The whiteness (WI) of wheat flour and its products is a key indicator influencing the commercial quality of wheat. Using 94 wheat varieties as experimental materials, the differences in flour WI and its products among different varieties and their influencing factors were investigated. The results showed significant differences in WI among wheat varieties, while the correlation analysis of flour and fresh noodle sheet color from the same material showed the same performance. Flour WI was highly significantly negatively correlated with grain hardness, grain protein content, wet gluten content, dough development time, and stability time; significantly negatively correlated with trough viscosity, final viscosity, and setback value; and positively correlated with gluten index, breakdown, and pasting temperature. Grain hardness, grain protein content, sedimentation value, pasting temperature, and breakdown accounted for 80.9% of the variation in flour WI. Gluten index, sedimentation value, pasting temperature, and breakdown had significant positive effects on flour WI, while grain protein content and grain hardness exerted significant negative effects. The negative correlation between flour WI and hardness was the strongest (r = -0.83), indicating that hardness is the key factor affecting wheat WI and color. The WI and color of flour and fresh noodle sheets from soft wheat were generally higher than those from hard wheat. The distribution frequencies of variation loci of quality-related genes, namely Pinb-D1b, Pina-D1b, Ppo-A1b, Ppo-D1a, TaPod-A1b, Lox-B1a, Psy-A1b, Psy-B1a/b, Psy-D1a, TaPds-B1b, TaZds-A1a, and TaLyc-B1b, were 54.7%, 2.2%, 21.3%, 3.9%, 8.0%, 0.0%, 0.0%, 98.9%, 96.6%, 78.5%, 5.3%, and 53.8%, respectively. Thirteen high-WI soft wheat varieties, such as Yangmai 15, Yangmai 25, Chuanmai 93, Mianmai 902, and Yangmai 45, and high-WI hard wheat varieties, such as Zhoumai 36, Huaimai 33, Yangfumai 15, and Ningmaizi 218, were screened. The WI of high-WI soft wheat varieties was higher than that of hard wheat, and the ratio of superior color gene allelic variations in these varieties was higher than that of the overall materials. By strengthening the utilization of elite parents while emphasizing the pyramiding of superior color genes and the screening of related phenotypes, the WI and color of wheat varieties can be gradually improved.

In order to screen winter rapeseed lines with high resistance to pod shattering suitable for planting in Gansu Province, promote mechanized harvesting, and increase yield, the random impact method was used to identify pod shattering resistance of 43 winter rapeseed lines. The results were analyzed through systematic clustering and correlation analysis in combination with related agronomic traits. Clustering analysis revealved that the 43 materials were classified into four groups. The average pod shattering resistance index (SRI) of the Group Ⅰ was 0.861, presenting moderate resistance to shattering. The average SRI of Group Ⅱ was 0.958, presenting high resistance to shattering. The average SRI of Group Ⅲ was 0.722, presenting low resistance to shattering. The average SRI of Group Ⅳ was 0.621, presenting easy shattering. Correlation analysis showed that SRI had an extremely significantly positive correlation with pericarp thickness with a large correlation coefficient. There was no significant correlation between SRI and the other agronomic traits, indicating that pericarp thickness significantly affected pod shattering resistance of winter rapeseed, and it could be used as a morphological index for screening of pod shattering resistant varieties. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the yield, quality traits, and SRI of 43 strong-winter rapeseed lines, a total of 17 winter rapeseed lines were screened. Among them, M-8 and M-14 had a high SRI, high yield, and excellent quality traits.

To investigate the characteristics of aerial roots in maize inbred lines with different genetic backgrounds and their relationship with lodging resistance, 56 maize inbred lines were used as experimental materials. Eight aerial root traits were comprehensively analyzed using correlation analysis, path analysis, and cluster analysis. Stalk anti-thrust was measured using a plant stem strength tester as an evaluation index for lodging resistance, and the relationship between aerial root traits and lodging resistance was analyzed. The results showed that the coefficients of variation (CV) for all aerial root traits were relatively large, with the CV of the aerial root angle being the largest (31.70%) and that of the aerial root emergence time being the smallest (10.77%). Among the aerial root traits, all except emergence time and puncture resistance exhibited significant correlations with one another. Specifically, the number of aerial roots and the aerial root anchoring radius were highly significantly and positively correlated with stalk anti-thrust, with correlation coefficients of 0.560 and 0.522, respectively. Additionally, aerial root puncture resistance and the number of aerial root tiers also showed significant positive correlations with stalk anti-thrust. Path analysis indicated that both the direct and indirect effects of the number of aerial roots and the aerial root anchoring radius on the lodging resistance evaluation indicators were relatively large. Therefore, strengthening the selection and improvement of these two traits in lodging resistance breeding would help enhance the lodging resistance of maize varieties. Cluster analysis classified the tested inbred lines into four groups. Inbred lines in Group II, such as Xun M6968 and LH190, were characterized by high mean values for both stalk anti-thrust and aerial root traits, providing a germplasm foundation for the breeding of new lodging-resistant varieties.

To elucidate the proteomic response mechanism of potato to a pathogenic toxin Thaxtomin A (TA), causing common scab, this study was conducted using the potato cultivar Kexin 19 as the experimental material. Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics technology was employed to analyze the differential proteomes of potato leaves treated with the toxin and a control group. A total of 130 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 80 up-regulated and 50 down-regulated. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEPs were significantly enriched in biological processes such as defense response, plant MAPK signaling pathway, S-adenosylmethionine biosynthesis, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. This reveals that the response of potato to the scab toxin involves a complex physiological and biochemical regulatory network. Through protein-protein interaction network analysis, the core protein M1ASG7 with the highest connectivity was screened out. Additionally, two up-regulated DEPs, M02PK2 and M1A0Y3, were found in its metabolic pathway, all of which are closely related to the regulation of cellular metabolism.

To understand the quality and breeding strategies of nationally approved strong and medium-strong gluten wheat varieties in the Huang-Huai Wheat Region in recent years (2020-2024), cluster analysis based on the coefficient of parentage was performed, combined with a comprehensive analysis of pedigree information and quality traits. The results showed that the number of approved strong and medium-strong gluten wheat varieties in the Huang-Huai Wheat Region showed a yearly increasing trend from 2020 to 2024. The breeding capabilities of companies and research institutes were comparable, with their developed varieties accounting for 43.3% and 45.0% of the total number of varieties, respectively. The overall coefficient of parentage among varieties was low, with an average of 0.0640; however, parental utilization was relatively concentrated, with varieties primarily derived from ten core strong-gluten parents. Different parents exhibited varying focuses on the improvement of quality indicators. The breeding of strong-gluten wheat varieties mainly adopted the single-cross design of “high-quality variety/high-quality variety”. Breeding of strong-gluten wheat should emphasize the utilization of exotic high-quality varieties and wild relatives of wheat to create elite germplasm in the future. In the short term, newly developed elite strong-gluten germplasms such as Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 44 should be more extensively utilized to broaden the genetic base.

As a commonly used bulk medicinal material in China, Astragalus membranaceus has seen increasing demand in recent years. However, the breeding and propagation of superior varietals are relatively weak, and currently cultivated varietals are inconsistent in quality and suffer from severe degeneration. Therefore, the breeding of superior strains of A.membranaceus is crucial for promoting the high-quality and sustainable development of the industry. In this study, using field-cultivated A. membranaceus as material, three new strains were bred from 2013 to 2023 using the “mass selection method” of systematic breeding based on agronomic traits such as stem color, pod characteristics, seed characteristics, and the number of leaflets. A systematic comparative analysis was conducted on their agronomic traits and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The results showed that strains 13-1 and 13-2 had green stems and pods, while 13-3 had anthocyanins-purple stems and light red pods. Strain 13-2 had the highest number of leaflets (27.9) and seeds (4.5). The fresh root yield of strain 13-2 was greater than that of 13-1 and 13-3 in the Weiheyanchuan and Beishan ecological areas; however, the yield of 13-3 was greater than that of 13-2 and 13-1 in the Southern Eryinshan area. Moreover, the disease incidence of 13-2 was lower than that of the other two strains in all three ecological areas. Additionally, 13-2 had the highest content of extracts and astragaloside IV, with the content of calycosin- 7-O-glucoside 2.6 times that specified in the Pharmacopoeia of the Peopleʼs Republic of China. Comprehensive analysis indicates that 13-2 performs better in agronomic traits, APIs, yield, and disease resistance, and has potential for application and promotion. This study also lays a foundation for the breeding of superior new varietals of A.membranaceus by providing germplasm material.

To clarify the relationship between high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) composition and quality traits in newly developed wheat varieties (lines) in the Southern Huang-Huai Wheat Region, a total of 93 newly developed wheat varieties (lines) from this region were used as materials. The HMW-GS composition was identified using SDS-PAGE, and their distribution and quality characteristics were systematically analyzed in conjunction with grain quality traits. The results showed that nine subunit types were detected across the three Glu-1 loci, specifically, subunits 1 (72.04%) and Null (27.96%) at the Glu-A1 locus; subunits 7+9 (64.52%), 7+8 (30.11%), and 14+15 (5.38%) at the Glu-B1 locus; and subunits 2+12 (37.63%), 5+12 (32.26%), 5+10 (29.03%), and 2+10 (1.08%) at the Glu-D1 locus. Among the 15 identified subunit combinations, the most frequent combination was 1/7+9/2+12 (19.35%), while the frequency of the combination 1/7+8/5+10 was 8.60%. Based on quality traits, the tested materials were clustered into three groups, with Group I, Group II, and Group III accounting for 47.3%, 17.2%, and 35.5%, respectively. Group III exhibited the best performance across all quality indicators such as protein content, water absorption rate, and wet gluten content; the frequencies of subunits 14+15, 7+8, and 5+10 in group III were 6.06%, 36.36%, and 30.30%, respectively. Varieties (lines) carrying the pedigree of two founder parents, Yumai 2 and Zhou 8425B, accounted for 70.96% of the tested materials. Eight varieties such as Zhengmai 366, Xinmai 26, Jimai 44, and Fumai 916, were screened for carrying high-quality subunits and combinations. These results provide a theoretical basis for parent selection in wheat quality breeding in the Southern Huang-Huai Wheat Region and serve as an important reference for further optimizing HMW-GS composition and improving wheat quality.

The influence of potato transcription factors on anthocyanin accumulation is primarily reflected in their regulation of genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the StMYB3 gene was cloned by RT-PCR from three potato cultivars: Shepody (white flesh), Wanziqianhong (light purple flesh), and 2013-89-61 (dark purple flesh). Bioinformatics characterization and differential expression analysis were performed. The results showed that the target fragment of StMYB3 genes was 710 bp in length, encoding a protein with a molecular weight of 20.71 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.14, which was identified as a hydrophilic protein. StMYB3 genes contains R2R3-MYB domain and bHLH interaction motif but lacks a transmembrane domain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that StMYB3 genes shares the highest sequence similarity with the ScMYB gene from pepper. Semi-quantitative PCR results showed that the expression level of potato StMYB3 gene in different tissues is: tender leaf > old leaf > stem > tuber > root, and the cultivar 2013-89-61 exhibited consistently high expression across all tissues.

To identify superior adzuki bean varieties suitable for planting in different regions, a multi- environment evaluation of 27 new adzuki bean varieties (lines) was conducted at 18 test sites nationwide from 2022 to 2023, to systematically analyzed the variations in main agronomic traits and yields of these varieties (lines) across different ecological zones. The results showed that there were significant differences in the agronomic traits and yields of the new adzuki bean varieties (lines) across different test sites and ecological zones. Traits such as the number of main stem branches, plant height, and number of pods per plant had strong environmental interaction effects (coefficient of variation >30%), while traits like growth period, pod length, and 100-grain weight showed higher genetic stability (coefficient of variation <15%). Nine varieties, including Baohong 201429-8, Chihong 3 and Tanghong 201301-2, showed yield increases of 0.29%-8.79% compared with the control. Baohong 201429-8 and Tanghong 201509-12 exhibited both high yield and broad adaptability.

To investigate the resistance levels to currently prevalent races and new isolates, as well as the distribution of stripe rust resistance genes in released and candidate wheat varieties from Longnan, Gansu, 73 wheat varieties (lines) were evaluated for seedling resistance against the prevalent races CYR32, CYR34, and ZS asexual isolate and ZS sexual isolate. Meanwhile, molecular markers linked to all-stage resistance genes Yr5, Yr9, Yr10, Yr15, Yr26, and the adult-plant resistance gene Yr18 were utilized for molecular detection. The results indicated that among the 73 tested wheat varieties (lines), 11 (15.07%), 11 (15.07%), 13 (17.81%), and nine (12.33%) exhibited seedling resistance to CYR32, CYR34, and the asexual and sexual isolates of ZS, respectively. Among all tested materials, only Zhongliang 14 exhibited seedling resistance to all the provided isolates of stripe rust. Molecular detection results revealed that the number of wheat varieties (lines) carrying Yr5, Yr9, Yr10, Yr18, and Yr26 was 1, 27, 3, 3, and 16, respectively, accounting for 1.37%, 36.99%, 4.11%, 4.11%, and 21.92% of the total tested materials. Three materials carried two resistance genes, and Zhongliang 14 carried three resistance genes. The Yr15 gene was not detected in any of the tested varieties (lines), and 28 materials carried none of the six tested resistance genes.