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<jats:p>The search for drought tolerant species or cultivars is important to address water scarcity caused by climate change in Mediterranean regions. The anisohydric–isohydric behavior concept has been widely used to describe stomatal regulation during drought, simply in terms of variation of minimal water potential (Ψ<jats:sub>min</jats:sub>) in relation to pre-dawn water potential (Ψ<jats:sub>pd</jats:sub>). However, its simplicity has sometimes failed to deliver consistent results in describing a complex behavior that results from the coordination of several plant functional traits. While <jats:italic>Prunus dulcis</jats:italic> (almond) is known as a drought tolerant species, little information is available regarding consistent metrics to discriminate among cultivars or the mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in almond. Here we show a sequence of plant stomatal, hydraulic, and wilting responses to drought in almonds, and the main differences between anisohydric and isohydric cultivars. In a pot desiccation experiment we observed that stomatal closure in <jats:italic>P. dulcis</jats:italic> is not driven by loss in turgor or onset of xylem cavitation, but instead, occurs early in response to decreasing Ψ<jats:sub>min</jats:sub> that could be related to the protection of the integrity of the hydraulic system, independently of cultivar. Also, we report that anisohydric cultivars of <jats:italic>P. dulcis</jats:italic> are characterized by maximum stomatal conductance, lower water potentials for stomatal closure and turgor loss, and lower vulnerability to xylem cavitation, which are traits that correlated with metrics to discriminate anisohydric and isohydric behavior. Our results demonstrate that <jats:italic>P. dulcis</jats:italic> presents a strategy to avoid cavitation by closing stomata during the early stages of drought. Future research should also focus on below-ground hydraulic traits, which could trigger stomatal closure in almond.</jats:p>

<jats:p>The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is one of the most extensively sequenced molecular markers in plant systematics due to its generally concerted evolution. While non-concerted evolution has been found in some plant taxa, such information is missing in <jats:italic>Lycium</jats:italic>. Molecular studies of six species and two variants of the genus <jats:italic>Lycium</jats:italic> revealed high levels of intra- and inter-individual polymorphism in the ITS, indicating non-concerted evolution. All genomic DNA ITS paralogues were identified as putative pseudogenes or functional paralogues through a series of comparisons of sequence features, including length and substitution variation, GC content, secondary structure stability, and the presence of conserved motifs in the 5.8S gene, and the rate of evolution. Approximately, 60% of ITS pseudogenes could be easily detected. Based on phylogenetic analysis, all pseudogenes were highly distinct from their corresponding functional copies, tended to evolve neutrally, and clustered randomly together in the evolutionary tree. The results probably suggest that this ITS non-concerted evolution is related to the recent divergence between tandem repeats within the <jats:italic>Lycium</jats:italic> genome and hybridization between species. Our study complements those of pseudogenes in plant taxa and provides a theoretical basis for the phylogeny and genetic origin of the genus <jats:italic>Lycium</jats:italic> while having important implications for the use of ITS molecular markers for phylogenetic reconstruction.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Zinc is an essential minor element for rice growth and human health, which can also change the structure of the microorganisms. However, it remains unclear for the effects of zinc fertilizer on microbiome function in agricultural soils and crops. To solve this research gap, we investigated the relationship between improving rice (<jats:italic>Oryza sativa</jats:italic> L.) yield, Zn concentration, soil microbial community diversity, and function by the application of Zn fertilizer. The field trials included three rice varieties (Huanghuazhan, Nanjing9108, and Nuodao-9925) and two soil Zn levels (0 and 30 kg ha<jats:sup>–1</jats:sup>) in Jiangsu province, China. As a test, we studied the variety of soil bacterial composition, diversity, and function using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that soil Zn application reduced the diversity of microbial community, but the bacterial network was more closely linked, and the metabolic function of bacterial community was improved, which increased the grain yield (17.34–19.52%) and enriched the Zn content of polished rice (1.40–20.05%). Specifically, redundancy analysis (RDA) and Mantel’s test results revealed soil total nitrogen (TN) was the primary driver that led to a community shift in the rice rhizosphere bacterial community, and soil organic carbon (SOC) was considered to have a strong influence on dominant phyla. Furthermore, network analysis indicated the most critical bacterial taxa were identified as <jats:italic>Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Chloroflexi</jats:italic> based on their topological roles of microorganisms. KEGG metabolic pathway prediction demonstrated that soil Zn application significantly (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.05) improved lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and xenobiotic biodegradation. Overall, their positive effects were different among rice varieties, of which Nanjing-9108 (NJ9108) performed better. This study opens new avenues to deeply understand the plant and soil–microbe interactions by the application of fertilizer and further navigates the development of Zn-rich rice cultivation strategies.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Methylation and demethylation of histone play a crucial role in regulating chromatin formation and gene expression. The jumonji C (JmjC) domain-containing proteins are demethylases that are involved in regulating epigenetic modification in plants. In our study, the JmjC genes in <jats:italic>Triticum aestivum</jats:italic> L., <jats:italic>Triticum turgidum</jats:italic> L., <jats:italic>Triticum dicoccoides</jats:italic> L., <jats:italic>Triticum urartu</jats:italic> L., and <jats:italic>Aegilops tauschii</jats:italic> L. were identified. Phylogenetic relationship and colinearity analysis revealed that the wheat JmjC genes were conserved in A, B, and D subgenomes during evolution. <jats:italic>Cis</jats:italic>-acting elements analysis showed that elements related to stress response, hormone response, and light response were found in wheat JmjC genes. The expression of JmjC genes was affected by tissue types and developmental stages, and members of the same subfamily tended to have similar expression patterns in wheat. They also showed a unique expression pattern in root during PEG (Polyethylene glycol) treatment. In conclusion, comprehensive analysis indicated that three members (<jats:italic>Tr-1A-JMJ2</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Tr-1B-JMJ2</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Tr-1D-JMJ2</jats:italic>) might be regulated by several hormones and function in the early stages of drought stress, while eight members (<jats:italic>Tr-1B-JMJ3</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Tr-4B-JMJ1</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Tr-7A-JMJ1</jats:italic>, etc.) displayed a significantly high expression after 24 h of PEG treatment, indicating a role in the later stages of drought stress. This research presents the first genome-wide study of the JmjC family in wheat, and lays the foundation for promoting the study of their functional characterization in wheat drought resistance.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Freshwater resources in arid areas are scarce, while there are abundant brackish water reserves that have great application potential for the irrigation of desert plants. However, brackish water irrigation will lead to soil salinization, which will inhibit plant growth. Magnetized water is a new technology that makes the use of brackish water feasible. The present study assessed the effects of irrigation using three water types (fresh, brackish, and magnetized brackish water) and five irrigation amounts (W1, 81 mm; W2, 108 mm; W3, 135 mm; W4, 162mm; and W5, 189 mm) on soil salinity and <jats:italic>Haloxylon ammodendron</jats:italic> seedling growth. Compared with fresh water, brackish water irrigation inhibited the growth of <jats:italic>H. ammodendron</jats:italic> and reduced water consumption. Irrigation with magnetized brackish water effectively improved the effect of soil salt leaching, promoted the growth and water absorption of <jats:italic>H. ammodendron</jats:italic> roots, and stimulated the growth of plant height, basal diameter, shoot length, and crown width. Based on the principal component analysis, the first three treatments of <jats:italic>H. ammodendron</jats:italic> comprehensive growth state were FW4, FW3, and MBW4, respectively. This showed that magnetized brackish water combined with an appropriate irrigation amount was helpful to optimize the growth of <jats:italic>H. ammodendron</jats:italic> seedlings on the basis of fresh water saving. Therefore, magnetized brackish water irrigation is an effective strategy for ensuring the establishment and growth of <jats:italic>H. ammodendron</jats:italic> seedlings in arid and water-deficient areas.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Anthracnose, caused by the fungus <jats:italic>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</jats:italic>, is one of the devastating disease affecting common bean production and productivity worldwide. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for anthracnose resistance have been identified. In order to make use of these QTLs in common bean breeding programs, a detailed meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis has been conducted. For the MQTL analysis, 92 QTLs related to anthracnose disease reported in 18 different earlier studies involving 16 mapping populations were compiled and projected on to the consensus map. This meta-analysis led to the identification of 11 MQTLs (each involving QTLs from at least two different studies) on 06 bean chromosomes and 10 QTL hotspots each involving multiple QTLs from an individual study on 07 chromosomes. The confidence interval (CI) of the identified MQTLs was found 3.51 times lower than the CI of initial QTLs. Marker-trait associations (MTAs) reported in published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were used to validate nine of the 11 identified MQTLs, with MQTL4.1 overlapping with as many as 40 MTAs. Functional annotation of the 11 MQTL regions revealed 1,251 genes including several R genes (such as those encoding for NBS-LRR domain-containing proteins, protein kinases, etc.) and other defense related genes. The MQTLs, QTL hotspots and the potential candidate genes identified during the present study will prove useful in common bean marker-assisted breeding programs and in basic studies involving fine mapping and cloning of genomic regions associated with anthracnose resistance in common beans.</jats:p>

<jats:p>N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant RNA modification in eukaryotic messenger RNAs. m6A was discovered in wheat about 40 years ago; however, its potential roles in wheat remain unknown. In this study, we profiled m6As in spikelets transcriptome at the flowering stage of hexaploid wheat and found that m6As are evenly distributed across the A, B, and D subgenomes but their extents and locations vary across homeologous genes. m6As are enriched in homeologous genes with close expression levels and the m6A methylated genes are more conserved. The extent of m6A methylation is negatively correlated with mRNA expression levels and its presence on mRNAs has profound impacts on mRNA translation in a location-dependent manner. Specifically, m6As within coding sequences and 3′UTRs repress the translation of mRNAs while the m6As within 5′UTRs and start codons could promote it. The m6A-containing mRNAs are significantly enriched in processes and pathways of “translation” and “RNA transport,” suggesting the potential role of m6As in regulating the translation of genes involved in translation regulation. Our data also show a stronger translation inhibition by small RNAs (miRNA and phasiRNA) than by m6A methylation, and no synergistical effect between the two was observed. We propose a secondary amplification machinery of translation regulation triggered by the changes in m6A methylation status. Taken together, our results suggest translation regulation as a key role played by m6As in hexaploid wheat.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Wound healing is a postharvest characteristic of potato tubers through accumulating suberin and lignin, which could reduce decay and water loss during storage. This study aimed to explore the impact and mechanisms of sodium silicate on wound healing of potatoes. After being wounded, “Atlantic” potato tubers were treated with water or 50 mM sodium silicate. The results showed that sodium silicate treatment accelerated the formation of wound healing structures and significantly reduced the weight loss and disease index of tubers. Furthermore, sodium silicate induced the genes expression and enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), 4-coumarate: coenzyme A ligase (4CL), and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) involved in the phenylpropane metabolism, enhancing the synthesis of the main precursors of suberin polyphenolic (SPP) and lignin, such as coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, and cinnamyl alcohol. Meanwhile, the gene expression of <jats:italic>StPOD</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>StNOX</jats:italic> was activated, and the production of O<jats:sup>2−</jats:sup> and H<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> was promoted, which could be used for injury signal transmission and oxidative crosslinking of SPP monomers and lignin precursors. Besides, antimicrobial compounds, total phenolics, and flavonoids were also induced. We suggest that sodium silicate could promote wound healing by inducing the deposition of SPP, lignin, and antimicrobial compounds in potato tubers.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Due to rapid industrialization, the consumption of petro-products has increased, while fossil fuel resources have been gradually depleted. There has been a resurgence of interest in plant-derived biofuels as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. <jats:italic>Pongamia pinnata</jats:italic> L., which is also known as <jats:italic>Millettia pinnata</jats:italic> is an oil-yielding, leguminous tree with a large and complex genome. Despite its multiple industrial applications, this orphan tree species has inconsistent yields and a limited understanding of its functional genomics. We assessed physiological and morphological characteristics of five high-yielding pongamia accessions and deduced important yield descriptors. Furthermore, we sequenced the genome of this potential biofuel feedstock using Illumina HiSeq, NextSeq, and MiSeq platforms to generate paired-end reads. Around 173 million processed reads amounting to 65.2 Gb were assembled into a 685 Mb genome, with a gap rate of 0.02%. The sequenced scaffolds were used to identify 30,000 gene models, 406,385 Simple-Sequence-Repeat (SSR) markers, and 43.6% of repetitive sequences. We further analyzed the structural information of genes belonging to certain key metabolic pathways, including lipid metabolism, photosynthesis, circadian rhythms, plant-pathogen interactions, and karanjin biosynthesis, all of which are commercially significant for pongamia. A total of 2,219 scaffolds corresponding to 29 transcription factor families provided valuable information about gene regulation in pongamia. Similarity studies and phylogenetic analysis revealed a monophyletic group of Fabaceae members wherein pongamia out-grouped from <jats:italic>Glycine max</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Cajanus cajan</jats:italic>, revealing its unique ability to synthesize oil for biodiesel. This study is the first step toward completing the genome sequence of this imminent biofuel tree species. Further attempts at re-sequencing with different read chemistry will certainly improve the genetic resources at the chromosome level and accelerate the molecular breeding programs.</jats:p>

<jats:p>The present study was conducted in one of the major agriculture areas to check farmers indigenous knowledge about the impacts of floods on their farming lives, food security, sustainable development, and risk assessment. In the current study, primary data was used to analyze the situation. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed among farmers. We have collected a cross-sectional dataset and applied the PLS-SEM dual-stage hybrid model to test the proposed hypotheses and rank the social, economic, and technological factors according to their normalized importance. Results revealed that farmers’ knowledge associated with adaption strategies, food security, risk assessment, and livelihood assets are the most significant predictors. Farmers need to have sufficient knowledge about floods, and it can help them to adopt proper measurements. A PLS-SEM dual-stage hybrid model was used to check the relationship among all variables, which showed a significant relationship among DV, IV, and control variables. PLS-SEM direct path analysis revealed that AS (b = −0.155; <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> 0.001), FS (b = 0.343; <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> 0.001), LA (b = 0.273; <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> 0.001), RA (b = 0.147; <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> 0.006), and for FKF have statistically significant values of beta, while SD (b = −0.079NS) is not significant. These results offer support to hypotheses H1 through H4 and H5 being rejected. On the other hand, age does not have any relationship with farmers’ knowledge of floods. Our study results have important policy suggestions for governments and other stakeholders to consider in order to make useful policies for the ecosystem. The study will aid in the implementation of effective monitoring and public policies to promote integrated and sustainable development, as well as how to minimize the impacts of floods on farmers’ lives and save the ecosystem and food.</jats:p>