Neonatal calves exhibit heightened susceptibility to infections caused by various gut microbiota, primarily due to their immature gastrointestinal barrier functions and underdeveloped immune systems during the pre-weaning period. Calf diarrhea poses a significant risk to the health of juvenile ruminants and can result in substantial financial losses within the livestock sector. Therefore, diarrhea is a significant disease that requires improved management practices and preventive measures in cattle rearing. Antibiotics are commonly administered to combat diarrhea and promote calf growth. However, their misuse has led to increased bacterial resistance and higher levels of antibiotic residues in meat. Consequently, finding advanced and alternative ways to treat newborn calf diarrhea for enhanced livestock production and public health is a significant challenge. Probiotic administration can offer significant advantages such as improving the internal microenvironment of the gut and enhancing the host’s immune response, thereby reducing the likelihood of gastrointestinal diseases. Additionally, probiotic supplements have been formulated as alternatives to antibiotic treatment to upgrade animal health and productivity, and are essential for maintaining the balance of the gut microbiota. The treatment of calves with probiotic supplementation has emerged as a significant area of research. This review highlights the research progress on the pathogenesis of neonatal calf diarrhea and the mechanism of action of probiotics to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of diarrhea in calves.

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are economically important pests of crops worldwide. Although increasing evidence suggests that aphid-associated microorganisms have potential applications in integrated pest management (IPM), our understanding of their roles in multitrophic interactions remains limited. This review synthesizes current knowledge on aphid-associated endosymbionts and secretion-associated microbes, focusing on their influence on aphid physiology, behavior but also on interactions with host plants and natural enemies. Firstly, the functional diversity of endosymbionts, which contribute to improved nutrition, heat tolerance and resistance to pathogens, parasitoids and pesticides was highlighted. Secondly, we examined how microbes from aphid saliva and honeydew can act as molecular cues to induce plant defenses and modify the behaviour of aphidophagous beneficials. Special attention was given to honeydew-associated microbial volatiles (mVOCs), which can modulate the behavior of predators and parasitoids. Finally, emerging biocontrol strategies that leverage symbionts and mVOCs were discussed to propose future directions for integrating microbial ecology into sustainable aphid management.

Leaf rust is a highly destructive foliar disease in wheat which causes major constraints in wheat production worldwide. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of adult plant resistance to leaf rust in 590 accessions from the advanced backcross-nested association mapping plus inter-crossed (AB-NAMIC) population. We used 660K genotype data to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS), which identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, and 7D, and then focused on the candidate gene TaRLK-1B on chromosome 1B. A cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker developed based on TaRLK-1B haplotypes could effectively differentiate between resistant and susceptible varieties. This gene encodes a membrane-localized leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) that is upregulated in response to the fungal infection that causes leaf rust. Targeted knockout of TaRLK-1B in wheat led to reduced resistance to leaf rust, underscoring its essential role as a positive regulator of the defense against this disease. We propose that TaRLK-1B interacts with the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase TaRLCK1B, potentially facilitating immune signal transduction. Our findings also demonstrate that pyramiding minor effect QTLs significantly increases resistance to leaf rust. This study provides novel insights into rust resistance genes and valuable QTL information, which can improve marker-assisted wheat breeding efforts.

Kernel length (KL) is one of the components determining grain weight (GW) in wheat. In this study, we firstly detected a putative locus on chromosome arm 2BL from a mutant BLS2 with long kernels using a Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) combined with a 60 K SNP array. This putative locus was then confirmed as a major and stable QTL based on linkage mapping. The locus, Qkl.sau-BC-2B.1, was mapped in an interval of 0.4 cM, and phenotypic variance explained by it varied from 17.01 to 30.53% across different environments. Effects of this locus was further verified in a second population. The positive allele of the locus could significantly increase hundred-kernel weight and prolong anthesis date, but it did not affect plant height, tiller number, spike length, and spikelet number per spike. Expression and sequencing analyses identified TraesCS2B02G478100, possessing a G to C transition variation leading to an amino acid change, as the likely candidate gene underlying the locus. Further, a new model for analyzing the genetic basis of yield-related traits was proposed. Taken together, our results provide a foundation for subsequent gene mining and breeding utilization of this promising QTL for KL.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crucial global crop that serves as a primary source of food and feed. However, its kernels are susceptible to infection by Aspergillus flavus, a fungus known for producing aflatoxins - which are highly carcinogenic compounds harmful to human and animal health. Identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for aflatoxin resistance and developing aflatoxin-resistant maize varieties are essential for mitigating aflatoxin contamination. In this study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using an enlarged genotypic panel of 311 maize inbred lines was used to identify genetic loci associated with A. flavus resistance. Phenotypic data on A. flavus resistance were collected through controlled inoculation experiments conducted under controlled conditions. The results revealed that the resistance to A. flavus follows a normal distribution. In addition, temperate inbreds exhibited stronger resistance to A. flavus than tropical/subtropical materials. This study identified 13 novel QTLs encompassing 47 highly expressed genes, with each QTL explaining 8.22–27.71% of the phenotypic variation, indicating that the higher marker density improved statistical power. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed that these genes are related to fatty acid synthesis, glycoside decomposition, and root growth and development. One specific gene located on ZmAFR16, ZmFUC1, displayed clustered peaks and accounted for an average of 10.21% of the phenotypic variation. This gene was found to play a role in cell membrane formation and possess alpha-L-fucosidase activity, so it promotes glycoside metabolism and contributes to polysaccharide degradation. Haplotype analysis showed significant differences in resistance to A. flavus among the different haplotypes of elo1 and ZmFUC1. Inbreds carrying the favorable haplotype combination of these two genes exhibited strong resistance to A. flavus. A select sweep analysis indicated that ZmFUC1 was selected during the domestication of teosinte (Zea mays ssp. mexicana) to modern maize, as well as during the adaptation from tropical/subtropical maize to temperate maize. Importantly, this study developed molecular markers in the promoter region of ZmFUC1 to efficiently identify maize germplasm with beneficial haplotypes for resistance to A. flavus. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the genetic factors influencing maize kernel resistance to A. flavus but also offer valuable insights for improving existing germplasm and developing new maize varieties with enhanced resistance to this pathogen

Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAT) enzymes are widely expressed in various plant species, and they contribute to growth, development, and stress responses. Currently, information regarding the LPAT gene family in soybeans is limited. In this study, genome-wide analyses identified 15 soybean LPATs, which were then evaluated for their conserved protein motifs. These genes were grouped into three clusters based on their phylogenetic relationships. Confocal microscopy was used to visualize the localization of six GmLPATs within Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts. cis-Acting regulatory element analyses and qRT-PCR experiments revealed that these GmLPATs were upregulated in response to hormonal stimulation or exposure to abiotic stressors, including drought, alkaline conditions, and salt stress. The expression patterns of these GmLPATs varied among different soybean tissue types. One member of the solLPAT1 subtype (GmLPAT11) was found to be upregulated in response to a range of treatments, highlighting its role in soybean salt stress responses. GmLPAT11 expression in Escherichia coli confirmed the LPAT activity of this recombinant enzyme, and overexpressing this LPAT reduced reactive oxygen species production in transgenic soybean plants, thereby enhancing their salt stress tolerance. Gene association analyses indicated that GmLPAT11 variants are closely associated with seedling salt tolerance, and a polymorphism in the GmLPAT11 CDS region was potentially associated with salt tolerance. These results provide new insights into the nature of the LPAT gene family in soybeans while also identifying promising candidate genes for future research efforts to enhance the overall salt tolerance of soybean crops.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide, and the development of rapeseed varieties with high-quality oil is a long-term breeding goal. Reducing the content of palmitic acid, the main saturated fatty acid in rapeseed oil, can greatly improve oil quality. Here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of seed palmitic acid content (SPAC) were performed using 393 diverse B. napus accessions. Four genes (BnaA08.DAP, BnaA08.PAA1, BnaA08.DUF106, and BnaC03.DAP) were identified by both GWAS and TWAS. The transcripts per million (TPM) values of these candidate genes at 20 and 40 days after flowering (DAF) were significantly correlated with SPAC in this association panel. Based on genetic variation in the candidate genes, four low-SPAC haplotypes were identified by combining candidate gene association analysis and haplotype analysis. Brassica napus accessions carrying low-SPAC haplotypes had lower SPAC than those carrying high-SPAC haplotypes without affecting seed oil content, seed protein content, or seed yield. Based on the functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chrA08_9529850 (C/A) in the promoter of BnaA08.DUF106, a molecular marker (Bn_A8_SPAC_Marker) was developed that can be used to facilitate breeding for low SPAC in B. napus. Our findings provide valuable information for studying the genetic control of SPAC in B. napus. Moreover, the candidate genes, favorable haplotypes, and molecular marker identified in this study will be useful for breeding low-SPAC B. napus varieties.

To address the dual challenges of water scarcity and rising demand for premium rice, this study investigated the synergistic effects of mild alternate wetting and drying (Mild AWD) irrigation combined with wheat straw biochar application on rice yield and grain quality. A two-year field experiment (2023–2024) was conducted with the hybrid rice cultivar Yongyou 2640, with two irrigation regimes: continuous flooding (CF) and Mild AWD (re-irrigation at a soil water potential of –10 to –15 kPa at 15–20 cm depth), with or without a one-time biochar application (10 t ha⁻¹). The results showed that co-application of Mild AWD and biochar significantly increased grain yield by 18.7% in 2023 and 13.4% in 2024 compared to CF alone. It also comprehensively improved grain quality: milling quality (head rice rate increased by 23.1–24.6%), appearance quality (chalkiness reduced by 36.4–38.2%), cooking and eating quality (higher peak viscosity and lower gelatinization temperature and enthalpy), and nutritional quality (increased glutelin and decreased prolamin content and starch digestion). These improvements were attributed to enhanced root activity alongside leaf photosynthetic rate, which promotes the accumulation of photoassimilates in vegetative organs and their translocation to grains. Moreover, elevated activities of key starch synthases further enhanced starch biosynthesis and accumulation, which underpinned the improved yield and superior quality. We also identified that a minimum soil water potential of –10 to –15 kPa at a depth of 15–20 cm represents the optimal threshold for Mild AWD in rice production. This research provides a cultivation approach for synergistically producing high-yield, high-quality rice, which shows promising potential for scalable implementation.

Drought stress is a significant environmental stressor that can have detrimental effects on crop yields, especially during stem elongation. Drought priming has emerged as a promising technique for enhancing plant drought tolerance. However, the effects of drought priming on the spike differentiation process and its physiological basis in wheat are not clear. In this study, we investigated the effects of drought priming on spike development under drought stress by applying drought priming at the three-leaf stage and drought stress during stem elongation. This study demonstrated that drought priming significantly increased the photosynthetic rate of flag leaves by approximately 25.7% and improved leaf water potential by 17.4% during drought stress. Moreover, it mitigated oxidative damage by reducing the hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels by 30.6 and 11.1%, respectively, during stem elongation. Drought priming also markedly enhanced the activities of two key carbon metabolism enzymes, hexokinase and fructokinase, by 170.0 and 236.0%, respectively. This improved carbon metabolism and stabilized spike differentiation, leading to increased spikelet and floret primordia formation. Ultimately, drought priming achieved a 13.8% increase in kernel number per spike, demonstrating its potential for improving grain yield under drought conditions. This study innovatively revealed the “carbon homeostasis-spike development” coordination mechanism underlying drought priming-enhanced reproductive stress tolerance. The findings advance our understanding of stress memory as it relates to spatiotemporal regulation in crops and offer transformative solutions for stabilizing wheat production under climate change scenarios.

Soil compaction has become a serious limitation for further increasing the grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in the North China Plain (NCP). However, considerable variability exists among maize hybrids in their grain yield responses to soil compaction. To understand the physiological processes related to the variation of responses among maize hybrids to different soil compaction levels, a two-year field experiment was conducted with 17 maize hybrids and three soil compaction treatments (NC, no compaction with soil bulk density (SBD) of 1.0–1.3 g cm^–3; MC, moderate compaction with SBD of 1.4–1.5 g cm^–3, and HC, heavy compaction with SBD>1.6 g cm^–3) to examine the root and shoot morphological traits, dry matter accumulation, and grain yield. Compared to NC, MC and HC significantly reduced the maize yield by 0.9–26.7% and 5.9–41.1% across the hybrids and years, respectively. Hybrids with high compaction tolerance (H) had greater grain yield than those with middle compaction tolerance (M) and low compaction tolerance (L), particularly under HC. The yield benefits obtained from the H hybrid were enhanced due to better root and shoot growth under HC conditions. Greater root length, root surface area, and root weight, as well as root activity, absorption capacity, and antioxidant capacity for H hybrid was found under HC conditions, and it also showed increased leaf area index and dry matter accumulation. Moreover, the increases in root growth indices for the H hybrid were greater than that of shoot growth, particularly under HC conditions, leading to a greater root/shoot ratio. We conclude that soil compaction impacts maize root and shoot growth differently depending on genotype, and the root growth advantages of the H hybrid were more obvious than shoot growth, which enhanced the yield benefits from the H hybrid under heavy compaction conditions.