Frontiers in Plant Science最新文献

{"title":"Editorial: Enhancing salinity tolerance in crop plants through agronomic, genetic, molecular, and physiological approaches.","authors":"Muhammad Umair Hassan, Muhammad Nawaz, Lorenzo Barbanti, Sajid Masood","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1554509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1554509","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1554509"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes on Meliaceae species: insights into the evolution and species identification.","authors":"Zixuan Nie, Jikai Ma, Chengkun Wang, Ming Tang, Ting Jia, Guoxiang Liao, Lu Zhang","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1536313","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1536313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Meliaceae, a significant group in Sapindales, possesses material and medicinal value due to its applications in timber and bioactive compounds. However, the high morphological diversity of the Meliaceae species and the lack of comparative studies of chloroplast (cp) genomes have led to great challenges in the classification and identification of Meliaceae species.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we sequenced the complete cp genomes of three <i>Toona</i> species (<i>Toona fargesii</i>, <i>Toona ciliata</i>, and <i>Toona sinensis</i>), and conducted comparative analyses of these cp genomes along with 29 previously published cp genomes of Meliaceae. Additionally, we performed the phylogenetic analyses and estimated the divergence times of Meliaceae.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cp genomes of 32 Meliaceae species ranged from 158,558 bp to 160,978 bp in length. Specifically, the cp genomes of <i>Toona</i> varied from 159,242 bp to 159,617 bp in length. These cp genomes contained a total of 135 unique genes, comprising 90 protein-coding, 8 rRNA, and 37 tRNA genes. Divergence time estimation revealed that the Meliaceae family diverged into two subfamilies (Cedreloideae and Melioideae) approximately 72.92 Ma (95% HPD: 60.62-87.01 Ma) in the Late Cretaceous. The diversification of Cedreloideae (47.86 Ma, 95% HPD: 47.42-48.22 Ma) occurred later than that of Melioideae (66.60 Ma, 95% HPD: 55.41-79.73 Ma). Furthermore, comparative genomic analysis identified 52 to 116 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and twelve highly variable regions (HVRs) found among the cp genomes of Meliaceae.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Divergence time estimation indicates that most Meliaceae species have a relatively recent origin, with rapid divergence occurring during the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene epochs. Comparative analysis of cp genomes revealed that Meliaceae exhibits relative conservation in terms of cp genome size, inverted-repeat (IR) boundary, genome structure, HVRs and codon patterns. Although differences exist between the Cedreloideae and Melioideae subfamilies, the overall similarity remains notably high. Furthermore, the <i>ycf</i>1, <i>trn</i>K-<i>rps</i>16, and <i>ndh</i>F-<i>rpl</i>32 regions exhibited the highest nucleotide polymorphism within Meliaceae, while the <i>rpl</i>22 gene displayed significant genetic diversity within both subfamilies. As candidate molecular markers, these regions may effectively distinguish among species. These findings not only provide insights into the evolution and species identification but also establish a scientific foundation for future systematics within Meliaceae.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1536313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933007/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grain quality in superior and inferior grains of soft and non-soft rice varieties from the Yangtze River Delta.","authors":"Xi Chen, Jiale Cao, Zhongtao Ma, Jianghui Yu, Ying Zhu, Fangfu Xu, Qun Hu, Guodong Liu, Guangyan Li, Haiyan Wei","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1562708","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1562708","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to establish a scientific basis for improving rice quality by investigating the relationship between variations in eating and appearance quality and the starch and protein content in soft and non-soft rice varieties.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two soft rice varieties, Nanjing 5718 and Nanjing 9108, were compared with two non-soft rice varieties, Huaidao 5 hao and Huajing 5 hao. The study focused on eating and appearance quality, starch and protein content, and how these factors varied between superior and inferior grains within each variety.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to non-soft rice, soft rice has some disadvantages in appearance quality, which is characterized by high chalky grain rate and chalkiness degree, and large differences in appearance between superior and inferior grains. This is mainly due to the low proportion of high grain weight grains, low amylose content, abnormal development of starch structure, and large protein bodies with high globulin and glutenin content, which destroys the close accumulation of starch particles, resulting in increased light scattering, increased chalkiness, and reduced transparency. Although the appearance quality of soft rice is not outstanding, its eating quality is extremely excellent, which is embodied in good appearance, high viscosity, good balance, high taste value and low hardness. This superior performance may be due to the high proportion of amylopectin in soft rice, which helps to improve the overall taste. In contrast, the amylose content of non-soft rice is higher, which leads to the increase of rice hardness and the decrease of viscosity. In addition, the gelatinization property of soft rice starch is more favorable, which makes the starch dissolve more in the cooking process, so as to further improve its eating quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1562708"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"YOLOv8 forestry pest recognition based on improved re-parametric convolution.","authors":"Lina Zhang, Shengpeng Yu, Bo Yang, Shuai Zhao, Ziyi Huang, Zhiyin Yang, Helong Yu","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1552853","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1552853","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The ecological and economic impacts of forest pests have intensified, particularly in remote areas. Traditional pest detection methods are often inefficient and inaccurate in complex environments, posing significant challenges for effective pest management. Enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of pest detection under resource-limited conditions has thus become a critical issue. This study aims to address these challenges by proposing an improved lightweight forestry pest detection algorithm, RSD-YOLOv8, based on YOLOv8.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To improve the performance of pest detection, we introduced several modifications to the YOLOv8 architecture. First, we proposed RepLightConv to replace conventional convolution in HGNetV2, forming the Rep-HGNetV2 backbone, which significantly reduces the number of model parameters. Additionally, the neck of the model was enhanced by integrating a slim-neck structure and adding a Dyhead module before the output layer. Further optimization was achieved through model pruning, which contributed to additional lightweighting of the model. These improvements were designed to balance detection accuracy with computational efficiency, particularly for deployment in resource-constrained environments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed RSD-YOLOv8 model. The model achieved a Map@0.5:0.95(%) of 88.6%, representing a 4.2% improvement over the original YOLOv8 model. Furthermore, the number of parameters was reduced by approximately 36%, the number of operations decreased by 36%, and the model size was reduced by 33%. These improvements indicate that the RSD-YOLOv8 model not only enhances detection accuracy but also significantly reduces computational burden and resource consumption.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The lightweight technology and architectural improvements introduced in this study have proven effective in enhancing pest detection accuracy while minimizing resource requirements. The RSD-YOLOv8 model's ability to operate efficiently in remote areas with limited resources makes it highly practical for real-world applications. This advancement holds positive implications for agroforestry ecology and supports the broader goals of intelligent and sustainable development. Future work could explore further optimization techniques and the application of this model to other domains requiring lightweight and accurate detection systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1552853"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933051/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate change impacts on the predicted geographic distribution of <i>Betula tianschanica</i> Rupr.","authors":"Hang Zhou, Ao Li, Xuequn Luo, Jiafeng Wang, Yihong Xie, Zhongping Lin, Donglai Hua","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1528255","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1528255","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; Rupr. is distributed in regions such as China, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Owing to the impacts of climate change, it is increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation, resulting in a precipitous decline in its population. Currently listed as endangered on the Red List of Trees of Central Asia, this species is predominantly found in the Tianshan Mountains. Examining the influence of climate change on the geographical distribution pattern of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; is crucial for the management and conservation of its wild resources.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This study employed two models, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and random forest (RF), combined with 116 distribution points of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; and 27 environmental factor variables, to investigate the environmental determinants of the distribution of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; and project its potential geographical distribution areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The MaxEnt model and the RF model determined the primary environmental factors influencing the potential distribution of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt;. The MaxEnt model showed that the percentage of gravel volume in the lower soil layer and elevation are the most significant, while the RF model considered elevation and precipitation of the wettest quarter to be the most crucial. Both models unanimously asserted that elevation is the pivotal environmental element affecting the distribution of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt;.The mean area under the curve (AUC) scores for the MaxEnt model and RF were 0.970 and 0.873, respectively, revealing that the MaxEnt model outperformed the RF model in predictive accuracy. Consequently, the present study employed the estimated geographical area for &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; modeled by the MaxEnt model as a reference. Following the MaxEnt model's projected outcomes, &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt; is mainly located in territories such as the Tianshan Mountains, Ili River Basin, Lake Issyk-Kul, Turpan Basin, Irtysh River, Ulungur River, Bogda Mountains, Kazakh Hills, Lake Balkhash, Amu River, and the middle reaches of the Syr River.Within the MaxEnt model, the total suitable habitat area exhibits growth across all scenarios, with the exception of a decline observed during the 2041-2060 period under the SSP2-4.5 scenario. Remarkably, under the SSP58.5 scenario for the same timeframe, this area expands significantly by 42.7%. In contrast, the RF model demonstrated relatively minor fluctuations in the total suitable habitat area, with the highest recorded increase being 12.81%. This paper recommends establishing protected areas in the Tianshan Mountains, conducting long-term monitoring of its population dynamics, and enhancing international cooperation. In response to future climate change, climate refuges should be established and adaptive management implemented to ensure the survival and reproduction of &lt;i&gt;Betula tianschanica&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1528255"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11932998/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disruption of chlorophyll metabolism and photosynthetic efficiency in winter jujube (<i>Ziziphus jujuba</i>) Induced by <i>Apolygus lucorum</i> infestation.","authors":"Wei Tan, Qi Yin, Haipeng Zhao, Mengyao Wang, Xia Sun, Hui Cao, Deya Wang, Qingliang Li","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1536534","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1536534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Apolygus lucorum</i>, a cosmopolitan Hemiptera insect, poses a significant threat to <i>Ziziphus jujuba</i> (jujube), causing symptoms such as mottled chlorosis. However, the mechanisms through which <i>A. lucorum</i> affects chlorophyll biosynthesis and degradation remain unclear. This study investigates the effects of <i>A. lucorum</i> infestation on chlorophyll metabolism and photosynthetic performance in winter jujube leaves. Results revealed a substantial reduction in chlorophyll a and b content, which was strongly correlated with decreases in key photosynthetic parameters, such as the Photochemical Performance Index (PI_ABS) and electron transport efficiency (ψ(Eo)). Infestation downregulated genes critical for chlorophyll biosynthesis, such as <i>HEMA</i>, <i>HEMB</i>, and <i>chlG</i>, leading to a bottleneck in chlorophyll production. Concurrently, chlorophyll degradation pathways were upregulated, with genes like <i>PAO</i> and <i>RCCR</i> driving increased chlorophyll catabolism. This imbalance between reduced synthesis and accelerated degradation exacerbated chlorophyll loss, impairing photosynthetic capacity. Furthermore, the application of exogenous H₂O₂ intensified chlorophyll degradation, particularly in <i>A. lucorum</i>-infested leaves. The accelerated degradation of chlorophyll, coupled with reduced light-harvesting efficiency, contributed to oxidative stress and further impaired the photosynthetic machinery, despite an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. These findings underline the critical role of chlorophyll metabolism in maintaining photosynthetic efficiency in winter jujube under <i>A. lucorum</i> infestation. It underscores the need for targeted strategies to protect chlorophyll synthesis and limit its degradation in order to mitigate the detrimental effects of <i>A. lucorum</i>-induced stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1536534"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11934391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A two-leaf daily GPP model based on a rectangular hyperbolic model adjusted for air temperature and vegetation type.","authors":"Qiuxiang Yi, Fumin Wang","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1555482","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1555482","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An accurate and easy-to-use gross primary productivity (GPP) model is essential for studying the spatial and temporal dynamics of the terrestrial carbon cycle on a global scale. Light use efficiency (LUE) models and process-based models are the two most commonly used approaches for GPP modeling. While LUE models are simpler and more user-friendly, process-based models often achieve higher accuracy due to their detailed structure. In this study, we introduce a new two-leaf GPP model (TL-RHM) with two expression forms at a daily temporal resolution. The TL-RHM is developed by temporally integrating a modified rectangular hyperbolic model that incorporates the effects of temperature variations on GPP across various vegetation types. The performance of the TL-RHM is evaluated using data from 21 CO₂ eddy-covariance flux sites, covering four vegetation types: evergreen needleleaf forest, deciduous broadleaf forest, grassland, and evergreen broadleaf forest. The results demonstrate that the daily GPP simulated by the TL-RHM agrees well with the measured GPP for both calibration and validation datasets across all four vegetation types. These findings highlight the potential of the TL-RHM to accurately simulate daily GPP with a relatively simple model structure, offering a valuable tool for long time-series GPP simulations at regional or global scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1555482"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated metabolomics, transcriptomic, and phytohormonal analyses to study the effects of water stress and foliar abscisic acid application in <i>Thymus</i> species using LC-MS/MS.","authors":"Maryam Alipour, Maryam Haghighi, Mehdi Rahimmalek, Michael Reichelt, Laure Martinelli, Karin Groten, Axel Mithöfer","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1557446","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1557446","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thyme species, including <i>Thymus vulgaris, T. kotschyanus</i> (drought-tolerant) and <i>T. serpyllum</i> (drought-sensitive), are valuable medicinal herbs. They are often grown in arid regions and are increasingly suffering from water stress due to climate change. Here, we analyzed the metabolome and expression of selected genes in leaves of these species under drought stress with and without treatment with the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Among the terpenes, dominant metabolites in thyme, thymol was the most important terpenoid component, followed by thymoquinone, carvacrol and p-cymene in all three species. Drought stress reduced terpene concentrations, while moderate ABA levels increased them. <i>T. kotschyanus</i> showed the highest concentrations of thymol and carvacrol after combined treatment with drought and ABA. Metabolite accumulation was partially correlated with genes related to terpenoid biosynthesis. The combined treatment of drought stress and ABA resulted in a significant reduction of the stress hormone jasmonic acid and an increase of its biosynthetic precursor, OPDA (cis-12-oxophytodienoic acid), in all species. The present research results indicate that ABA treatment at moderate concentrations could be used as a measure to increase the production of some pharmaceutically active phenolic monoterpenes in <i>T. vulgaris, T. serpyllum</i> and <i>T. kotschyanus</i> and increase the stress resistance of the plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1557446"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933024/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal variations in biomass, height, photosynthetic efficiency, and carbon and nitrogen contents of <i>Suaeda japonica</i> in Incheon salt marshes (Korea).","authors":"Jeong Hwa Hwang, Ji-Sook Park, Young-Seok Han, Charles Yarish, Jang K Kim","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1513624","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1513624","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salt marshes are known as major blue carbon ecosystems for their higher carbon sequestration capacity and productivity compared to terrestrial ecosystems. However, in Korea, salt marshes have been continuously decreasing since the 1980s. This study aims to identify seasonal changes in salt marsh plants and evaluate the carbon and nitrogen sequestration in these ecosystems. This study observed seasonal changes in the biomass, cover, height, photosynthetic efficiency, carbon and nitrogen content of <i>Suaeda japonica</i> in two salt marsh ecosystems in Incheon, Korea, Yeongjong (YJ) and Sorae (SR). In spring, plant density at SR. was significantly higher than at YJ. This higher density at SR inhibited growth and survival during summer and autumn. In addition, photosynthetic efficiency at SR decreased significantly in summer compared to spring. The different habitat densities between the two sites resulted in morphological variations. The plants at YJ, with lower density, grew wider with more branches and showed higher dry weight in comparison to those at SR. Carbon sequestration by <i>S. japonica</i> per unit area was 113.70 g/m² at YJ, which was twice as high as at SR. The plant density and biomass of <i>S. japonica</i> were affected by differences in seawater inflow at each site. The tissue carbon content was highest in the roots, suggesting that carbon absorbed by the leaves is effectively stored in sediment. This study provides insights into the regional and seasonal changes of <i>S. japonica</i>, highlighting its significance as a blue carbon resource. The results can contribute to the evaluation and restoration of salt marshes to enhance their carbon sequestration potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1513624"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933049/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smallholder farmers can achieve more sustainable wheat production through Consolidating Land for Uniform Practice.","authors":"Taoyu Ren, Xue Yang, Wushuai Zhang, Wenhui Tang, Yajuan Li, Yinghao Tian, Jiawen Ren, Jun Yan, Xiaoxia Guo, Zhichao An, Hongyan Zhang","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1517683","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1517683","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Land fragmentation of smallholder agriculture significantly constrains the adoption rate of optimal management practices and sustainable crop production.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed and implemented an innovative management model known as Consolidating Land for Uniform Practice (CLUP), which aimed to foster multi-actor collaboration and facilitate the large-scale application of optimal practices without altering land ownership. CLUP was implemented in wheat fields in the North China Plain for three consecutive years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to conventional farmers' practices (FP), the CLUP approach improved wheat yield by 14%, nitrogen recovery efficiency by 35%, net ecosystem economic benefit by 86%, and agricultural labor productivity by 53%. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per hectare and per ton of grain were reduced by 18% and 32%, respectively. Although the wheat yield and environmental performance of CLUP were not as good as that of scientist-led optimal practices (SP), its agricultural labor productivity was 60% higher, and its economic cost was 10% lower than SP.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The CLUP model facilitates a transformative partnership by integrating the cutting-edge knowledge from universities, policy support from governments, and machinery services from enterprises, while emphasizing the participation of smallholder farmers. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence for optimizing agricultural practices and land management strategies, offering practical solutions for smallholder-dominated areas in the Global South.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1517683"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11933068/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143709654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}