Institute of Crop Sciences

Natural variation in GmSOP5 regulates seed oil and protein content during soybean domestication

ABSTRACT Seed oil content, protein content, and yield are agronomically important, correlated traits that determine the economic value of soybean ( Glycine max ). However, improving seed quality and yield simultaneously is challenging because gains in one breeding target often co...

QTL-Guided Prioritization of SiMGT2 as a Candidate Gene Associated with Grain Fat Content in Foxtail Millet

Grain fat content contributes to nutritional quality in foxtail millet, but its genetic basis remains incompletely understood. We evaluated a 256-line recombinant inbred population derived from Jingu21 and Chuang29 in two environments. Among the individual environments, qFC5 was...

The effect of drought on physiological and agronomic traits of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]

Increased intensity and duration of drought as a consequence of global warming is resulting in increased crop failure and food insecurity. This is particularly prevalent in regions where agriculture is rain fed, as the resultant water deficit in crop tissues as a consequence of i...

The miR168a– TaAGO1b module improves Fusarium head blight resistance and yield in wheat

ABSTRACT Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease of wheat that causes severe yield loss and mycotoxin contamination. Wheat varieties offering higher grain yield while maintaining moderate resistance to FHB are highly desirable. Here, we report that microRNA168a...

A practical workflow combining Kaplan-Meier and Bayesian accelerated failure time analyses for censored reproductive phenology data in soybean

Abstract Developmental progression in plants is inherently a time-to-event process, yet plant phenology data are often analyzed as ordinary endpoint traits even when some individuals fail to reach the target stage within the observation window. Such observations are right-censore...

Dual Roles of RAD23b and RAD4 on the Desiccation Tolerance of Germinated Seeds

Desiccation tolerance (DT) is a survival trait enabling orthodox seeds to withstand extremely low water content. While some protective factors are characterised, it remains mechanistically obscure. Here, based on PEG-induced DT re-establishment in germinated Brassica napus L. see...

Integrative Multi‐Omics Analysis of Stem Growth Habit Divergence in Wild Soybean ( Glycine soja )

Stem architecture is a major determinant of lodging resistance, biomass accumulation, and harvest efficiency in soybean. However, the molecular features associated with contrasting stem growth habits in wild soybean remain incompletely characterised. Here, we performed an integra...

Natural variation in GmRVE4d facilitates soybean latitudinal adaptation by regulating GmPRR5a-dependent flowering and maturity

Abstract Timely flowering and maturity are crucial for plant reproduction and environmental adaptation. As a core molecular system for plants to perceive environmental cues, the circadian clock integrates cyclic photothermal signals with intrinsic developmental programs, exerting...

Calcium: A Pivotal Regulator of Panicle Apical Abortion in Rice

Panicle size is a critical determinant of grain yield in rice and other cereal crops. During rice growth and development, panicle apical abortion (PAA) frequently occurs, particularly under unfavorable conditions, resulting in a reduced number of fertile spikelets and substantial...

AI-driven discovery of self-assembled antimicrobial peptides with dual antibacterial and wound-healing functions against multidrug-resistant infections

The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, particularly those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii , poses a critical challenge to global healthcare. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promisin...

A Structurally Dynamic Chromosome 11 Locus from Oryza rufipogon Confers Recessive Resistance to Bacterial Blight in Rice

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo ), poses a major threat to global rice production as rapidly evolving pathogen populations overcome existing resistance genes. In this study, we characterized genetic resistance in the Oryza rufipogon accession...

OsWOX13 functions as a heading signal transducer from integrator Ehd1 to florigen for the accurate regulation of rice heading date

Abstract Appropriate heading date is an important safeguard for stabilizing rice yield and quality. Heading integrator Ehd1 and florigen Hd3a are crucial for rice heading. However, the mechanism by which Ehd1 transmits heading signals to Hd3a and the accurate regulation of Hd3a e...

Multivariate analysis of agro-morphological traits to unlock the genetic divergence of Ethiopian cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes

Barley is a prominent cereal crop and a center of diversity in Ethiopia, with a huge collection in the genebank. However, its productivity in the country remains low due to the underutilization of the available genetic resources. Thus, the study aimed to explore the genetic diver...