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- Abstract：Low-temperature stress during early spring poses a major constraint on maize production in northern China and other high-altitude regions. Mining genetic loci associated with low-temperature germination （LTG） tolerance is therefore essential for developing resilient cultivars. In this study， an F₄ segregating population consisting of 209 families was developed from a cross between ‘C181’，a cold-tolerant inbred line unique to Chengde， Hebei Province， China，and the elite but cold-sensitive line ‘PH6WC’. The population was subjected to cold-soaking germination tests， with germination rate， seedling length， and root length under low temperature used as indicators of LTG tolerance. Genome-wide genotyping was performed using a 3.5K liquid SNP array， followed by construction of a genetic linkage map and detection of LTG-related quantitative trait loci （QTL） via inclusive composite interval mapping （ICIM）. A linkage map spanning 3 772.25 cM was constructed with 911 polymorphic SNP markers， yielding an average marker interval of 4.14 cM. A total of 14 QTLs were identified， including 11 for cold-soaking germination rate， one for seedling length， and two for root length. These QTLs individually explained 2.33% to 8.27% of the phenotypic variance. Within the two QTL intervals with the highest contributions， Zm00001d007153 （encoding a hypoxia-responsive protein） and Zm00001d049926 （encoding an enzyme involved in gibberellin metabolism） were prioritized as candidate genes associated with seedling length and germination rate， respectively. Our results demonstrate that the cold-soaking germination assay is an effective method for mapping QTLs underlying LTG tolerance in maize， and that the unique Chinese cold-tolerant germplasm ‘C181’ can serve as a valuable resource for uncovering novel genetic loci. This study provides critical information for subsequent gene cloning and genetic improvement of low-temperature tolerance in maize.Keywords：maize;seed germination;cold tolerance;QTL mapping69|23|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to explore the potential significance of maize silk and anther colors in breeding. Information from maize varieties approved in the North China spring maize region and Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region between 2003 and 2022 were adopted to constructed database. Linear regression analysis was employed to examine temporal trend in the proportions of silk and anther colors over the year. Multiple comparison analyses were conducted to evaluate yield and related agronomic traits among varieties with different silk and anther colors. The results showed that：1） In the North China spring maize region，purple，red，and green silk accounted for 86.0% of varieties （35.2%， 25.5%， and 25.3%， respectively）， while purple， yellow， and green anther comprised 94.5% （47.1%， 42.8%， and 4.6%， respectively）. In the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region， purple， red， and green silks represented 94.7% （46.6%， 28.2%， and 19.9%， respectively）， and purple， yellow， and green anthers accounted for 91.8% （45.3%， 38.3%， and 8.2%， respectively）. 2）From 2003 to 2022， the proportion of purple silk varieties increased from 0.0% to 44.8%， the proportion of purple anther varieties increased from 12.5% to 71.6%，while red silk declined from 75.0% to 25.4% and yellow anther declined from 75.0% to 14.9% in the North China spring maize region. As far as in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region， the proportion of purple silk varieties increased from 0.0% to 73.1%，the proportion of purple anther varieties increased from 12.5% to 41.8%， while red silk declined from 75.0% to 1.5% and yellow anther declined from 87.5% to 43.3%. The proportions of green silk and green anther varieties showed no significant changes in either region. 3）In the North China spring maize region， purple （12.04 t/hm2） and green （11.84 t/hm2） silk varieties showed significantly higher yields than red silk varieties， and purple anther varieties （12.14 t/hm2） outperformed yellow and green anther varieties. In the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region， purple anther varieties yielded （9.80 t/hm2） significantly higher than yellow anther varieties. 4）In the North China spring maize region， purple silk varieties achieved 4.9% higher density （6.4×10⁴ plants/hm2） and 2.6% greater kernel number per unit area （3.9×10⁷ grains/hm2） compared to red silk varieties. Purple anther varieties showed 4.9% higher density （6.4×10⁴ plants/hm2） and 5.4% higher kernel number per eunit area （3.9×10⁷ grains/hm2） than yellow anther varieties. In the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region， purple silk varieties exhibited 4.7% higher density （6.7×10⁴ plants/hm2） and 2.9% greater kernel number per unit area （3.6×10⁷ grains/hm2） than red silk varieties， while no significant differences were observed between purple and yellow anther varieties in component of density and kernel number per unit area. In summary， from 2003 to 2022， the predominant silk and anther colors of maize varieties in both the North China spring maize region and the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region shifted from red and yellow to purple. Varieties with purple silk and anther exhibit higher yield， greater tolerance to high planting density， and a higher kernel number per unit area.Keywords：maize;silk color;anther color;planting density;kernel number per unit area51|16|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to clarify the effects of high-temperature stress at the flowering stage on the growth， development and yield of maize hybrids and their parental inbred lines. Using ‘Hengyu 7182’，‘Hengyu 868’，‘Xianyu 335’，‘Zhengdan 958’ and their parental inbred lines as experimental materials， high-temperature stress （HT） was initiated at 7 d before silking and maintained for 14 d with plants grown under normal field conditions during the same period serving as the control （CK）. Changes in ear development， leaf protective enzyme activities， membrane lipid peroxidation products， and yield-related traits were measured. The results showed that： 1） Under high-temperature stress （HT） at the flowering stage， only ‘Hengyu 7182’ and ‘Hengyu 868’ and their paternal inbred lines‘H 102’ and ‘H 40’ showed no significant differences in grain yield per plant and kernel number per ear compared with the CK， the grain yield per plant and kernel number per ear of ‘Zhengdan 958’ and ‘Xianyu 335’ and their other inbred lines were significantly reduced. 2） After high-temperature stress （HT）， the number of tassel branches， tassel dry weight， and ear length of ‘Hengyu 7182’， ‘Hengyu 868’，‘Zhengdan 958’ and ‘Xianyu 335’ were all significantly lower than those of the CK. The reduction was smaller in ‘Hengyu 7182’ and ‘Hengyu 868’ than in ‘Zhengdan 958’ and ‘Xianyu 335’. No significant changes were observed in the dry weights of male and female ears for inbred lines‘H 103’，‘H 102’，‘H 35’and‘H 40’. Furthermore， no significant differences were discovered in the number of tassel branches for ‘H 102’ and in the ear length for ‘H 40’. 3） Under high temperature stress （HT）， the decreases in the activities of SOD and CAT in the leaves of ‘Hengyu 7182’were not significant， and the decrease amplitude of CAT activity in ‘Hengyu 868’ was significantly lower than that in ‘Zhengdan 958’ and ‘Xianyu 335’. The decreases in the activities of SOD and CAT in the leaves of inbred line ‘H 102’ were not significant， and the decrease in SOD activity in the leaves of ‘H 40’ was not significant. 4） Combined application of correlation analysis， grey relational analysis and principal component analysis identified that the number of tassel branches， kernel number per ear and dry weight of ear could be used as the main indicators for evaluating the heat tolerance of maize hybrids and their parental inbred lines. The inbred lines ‘H 102’ and ‘H 40’ exhibited significantly superior heat tolerance compared to the ‘Chang 7-2’ and ‘PH4CV’， indicating that the former two lines exhibited desirable heat tolerance. Consequently， ‘H 102’ and ‘H 40’ are recommended as valuable heat-tolerant germplasms for future breeding programs.Keywords：maize;flowering period;high-temperature stress;hybrid;parental inbred line;growth and development;yield53|18|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To clarify the effects of exogenous ABA on kernel filling and dehydration processes in maize inbred lines with different dehydration types， the fast dehydration type ‘E8501’ and slow dehydration type ‘PHN73’ were taken as study materials， they foliar-sprayed with 0.5 mmol/L ABA for three consecutive days after pollination， with water spray as the control （the two inbred lines are designated as CKE and CKP， respectively）. Kernels were sampled at day 10， 17， 24， 31， 38， 45， 52， 59 and 66 after pollination （DAP）. The kernel dry weight， moisture content， ABA and GA3 contents， soluble sugars， total starch and activities of starch-synthesis enzymes were determined. The results show that： Two ABA peaks were observed during kernel development after ABA treatment， the first peak in ‘E8501’ occurred at day 31 after pollination （31DAP，the same below）， with ABA content， increased by 16.4% （P<0.05） compared with CKE， and the first peak in ‘PHN73’ occurred at 24DAP， with ABA content increased by 15.2% compared with CKP. The second peak of the two inbred lines both occurred at 52DAP， with ABA contents increased by 15.0% （P<0.05） and 13.6% （P<0.05） compared with CKE and CKP， respectively. The content of GA3 declined during kernel filling， compared with CKE， and that in ‘E8501’ showed reductions of 36.2% from 31 to 45DAP and 30.9% from 52 to 66DAP， whereas ‘PHN73’ exhibited of 20.0% and 29.5% decrease relative to CKP. At 38DAP， ABA-treated ‘E8501’ and ‘PHN73’ kernels showed increases in dry weight of 13.7% and 17.2%， compared with CKE and CKP， respectively， and the grain moisture content decreased as dry weight increased. At 31DAP， the contents of sucrose， glucose and fructose in ‘E8501’ increased by 49.2% （P<0.05）， 23.7% （P<0.05） and 38.4% （P<0.05） relative to CKE， respectively， whereas those in ‘PHN73’ increased by 29.2% （P<0.05）， 21.2 % （P<0.05） and 6.7% （P<0.05） compared with CKP. The period from 31 to 45DAP was the rapid starch accumulation stage，the total starch of ‘E8501’was 6.6 %， 7.8% and 13.7% higher than CKE at 31， 38 and 45DAP， respectively， and the total starch of ‘PHN73’ exceeded CKP by 14.5%， 10.3% and 11.3% at the same developing stages. The activities of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase （AGPase）， soluble starch synthase （SSS）， granule-bound starch synthase （GBSS） and starch branching enzyme （SBE） in the kernels of both inbred lines increased at 10DAP， reached peak at 17-24DAP and declined sharply thereafter. At 24DAP， AGPase activities in the kernel of ‘E8501’and ‘PHN73’ increased by 11.9%（P<0.05） and 7.0% （P<0.05） relative to CKE and CKP， respectively. SBE activities at 24DAP was 13.6%（P<0.05） and 26.7% （P<0.05） higher than the respective control CKE and CKP. In summary， exogenous ABA treatment can significantly increase kernel ABA content and decrease reduce GA3 content in maize kernels， elevated grain soluble sugar content and starch-synthesizing enzyme activities， and promote grain dry weight and starch accumulation， thereby accelerating kernel the dehydration and maturation of the two maize inbred lines.Keywords：abscisic acid （ABA）;dehydration type;grain filling;starch synthesis;enzyme activity33|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：Aimed at the key constraints on maize production in the Hexi Corridor region， low precipitation， high evaporation， severe soil salinization， and acute water shortage， this study proposes a comprehensive soil improvement technique combining biochar amendment with water-saving drip irrigation. The experiment was designed with two biochar application rates （0 and 60 t/hm²）， two irrigation water salinity levels （0.71 and 4 g/L）， and two irrigation regimes （full irrigation and deficit irrigation）， resulting in a total of eight treatments. The effects of aged biochar on maize growth and yield under different water-salinity treatments were investigated by measuring parameters including root density， root morphology， plant height， leaf area index， dry matter accumulation， canopy light interception， yield， and yield components. The results indicated that： 1） Compared with no-biochar control， the application of aged biochar increased corn root parameters including total root length density， surface area density， and volume density. During the grain filling stage， the above five parameters increased by 9%‑36%， 12%‑29%， and 6%‑29%， respectively； at the maturity stage， increases were 9%‑15%， 1%‑4%， and 1%‑5%， respectively. 2） Compared with the no-biochar control， applying biochar under water deficit conditions increased corn dry matter accumulation by 13% and canopy radiation interception by 5%‑15% at maturity stage. Aged biochar application further increased ear length by 1%‑8%， hundred-kernel weight by 1%‑5%， and plant yield by 1%‑12%， averaging a 6% yield increase relative to the no-biochar control. In conclusion， the aged biochar effectively promotes maize root growth under soil water-salt stress， mitigates adverse crop impacts from water-salt stress， and consequently enhances maize yield.Keywords：aged biochar;brackish water irrigation;root morphology;canopy structure;corn yield43|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the differential sensitivity of antioxidant defense and ion homeostasis regulatory systems to salt stress across rice developmental stages， salt-tolerant variety ‘Suijing 311’ （SJ 311） and the salt-sensitive variety ‘Suijing 326’ （SJ 326） were used. Salt stress was simulated by treatment with 50 mmol/L NaCl at four specific growth stages： seedling stage （S）， tillering-jointing stage （TJ）， heading-flowering stage （FH）， and grain-filling stage （GF）， as well as three consecutive stage combinations starting from the seedling stage （S+TJ， S+TJ+FH， and S+TJ+FH+GF）. Growth traits （plant height， tiller number， chlorophyll content）， nutrient cations （Na+， K+， Ca2+， Mg2+， and trace elements）， anions （Cl-， SO42-， PO43-）， osmolytes （proline， total soluble sugars）， malondialdehyde （MDA） content， enzymatic antioxidants （SOD， APX， CAT， GPX）， and non-enzymatic antioxidants （DHA/AsA， GSH） were determined to analyze salt tolerance mechanisms and response characteristics. The results showed that both varieties were most sensitive to salt stress at the seedling stage， followed by the heading-flowering stage. Among the consecutive stage treatments， salt stress during the S+TJ period had no significant impact on growth. At mature stages，‘SJ 311’ exhibited higher salt tolerance （GF≥FH>TJ） under both stage-specific and continuous salt stress. Activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， ascorbate peroxidase （APX）， and catalase （CAT） were significantly elevated in ‘SJ 311’， which enhanced its antioxidant capacity， while glutathione peroxidase （GPX） activity showed a relative decrease （negativerelative change）. The levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants DHA/AsA and GSH in ‘SJ 311’ fluctuated less than those in ‘SJ 326’， indicating a stronger capacity for redox homeostasis regulation. Moreover， ‘SJ 311’effectively restricted Na+ uptake and accumulation，maintained lower Na+/K+， Na+/Ca2+， and Na+/Mg2+ ratios. It also exhibited higher contents of Fe3+， Mn2+， and Co3+ but lower levels of Cl- and SO42-， thereby significantly enhancing ion homeostasis. In summary， rice salt tolerance is stage-specific. ‘SJ 311’ displays stronger tolerance during mature stages under continuous salt stress by synergistically enhancing antioxidant defense， osmotic regulation， and ion homeostasis mechanisms.Keywords：rice;salt stress;antioxidant defence;ion homeostasis;stage-specific response34|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To leverage Miscanthus species for rehabilitating heavy metal-contaminated marginal lands， a multi-level screening was conducted on excellent germplasm of Miscanthus plants. The study successfully constructed a multidimensional Miscanthus germplsam evaluation system based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP） and Grey Relational Analysis. The system integrated 10 core indicators，including spanning agronomic traits， physiological responses， and heavy metal accumulation characteristics（with a consistency ratio （CR<0.1）， and can efficiently screen for “tolerant enriched” and “tolerate non enriched” germplasm types. Taking Miscanthus lutarioriparia as a model species， the system comprehensively evaluated nine wild germplasm accessions collected from cadmium-contaminated areas. Tthe mean truncated tolerance association index of Miscanthus lutarioriparius to non enriched types（0.576） was significantly higher than to tolerant enriched types（0.493）， but there were concentration dependent differents in the performance of different germplasm. The gerplasm from the collection sites of Longchuan and Miluo showed significant advantages in low cadmium treatment， while the germplasm from YueLiang and NanZhou showed outatanding performance in medium cadmium treatment. The germplasm from JunShan demonstrated optimal tolerance in high cadmium stress. This study provides a scientific evaluation tool and excellent germplasm material for the application of Miscanthus for cadmium phytoremediation.Keywords：Miscanthus;heavy metal stress;elite germplasm;Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP）;phytoremediation42|14|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To establish a rapid detection system for leaf spot disease of Elymus nutans caused by Parastagonospora nodorum， highly specific primers Pr-F/Pr-R targeting the conserved RPB2 （RNA polymerase Ⅱ subunit 2） gene sequence of the pathogen was designed. An efficient， rapid， and stable PCR molecular detection technique was developed to identify Parastagonospora leaf spot in E. nutans. The results indicated： 1） The detection system specifically amplified a 127 bp band from P. nodorum， and the sensitivity of Pr-F/Pr-R for detecting genomic DNA of P. nodorum was 100 pg/μL. 2） The Pr-F/Pr-R primers can specifically detect P. nodorum in infected E. nutans leaf tissues， as well as in suspected diseased field-collected E. nutans plants. These results provide a technical basis for the early detection and targeted control of leaf spot disease in E. nutans.Keywords：Elymus nutans;Parastagonospora nodorum;leaf spot disease;molecular detection42|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the optimal seeding rates of annual Medicago scutellata and Avena sativa mixed sowing suitable for the irrigation areas in Northwest China and their effects on grassland productivity and nutritional value， a field trial was conducted in the Yellow River diversion irrigation area of Ningxia in 2024. A. sativa seeding rate was fixed at 120.0 kg/hm² and were mixed with six different seeding rates for annual M. scutellata （12.0， 18.0， 24.0， 30.0， 36.0 and 42.0 kg/hm²， designated as IM1， IM2， IM3， IM4， IM5 and IM6）. Monoculture of annual M. scutellata （SM， 30.0 kg/hm²） and monoculture of A. sativa （SO， 180.0 kg/hm²） served as controls. Grassland productivity， nutritional quality， and interspecific relationships were systematically determed through two successive crop cycles of sowing and harvesting. The results indicated that： 1） Mixed cropping significantly enhanced grassland productivity. Among all the treatments， IM4 performed the best ，with the highest total dry matter production （20.93 t/hm²） across two harvests， representing a 24.2% increase over A. sativa monoculture and a 44.7% rise in crude protein yield （2.36 t/hm²）. This treatment achieved land equivalency ratio of 1.33， and had 33% increase in land utilization efficiency. 2） While the IM6 treatment had the highest crude protein content and relative feeding value （25.3% and 12.6% higher than monoculture respectively）， the IM4 treatment achieved a better balance between yield （20.93 t/hm²） and quality （ 11.48% crude protein content）. In summary， mixed sowting of 30.0 kg/hm² of annual M. scutellata with 120.0 kg/hm² A. sativa can synergistically achieve a high yield and superior quality while efficiently utilization land resources. This approach provides a theoretical foundation and practical planting solution for establishing ecological agro-pastoral systems in arid irrigated areas.Keywords：mixed sowing of annual Medicago scutellata and Avena sativa;irrigation area;the proportion of mixed sowing;productivity;land equivalent ratio36|18|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To explore the growth and physiological response patterns of alfalfa （Medicago sativa L.） under different alkali concentration stresses， hydroponic experiments were conducted in the western Songnen Plain of Northeast China. Alfalfa was taken as the research object for alkali stress analysis. Different concentrations of Na2CO3 （0， 5， 10， and 15 mmol/L） were applied to simulate alkali stress， and the changes in the growth and physiological characteristics of alfalfa seedlings were investigated after 48 hours. The results showed that with the increase of alkali stress concentration， the damage degree to plants intensified. Specifically， under the treatment of 15 mmol/L Na2CO3， the aboveground parts of alfalfa showed lodging. Compared with the control group （0 mmol/L）， the aboveground biomass in the 10 mmol/L and 15 mmol/L treatments significantly decreased by 24.62% and 42.88%， respectively， and the chlorophyll content also decreased synchronously. In addition， alkali stress caused leaf plasma membrane damage and malondialdehyde （MDA） accumulation， and the MDA accumulation reached the peak under the 15 mmol/L treatment. The activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in roots showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The highest activities of SOD and POD were discovered under the 10 mmol/L treatment， which were 64.04% and 74.85% higher than those of the control， respectively. The contents of proline and Na⁺ in the aboveground parts were the highest under the 15 mmol/L treatment， meanwhile， the ratios of K⁺ to Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ to Na⁺ were the lowest. In conclusion， the 15 mmol/L alkali stress significantly inhibited the growth of alfalfa （P<0.05）， induced membrane lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities， and the accumulation of proline reached its peak. The alkali tolerance threshold of alfalfa is approximately 10 mmol/L， and alfalfa’s physiological functions are severely damaged beyond this concentration.Keywords：alfalfa;alkaline stress;antioxidant enzymes;K+ to Na+ ratio;Ca2+ to Na+ ratio37|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the impact of soil factors on the rhizosphere microbial community and berry quality of Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ in the Helan Mountain East Foothills， ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ rhizosphere soil samples were collected from five different plots （designated as S1-S5） with consistent agronomic management practices in the Mengshaquan vineyard. Soil particle size， physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， microbial characteristics， and fruit quality were measured to analyze differences among indicators and explore the influence of soil texture on fruit quality. The results showed that： 1） The analysis results of soil particle size components， S1 to S3 were sandy clay loam， S4 was clay loam， and S5 was sandy loam. Analysis of soil properties across different textures revealed that total nitrogen， total phosphorus， alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen， available potassium， water content， catalase activity， bacterial Observed_ASV， bacterial Chao1 index and ACE diversity index， fungal Observed_ASV， and fungal ACE diversity index all followed the pattern of sandy clay loam>clay loam>sandy loam. 2） At the phylum level， the bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria， with Actinobacteria relative abundance ranked as S5>S1>S3>S2>S4. Fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota and Mucoromycota， with Ascomycota relative abundance ranked as S4>S2>S1>S3>S5. Total phosphorus was the primary factor influencing bacterial and fungal community structure， followed by total nitrogen. 3） Soluble solids content （SSC） of the grape berries was ranked as S3>S2>S4>S1>S5， and reducing sugar content S3>S5>S2>S1>S4. Tannin and total phenolic contents were both ranked as S2>S4>S5>S1>S3. 4） Total phosphorus， available potassium， electrical conductivity， catalase， urease， alkaline phosphatase， and amylase were the main factors leading to significantly higher SSC and reducing sugar content in S3 soil compared to those in other soil textures （P<0.05）. In S2， higher levels of organic matter， available phosphorus， pH， silt， and amylase contributed to significantly higher tannin and total phenolic contents compared to those in other soil textures （P<0.05）. In conclusion， the sandy loam soil in this study characterized by higher total phosphorus， organic matter， alkaline phosphatase， and clay content are more conducive for microbial colonization and the growth of Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’.Keywords：Helan Mountain East Foothills;soil textures;‘Cabernet Sauvignon’;microbial community structure and diversity;wine grape fruit quality30|21|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：Against the backdrop of intensifying climate change and the trend toward intensive farming， enhancing resilience has become a growing focus in global dairy cattle breeding programs. Yet in China， studies on resilience breeding in dairy cows remain in their infancy， with limited foundational research. Therefore， this review systematically summarizes recent domestic and international advances in phenotype and genetics for resilience in dairy cows. The main findings included that： 1） Dynamic fluctuations in phenotype can effectively capture dairy cows’ responses to environmental disturbances， while derived resilience traits generally exhibit low to moderate heritability and perform favorable and moderate genetic correlations with reproduction， health，body condition， longevity and other traits. 2） As a complex polygenic trait， the development of resilience involves multiple mechanisms including the gut microbiota， immune regulation and maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. 3） Incorporating resilience into dairy cattle breeding indices can improve animal welfare and management efficiency and also generate long-term economic benefits in dairy farms， especially under labor-limited and large-scale production systems. In summary， resilience is a novel and valuable functional trait in cows’ breeding， future efforts should integrate high-throughput longitudinal phenotypes and techniques of molecular quantitative genetics to improve resilience evaluation and breeding in dairy cows， supporting the sustainable， efficient， and welfare-oriented development in dairy production.Keywords：dairy cows;resilience trait;genetic selection45|15|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the relationship between body size and body weight of Qinghai-Tibetan sheep at different months of age， 145 Qinghai-Tibetan sheep （70 rams and 75 ewes） were selected in the study， and the body size and body weight data were determined at newborn， 3-month， 6-month， 8-month， and 10-month ages， and correlation， path， and principal component analysis were carried out using SPSS19.0 and SAS8.0 software. The results showed that： 1） Among different age groups， the coefficient of variation of body weight was the largest for males and females at different ages， and the coefficient of variation of tube circumference was the largest among the body-size indicators. 2） There was a highly significant positive correlation between body weight and body height， body length， chest circumference and tube circumference at newborn， 3-month， 8-month and 10-month ages. There was also a highly significant positive correlation between various body size traits. 3） The indicators that had the largest direct effect on body weight of males and ewes were body height， followed by body length and chest circumference. 4） In terms of the eigenvectors and contribution rates of the principal components， at the newborn stage， the first 2 principal components were selected for rams and the first 3 for ewes. At the 3-month-old stage， the first 3 principal components were selected for rams and the first 1 for ewes. At the 6-month-old stage， the first 3 principal components were selected for both males and females. At the 8-month-old stage， the first 3 principal components were selected for rams and the first 2 for ewes. At the 10-month-old stage， the first 3 principal components were selected for rams and the first 3 for ewes. And at the 10-month-old stage， the first 3 for rams and the first 1 for ewes were selected for rams. At the 8-month-old stage， the first 3 principal components were selected for rams and the first 2 principal components were selected for ewes. The first principal component of both rams and ewes was the body size factor， reflecting the overall body structure of Qinghai-ibetan sheep. In conclusion， except for the age of 6 months， there was a highly significant positive correlation between body weight and body size traits at all ages. The principal components at different stages reflected the growth and development characteristics of Qinghai-Tibetan sheep at different stages， and the first principal component was the body size factor， which played a dominant role. Thestudy could optimize and adjust the current breeding program of Qinghai-Tibetan sheep of different ages， and provide a theoretical guidance for the selection of Qinghai-Tibetan sheep in the later stage.Keywords：Qinghai-Tibetan sheep;body size;body weight;correlation;principal component analysis54|18|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To clarify the intestinal morphology and microbiome changes of high-quality broilers in different types of chicken houses， 240 healthy 1-day-old high-quality broilers of the L line were selected and randomly divided into two groups， which were raised in a closed environmental control cabin （Group Ⅰ） and a common semi-closed chicken coop （Group Ⅱ）. At the 15th week of age， 24 roosters in each group were selected and slaughtered for intestinal morphology determination， and the microbial diversity in cecum contents was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed as follows： 1）At 15 weeks of age， Group I significantly improved the feed conversion rate compared with group Ⅱ （P<0.05）， the villus height of duodenum， jejunum and ileum was also significantly increased， and the crypt depth was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. 2）The significant differences in beta diversity of the cecal microbiota between the two groups indicated that Group I was enriched with Bifidobacterium， Actinobacteriota and Verruco microbiota， which was capable of activating lipid metabolism and enhancing the intestinal barrier， Group Ⅱ was enriched with Bacteroidota， Barnesiellaceae and Desulfobacterota， which inhibited related enzyme activity and hinder intestinal epithelial energy metabolism （P<0.05）. In summary， there are significant differences in the intestinal tissue morphology and microbial community structure of high-quality broiler chickens by environmental parameters of different types of chicken houses. Among them， the closed-loop control model is more suitable for healthy intestinal development of high-quality broilers. Maintaining a stable intestinal environment is not only of great practical value for the production challenges in intensive farming， but also provides important reference for conducting microbiome research on high-quality broiler chickens under refined regulation conditions.Keywords：high quality broiler;environmental control;intestinal morphology;microbial communities36|15|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To address the engineering requirements for ventilation optimization in tiered-cage meat duck houses at different growth stages， computational fluid dynamics （CFD） was employed to establish four simplified duck geometric models： One detailed model， one head-removed model， one torso model， and one ellipsoid model. Systematic analysis was conducted to examine the differences and trends in resistance coefficients along the length （X）， width （Y）， and height （Z） directions of the duck cage for duck models at different ages. Additionally， the dynamic variations in the resistance characteristics of the duck activity area were investigated. The results indicate that： 1） The level of simplification of the duck model has a significant impact on the resistance coefficients. The inertial resistance error between the detailed model and the headless model was the smallest， with deviations of -15.7%， -13.1%， and 7.1% in the X， Y， and Z directions， respectively， while the errors for the other two models were larger， reaching a maximum of -44.4%. 2） During the growth process of the ducks， as their body weight increased from 0.19 to 2.82 kg， the inertial and viscous resistance coefficients in the X， Y， and Z directions significantly increased， and the increase was the most pronounced in the Z direction. In conclusion， the resistance coefficients for ducks at different growth stages and the model simplification methods proposed in this study can provide key parameter support for CFD ventilation simulations in tiered-cage meat duck houses.Keywords：meat duck;tiered-cage raising;computational fluid dynamics;porous medium model;resistance coefficient;growth stage53|18|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To investigate the decision-making mechanism of farmers’ crop-livestock integration（CLI） behaviors and enhance their motivation of CLI， based on field surveys of 316 pig farmers in Shaanxi Province， this study employs a Triple-Hurdle model to empirically examine the factors influencing farmers’ adoption decisions regarding CLI and evaluates the income effects of this model. The results show that： 1） 90.5% of farmers are willing to adopt CLI， but the actual adoption rate are 40.8%， with an average integration degree of 0.236. 2） Farmers’ CLI adoption decisions are jointly influenced by economic expectations and environmental regulations. Economic expectations significantly promote adoption decisions， but the interaction effects between different types of environmental regulations and economic expectations on adoption decisions vary. 3） The CLI model has a significant effect on increasing the income of pig farmers. Counterfactual analysis shows that for farmers who actually adopted CLI， assuming they do not adopt it， their average income would decrease by 4.5%. Conversely， their average income would increase by 6.8%. This study provides theoretical underpinnings for overcoming the dilemma of farmer adoption of CLI and optimizing policies for agricultural green development.Keywords：farmers;crop-livestock integration;economic expectations;environmental regulation;income effect25|16|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To address the issue that traditional cultivated land protection special planning emphasizes indicator implementation while neglecting spatial coordination under the national territorial space planning system， this study takes cultivated land spatial planning as the research object. Based on the spatial value theory， this study integrates ecological protection key areas， agricultural breeding spaces， and cultivated land planting spaces according to the spatial composite characteristics of cultivated land value. A multi-dimensional value classification system focused on “grain production， safe ecology， urban agriculture， industrial integration， and cultural heritage”is established. The study explores a special planning preparation pathway of “value identification-spatial optimization-policy guarantee”， and conducts a practical exploration by taking Changzhou as case study. The results indicate that： 1） The specialized planning preparation methodology based on cultivated land spatial value can optimize land use practices that do not conform to natural geographical conditions； 2） Through identification and delineation of spatial value units， it ensures the coordinated spatial layout of multiple elements including cultivated land， forest land， and wetlands， achieving planning flexibility transmission； 3） Policies， spatial guidance rules， and related engineering plans are formulated for different cultivated land value spatial units， which comprehensively leverage the synergistic effects of planning and land policies. This study provides innovative methodological insights for other cities in preparing cultivated land protection special plans， thereby will improve the implementation path of cultivated land protection within the framework of national territorial governance.Keywords：spatial value;specialized plan for the protection of farmland;territorial spatial planning;cropland protection27|12|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To systemically understand the latest research progress on the causes and mitigation mechanisms of continuous cropping obstacles in China， relevant literature indexed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） database from 2014 to 2024 were searched using “continuous cropping obstacles”as the keyword. The obtained publications on various regions across China were summarized and sorted. The main conclusions are as follows： Continuous cropping obstacles have become a bottleneck restricting the green development of agriculture in China. Their causes involve the combined effects of three mechanisms： deterioration of soil physical and chemical properties， plant allelopathic autotoxicity， and deterioration of the soil ecological environment. Biological factors are the primary cause of continuous cropping obstacles， particularly soilborne diseases， which account for over 70% of the damage. Therefore， future strategies to reduce continuous cropping obstacles should focus on the establishment of biological indicators and the utilization of biological resources. In practice， a comprehensive approach， including scientific and precise water and fertilizer management， optimized planting structures， conservation tillage， and soil biological regulation， should be adopted to build a healthy soil micro-food web to promote sustainable agricultural development and ensure food security.Keywords：continuous cropping obstacle;soil-borne diseases;soil micro-food web;rhizosphere regulation64|25|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To integrate leaf reflectance spectra with Bayesian models for identifying damage levels of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis， rice plants infested with Cnaphalocrocis medinalis were studied. Rice leaves were collected during the pest outbreak period， and the leaf reflectance spectra and physicochemical parameters were determined to further categorize pest damage levels. Raw parameters and order derivatives were employed to select sensitive features， while competitive adaptive reweighted sampling （CARS） was used to identify characteristic spectral bands for constructing spectral indices. Correlations between the above indices and damage levels were analyzed， and the Bayesian model was used to establish a diagnostic framework for C. medinalis damage assessment. The results indicate that： 1） The spectral reflectance of rice leaves in the green and near-infrared bands decrease with increasing C. medinalis damage levels， while reflectance in the red band increased； leaf water content and chlorophyll content also decreased significantly with pest severity. 2） Six vegetation indices （soil-adjusted vegetation index， enhanced vegetation index， blue-band-free enhanced vegetation index， transformed chlorophyll index， spectral absorption index and transformed chlorophyll absorption index） and three sensitive band reflectance values （R562 nm，R576 nm andR660 nm） were selected； six feature parameters were selected based on trilateral parameters （blue-edge amplitude， blue-edge slope， yellow-edge slope， yellow-edge amplitude， red-edge slope， red-edge amplitude）； six spectral indices were selected based on CARS （EVI， RI_0， NDI_0， RI_0.25， RI_0.75， NDI_0.75） were identified， with RI_0 exhibiting the highest correlation （0.92） with C. medinalis damage severity. 3） A Bayesian diagnostic model for C. medinalis damage levels was constructed. The optimal input variable combination was determined via inverse feature elimination， included EVI， RI_0， NDI_0， RI_0.25， RI_0.75， NDI_0.75. Three-fold cross-validation accuracy reached 95.83%±4.17%. In summary， this diagnostic model enables timely and accurate acquisition of field damage characteristics for C. medinalis， providing scientific references for early warning of damage trends and decision-making in pest control.Keywords：Cnaphalocrocis medinalis;leaf reflectance spectra;fractional order derivatives;Bayesian model;vegetation indices32|21|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To comprehensively assess the impact of wind power facility construction on the surrounding environment and propose optimization solutions for future upgrades and retrofits， this study investigates the landscape visual impact of wind farms， taking the Beijing Guanting Wind Farm as the study area. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process， the landscape visual impact evaluation system was constructed using indicators such as landscape visual sensitivity and landscape visual magnitude. Relevant data were obtained through open data platforms， remote sensing and geographic information systems， expert evaluation method， and Delphi method. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted at both global and local scales. The results showed that： 1） Compared to irregular wind farms layout， regular wind farms layout has a lower degree of landscape visual impact， and the closer they are to the wind farms， the more significant the visual impact they receive. 2） Within the 5 km buffer zone of Guanting Wind Farm， the landscape visual impact is relatively high， with the frontal direction of the wind farm Enclosure Rectangle being the key affected area. 3） Wind turbines have a significant impact on the water， village and road landscape of the key areas of the Guanting Wind Farm. Compared with the land， the visual impact of the wind turbines on the water bodies is more obvious， and the visual impact on roads passing parallel to the wind farm is more significant than those passing vertically. 4） The landscape of Guanting Wind Farm can be improved and optimized from multiple aspects， including building ecological networks of water bodies and wetlands， optimizing networks of farmlands and forests， connecting road landscapes， and reconstructing waterfront landscapes， to reduce the impact of Guanting Wind Farm on the surrounding environment. This study can provide a reference for the scientific assessment and optimization practices of landscape visual impacts in wind farms.Keywords：energy landscape;wind farms;visual impact assessment;GIS;spatial analysis;optimization path29|13|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To invetigate the evolutionary game relationships among the， government， photovoltatic （PV） industry and rural residents， this study constructs an evolutionary game model and conducts a numerical simulations to reveal the collaborative development mechanisms of multi-actor systems in the rural distributed PV sector. The findings are as follows： 1） The more sufficient the investment in PV technology innovation by enterprises， the stronger their willingness to actively participate in distributed PV installation， accelerating the system’s stabilization toward equilibrium and enhancing the efficiency of multi-actor coordination. 2） Government incentives， such as tax benefits and green credit rewards， significantly promote tripartite cooperation. Tax incentives can lower the marginal cost of enterprise innovation but excessive subsidies may weaken the government’s regulatory momentum. Green credit rewards exhibit a notable “response threshold effect” among rural residents. 3） The penalty system should establish a virtuous evolutionary mechanism of institutional constraints-technological breakthroughs-social supervision”. The gradient-based， credit-linked， and phased differentiated penalties are conducive to strengthening the dual roles of both regulation and incentive. 4） Reputation benefits provide positive incentives for PV enterprises to participate in collaborative development， which influence government policy preferences and shape the trust expectations of rural households. This study offers policy insights into clarifying the driving mechanisms and collaborative strategies for the development of rural distributed PV industries.Keywords：rural energy;distributed photovoltaic;multi-actor;evolutionary game30|22|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aimed to clarify the impact of farmers’ digital literacy on their implementation of organic fertilizer adoption behavior， promote the popularization of organic fertilizer and accelerate the realization of green transformation of agriculture. Based on 823 rice farmers’ research data in Sichuan Province， the Probit and IV-Probit models were selected for empirical analysis and the Bootstrap method was used to verify the feasible ability of the mediating effect. The study found that： 1） The improvement of digital literacy helps to promote the implementation of organic fertilizer adoption behavior of farmers； 2） Digital literacy can promote the implementation of organic fertilizer adoption behavior of farmers by improving their financing ability， technology application ability and market docking ability； 3） The promotion effect of digital literacy on the implementation of organic fertilizer adoption behavior of farmers with developed local agricultural market and no part-time business is particularly significant. Therefore， the gradual improvement of rural digital financial development model， the construction of digital agricultural technology support system， and the cultivation of green agricultural products market ecology can effectively promote the implementation of organic fertilizer adoption behavior by farmers and promote the green transformation of agriculture.Keywords：digital literacy;green production techniques;organic fertilizer adoption;feasibility30|19|1<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to explore the effect of digital ability on fertilizer reduction， this study defines farmers’ fertilizer reduction behavior from the dual perspectives of factor input and standardized operation. By using the 1 233 micro data from Hubei， Guangxi and Heilongjiang provinces （autonomous regions）， the mechanism of digital ability on farmers’ fertilizer reduction behavior was empirically tested . The results show that： 1） Digital ability has a significant effect on the application of formula fertilizer and scientific fertilization， and this conclusion is still true after a variety of robustness tests. In addition， digital access and digital creation are key drivers of farmers’use of chemical fertilizers and standardized fertilization behaviors， respectively. 2） Digital capacity promotes the reduction of fertilizer by three mechanisms including reducing the cost of information search， promoting the expression of digital demand and enhancing the willingness to expand the planting scale. 3） The fertilizer reduction effect of digital capacity is more obvious in the young and middle-aged farmers， and the farmers with risk preference and large planting scale， showing the characteristics of insufficient inclusiveness. 4） After the behavior of fertilizer reduction is redefined according to the combination of the factor input and the standard operation， the fertilizer reduction effect of digital capacity is still significant， and the influence effect of digital creation becomes the highest. Accordingly， it is necessary to promote digital countryside continuously， provide guidance for farmers to make rational use of digital technology， strengthen the expansion and extension of digital capacity， and effectively give play to the fertilizer reduction effect of digital capacity.Keywords：digital ability;chemical fertilizer reduction;formula fertilizer use behavior;standard fertilization behavior;digital inclusion18|15|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：In order to understand the implementation situation of large-scale rice yield improvement in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River region， this study analyzes constraints based on the field survey data collected from agricultural and rural department staff， rice processing enterprise managers and large-scale business entities in six counties （city/district） of Hunan and Hubei Province， namely Hanshou， You， Heshan District of Yiyang， Quyuan Management District of Yueyang， Qianjiang， and Gong'an. The main conclusions are as follows： 1）Some local governments focus on the allocation of task areas at the beginning of the year， and neglect specific matters in the rice production process in the joint party-government responsibility for food security；2）The rice farmers in the double-season rice producing areas generally increase yield without increasing income due to the combination of rising costs， falling prices and disorderly varieties；3）Many agricultural and water conservancy facilities are aging and deteriorating， which has become one prominent “weak link” in the infrastructure of grain production；4）The bottleneck of full mechanization in rice production lies in the low penetration rate of machine sowing and machine throwing. To solve above constraints， it needs to improve supporting conditions by refining the assessment methods for the joint party-government responsibility for food security， giving preferential support to large-scale planting entities， strengthening the construction of agricultural water conservancy facilities， and raising subsidy standards for machine sowing and machine throwing of seedlings.Keywords：Enhancing large-scale yield;rice;the middle reaches of the Yangtze River;constraints;supporting conditions30|13|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：To clarify how the rising cost of agricultural labor and tightening land constraints impact the choice of mechanization pathways， the survey data from 1 526 grain-producing households in the three northeastern provinces of China on 2023 are employed to build a “agricultural machinery input structure-factor reallocation-grain output” framework. Continuous agricultural machinery input structure index （share of outsourced machinery services）is embedded in a translog production function， and third-order interaction terms are introduced to empirically analyze the impact of agricultural machinery input structure on grain output and its underlying mechanism. The results show that：1）Agricultural machinery input structure significantly raises grain output， mainly through land expansion and labor-substitution effects； 2）High quality outsourced machinery services and joint purchase models markedly enhance the yield-boosting effect of agricultural machinery input structure； 3）Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the positive effect of agricultural machinery input structure on grain output is more pronounced for small-scale and part-time farmers. Based on the findings， the following policy suggestions are put forward：the government should shift machinery subsidies from purchase-oriented to application-oriented support， improve the quality of outsourced machinery services， promote joint purchase models， and pay special attention to assisting small-scale and part-time farmers， thereby providing a practical pathway for the coordinated advancement of service scale and land scale farming.Keywords：agricultural machinery input structure;translog production function;factor allocation;grain output28|17|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：This study aims to explore the influence of farmers’ willingness to exit contracted land on their willingness to exit homesteads and its mechanism. Based on the survey data of farmers in seven provinces across the country in 2022， the research employs an ordered Probit model and the moderated mediation model to empirically test the impact of farmers’ willingness to exit contracted land on their willingness to exit homesteads， and to analyze the mediating effect of the cognition of homestead functions and the moderating effect of livelihood capital. The results show that： 1） Farmers’ willingness to exit contracted land has significant positive influence on their willingness to exit homesteads； 2） The cognition of homestead functions plays a partial mediating role in the impact of farmers’ willingness to exit contracted land on their willingness to exit homesteads. The mediating effect of emotional function cognition is the strongest， followed by security function cognition， while asset function cognition exhibits the weakest effect. Meanwhile， livelihood capital moderates the influence of asset function cognition and emotional function cognition on homestead exit willingness； 3） The influence of contracted land exit willingness on homestead exit willingness is more pronounced in non-pilot areas of homestead system reform and western regions. Therefore， to effectively promote the coordinated exit of rural contracted land and homesteads， it is essential to explore the establishment of a synergistic mechanism for the exit of both contracted land and homesteads， and formulate differentiated exit policies for distinct farmer groups， and facilitate farmers’ transition to alternative livelihood models based on considering reasonable economic compensation and the preservation of emotional value.Keywords：willingness to exit contracted land;willingness to exit homesteads;cognition of homestead functions;livelihood capital;moderated mediation effect23|16|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
- Abstract：Based on the provincial panel data from 2010 to 2021 in China， this study systematically examines the nonlinear impact of competition intensity in the policy-oriented agricultural insurance market on agricultural production efficiency and its underlying mechanisms. The findings revealed an “inverted U-shaped” relationship between market competition intensity and agricultural production efficiency， indicating that agricultural production efficiency initially increases and then decreases as market competition intensifies. Agricultural production efficiency reaches its peak when the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index （HHI） of market competition intensity approaches 0.779. Mechanism tests demonstrate that government fiscal subsidies positively moderate the relationship between market competition intensity and agricultural production efficiency， and strengthen the impact of competition intensity. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the “inverted U-shaped” relationship is more pronounced in regions with low expense ratios， high claim payment levels， and in the western regions of China. The conclusions of this study not only provide new empirical evidence for the theory of agricultural insurance market regulation but also offer policy optimization pathways for building a modern rural financial ecosystem aligned with the food security strategy. This research lays the foundation to achieve the goal of agricultural insurance facilitating sustainable agricultural development.Keywords：agricultural insurance;competitive intensity of the market;agricultural productivity;subsidies33|19|0<HTML><L-PDF> <WORD> <Meta-XML>Updated：2026-05-06
