To provide a reference for wheat breeding, this study conducted a statistical analysis on the yield, quality, disease resistance, and parental usage of wheat varieties approved in Shaanxi Province since 2000. Results indicate that a total of 317 wheat varieties were approved in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2025. Among these, 267 varieties were developed for the Guanzhong irrigation area (including 262 common varieties and 5 special-purpose varieties), accounting for 84.23%; 39 varieties were developed for dryland farming, representing 12.30%; and 11 varieties were developed for the regions of southern Shaanxi, constituting 3.47%. Among the 262 common varieties suitable for the Guanzhong irrigation area, yield exhibited an increasing trend with an average annual increase of 101.3 kg·hm^-2. Yield was positively correlated with plant height, kernels per spike, and thousand kernel weight. For quality traits, test weight, water absorption, and maximum tensile resistance showed a gradual increasing trend, while the content of protein and wet gluten, the stability time and the stretching area of the dough showed a decreasing trend. Among the 262 approved wheat varieties, 8 varieties (3.05%) were strong gluten wheat, 19 varieties (7.25%) were medium-strong gluten wheat, and 235 varieties (89.69%) were medium gluten wheat, with no weak gluten varieties recorded. The number of approved high-quality wheat varieties showed an increasing trend. Regarding disease resistance, among the 262 common varieties in the Guanzhong irrigation area, 40 varieties (15.2%) showed moderate resistance and resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB). Seventeen varieties (6.4%) showed high resistance or immunity to powdery mildew, and 45 varieties (17.1%) showed moderate resistance. Fifty-four varieties (20.2%) exhibited high resistance or immunity to stripe rust, while 123 varieties (46.2%) showed moderate resistance. For sheath blight resistance, among the 106 varieties investigated, 3 varieties (2.8%) and 22 varieties (20.8%) showed high and moderate resistance, respectively. In total, 65 varieties (24.8%) exhibited combined resistance to two diseases, and 36 varieties (13.6%) exhibited combined resistance to three or more diseases. Single cross combinations were the major breeding method, accounting for 82.02%. Analysis of parental usage revealed that among the 317 varieties, 409 parental materials were employed, with seven parents being used multiple times, including Zhoumai 16 (26 times), Xiaoyan 22 (18 times), Xinong 979 (16 times), Zhoumai 18 (14 times), Zhengmai 366 (13 times), Zhoumai 22 (10 times), and Xinong 822 (10 times). The study indicates that the number of high-quality wheat varieties approved in Shaanxi Province remains limited, with a lack of varieties with combined resistance to multiple diseases. Breeding methods are relatively singular, and the genetic background is relatively narrow.

Proteins containing the toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain are critical components of the plant immune system. However, the TIR gene family in wheat and its wild relative Thinopyrum species remains poorly characterized. In this study, we systematically identified the TIR genes in common wheat, Thinopyrum elongatum, Thinopyrum intermedium, and Thinopyrum ponticum by using genome and RNA-seq data, and further analyzed their evolutionary relationships and expression patterns. The results showed that TIR genes in common wheat, Th.elongatum, and Th.intermedium are highly conserved in both number and structure, with each subgenome containing four members (TIR1, TNP1, TNP2, and TNP3). In contrast, a significant expansion of TIR genes occurred in Th. ponticum, where 54 TIR genes were identified; the greatest expansion was observed in the TpTIR1 clade. Expression profiling showed that TNP1 genes are highly and constitutively expressed across various tissues, suggesting their involvement in plant growth and development. Conversely, TIR1 genes were barely expressed under infection of powdery mildew and stripe rust, but were strongly induced by Fusarium graminearum inoculation. Collectively, our findings reveal the constitution and evolutionary characteristics of TIR genes in wheat and Thinopyrum species, and provide a foundation for investigating the functional divergence of this gene family.

To explore the potential function of diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) in the development of anther, the wheat photothermo-sensitive male sterile line BS366 was used as the material. Based on previous transcriptome sequencing results, TaDGAT (TraesCS1A02G125300) was screened and cloned from BS366. Bioinformatics analysis was employed to predict the structural and functional characteristics of the TaDGAT gene and its encoded protein. The results indicated that the gene has an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 542 bp, encoding 513 amino acids. Based on protein structure, the protein was predicted to be an O-acyltransferase. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that TaDGAT is most closely related to those in wheat and barley. Additionally, miRNAs, such as miR398 and miR169, were found to potentially interact with TaDGAT, participating in lipid metabolism processes and thereby regulating anther development. Protein-protein interaction predictions identified key interactions with O-acyltransferase and other critical proteins in lipid metabolism pathways. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that TaDGAT is located in the cell membrane and Golgi apparatus, where it participates in the formation of biological membranes. Expression pattern analysis showed that the expression of TaDGAT in different tissues, the level in anthers is low, while it is highly expressed under sterile conditions. This also suggested that the gene is closely related to pollen formation. This study provides certain references for elucidating the function of the DGAT gene in wheat.

To explore the photosynthetic characteristics and hybrid vigor of different two-line hybrid wheat combinations and their parental lines, this study utilized four wheat photo-thermal sensitive male sterile lines, four restoring lines, and the corresponding sixteen hybrid wheat combinations, along with a conventional wheat variety Zhongmai 175, as research materials. Under field planting conditions, we measured various photosynthetic parameters of wheat leaves, including net photosynthetic rate (P_n), transpiration rate (T_r), stomatal conductance (G_s), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i), and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F_v/F_m). We also investigated agronomic traits at maturity and analyzed the hybrid vigor and correlations between the photosynthetic characteristics and agronomic traits of hybrid wheat. The results indicated that there were significant differences in T_r and C_i among the male sterile lines, restoring lines, hybrid combinations, and the control, while differences in P_n, G_s, and F_v/F_m were not significant. The trends in photosynthetic characteristics of the male sterile lines and hybrid combinations were relatively similar from the booting stage to 20 days post-anthesis, with the highest values of P_n, T_r, G_s, and C_i observed at the heading stage for the male sterile lines, restoring lines, and hybrid combinations. The proportion of super-parental hybrid vigor combinations for photosynthetic characteristics ranged from 56.25% to 93.75%, with super-high parental vigor combinations ranging from 31.25% to 81.25%, and super-control vigor combinations from 12.50% to 93.75%, with T_r and G_s showing the most significant super-high parental and super-control advantages. For agronomic traits, the proportion of super-parental hybrid vigor combinations ranged from 50.00% to 100.00%; that of super-high parental vigor combinations and super-control vigor combinations ranged from 18.75% to 75.00%, and from 18.75% to 100.00%, respectively, with the spikes number per square meter and yield exhibiting the most significant super-high parental and super-control advantages. There was a highly significantly positive correlation between G_s and C_i in hybrid wheat, and a significantly positive correlation between P_n and G_s. Hybrid wheat showed a significantly negative correlation with T_r, G_s, and C_i of restoring lines, as well as a significantly negative correlation with T_r, G_s, and F_v/F_m of mid-parent values. Additionally, significantly positive correlations were found between ear length and flag leaf area, number of grains per ear and flag leaf area, number of grains per ear and ear length, yield, and thousand-grain weight. P_n, G_s, and C_i of hybrid wheat were significantly positively correlated with thousand-grain weight, while G_s and C_i were significantly positively correlated with yield; T_r was significantly positively correlated with flag leaf area, and F_v/F_m was significantly negatively correlated with ear length. These findings demonstrate that the photosynthetic characteristics and agronomic traits of two-line hybrid wheat exhibited significant hybrid vigor, and some photosynthetic parameters are positively correlated with yield traits, which can be used to guide the breeding of high-yielding and high-photosynthetic efficiency hybrid wheat combinations.

To explore the stable yield of forage oats under future climate change conditions and to capture more climatic resources after the main crop season, based on the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) crop model, the sowing dates were adjusted to different degrees of advancement at six locations in northern Shanxi. The responses of forage oat yield and climatic resources to sowing date adjustments under different climate scenarios were simulated and evaluated. The results showed that under future climate warming, moderate early sowing (advanced by 10 days) can increase the climatic resources available after harvest and before the first frost, including accumulated thermal time (1 200-1 800 ℃), precipitation (55-188 mm), and solar radiation (861-1 523 MJ·m^-2), without significantly reducing the main-season forage yield. Consequently, the utilization efficiency of climatic resources was improved. Early sowing has a limited direct effect on forage yield, it demonstrates excellent performance in terms of forage yield stability and resource enhancement. Overall, appropriately advancing sowing dates is an effective field management strategy for adapting to climate warming and enhancing resource use efficiency.

Anthocyandins are the key bioactive components responsible for the purple/blue grains in wheat and play an important role in enhancing nutritional quality owing to their strong antioxidant activity. This review discusse the chemical characteristics and health-promoting effects of anthocyanins, comprehensively elaborates on the functions of key structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway and the intricate regulatory network formed by transcription factors such as MYB, bHLH, and WD40. It summarizes the application of both conventional breeding techniques and genetic engineering technologies in breeding anthocyanin-enriched wheat varieties in China, and proposes a novel strategy of intelligent molecular design breeding that integrates genomic selection, multi-omics big data mining, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based predictive models. This review aims to provide a solid theoretical foundation and technical support for breeding new functional wheat varieties that synergistically combine high and stable yield with enhanced nutritional value.

The Fusarium graminearum xylanase FGSG_03624 exerts dual functions during wheat infection: it disrupts cell wall integrity and induces cell necrosis to activate plant immune responses. To further clarify the molecular mechanism underlying FGSG_03624-triggered immunity, subcellular localization of FGSG_03624 was analyzed via bioinformatics prediction and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Yeast two-hybrid assay was performed using FGSG_03624 as the bait to screen interacting proteins from the wheat (Anong 1589) spike cDNA library constructed after F. graminearum infection. The protein-protein interactions were further verified by Y2H assay, luciferase complementation assay (LCA), and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay (BiFC). The expression patterns of candidate interacting protein gene TaUSP-1A were analyzed by qRT-PCR, and the disease resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was evaluated. Results indicated that FGSG_03624 is a secreted protein localized to the cell wall and/or intercellular spaces. Subsequent identification of its interacting proteins should be conducted the split-ubiquitin membrane yeast two-hybrid system. Using pBT3STE-FGSG_03624 as the bait vector, 40 potential FGSG_03624-interacting proteins were identified from the wheat cDNA library under the condition of adding 12 mmol·L^-1 3-AT. These proteins are involved in transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, stress response, membrane transport, and plant-pathogen interaction. Among them, wheat universal stress protein TaUSP-1A, associated with stress response, was confirmed to interact with FGSG_03624. TaUSP-1A expression was upregulated after F. graminearum infection, and its overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced plant resistance to the pathogen. These findings indicate that FGSG_03624 may trigger wheat immune responses through interactions with host proteins such as TaUSP-1A.

To explore the structural differences of 1RS arms in wheat-rye 1BL·1RS translocation cultivars (lines), the 1BL·1RS translocation cultivar Nanmai 618 was used as parent to hybridize with 13 1BL·1RS translocation cultivars (lines), including Aikang 58, Chuannong 17 and Lankao Aizao 8, as well as the 7DL·1RS translocation cultivar Lumai 8. A total of 14 types of F₁ plants were obtained. High-GC content oligonucleotide probes (Oligo-119.2-2, 200G, 250G) and high-AT content oligonucleotide probes (Oligo-119.2-3, 200T, 250T) were designed based on the tandem repeats pSc119.2, pSc200, and pSc250. These probes were used in non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) analysis for identifying the metaphase chromosomes of root tips from these F₁ plants. The results showed that, except for Oligo-119.2-3 which produced no signal, the other five probes generated signals with varying intensities on 1RS chromosome arms from different sources. The signal intensities of probes 200G and 200T on 1RS exhibited consistent variation trends, while the variations reflected by 250G and 250T were inconsistent. For example, 250T showed distinct signal intensities on 1RS from different sources, whereas 250G displayed similar signal intensities on the corresponding 1RS arms. These findings indicated that there were differences in the GC and AT base contents of the pSc250 tandem repeated family in 1RS among different cultivars. According to the variation in signal intensity of the probes on 1RS, the 1RS arms in these 15 wheat cultivars (lines) could be classified into four structural types. The results of this study revealed the structural variations of 1RS, which enriches the understanding of 1BL·1RS translocation chromosomes in wheat cultivars (lines) in China.

To clarify the characteristics of soil nitrogen balance in wheat fields of lime concretion black soil under different optimized nitrogen reduction strategies, a two-season field experiment was conducted during 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 using wheat as the test crop. Six treatments were established, including no nitrogen application (NN), conventional nitrogen application (CN), 10% and 20% reductions in chemical nitrogen fertilizer (R1N and R2N), and substitution of 20% and 30% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic manure (R2NM and R3NM). Wheat yield, apparent nitrogen use efficiency, and residual mineral nitrogen (N_min) in the 0-100 cm soil layers were analyzed, and soil nitrogen balance in the wheat field was systematically evaluated. The results showed that, compared with CN, grain yield under R1N did not differ significantly in either year, whereas yield under R2N decreased significantly by 8.36% in 2023-2024. Compared with CN, grain yields under R2NM and R3NM were not significantly different in 2022-2023, but increased significantly by 7.56% and 6.74% in 2023-2024, respectively. Apparent nitrogen use efficiency did not differ significantly between R1N or R2N and CN in either year, whereas it increased significantly under R2NM and R3NM, with increases of 8.8 and 7.0 percentage points in 2022-2023 and 11.7 and 9.1 percentage points in 2023-2024, respectively. In terms of residual soil N_min, no significant differences were observed between R1N or R2N and CN in either year, whereas R2NM and R3NM significantly increased N_min residue in the 0-20 cm soil layer in both years and in the 20-40 cm soil layer in 2023-2024. No significant differences were found among fertilized treatments except NN in the 40-100 cm soil layer. Based on the two-season soil nitrogen balance analysis, R2NM and R3NM significantly increased apparent nitrogen use efficiency by 10.2 and 8.0 percentage points, respectively, and significantly reduced apparent nitrogen loss rate by 15.9 and 15.1 percentage points compared with CN, respectively, but had no significant effect on apparent nitrogen residual rate. In this study, substituting 20% or 30% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic manure can maintain or increase wheat yield, improve apparent nitrogen use efficiency, reduce apparent nitrogen loss rate, and thus contribute positively to maintaining and improving soil nitrogen balance in wheat fields of lime concretion black soil.

To clarify the effects of drought stress during the growth period on lodging resistance and yield formation of drip-irrigated spring wheat, a split-plot experiment was conducted using a drought-insensitive cultivar Xinchun 6(XC6) and a drought-sensitive cultivar Xinchun 22(XC22) as the main plots, and drought stress treatments during the growth period as the subplots. Five treatments were established: normal irrigation (CK, 75%-80%FC, where FC represents field capacity), mild drought at the tillering and jointing stages (T1 and J1, 60%-65%FC), and moderate drought at the tillering and jointing stages (T2 and J2, 45%-50% FC). The morphological traits of five elongated internodes (I1, I2, I3, I4, and I5) and the anatomical structure of the second basal internode were analyzed to evaluate the regulatory effects of drought stress on lodging resistance and yield formation in drip-irrigated spring wheat. The results showed that J1 significantly improved lodging resistance-related traits in both cultivars (P<0.05). Compared with CK, stem diameter, wall thickness, stem filling degree, and breaking strength of the five elongated internodes increased by 1.89%-10.90%, 15.38%-56.41%, 47.84%-175.70%, and 18.98%-58.74%, respectively, under J1. For the second basal internode, the numbers of large and small vascular bundles increased by 28.00%-34.62% and 28.57%-38.10%, respectively; the areas of large and small vascular bundles increased by 92.88%-98.79% and 45.60%-74.89%, respectively; and mechanical tissue thickness increased by 45.56%-59.11%. Consequently, the lodging resistance index of each internode increased by 26.67%-75.00%. Wall thickness, stem filling degree, breaking strength, and lodging resistance index all decreased from I1 to I5. Compared with XC22, XC6 showed obvious advantages in morphological traits, vascular bundle traits, and mechanical tissue characteristics, resulting in 10.34%-80.00% higher lodging resistance index and more positive response to mild drought. Grain yield was highest under T1 for both cultivars, and XC6 yielded 5.74% more than XC22. Correlation and path analyses indicated that spike length and wall thickness of the I5 internode played greater roles in yield formation. For lodging resistance, breaking strength and wall thickness of the I1 internode had positive effects, whereas excessive length of the I2 internode was unfavorable. These results indicate that, in the oasis agricultural region of Xinjiang, mild drought at the jointing stage (J1) is beneficial for improving stem lodging resistance of drip-irrigated spring wheat, whereas mild drought at the tillering stage (T1) is more conducive to yield improvement.