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An optimal use of organic composts derived from animal and food wastes could provide an opportunity to achieve both sustainable crop production and soil quality, and a lot of research has provided the evidence. The nitrogen use efficiencies (NUEs) is a definition to evaluate the interaction between crop and nitrogen (N), and, due to this reason, widely used in agriculture. The current work tried to evaluate NUEs as an indicator of N acquisition capacity and physiological responses of rice grown under varying N levels. To do this, we employed different types and rates of nitrogen source, chemical fertilizer, livestock manure-based compost and food waste and livestock manure-containing compost. Despite of the enhanced rice growth and yield by fertilization, a difference by types and rates of fertilization was not observed. Net photosynthetic rate was significantly higher in the treatments of 90–317 N kg ha -1 . The NUE (N uptake efficiency × N utilization efficiency) was the highest in lower N application groups, and sharply reduced with an increase in fertilization rates. In contrast, the nitrogen harvest index (NHI, grain N/total biomass N, kg kg -1 ) showed higher (0.71– 0.76 kg kg -1 ) in greater N application treatments (≤ 317 N kg ha -1 ). Accordingly, in terms of NUE, our result suggest that rice may be affordable of the application of less than 300 kg N ha -1 (combination with chemical fertilizer and organic compost). Nevertheless, it should be investigated how excess N application affects soil quality, and how long rice plant and soil can accept excess N without an environmental load.

The chloroplast (cp.) genome, also known as plastome, plays crucial roles in plant survival, adaptation, and evolution. The stable genetic structure of cp. genomes provides an ideal system for investigating species evolution. We sequenced three complete cp. genome sequences of Capsicum species and analyzed them using sequences of various Capsicum species retrieved from the NCBI database. The cp. genome of Capsicum species maintains a well-preserved quadripartite structure consisting of two inverted repeats (IRs) flanked by a large single copy (LSC) region and a small single copy (SSC) region. The sizes of cp. genome sequences ranged from 156,583 bp ( C. lycianthoides ) to 157,390 bp ( C.pubescens ). A total of 127–132 unique genes, including 83–87 protein-coding, 36–37 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes, were predicted. Comparison of cp. genomes of 10 Capsicum species revealed high sequence similarity in genome-wide organization and gene arrangements. Fragments of trnT - UGU / trnL - UAA , ccsA , ndhD , rps12 , and ycf1 were identified as variable regions, and nucleotide variability of LSC and SSC was higher than that of IR. Phylogenetic speciation analysis showed that the major domesticated C. annuum species were the most extensively divergent species and closely related to C. tovarii and C. frutescens . Analysis of divergent times suggested that a substantial range of speciation events started occurring ~ 25.79 million years ago (Mya). Overall, comparative analysis of cp. genomes of Capsicum species not only offers new insights into their genetic variation and phylogenetic relationships, but also lays a foundation for evolutionary history, genetic diversity, conservation, and biological breeding of Capsicum species.

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolismare critical to plant growth and development and are at the basis of crop yield and adaptation. We performed high-throughput metabolite analyses on over 12,000 samples from the nested association mapping population to identify genetic variation in C and N metabolism in maize (Zea maysssp.mays). All samples were grown in the same field and used to identify natural variation controlling the levels of 12 key C and N metabolites, namely chlorophylla, chlorophyllb, fructose, fumarate, glucose, glutamate, malate, nitrate, starch, sucrose, total amino acids, and total protein, along with the first two principal components derived from them. Our genome-wide association results frequently identified hits with single-gene resolution. In addition to expected genes such as invertases, natural variation was identified in key C₄ metabolism genes, including carbonic anhydrases and a malate transporter. Unlike several prior maize studies, extensive pleiotropy was found for C and N metabolites. This integration of field-derived metabolite data with powerful mapping and genomics resources allows for the dissection of key metabolic pathways, providing avenues for future genetic improvement.

Thin pericarp is one of crucial selection criteria for high-tender waxy corn hybrid development. A pericarp thickness of 2414 maize landrace accessions including 87 public waxy inbred lines was investigated to select accessions with thin pericarp and to broaden genetic diversity among waxy corn cultivars. Observed pericarp thickness of the 2414 accessions ranged from 16.0 ± 1.56 to 139.2 ± 39.55 µm with the average of 47.7 ± 13.15 µm. More than half of the accessions were below the suggested thickness of <50 µm for high-tender waxy corn hybrid development. Large sample size resulted in significant differences among endosperm types and among collection provinces. This, however, may not translate into considerable difference in tenderness since most averages of different types and collection provinces were <50 µm. Positive correlation (r = 0.55) between the average and standard deviation of pericarp thickness implied that more samples are needed to achieve same level of precision when it comes to selection for thick pericarp than that for thin pericarp. Top 10% thin-pericarped waxy landrace accessions were intercrossed to form a new waxy corn population from this result.

is an economically important forage crop in South Korea and China. Although detailed genetic and genomic data can improve population genetic studies, conservation efforts, and improved breeding of crops, few such data are available for species in general and none at all for . Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to sequence, assemble, and annotate chloroplast genome and to identify simple sequence repeats (SSRs) as polymorphic genetic markers. The whole-genome sequence of was generated using an Illumina MiSeq platform. De novo assembly of complete chloroplast genome sequences was performed for the low-coverage sequence using CLC Genome Assembler with a 200-600-bp overlap size. chloroplast genome was 130,796-bp long. The genome lacked an inverted repeat unit and thus resembled those of species in the inverted repeat-lacking clade within Fabaceae. Genome annotation using Dual OrganellarGenoMe Annotator (DOGMA) identified 107 genes, comprising 75 protein-coding, 28 transfer RNA, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. In total, 432 SSRs were detected in chloroplast genome, including 64 mononucleotides, 14 dinucleotides, 5 trinucleotides, 4 tetranucleotides, 233 pentanucleotides, 90 hexanucleotides, and 14 complex repeated motifs. These were used to develop 232 novel chloroplast SSR markers, 39 of which were chosen at random to test amplification and genetic diversity in species (20 accessions from seven species). The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis identified seven clusters at the interspecies level and intraspecific differences within clusters. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of was determined. This reference genome should facilitate chloroplast resequencing and future searches for additional genetic markers using population samples. The novel chloroplast genome resources and SSR markers will greatly contribute to the conservation of the genus and facilitate genetic and evolutionary studies of this genus and of other higher plants.

Black soybean (Glycine max L.) has been used as a traditional medicine because its seed coat contains various natural phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins. The objective of this study was to reveal the genetic variation in the agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activity of 172 Korean black soybean landraces (KBSLs) and establish a relationship among them. The evaluation of three agricultural traits (days to 50% flowering, maturity, and 100-seed weight), six phytochemicals (delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyaniding-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, daidzin, glycitin, and genestin), and four antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the total polyphenol content (TPC) of 172 KBSLs were analyzed in 2012 and 2015. The agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activities of the 172 KBSLs showed wide variation among the accessions and years. In correlation analysis, the agricultural traits and phytochemicals showed positive and negative correlations with phytochemicals and antioxidant activity, respectively. The principal component analyses result indicated that phytochemicals accounted for most of the variability in the KBSLs. In clustering analysis, the 172 KBSLs were classified into four clusters. These results could lead to expanding the knowledge of the agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activity of the KBSLs, which are valuable materials for the development of new soybean varieties.

Amaranthus species are widely used as grain and leaf vegetables around the world and are potential dietary sources of antioxidants and phenolic compounds. In this study, we examined the variation in total flavonoid contents, total polyphenol contents, and antioxidant activities among 120 accessions of nine Amaranthus species. The antioxidant activity of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) of the 120 amaranth accessions ranged from 1.1 (A. tricolor) to 75.2 (A. tricolor mg ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/g in 2018, and 8.5 (A. tricolor) to 68.8 (A. dubius) mg AAE/g in 2019. ABTS (2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonate)) antioxidant activity ranged from 16.7 (A. tricolor) to 78.3 (A. hypochondriacus) mg AAE/g in 2018, and 36.6 (A. tricolor) to 79.2 (A. dubius) mg AAE/g in 2019. Total flavonoid content (TFC) of 2018 and 2019 ranged from 21.7 (A. caudatus) to 52.7 (A. hybridus) and from 22.3 (A. viridis) to 54.7 (A. tricolor), respectively Antioxidant activities were compared using two methods and all components were measured in plants grown both in 2018 and 2019. We identified wide variation among the accessions and between plants grown in the two years. Antioxidant activities and phytochemical contents were consistently negatively correlated. The nine species and 120 accessions clustered into three groups according to their antioxidant activities, total flavonoid contents, and total polyphenol contents in each year. These results provide information about the nutritional profiles of different Amaranthus species.

Agastache rugosa , also known as Korean mint, is a perennial plant from the Lamiaceae family that is traditionally used for various ailments and contains antioxidant and antibacterial phenolic compounds. Molecular breeding of A. rugosa can enhance secondary metabolite production and improve agricultural traits, but progress in this field has been delayed due to the lack of chromosome-scale genome information. Herein, we constructed a chromosome-level reference genome using Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technology, resulting in a final genome assembly with a scaffold N50 of 52.15 Mbp and a total size of 410.67 Mbp. Nine pseudochromosomes accounted for 89.1% of the predicted genome. The BUSCO analysis indicated a high level of completeness in the assembly. Repeat annotation revealed 561,061 repeat elements, accounting for 61.65% of the genome, with Copia and Gypsy long terminal repeats being the most abundant. A total of 26,430 protein-coding genes were predicted, with an average length of 1,184 bp. The availability of this chromosome-scale genome will advance our understanding of A. rugosa ’s genetic makeup and its potential applications in various industries.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract on free fatty acid (FFA)-induced hepatic insulin resistance. FFA treatment decreased glucose uptake by 16.2% compared with that in the control, whereas taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract increased the glucose uptake. Additionally, taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract increased the expression of p-PI3K, p-IRS1, p-AKT, p-AMPK, and p-ACC in FFA-induced hepatocytes. Furthermore, FFA treatment increased the expression of miR-195. However, compared with the FFA treatment, treatment with taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract decreased miR-195 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract enhanced p-IRS1, p-PI3K, p-AMPK, p-AKT, and p-ACC expression by suppressing miR-195 levels in miR-195 mimic- or inhibitor-transfected cells. These results indicate that taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract attenuate insulin resistance by regulating miR-195 expression, which suggests that taxifolin and sorghum ethanol extract may be useful antidiabetic agents.

In the temperate climate of South Korea, specific corn varieties are cultivated using plug trays. The cultivation process is initiated from February to March within greenhouse facilities, maintaining a temperature below 10 degrees Celsius. Following this, in April, seedlings are transplanted to enable an exceptionally early harvest for increased profitability. However, the subsequent elevation in indoor temperatures leads to seedling overgrowth. This study explores the effectiveness of three plant growth regulators—paclobutrazol, prohexadione-calcium, and diniconazole–on super sweet corn seedlings. Significantly, the application of prohexadione-calcium at 2 ppm during the first leaf stage substantially reduces seedling height and impedes the growth of both the first and second internodes. This impact extends to leaf-related traits, manifesting reductions in the area, length, and width of the third leaf. Furthermore, prohexadione-calcium induces a significant decrease in both fresh and dried shoot weight, while simultaneously augmenting root weight. This alteration results in a noteworthy shift in the root–shoot ratio, particularly at 2 ppm. Subsequent experiments have identified the optimal concentration of prohexadione-calcium at 15 ppm, effectively mitigating overgrowth in both hybrid and inbred corn varieties. These findings provide essential insights for practitioners seeking to efficiently manage corn seedling overgrowth. The study contributes to understanding the retardant effect of prohexadione-calcium on various morphological traits, offering practical applications for optimizing plant growth regulator concentrations in corn cultivation strategies.