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The growth, yield, and seed quality of rapeseed are negatively affected by drought stress. Therefore, it is of great value to understand the molecular mechanism behind this phenomenon. In a previous study, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were found to play a key role in the response of rapeseed seedlings to drought stress. However, many questions remained unanswered. This study was the first to investigate the expression profile of lncRNAs not only under control and drought treatment, but also under the rehydration treatment. A total of 381 differentially expressed lncRNA and 10,253 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified in the comparison between drought stress and control condition. In the transition from drought stress to rehydration, 477 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 12,543 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected. After identifying the differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, the comprehensive lncRNAs-engaged network with the co-expressed mRNAs in leaves under control, drought and rehydration was investigated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of co-expressed mRNAs identified the most significant pathways related with plant hormones (expecially abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinins, and gibberellins) in the signal transduction. The genes, co-expressed with the most-enriched DE-lncRNAs, were considered as the most effective candidates in the water-loss and water-recovery processes, including protein phosphatase 2 C (PP2C), ABRE-binding factors (ABFs), and SMALL AUXIN UP-REGULATED RNAs (SAURs). In summary, these analyses clearly demonstrated that DE-lncRNAs can act as a regulatory hub in plant-water interaction by controlling phytohormone signaling pathways and provided an alternative way to explore the complex mechanisms of drought tolerance in rapeseed.

Canola (Brassica napus) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. However, its yield has been constrained by salt stress. In this study, transcriptome profiles were explored using Digital Gene Expression (DGE) at 0, 3, 12 and 24 hours after H2O (control) and NaCl treatments on B. napus roots at the germination stage. Comparisons of gene-expression between the control and the treatment were conducted after tag-mapping to the sequenced Brassica rapa genome. The differentially expressed genes during the time course of salt stress were focused on, and 163 genes were identified to be differentially expressed at all the time points. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed that some of the genes were involved in proline metabolism, inositol metabolism, carbohydrate metabolic processes and oxidation-reduction processes and may play vital roles in the salt-stress response at the germination stage. Thus, this study provides new candidate salt stress responding genes, which may function in novel putative nodes in the molecular pathways of salt stress resistance.

Panicle nitrogen application is a key agronomic practice for regulating rice yield and quality, yet its effects are highly dependent on genetic background, especially the amylose content of japonica rice varieties. This study systematically examined the differential responses to panicle nitrogen fertilizer (0, 60, 120 kg N ha ) in yield formation, grain quality, and starch properties among representative japonica rice genotypes differing in amylose content (normal vs. low). Results revealed variety-specific regulatory patterns: normal-amylose content (NAC) varieties showed a stronger yield response, with a 27.27% increase under the N120 treatment, largely attributable to higher panicle number per unit area. However, these varieties also exhibited significant deterioration in appearance quality, such as increased chalkiness. In contrast, low-amylose content (LAC) varieties demonstrated a greater improvement in milling quality-head rice rate increased by 10.13% under N120-but a more pronounced decline in cooking/eating quality, evidenced by reduced peak viscosity, breakdown value, and taste score. These findings highlight the need for amylose-based differential nitrogen management strategies to simultaneously achieve high yield and superior quality, providing a theoretical foundation for precision rice production oriented toward \"variety-specific cultivation and quality-targeted fertilization.\"

Background Cold stress adversely influences rapeseeds ( Brassica napus L.) growth and yield during winter and spring seasons. Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a potential gasotransmitter that is used to enhance tolerance against abiotic stress, including cold stress. However, convenience and stability are two crucial limiting factors upon the application of H 2 in field agriculture. To explore the application of H 2 in field, here we evaluated the role of ammonia borane (AB), a new candidate for a H 2 donor produced by industrial chemical production, in plant cold tolerance. Results The application with AB could obviously alleviate the inhibition of rapeseed seedling growth and reduce the oxidative damage caused by cold stress. The above physiological process was closely related to the increased antioxidant enzyme system and reestablished redox homeostasis. Importantly, cold stress-triggered endogenous H 2 S biosynthesis was further stimulated by AB addition. The removal or inhibition of H 2 S synthesis significantly abolished plant tolerance against cold stress elicited by AB. Further field experiments demonstrated that the phenotypic and physiological performances of rapeseed plants after challenged with cold stress in the winter and early spring seasons were significantly improved by administration with AB. Particularly, the most studied cold-stress response pathway, the ICE1-CBF-COR transcriptional cascade, was significantly up-regulated either. Conclusion Overall, this study clearly observed the evidence that AB-increased tolerance against cold stress could be suitable for using in field agriculture by stimulation of H 2 S signaling.

The kinesin (KIN) gene family is a subgroup of motor proteins. It plays a critical role in plant development and responses to environmental stresses. However, their function in soybean salt tolerance has yet to be clearly defined. This study employed bioinformatics approaches and identified 139 kinesin family members in the soybean genome. These 139 genes were classified into 10 subgroups, unevenly distributed across the chromosomes. The promoter regions of GmKIN genes harbored several stress-responsive elements, and segmental duplication was the primary driver of the expansion of the GmKIN gene family. Based on publicly available RNA-seq data, we studied the response patterns of 139 GmKIN genes to salt stress and found that 20 KIN genes in soybeans were upregulated after salt stress, with GmKIN114, GmKIN102, GmKIN109, and GmKIN99 showing more than a threefold increase in their expression under salt stress. Using quantitative fluorescence PCR, transgenic yeast, and a transgenic hairy root system, we preliminarily validated the salt tolerance functions of the four KIN genes in soybeans. This study probed into the GmKIN gene family in soybean, offering valuable insights into the functional roles of these genes in stress adaptation.

Background The fatty acid composition of B. napus ’ seeds determines the oil’s nutritional and industrial values, and affects seed germination. Many studies have reported correlations among C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 based on phenotypic data; however, the genetic basis of the fatty acid composition in B. napus is still not well understood. Results In this study, unconditional and conditional quantitative trail locus (QTL) mapping analyses were conducted using a recombinant inbred line in six environments. In total, 21 consensus QTLs each for C16:0, C18:0 and C18:2, 16 for C18:1 and 22 for C18:3 were detected by unconditional mapping. The QTLs with overlapping confidence intervals were integrated into 71 pleiotropically unique QTLs by meta-analysis. Two major QTLs, uuqA5–6 and uuqA5–7 , simultaneously affected the fatty acids, except C18:0, in most of environments, with the homologous genes fatty acid desaturase 2 ( FAD2 ) and glycerol-3-phosphate sn-2-acyltransferase 5 ( GPAT5 ) occurring in the confidence interval of uuqA5–6 , while phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase 1 ( PAH1 ) was assigned to uuqA5–7 . Moreover, 49, 30, 48, 60 and 45 consensus QTLs were detected for C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3, respectively, by the conditional mapping analysis. In total, 128 unique QTLs were subsequently integrated from the 232 conditional consensus QTLs. A comparative analysis revealed that 63 unique QTLs could be identified by both mapping methodologies, and 65 additional unique QTLs were only identified in conditional mapping. Conclusions Thus, conditional QTL mapping for fatty acids may uncover numerous additional QTLs that were inhibited by the effects of other traits. These findings provide useful information for better understanding the genetic relationships among fatty acids at the QTL level.

The GS3 protein is a G protein widely conserved in plants, playing a pivotal role in growth, development, and stress responses. With the protein sequence of the AT1/GS3 gene in sorghum as a query, this study identified five GS3 gene family members in the soybean genome database and designated GmGS3-1 to GmGS3-5. Promoter cis-element analysis suggested that soybean GS3 is implicated in responses to abiotic stress. Additionally, collinearity analysis indicated that soybean GS3 genes are subject to purifying selection. Transcriptomic data of the five soybean GS3 genes revealed that the nuclear-localized gene GmGS3-1 is highly expressed in root tissues and significantly upregulated under salt and drought stress, as confirmed by qRT-PCR assays. Functional validation for salt and drought tolerance demonstrated that transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibited higher fresh weight compared to wild-type (WT) controls. Furthermore, GmGS3-1 was found to interact with multiple G proteins, suggesting its synergistic role in the abiotic stress tolerance of soybean. These findings establish a theoretical framework for understanding the functional role of the GS3 gene family in soybean stress tolerance and development.

Substituting chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers is a significant agricultural practice that can enhance crop yield while influencing soil activity. To investigate the effects of biochar-based organic fertilizer on rice yield, quality, and soil physicochemical properties and activity, this study conducted a field experiment with three treatments: chemical fertilizer only (CK), 30% of chemical nitrogen substituted with conventional organic fertilizer (CF), and 30% of chemical nitrogen substituted with biochar-based organic fertilizer (BF). Compared with chemical fertilizer alone (CK), both CF and BF treatments significantly increased rice yield by 8.9% and 14.2%, respectively, with BF showing a further increase over CF, primarily attributed to an 18.7% increase in panicle number. Both organic fertilizer treatments significantly improved grain quality, reducing amylose content by 4.6% and 13.1%, and increasing taste value by 3.3% and 3.6%, respectively. Dry matter accumulation throughout the growth period was significantly enhanced, with BF increasing total dry weight by 11.2% at maturity compared to CK. Root morphology was markedly improved, with BF increasing root volume by 146.1% at the grain-filling stage. Soil nutrient content was significantly elevated, showing maximum increases under BF of 118.9% for alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, 51.7% for ammonium nitrogen, 30.6% for available phosphorus, and 177.6% for available potassium. Soil enzyme activity analysis revealed significant enhancements in urease, acid phosphatase, and sucrase activities, with maximum increases of 91.5%, 105.6%, and 104.2%, respectively, under BF. These findings demonstrate that organic fertilizers, particularly biochar-based organic fertilizer, can synergistically enhance rice yield and quality by promoting root growth, strengthening soil microbial activity and enzymatic reactions, and optimizing nutrient supply. Biochar-based organic fertilizer exhibits significant advantages in improving soil biological fertility and maintaining stable nutrient supply during the late growth stages of rice.

IntroductionPanicle nitrogen fertilizer is an important agronomic measure to regulate rice quality. Grain filling is crucial for the formation of rice quality. However, there are few studies on the effects of panicle nitrogen application on rice quality of soft japonica rice with different grain filling rate.MethodsIn this study, two field experiments were carried out, two soft japonica rice varieties, Ningxiangjing 9 (N9) with rapid grain-filling rate and Ningjing 8 (N8) with slow grain-filling rate, were used under four panicle nitrogen levels.Results and discussionN9 exhibited significant increase in chalkiness rate and chalkiness degree under medium to high panicle nitrogen levels, while panicle nitrogen fertilizer application had relatively smaller effects on N8. With the increasing panicle nitrogen level, N9 demonstrated greater improvement in processing quality compared to N8 under environmental with lower soil fertility, Conversely, N9 showed smaller reduction in processing quality compared to N8 under environmental with higher soil fertility. With increasing nitrogen application rates in panicle fertilizers, N8 showed greater decreases in taste quality under medium to high nitrogen levels compared to N9. In conclusion, the key to achieving high-quality rice production in the field lies in formulating differentiated panicle nitrogen fertilizer management strategies based on the grain filling rate characteristics of the varieties.

Saline-alkali stress and cold damage significantly impact the yield of Brassica napus. G proteins play a crucial role in plant resistance to abiotic stresses, and research on G proteins in Brassica napus (rapeseed) is still in its early stages. In this study, we employed bioinformatics tools to systematically investigate the basic physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, distribution, gene structure, cis-regulatory elements, and expansion patterns of the GS3 gene family in Brassica napus. Additionally, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze the response of the BnGS3-3 gene to salt and low-temperature stresses. Natural variations were found in the promoter region of BnGS3-3. By conducting a promoter-driven luciferase (LUC) assay, the relationship between natural variations in the BnGS3-3 promoter and salt and cold tolerance was analyzed. Furthermore, the impact of these natural variations on flowering time, root length, and yield was explored using phenotypic data from a population. Our research results aim to provide insights into the function and molecular mechanisms of BnGS3-3 in Brassica napus, and to offer valuable genetic resources for molecular breeding to improve salt and low-temperature tolerance in Brassica napus.