5.2, BrGH3‐15, BrGH3‐17.2, and BrGH3‐19) have a key role in inducing broad stress resilience. These results can be beneficial in developing stress‐tolerant varieties of Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to examine the growth, physiological and biochemical status, and responses to salinity stress of bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) cultivated in a hydroponic system with a plasma-treated solution. Plasma gas generated using a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge or air (control) was injected into Hoagland nutrient solution once a week for different durations (0, 5, and 10 min). After 4 weeks, the length of the shoots and roots, number of leaves, and dry weight of bok choy plants significantly increased in individuals grown with Hoagland solution treated with plasma gas for 10 min. An increase in dry weight of individual plants of approximately 80.5% was observed in plants in the plasma-treated group compared to those in a control group. The levels of chlorophyll, total soluble proteins, and nitrogen uptake, and transcription of genes related to salinity stress tolerance--WRKY2, HHP3, and ABI1--were also significantly elevated in bok choy grown with plasma treated Hoagland solution. Moreover, when exposed to 20 mM NaCl, plant length and leaf number were significantly increased, in the group grown with Hoagland solution treated with plasma gas for 10 min. Level of H2O2 was significantly elevated in the treated nutrient solutions. In plants grown with the treated nutrient solution, intracellular NO was highly detected in the cell division and elongation zone of roots. Our findings suggest that plasma treatment of nutrient solutions in hydroponic culture systems may improve the growth, physiological and biochemical status, and tolerance to salinity stress in plants, and a crucial role of H2O2 generated in the treated nutrient solutions may play in this improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended cultivation of Chinese cabbage in facility leads to significant continuous cropping challenges, which limits the healthy and sustainable development of the cabbage industry. This study employed metagenomic sequencing to examine soil microbial changes under continuous cropping, integrating soil chemical properties to investigate correlations between soil microbiota and soil quality. Results indicated that after continuous cropping of three varieties of Chinese cabbage, there were decreases in microbial Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and the abundance and diversity of soil microbial communities. Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota were the most dominant Phyla in the soil microbial community. The continuous cropping of three varieties of Chinese cabbage significantly increased the relative abundance of Pseudomonadota but decreased that of Actinomycetota and increased the relative abundance of Gemmatimonas, Enhygromyxa, Rhizobium, Steroidobacter, and Bacillus, decreased the relative abundance of Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Nocardioides, and Solirubrobacter. The relative abundance of Nocardioides demonstrated a significant negative correlation with , Cl–, and available Fe, Cu, and Zn levels. Conversely, Pseudomonas abundance showed a significant positive correlation with soil pH but a negative correlation with , , , Cl–, Ca2+, Na+, K+, and available Fe, Cu, and Zn levels. These findings suggested that the reduced abundance of Nocardioides and Pseudomonas may contribute substantially to the continuous cropping challenges observed in the three vegetable crops studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) ranks among the most cultivated and consumed vegetables in China. A major threat to its production is Plasmodiophora brassicae, which causes large root tumors, obstructing nutrient and water absorption and resulting in plant withering. This study used a widely targeted metabolome technique to identify resistance-related metabolites in resistant (DH40R) and susceptible (DH199S) Chinese cabbage varieties after inoculation with P. brassicae. This study analyzed disease-related metabolites during different periods, identifying 257 metabolites linked to resistance, enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, and 248 metabolites linked to susceptibility, enriched in the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway. Key metabolites and genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway were upregulated at 5 days post-inoculation (DPI), suggesting their role in disease resistance. In the arachidonic acid pathway, linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid were upregulated at 5 and 22 DPI in resistant plants, while arachidonic acid was upregulated at 22 DPI in susceptible plants, leading to the conclusion that arachidonic acid may be a response substance in susceptible plants after inoculation. Many genes enriched in these pathways were differentially expressed in DH40R and DH199S. The research provided insights into the defense mechanisms of Chinese cabbage against P. brassicae through combined metabolome and transcriptome analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus subtilis XF‐1 is a well‐investigated biocontrol agent against the biotrophic Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron., the causal agent of clubroot disease of cruciferous crops. The present study demonstrates that XF‐1 could efficiently control clubroot disease via leaf spraying and provides an understanding of the biocontrol mechanisms. High‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HTPLC) analysis indicated the presence of fengycin‐type cyclopeptides in the supernatant. A ppsB deletion mutant of XF‐1 resulted in no fengycin production, significantly reduced the lysis rate of testing spores in vitro and the primary infection rate of root hair in vivo, and decreased the protection value against clubroot disease under the greenhouse conditions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy proved that fengycin was not required for leaf internalization and root colonization. Moreover, the expression level of the ppsB gene in XF‐1 was regulated by its cell density in root during interaction with P. brassicae. In addition, the ΔppsB mutant of XF‐1 could not efficiently control disease because it led to a lower activation level of the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways in roots, which are necessary for the plant defense reaction upon pathogen invasion. Altogether, the present study provides a new understanding of specific cues in the interaction between B. subtilis and P. brassicae as well as insights into the application of B. subtilis in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivorous insects generally choose host plants that optimize their growth. However, many specialists choose chemically defended host plants that slow their growth, prioritizing protection from natural enemies.Invasive specialist herbivores may have an added advantage in their non‐native range where they lack co‐evolved specialist natural enemies, in addition to being unpalatable to generalist predators.Here, we explore the diet preferences of the invasive yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma and those of native natural enemies. We measured M. ochroloma preferences among six Brassica cultivars varying in glucosinolate concentrations.In both field and laboratory experiments, M. ochroloma preferred the relatively less defended host plants, mizuna and Chinese cabbage. M. ochroloma grew quickest on mizuna.Generalist predators also preferred to eat M. ochroloma larvae that had been fed mizuna in choice trials, yet in the field, predatory insects were least commonly found on mizuna, and most commonly found on plants dominated by native herbivores.M. ochroloma consumes plants that increase their susceptibility to predators, but predation pressure in the field appears to be generally low. Our results suggest that invasive specialist herbivores may prioritize growth over protection against natural enemies.Weak top‐down regulation of specialist herbivore invaders might enable them to exploit less‐defended host plants in their novel range that facilitate faster growth and exacerbate crop damage. Invasive pests may be more effectively managed by leveraging plant preferences in the novel host range in trap crop systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis is a crucial and extensively consumed vegetable in the world, especially Eastern Asia. The market demand for this leafy vegetable increases year by year, resulting in multiple challenges for agricultural researchers worldwide. Multi-omic approaches and the integration of functional genomics helps us understand the relationships between Chinese cabbage genomes and phenotypes under specific physiological and environmental conditions. However, challenges exist in integrating multi-omics for the functional analysis of genes and for developing potential traits for Chinese cabbage improvement. However, the panomics platform allows for the integration of complex omics, enhancing our understanding of molecular regulator networks in Chinese cabbage agricultural traits. In addition, the agronomic features of Chinese cabbage are significantly impacted by the environment. The expression of these agricultural features is tightly regulated by a combination of signals from both the internal regulatory network and the external growth environment. To comprehend the molecular process of these characteristics, it is necessary to have a prior understanding of molecular breeding for the objective of enhancing quality. While the use of various approaches in Chinese cabbage is still in its early stages, recent research has shown that it has the potential to uncover new regulators both rapidly and effectively, leading to updated regulatory networks. In addition, the utilization of the efficient transformation technique in conjunction with gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 will result in a reduction in time requirements and facilitate a more precise understanding of the role of the regulators. Numerous studies about Chinese cabbage have been conducted in the past two decades, but a comprehensive review about its genome still limited. This review provides a concise summary of the latest discoveries in genomic research related to Brassica and explores the potential future developments for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately detecting the maturity and 3D position of flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) in natural environments is vital for autonomous robot harvesting in unstructured farms. The challenge lies in dense planting, small flower buds, similar colors and occlusions. This study proposes a YOLOv8-Improved network integrated with the ByteTrack tracking algorithm to achieve multi-object detection and 3D positioning of flowering Chinese cabbage plants in fields. In this study, C2F-MLCA is created by adding a lightweight Mixed Local Channel Attention (MLCA) with spatial awareness capability to the C2F module of YOLOv8, which improves the extraction of spatial feature information in the backbone network. In addition, a P2 detection layer is added to the neck network, and BiFPN is used instead of PAN to enhance multi-scale feature fusion and small target detection. Wise-IoU in combination with Inner-IoU is adopted as a new loss function to optimize the network for different quality samples and different size bounding boxes. Lastly, ByteTrack is integrated for video tracking, and RGB-D camera depth data are used to estimate cabbage positions. The experimental results show that YOLOv8-Improve achieves a precision (P) of 86.5% and a recall (R) of 86.0% in detecting the maturity of flowering Chinese cabbage. Among them, mAP50 and mAP75 reach 91.8% and 61.6%, respectively, representing an improvement of 2.9% and 4.7% over the original network. Additionally, the number of parameters is reduced by 25.43%. In summary, the improved YOLOv8 algorithm demonstrates high robustness and real-time detection performance, thereby providing strong technical support for automated harvesting management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate and timely prediction of Napa cabbage fresh weight is essential for optimizing harvest timing, crop management, and supply chain logistics, which ultimately contributes to food security and price stabilization. Traditional manual sampling methods are labor-intensive and lack precision. This study introduces an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered model that utilizes unmanned aerial systems (UAS)-based multi-sensor data to predict Napa cabbage fresh weight. The model was developed using high-resolution RGB, multispectral (MSP), and thermal infrared (TIR) imagery collected throughout the 2020 growing season. The imagery was used to extract various vegetation indices, crop features (vegetation fraction, crop height model), and a water stress indicator (CWSI). The deep neural network (DNN) model consistently outperformed support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) models, achieving the highest accuracy (R2 = 0.82, RMSE = 0.47 kg) during the mid-to-late rosette growth stage (35–42 days after planting, DAP). The model's accuracy improved with cabbage maturity, emphasizing the importance of the heading stage for fresh weight estimation. The model slightly underestimated the weight of Napa cabbages exceeding 5 kg, potentially due to limited samples and saturation effects of vegetation indices. The overall error rate was less than 5%, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. Spatial analysis further revealed that the model accurately captured variability in Napa cabbage growth across different soil types and irrigation conditions, particularly reflecting the positive impact of drip irrigation. This study highlights the potential of UAS-based multi-sensor data and AI for accurate and non-invasive prediction of Napa cabbage fresh weight, providing a valuable tool for optimizing harvest timing and crop management. Future research should focus on refining the model for specific weight ranges and diverse environmental conditions, and extending its application to other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a major abiotic stress factor that reduces agricultural productivity. Understanding the molecular regulatory network of drought response in winter rape is of great significance for molecular Brassica rapa. In order to comprehensively analyze the network expression of DEGs and DEMIs in winter rape under drought stress, in this study we used Longyou 7 as the experimental material to identify DEGs and DEMIs related to drought stress by transcriptome and miRNA sequencing. A total of 14–15 key differential mRNA genes related to drought stress and biological stress were screened out under different treatments in the three groups. and 32 differential miRNAs were identified through targeted regulatory relationships, and the mRNA expression of 20 target genes was negatively regulated by the targeting regulatory relationship. It is mainly enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism, carbon metabolism and other pathways. Among them, gra-MIR8731-p3_2ss13GA18GA regulated the expression of multiple mRNAs in the three treatments. miRNA is mainly involved in the drought resistance of Chinese cabbage winter rape by regulating the expression of target genes, such as starch and sucrose metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism. These miRNAs and their target genes play an indispensable role in winter rapeseed drought stress tolerance regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report that non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma exposure can improve Brassica juncea (leaf mustard) seed germination rate from 50 % to 98 %. The commercially relevant germination rate was achieved by plasma exposure for only 10 minutes and the effect sustains at least for one month under an appropriate storage condition. Improved germination by plasma exposure was also observed for Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage) seeds. The plasma device used is simple. No pure gas flow system is necessary and it is easy to handle. A large number of seeds can be treated by simply scaling up the device. Plasma exposure can be a practical method for improving seed germination of crop plants important for agriculture. • Non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma exposure can improve Brassica seed germination rate. • The effect sustains at least for one month under an appropriate storage condition. • The plasma device used is simple and a large number of seeds can be treated. • Plasma exposure can be a practical method for improving seed germination in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium chelatase (MgCh) plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, catalyzing the insertion of magnesium into protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX), a key intermediate in chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis. MgCh is a heteromeric complex composed of the MgCh D subunit (CHLD), the MgCh H subunit (CHLH), and the MgCh I subunit (CHLI). The bright yellow leaves (byl) mutant was obtained through ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis of the 'FT' Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) doubled haploid line, whose Chl content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) were decreased, and whose chloroplast development was incomplete. byl recovered to a light green phenotype under weak light conditions. Genetic analysis revealed that the bright yellow leaves phenotype of byl was caused by a single recessive nuclear gene. Using Mutmap sequencing and Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) identification, BraA01g010040.3.5C, encoding the CHLI subunit of MgCh, was identified as the candidate gene and named Brchli1. A nonsynonymous G-to-A mutation in the Brchli1 exon resulted in the substitution of aspartic acid with asparagine. Brchli1-silenced Chinese cabbage displayed bright yellow leaves with decreased Brchli1 expression. Transiently overexpressed Brchli1 in the byl mutant restored the green leaf phenotype and significantly increased relative Brchli1 expression levels. Both BrCHLI1 and its mutated variant were localized in chloroplasts. Yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation imaging assays demonstrated that BrCHLI1 interacted with both BrCHLD and itself. BrCHLI1 mutations did not affect its interaction with BrCHLD. Together, Brchli1 mutations impaired the function of MgCh, providing insights into the molecular mechanism of leaf coloration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection by the mustard clubroot disease pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae has a significant negative impact on the quality and yield of Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea). At present, screening resistant resources for breeding programs is the most economical and effective method available to control this disease. In this study, we isolated P. brassicae physiological race 4 from Chinese cabbage and examined 483 mustard germplasm resources (193 leaf mustard, 96 stem mustard, and 194 root mustard) from China and abroad to identify resistance to clubroot disease at the seedling stage through irrigation inoculation with the isolated pathogen. The results showed that there were no immune varieties among the tested mustard germplasm, but that there were differences in resistance to clubroot disease among the three mustard types. More than 90% of leaf and stem mustard resources were susceptible to clubroot disease, whereas 38.66% of root mustard resources showed resistance. In total, we detected 4 highly resistant, 9 resistant, and 83 moderately resistant varieties, of which 4 highly resistant, 8 resistant, and 63 moderately resistant varieties were root mustard resources, whereas only 1 resistant and 5 moderately resistant varieties were stem mustard resources, and 15 moderately resistant varieties were leaf mustard resources. In addition, we used seven molecular markers for clubroot disease resistance in Chinese cabbage to detect stem and root mustard resources. The results showed that the marker CRk was detected in 97.87% of stem mustard and 92.49% of root mustard resources. Six markers (Crr1, Crr2, Crr3, CRa, CRb, and CRc) were detected in 18.09%, 7.45%, 2.13%, 6.38%, 12.77%, and 12.77% of stem mustard germplasms, and four markers (Crr1, Crr2, Crr3, and CRc) were detected in 8.09%, 8.67%, 10.40%, and 8.67% of root mustard germplasms, respectively, suggesting that these markers are not suitable for detecting mustard germplasm resistance to clubroot disease. This study provides a technical reference and material support for the breeding of mustard varieties resistant to clubroot disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) varieties that are resilient to climate change is becoming increasingly critical. Our study focused on developing stress-tolerant Chinese cabbage during the summer season to minimize the impacts of global climate change. We evaluated 52 Chinese cabbage accessions grown in the field during the late spring–summer season in Korea. Various phenotypic data of Chinese cabbage in adverse environments were collected from field data. In addition to field screening, we used a controlled-environment chamber to observe the direct impact of heat on young plants, particularly in the root area. A genome-wide association study was conducted using two sets of phenotypic data collected from both chamber and field studies and genotype data acquired from GBS analyses. A total of 57 SNPs distributed across all 10 B. rapa chromosomes were selected to be highly related to the target traits. Several candidate genes were annotated using the flanking sequences of these SNPs. The study revealed that most of the annotated genes seemed to be highly connected with the function of the heat stress response. Other genes were also found to be related to the environmental stress response and flowering. These candidate SNPs and genes can provide valuable tools for breeders to develop summer stress-tolerant Chinese cabbage varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shaker potassium channels play a crucial role in potassium (K+) nutrition and stress resistance in plants. However, systematic research on Shaker K+ channels in Chinese cabbage [Brassica rapa var. chinensis (L.) Kitamura] remains scarce. This study identified 13 Shaker K+ channel members within the cabbage genome, which are unevenly distributed across eight chromosomes. Notably, the number of Shaker K+ channel members in Chinese cabbage exceeds that found in the model plants Arabidopsis (9) and rice (10). This discrepancy is attributed to a higher number of homologous proteins in Groups II and V of Chinese cabbage, with gene segmental duplication in these two subgroups being a significant factor contributing to the expansion of the Shaker K+ channel gene family. Interspecies collinearity analysis revealed that the whole genome and the Shaker K+ channel family of Chinese cabbage show greater similarity to those of Arabidopsis than to those of rice, indicating that Shaker K+ channels from the Brassicaceae family have a closer relationship than that from the Poaceae family. Given that gene expansion occurs in Group II, we investigated whether a functional difference exists between BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 using yeast assays and promoter analysis. The expression of two BrKAT1 genes in the potassium uptake-deficient yeast mutant R5421 can restore growth under low potassium conditions, indicating their role in potassium absorption. Truncation of the N-terminal 63 amino acids of BrKAT1.2 resulted in the loss of potassium absorption capability, suggesting that the N-terminus is essential for maintaining the potassium absorption function of BrKAT1.2. Furthermore, the expression of the two BrKAT1 genes in the salt-sensitive yeast G19 enhances yeast tolerance to salt stress. These results demonstrate that BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 exhibit similar abilities in potassium uptake and salt tolerance. The difference between BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 lay in their promoter regulatory elements, suggesting that differences in transcriptional regulation contributed to the functional differentiation of BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the evolution and functional mechanisms of the Shaker K+ channel family in Chinese cabbage and for improving potassium nutrition and salt tolerance in this species through the manipulation of BrKAT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis sequences (GASAs) are a subset of the gibberellin (GA)-regulated gene family and play crucial roles in various physiological processes. However, the GASA genes in Brassica rapa have not yet been documented. In this study, we identified and characterized 16 GASA genes in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis). Analysis of the conserved motifs revealed significant conservation within the activation segment of BraGASA genes. This gene family contains numerous promoter elements associated with abiotic stress tolerance, including those for abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Expression profiling revealed the presence of these genes in various tissues, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, siliques, and callus tissues. When plants were exposed to drought stress, the expression of BraGASA3 decreased notably in drought-sensitive genotypes compared to their wild-type counterparts, highlighting the potentially crucial role of BraGASA3 in drought stress. Additionally, BraGASAs exhibited various functions in sexual reproduction dynamics. The findings contribute to the understanding of the function of BraGASAs and provide valuable insights for further exploration of the GASA gene function of the BraGASA gene in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we explored the effect of fruit and vegetable waste addition on the quality of corn stalk silage. Methods: Corn stalks were ensiled 20 days after ear harvesting and mixed with fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) consisting of apple, orange, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage waste as 3% of fresh matter. Fruit waste consisted of solid residue obtained after juicing, and vegetable waste was collected from farms and cut into small pieces (2 to 3 cm). The materials were stored anaerobically in 20-L silo buckets and opened after 60 days of fermentation. Results: There were significant differences in dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total digestible nutrient (TDN), and relative feed value (RFV) levels in FVW derived from all tested raw materials (p<0.05). Corn stalk mixed with orange waste (CSOW) had the highest DM content (28.77%), lowest ADF and NDF content (47.78% and 26.62% of DM, respectively), and highest TDN and RFV content (69.21 and 133, respectively). After 60 days, there were significant differences in all chemical parameters examined (p<0.05). Corn stalk mixed with broccoli waste (CSBW) had the lowest DM loss (2.23%), and the CSOW group had the lowest NDF and ADF content and highest in vitro DM digestibility. CSBW had the lowest pH and ammonia nitrogen content, but the highest lactic acid/acetic acid ratio among the treatment groups. CSOW had the highest lactic acid content (2.27% of DM). The microbial contents of each group differed only in lactic acid bacteria counts before and after ensiling, showing a slight increase (p>0.05) and significant decreases in yeast and mold counts (p<0.05) after ensiling. Conclusion: These findings confirmed that mixing various FVW materials, particularly orange waste, with corn stalks improved the nutritional value of silage. Adding broccoli waste resulted in better fermentation quality than the addition of other FVW materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage is an important vegetable from both a nutritional and an economic standpoint, with the leafy head serving as the primary harvested organ. However, the nutrient accumulation as well as influencing factors within the leafy head have not yet been elucidated. Thus, the distribution of metabolites (soluble sugars, minerals, carotenoids, vitamin C, flavonoid compounds, glucosinolates, and total phenolic compounds) were investigated in different leaf layers of Chinese cabbage with varying head types. The results showed that the inner leaves consistently displayed markedly higher levels of fructose and glucose when contrasted with the outer leaves. Similarly, there was an accumulation of glucosinolates in the inner leaves. By contrast, however, the antioxidants content exhibited a consistent decline from the outer leaves towards the central core, in line with the diminishing antioxidant capacity. This descending trend was also apparent in the mineral content, encompassing calcium, sodium, magnesium and sulfur. These results will provide dietary instruction, especially for consumers who have particular dietary needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is an important food crop. However, its growth and development are commonly impacted by black spot disease. To examine the response mechanisms of Chinese cabbage to black spot disease, transcriptome and metabolome sequencing were performed on the leaves of Chinese cabbage genotypes J405 (resistant) and B214 (susceptible), 48 h post-infection (hpi) with Alternaria brassicicola. Expression of essential genes in the jasmonic acid, cytokinin, and auxin signaling pathways of both Chinese cabbage genotypes was inhibited. The expression of the pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1) gene mediated by the salicylic acid pathway is inhibited in the Chinese cabbage genotype B214. The basic endochitase B (CHIB) gene in the ethylene pathway of both Chinese cabbage genotypes was upregulated. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the disease spots of Chinese cabbage genotype J405 was greater than in genotype B214. The respiratory burst oxidase (RBOH) gene in the reactive oxygen species metabolic pathway was significantly upregulated in genotype J405, while no change was observed in genotype B214. We found that oxidation-reduction-related genes such as type-2 peroxiredoxin genes, NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase genes, glutathione peroxidase genes, and glutathione S-transfer genes were differentially expressed across both Chinese cabbage genotypes at 48 hpi. Metabolomics demonstrated that delta-tocopherol and S-hexyl glutathione were all downregulated in genotype J405, while they were upregulated in genotype B214. This approach also identified differential expression of genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, the glycinebetaine biosynthesis pathway, as well as in the specific sulfur glycoside metabolism pathway. These findings indicate that ethylene signaling is important in the hormone signaling regulatory network-mediated disease resistance and defense in Chinese cabbage. When facing pathogen infection, hormone transduction pathways associated with growth and development in Chinese cabbage are inhibited. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the outbreak of various secondary metabolites may endow the Chinese cabbage genotype J405 with increased resistance to black spot disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluxapyroxad, a persistent fungicide in soil, was investigated for differences in residue dissipation in Chinese cabbage and spring scallion through the application methods of soil, foliar, and systemic treatment. Soil application of 0.4% granule fluxapyroxad resulted in residues up to 0.09 mg kg−1 in the scallion, while it did not contribute to the residues in the harvested cabbage. The 50% dissipation time (DT50) of fluxapyroxad in the scallion was 6.8 days. The residues from systemic treatment were highly correlated with foliar application in both the cabbage and the scallion, and the initial residue and DT50 values were similar for foliar and systemic treatments. In comparing the residues from the systemic treatments between the two crops, the initial residue was 3.11 and 0.22 mg kg−1 in the cabbage and the scallion after the systemic treatment, respectively. The DT50 values were 2.6 and 12.2 days in the cabbage and the scallion, respectively. The theoretical dilution effect due to crop growth was higher for the cabbage (4-fold) than for the scallion (1.2-fold), and the half-lives of fluxapyroxad without considering the dilution effect were 6.4 days in the cabbage and 17.8 days in the scallion. Thus, the residue difference was drastically reduced after 14 days from the last treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Plasmodiophora brassicae is a serious threat to Brassica crops worldwide, resulting in substantial economic losses for growers. Biocontrol with chitinolytic bacteria producing chitinase is gaining attention as a natural alternative to chemicals. This approach is favored due to the essential role chitinases play in protecting against chitin-containing pathogens. Given that chitin is a major component in the resting spores of P. brassicae and plays a crucial role during pathogenesis, it is probable that Paenibacillus chitinolyticus, producing a high level of chitinase, could suppress P. brassicae by targeting chitin in a critical stage of this pathogen's life cycle. Our research aimed to evaluate the effect of various applications of P. chitinolyticus on clubroot suppression in two economically important Brassica species: Chinese cabbage and rapeseed. The effectiveness of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of an endemic strain of P. chitinolyticus from the Czech Republic at five different time points was studied in the greenhouse by measuring the disease severity index. Early application of P. chitinolyticus decreased the disease index significantly within both plant species resulting in increased shoot dry weight. In conclusion, the CFS of P.chitinolyticus has significant antagonistic activity against clubroot in Chinese cabbage and rapeseed in the early developmental stages of clubroot occurrence and holds the potential as a biofertilizer as well as bioprotectant agent in clubroot management of P. brassicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the macronutrient calcium (Ca) has been utilized to mitigate fluorine (F) toxicity in soils for plants, its role in alleviating phytotoxicity from atmospheric F exposure remains underexplored. This study investigates the effect of foliar-applied Ca on the growth, physio-biochemical characteristics, and F accumulation in Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) following both foliar and root F exposure. Results show that foliar application of Ca (0.5 and 1.0 g L−1) significantly enhanced the root length, plant height, and biomass of plants exposed to foliar F at 20 mg L−1, in comparison to the control group, with no notable improvement observed in plants subjected to root F exposure. Foliar application of Ca at 0.5 g L−1 increased chlorophyll production, alleviated the oxidative impairment in leaves, and mediated protective responses specifically under atmospheric F stress, as evidenced by increased chlorophyll concentration and reduced MDA and proline levels. In seedlings with foliar F exposure, F concentration in leaves decreased by 19.9% following foliar application of 1.0 g L−1 Ca compared to the control group without Ca. Additionally, foliar application of Ca at 1.0 g L−1 showed potential in mitigating the health risks associated with consumption of the leafy vegetable grown in F-enriched atmospheres. These findings suggest that foliar Ca application is a promising strategy for mitigating the adverse effects of atmospheric F on leafy vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION The co‐application of biochar and wood vinegar has demonstrated the potential to enhance premium crop production. The present study reveals the effects of co‐applying rice husk biochar and wood vinegar (both foliar and soil application) on soil properties and the growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) in a two‐season pot experiment.The soil pH, electrical conductivity and dissolved organic carbon contents in combination treatments of wood vinegar and biochar were increased more when wood vinegar was applied to soils rather than to leaves, and the parameters were observed to surpass those for chemical fertilizer treatments. The biomass of Chinese cabbage shoots was significantly increased by 60.8‐ and 27.3‐fold in the combined treatments compared to the control when 1% wood vinegar was sprayed to the leaves (WF1) in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Higher contents of vitamin C, soluble protein and soluble sugar were also observed in the combined wood vinegar and biochar treatments compared to chemical fertilizer treatments and the control; for example, the vitamin C content of plant shoot in WF1 was 21.3 times that of the control. The yield and quality of plants were decreased across all treatments in 2023 compared to 2022 but the combination treatments still displayed superiority.The co‐application of wood vinegar and biochar enhances the growth and improve the quality of Chinese cabbage through improving the soil properties and plant photosynthesis. Moreover, the foliage application of wood vinegar is more preferable compared to soil application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cd (cadmium) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant often present in soil and detrimentally impacting the production and quality of horticultural crops. Cd affects various physiological and biochemical processes in plants, including chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, mineral uptake and accumulation, and hormonal imbalance, leading to cell death. The MYB family of transcription factors plays a significant role in plant response to environmental influences. However, the role of MYB116 in abiotic stress tolerance remains unclear. In this study, we reported that Chinese cabbage transcription factor BrMYB116 enhanced Cd stress tolerance in yeast. The expression level of BrMYB116 was increased by Cd stress in Chinese cabbage. Additionally, yeast cells overexpressing BrMYB116 showed improved Cd stress tolerance and reduced Cd accumulation. Moreover, we found that BrMYB116 interacted with facilitator of iron transport (FIT3) to enhance Cd stress tolerance. ChIP-qPCR results showed that ScFIT3 was activated through specific binding to its promoter. Additionally, the overexpression of ScFIT3 induced Cd stress tolerance and reduced Cd accumulation in yeast and Chinese cabbage. These results suggest new avenues for plant genomic modification to mitigate Cd toxicity and enhance the safety of vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering is critical to the success of plant propagation. The MYB family transcription factor CIRCADIAN CLOCK-ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) is an essential component of the core loop of the circadian clock and plays a crucial role in regulating plant flowering time. In this study, we found that photoperiod affects the expression pattern and expression level of BcCCA1, which is delayed flowering time under short-day conditions in Pak-choi [Brassica campestris (syn. Brassica rapa) ssp. chinensis]. We detected overexpression and silencing of BcCCA1 in Pak-choi, resulting in delayed and promoted flowering time, respectively. Furthermore, we also discovered that FLOWERING LOCUS C (BcFLC) and SUPPRESSOR OF CONSTANS1 (BcSOC1) were expressed significantly differently in BcCCA1 overexpression and silencing plants compared with control plants. Therefore, we further investigated the interaction relationship between BcCCA1, BcFLC, and BcSOC1, and the results showed that BcCCA1 and BcFLC as a complex interacted with each other. Moreover, both BcCCA1 and BcFLC can directly bind to the promoter of BcSOC1 and repress its transcription, and BcCCA1 can form a complex with BcFLC to enhance the transcriptional inhibition of BcSOC1 by BcFLC. This study reveals a new mechanism by which the circadian clock regulates flowering time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single seed metering devices for Chinese flowering cabbage planting machines have suffered such deficiencies as low efficiency, poor accuracy, and instability. To overcome these limitations, a pneumatic double disc precision seed metering device was designed. This innovative device can simultaneously plant four rows, considering the specific agricultural requirements and the geometric characteristics for Chinese flowering cabbage seeds. The precise parameters of the key component seed disc were derived through theoretical calculation. In addition, a detailed account was given for the working principle and workflow of the seed metering device. The discrete element method and EDEM software were employed to optimize the seed disc by exploring the effects of seed disc rotational speed and interleaving seed slots on seed viability. Orthogonal rotation experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of seed disc rotational speed and negative pressure. While rates of qualified seeding, double seeding and missing seeding were adopted as test indicators. Testing results show that, at a seed disc rotational speed of 41.5 r/min and a negative pressure of 3.80 kPa, the average qualified seeding rate is 90.13%, the average missing seeding rate is 3.30%, and the average double seeding rate is 6.02%. These values satisfy the agricultural requirements for planting Chinese flowering cabbage. The findings can also provide valuable insights for the structural optimization and design of precision seed metering devices for Chinese flowering cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pak choi is a leafy green vegetable originating from China and is known for its nutritional value. It is important to understand which compound class is dominant and which cultivar contains the most nutritional value. The objective of the investigation was to ascertain how metabolic pathways influence the differences in the physiology, morphology, and nutritional value of different contents of Pak choi cultivars using advanced metabolomic technologies. A total of 513 metabolites fall into various classes, and subclasses were found, focusing on 16 key carbohydrates like simple sugars and complex carbohydrates. They found significant differences between the cultivars, with Suzhouqing having the most carbohydrates and Xiangqingcai having the least. These results are crucial for selecting the best cultivars for targeted metabolome, nutritional benefits, and cultivation. The study also revealed important metabolic pathways and highlighted that some cultivars are better suited for specific needs. By understanding these variations, this research supports better dietary choices and crop breeding strategies, contributing to improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture. Pak choi exhibits a wide range of phenotypic and morphological variations, significantly impacting its carbohydrate composition. This study aimed to analyze these variations by employing UPLC-MS/MS technology on eight biological replicates of seven Pak choi cultivars. The untargeted metabolic analysis identified 513 metabolites, focusing on 16 key carbohydrates, including monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides were the most prevalent, which were followed by di-, poly-, and oligosaccharides. Suzhouqing had the highest number of differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), while Xiangqingcai had the least. Notably, the cultivars Xiangqingcai, Suzhouqing, and Aijiaohuang showed significant metabolite differentiation. The study found 114 metabolites that differed significantly between Suzhouqing and Aijiaohuang, of which 69 were upregulated and 45 were downregulated. In Xiangqingcai and Aijiaohuang, 66 metabolites were upregulated and 49 were downregulated. Between Xiangqingcai and Suzhouqing, 80 metabolites were downregulated and 53 were upregulated. Key carbohydrate digestion and absorption pathways were identified alongside the most enriched flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Xiangqingcai and Suzhouqing. The findings highlight the considerable carbohydrate variation among Pak choi cultivars, providing valuable insights for targeted carbohydrate extraction and improving nutritional and agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O), a mineral with low water solubility that can be recovered from industrial wastewater, has the potential to be used as a slow-release phosphorus (P) fertilizer. However, the effect of struvite on the yield and P uptake efficiency of different crops remains unclear. In this study, the effects of struvite, diammonium phosphate (DAP), and a mixed fertilizer consisting of struvite + DAP (MIX) on biomass, P uptake, and soil P fractions of Chinese cabbage, cowpea, and maize were investigated in pot experiments. The results showed that compared to DAP, the mixed fertilizer reduced the biomass of Chinese cabbage by 47%, while there was no difference in the biomass of cowpea and maize under P fertilizer application. There was no difference in total P concentration in Chinese cabbage and cowpea plants between DAP and MIX, while total P concentration in maize under mixed fertilizer treatment decreased by 16.73% compared to DAP treatment. Compared to DAP, the MIX treatment reduced total P uptake in Chinese cabbage and maize by 45.82% and 33.41%, respectively, with no direct difference in cowpea. Soil Olsen-P and CaCl2-P concentrations were highest in DAP among the different treatments. The MIX treatment significantly increased the water-soluble P in Chinese cabbage and cowpea by 5.87% and 5.23%, respectively, while the water-soluble P in maize was lower in the mixed fertilizer treatment than in the DAP treatment. In addition, mixed fertilizer significantly increased soil pH and soil phosphatase activity compared to DAP. This result suggested that among the three treatments of struvite, DAP, and MIX, struvite had the weakest effect on crop growth. In addition, among the three crops, Chinese cabbage, cowpea, and maize, the compatibility between struvite and maize was the highest. These results provide valuable insights for the future application of struvite in agricultural production for achieving stable yields while mitigating environmental risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and accurate detection of Chinese flowering cabbage ripeness and the counting of Chinese flowering cabbage are fundamental for timely harvesting, yield prediction, and field management. The complexity of the existing model structures somewhat hinders the application of recognition models in harvesting machines. Therefore, this paper proposes the lightweight Cabbage-YOLO model. First, the YOLOv8-n feature pyramid structure is adjusted to effectively utilize the target's spatial structure information as well as compress the model in size. Second, the RVB-EMA module is introduced as a necking optimization mechanism to mitigate the interference of shallow noise in the high-resolution sounding layer and at the same time to reduce the number of parameters in this model. In addition, the head uses an independently designed lightweight PCDetect detection head, which enhances the computational efficiency of the model. Subsequently, the neck utilizes a lightweight DySample upsampling operator to capture and preserve underlying semantic information. Finally, the attention mechanism SimAm is inserted before SPPF for an enhanced ability to capture foreground features. The improved Cabbage-YOLO is integrated with the Byte Tracker to track and count Chinese flowering cabbage in video sequences. The average detection accuracy of Cabbage-YOLO can reach 86.4%. Compared with the original model YOLOv8-n, its FLOPs, the its number of parameters, and the size of its weights are decreased by about 35.9%, 47.2%, and 45.2%, respectively, and its average detection precision is improved by 1.9% with an FPS of 107.8. In addition, the integrated Cabbage-YOLO with the Byte Tracker can also effectively track and count the detected objects. The Cabbage-YOLO model boasts higher accuracy, smaller size, and a clear advantage in lightweight deployment. Overall, the improved lightweight model can provide effective technical support for promoting intelligent management and harvesting decisions of Chinese flowering cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakchoi is a kind of nonheading Chinese cabbage being widely cultivated not only in China but also all over Asia. High temperature is a major limiting factor influencing the yield and quality of pakchoi, while the mechanism of pakchoi dealing with high-temperature challenges remains largely elusive. In the present study, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis, which was also validated by qPCR, of the heat-tolerant Xinxiaqing (XXQ) variant and Suzhouqing (SZQ) variant, which are heat-sensitive under high-temperature treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses suggest that high-temperature-induced phytohormones signal transduction, especially auxin signal transduction, regulates the heat responses of pakchoi. Our further investigations imply that high-temperature-activated auxin signal plays a positive role in helping pakchoi deal with high-temperature challenge; IAA-pretreated pakchoi plants exhibited greater resistance to the high-temperature treatment, probably due to the induction of antioxidant activity. In addition, our study also identified six heat shock proteins/factors (HSPs/HSFs) whose up-regulation correlates with the elevated heat tolerance of pakchoi. Notably, among these high-temperature-induced heat-responsive factors, HSP20 and HSP26.5 are under the regulation of auxin signal, and this signal cascade contributes to enhancing the thermostability of pakchoi. In the present study, we identified crucial high-temperature-responsive factors and signaling pathways in pakchoi, which help in understanding the mechanism of pakchoi coping with high-temperature challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants communicate underground by secreting multiple amino acids (AAs) through their roots, triggering defense mechanisms against cadmium (Cd) stress. However, the specific roles of the individual AAs in Cd translocation and detoxification remain unclear. This study investigated how exogenous AAs influence Cd movement from the roots to the shoots in Cd-resistant and Cd-sensitive Chinese cabbage cultivars (Jingcui 60 and 16-7 cultivars). The results showed that methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) reduced Cd concentrations in the shoots of Jingcui 60 by approximately 44% and 52%, and in 16-7 by approximately 43% and 32%, respectively, compared to plants treated with Cd alone. However, threonine (Thr) and aspartic acid (Asp) did not show similar effects. Subcellular Cd distribution analysis revealed that AA supplementation increased Cd uptake in the roots, with Jingcui 60 preferentially storing more Cd in the cell wall, whereas the 16-7 cultivar exhibited higher Cd concentrations in the organelles. Moreover, Met and Cys promoted the formation of Cd-phosphate in the roots of Jingcui 60 and Cd-oxalate in the 16-7 cultivar, respectively. Further analysis showed that exogenous Cys inhibited Cd transport to the xylem by downregulating the expression of HMA2 in the roots of both cultivars, and HMA4 in the 16-7 cultivar. These findings provide insights into the influence of exogenous AAs on Cd partitioning and detoxification in Chinese cabbage plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that the presence of a leafy head is a key morphological characteristic that determines the yield and quality of Chinese cabbage, identifying the major genes regulating the formation of a leafy head is crucial for variety improvement. A heading-related gene, BrKS, was previously predicted from a non-heading mutant, nhm1, derived from a heading variety, which encodes a key enzyme involved in gibberellin biosynthesis. Here, another mutant, nhm2, was identified from the same EMS-mutagenized population, and the phenotype of nhm2 was consistent with that of nhm1. We crossed mutants nhm1 and nhm2, and their F1 plants exhibited the mutant phenotype, which indicated that their mutant genes were allelic. A single non-synonymous mutation in the fourth exon of BrKS in mutant nhm1 and another single non-synonymous mutation in the tenth exon of BrKS in mutant nhm2. The same gene mutation in mutants nhm1 and nhm2 produced a similar non-heading phenotype, which confirmed the role of BrKS in the leafy head formation of Chinese cabbage. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that a transcription factor gene, BrERF1A, which is associated with leaf development, significantly down-regulated expression in mutant nhm1, and after the mutant was treated with GA3, the expression level of BrERF1A was recovered, which indicated that BrKS might be involved in leafy head formation through regulating the expression level of BrERF1A. Our findings provide important clues for revealing the molecular mechanism of leafy head formation in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is one of the diseases that causes major economic losses in cruciferous crops worldwide. Although prevention strategies, including soil pH adjustment and crop rotation, have been used, the disease's long persistence and devastating impact continuously remain in the soil. CR varieties were developed for clubroot-resistant (CR) Chinese cabbage, and 'Akimeki' is one of the clubroot disease-resistant cultivars. However, recent studies have reported susceptibility to several Korean pathotypes in Akimeki and the destruction of the resistance to P. brassicae in many Brassica species against CR varieties, requiring the understanding of more fine-tuned plant signaling by fungal pathogens. In this study, we focused on the early molecular responses of Akimeki during infection with two P. brassicae strains, Seosan (SS) and Hoengseong2 (HS2), using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Among a total of 2358 DEGs, 2037 DEGs were differentially expressed following SS and HS2 infection. Gene ontology (GO) showed that 1524 and 513 genes were up-regulated following SS and HS2 inoculations, respectively. Notably, the genes of defense response and jasmonic acid regulations were enriched in the SS inoculation condition, and the genes of water transport and light intensity response were enriched in the HS2 inoculation condition. Moreover, KEGG pathways revealed that the gene expression set were related to pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) mechanisms. The results will provide valuable information for developing CR cultivars in Brassica plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the increasing demands for higher-value and nutrient-rich vegetables, this work aims to investigate whether molecular hydrogen (H2)-based irrigation, in the form of hydrogen nanobubble water (HNW), could improve yield and quality of Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.). Field trials showed that compared to surface water (SW) irrigation (control group), HNW irrigation significantly increased Chinese cabbage yield by 32.70 ± 12.15%, and the single plant weight, height, the maximum leaf length and width were also significantly increased. Higher nutritional value, including the increased contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein, mineral nutrients (P, Fe, Zn, and Cu), and secondary metabolites (total carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, phenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid), as well as decreased nitrate content and higher antioxidant capability (assessed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP values) were also observed. Molecular evidence further revealed that the expressions of genes related to Fe, Zn, and P absorption as well as ascorbic acid biosynthesis were obviously up-regulated, consistent with changes in Fe, Zn, P, and ascorbic acid accumulation achieved after HNW irrigation. These results clearly suggested that HNW might have a practical value in improving yield and quality of horticultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is known that various natural (40K, 234Th, 231Th, etc.) and technogenic (90Sr, 89Sr, 137Cs, 134Cs, etc.) radionuclides (RN) may enter into the biosphere during the operation of nuclear power plants (NPP). Moving along the transfer chains of irrigation water -- soil - plant and hydroponic nutrient solution -- substrate - plant, the RN may penetrate human organisms and potentially cause various dangerous diseases. Thus, monitoring the gross β- radioactivity of plant materials (such as vegetables, medicinal plants, fruits, etc.) and ensuring the production of radioecologically safe plant raw materials is a contemporary challenge.Since 1996, we have been conducting radiomonitoring studies in Ararat Valley in the water-soil-plant ecosystem of the zones within the 2-15, 20, and 30 km radius of Armenian NPP (ANPP) technogenic influence. Objective: To reveal the optimal conditions for radio-ecologically safe plant raw material, we compared the gross β-radioactivity of the edible parts of several valuable vegetables (rhubarb - Rheum undulatum L., Chinese cabbage - Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis, kale - Brassica oleracea var. Sabellica L., spicy pepper - Capsicum frutescens L., (varieties - "Bishops crown", "Cayenne", "Chili De arbol", "Little Elf", "Fresno"), cicer - Cicer arietinum L., (varieties - "Kapuli" introduced from the USA, "Desi" introduced from Canada and "Leningradskaya 313" introduced from Russia)) as well as the plant raw materials of medicinal plants (ashwagandha - Withania somnifera L., Moroccan mint - Mentha spicatavar. Crispa, Marokko, Japanese pagoda tree - Sophora japonica L., holy basil - Ocimum tenuiflorum L., and rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis L.). These plants were introduced into Armenia and grown under various outdoor hydroponic systems (organic, NFT, water stream, drip, and classical hydroponics) and in soil.hydroponics) and soil. The studies were done at the Institute of Hydroponics Problems (IHP) in Ararat Valley (a zone of ANPP with a 30 km radius). It has concrete practical significance since it allows radio-ecologically safe plant raw material to be received. Methods: The gross β-radioactivity of the plant samples was determined using a small background UMF-1500 radiometer. Results: The results of the radiochemical study have shown that in the same zone of radio voltage and climatic conditions of Ararat Valley, several varieties of crops cultivated in hydroponic and soil conditions have accumulated different amounts of β-emitting technogenic and natural RN. The gross β-radioactivity of vegetables fluctuated between 230 - 590 Bq/kg in classic hydroponics and 140 - 480 Bq/kg in soil, and the gross β-radioactivity of medicinal plants was between 320 - 680 Bq/kg in hydroponics and 240 - 450 Bq/kg in soil. In both hydroponic systems and soil, the gross β-radioactivity of the edible parts of vegetables and medicinal plants follows the same decreasing order: for vegetables, the order is rhubarb > Chinese cabbage > kale > spicy pepper > chickpea; and for medicinal plants, the order is ashwagandha > Moroccan mint > holy basil > Japanese pagoda tree > rosemary. Conclusion: Regardless of the crop varieties and cultivation methods (organic, water stream, drop, classical hydroponics, and soil culture), the plant raw material is considered radio-ecologically safe because their gross β- radioactivity doesn't exceed the radio-ecological safety threshold stated by the World Health Organization -- 1000 Bq/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Canonical biocontrol bacteria were considered to inhibit pathogenic bacteria mainly by secreting antibiotic metabolites or enzymes. Recent studies revealed that some biocontrol bacteria can inhibit pathogenic bacteria through contact‐dependent killing (CDK) mediated by contact‐dependent secretion systems. The CDK was independent of antibiotic metabolites and often ignored in normal biocontrol activity assay. RESULTS: In this study, we aimed to use a pathogen enrichment strategy to isolate non‐canonical bacteria with CDK ability. Rhizosphere soil samples from Chinese cabbage showing soft rot symptom were collected and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc), the pathogen of cabbage soft rot, were added into these samples to enrich bacteria which attached on Pcc cells. By co‐culture with Pcc, four bacteria strains (named as PcE1, PcE8, PcE12 and PcE13) showing antibacterial activity were isolated from Chinese cabbage rhizosphere. These four bacteria strains showed CDK abilities to different pathogenic bacteria of horticultural plants. Among them, PcE1 was identified as Chryseobacterium cucumeris. Genome sequencing showed that PcE1 genome encoded a type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene cluster. By heterologous expression, four predicted T6SS effectors of PcE1 showed antibacterial activity to Escherichia coli. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study isolated four bacteria strains with CDK activity to various horticultural plant pathogens, and revealed possible involvement of T6SS of Chryseobacterium cucumeris in antibacterial activity. These results provide valuable insight for potential application of CDK activity in biocontrol bacteria. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a genetic mechanism that promotes out-breeding and maintains genetic diversity in plant species. The inhibition of pollen germination and pollen tube growth is one of the major characteristics of SI response. The involvement of Ca2+ signaling mediated by Ca2+ sensors in the SI response has been demonstrated to affect the germination of incompatible pollen and the normal elongation of pollen tubes. In this study, the calmodulin-like 49 (BrCML49) gene in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) was down-regulated expression during the SI process, indicating that BrCML49 may participate in the regulation of SI response. The transient suppression of BrCML49 gene induced the abnormal germination of pollen in vitro, which showed the putative positive roles of BrCML49 in regulating pollen germination. The inhibited germination of self- and cross-pollen in BrCML49-suppressed stigma was also observed, which revealed the activated SI response. After BrCML49 suppression, the increases in Ca2+ level in stigmatic papilla cells were consistent with the increases in ROS/H2O2 contents in the stigma, which may be essential for the occurrence of SI response. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of BrCML49 in Arabidopsis validated the positive regulation of BrCML49 in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. In addition, BrCML49 overexpressed Arabidopsis exhibited an enhanced tolerance of pollen germination to high Ca2+ condition. These results will provide valuable information for understanding the roles of BrCML49 in regulating pollen germination and pollen tube growth during SI process in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Aims: Straw turnover plays an important role in reducing soil diseases, improving the ecological environment of plowland and realizing the effective ecological utilization of straw. Methods: Pot and field experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of maize, rice and wheat straws on the growth, clubroot disease of Chinese cabbage and soil nutrients. Undecomposed and decomposed maize, rice and wheat straws were quantitatively added to the monocultural soil of Chinese cabbage, and the crops without straw were taken as the control. Results: The results showed that the addition of maize, wheat and rice straws could promote the growth of monocultural Chinese cabbage, inhibit the occurrence of clubroot disease, increase soil pH value, the content of soil organic matter, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen and available potassium in pot experiment. Exogenous straw application could reduce the incidence rate by 22.54 ~ 47.85%, increase the plot yield of field 95.15 ~ 365.81%. Conclusions: In terms of inhibiting clubroot disease and improving soil properties, undecomposed rice straw is superior to maize and wheat straw, while decomposed maize straw is superior to rice and wheat straw.

Inoculation of Chinese cabbage leaves with high titer (107 cfu/ml) of the non-adapted bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) strain Bv5-4a.1 triggered rapid leaf tissue collapses and hypersensitive cell death (HCD) at 24 h. Electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation markedly increased in the Xcv-inoculated leaves. Defence-related gene expressions (BrPR1, BrPR4, BrChi1, BrGST1 and BrAPX1) were preferentially activated in the Xcv-inoculated leaves. The Xcv-triggered HCD was attenuated by continuous light but accelerated by a dark environment, and the prolonged high relative humidity also alleviated the HCD. Constant dark and increased relative humidity provided favorable conditions for the Xcv bacterial growth in the leaves. Pretreated fluridone (biosynthetic inhibitor of endogenous abscisic acid [ABA]) increased the HCD in the Xcv-inoculated leaves, but exogenous ABA attenuated the HCD. The pretreated ABA also reduced the Xcv bacterial growth in the leaves. These results highlight that the onset of HCD in Chinese cabbage leaves initiated by non-adapted pathogen Xcv Bv5-4a.1 and in planta bacterial growth was differently modulated by internal and external conditional changes.

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development, where the nutrients and energy of senescent leaves are redistributed to developing tissues or organs for plant growth, reproduction, and defense. Outer leaves are photosynthetic organs that usually senesce at the late heading stage in Chinese cabbage, and premature leaf senescence often reduces leafy head yield and quality. In this study, 11 premature leaf senescence mutants were screened from an ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized population of the double haploid line ‘FT’ in Chinese cabbage. At the early heading stage, the mutants exhibited edge yellowing within its outer leaves, and at the mature stage, its leafy head weight decreased significantly. Genetic analysis revealed that the mutated trait of all 11 mutants corresponds to single gene recessive inheritance. Semi-diallel cross tests showed that 5 of the 11 were allelic mutants. MutMap and Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR genotyping revealed that BraA01g001400.3C was the candidate gene, which is orthologous of Arabidopsis SUPPRESSOR OF rps4-RLD 1, encoding an immune regulator, so we named it as BrSRFR1. All the BrSRFR1 in the five allelic mutants exhibited single nucleotide polymorphisms at different positions on their exons and led to premature translation termination, which confirmed that defect in BrSRFR1 led to premature leaf senescence. These results verify the role of BrSRFR1 on leaf senescence and provide a new insight into the mechanisms of leaf senescence in Chinese cabbage, which reveals a novel function of SRFR1 in plant development.

Ruffled vegetables, having wrinkled leaves with a crispy and tender texture, are highly favored by consumers. However, the genetic resources of crinkled leaf vegetables in the Brassica genus are limited. In this study, distant hybridization was performed between 'Mottle-leaf Tai-cai' (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis (L.) Makino var. tai-tsai Hort. AA, 2n = 20) and 'Big Yellow Flower Chinese Kale' (B. oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey. CC, 2n = 18) by hand emasculation followed by tissue culture. As a result, all obtained three embryos were identified as true hybrids (AC, 2n = 19) through morphology, cytology, and molecular markers. After chromosome doubling, an allotetraploid hybrid (AACC, 2n = 38) was obtained with a giant leaf, serrated leaf margin, and wrinkled leaf surface; therefore, its most agronomical characters were biased toward the female parent of 'Mottle-leaf Tai-cai'. In comparison with diploid hybrid, the pollen stainability of allotetraploids were significantly improved and similar to their parents. Additionally, all 5 pairs of SSR primers showed the authenticity of the hybrids. Furthermore, the contents of soluble sugar, vitamin C, and cellulose in the hybrids increased when compared with their parents. Briefly, the obtained hybrid is interspecific euhybrid, and has wrinkle-leaf characteristics, improved nutritional quality, so it is a novel Brassica wrinkle-leaf vegetable germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]