BMC Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Bulked segregant RNA sequencing and linkage mapping identify a Pm4 allele conferring stable powdery mildew resistance in wheat breeding line YZ16.","authors":"Shiyu Zhuo, Wenping Gong, Xiaolu Wang, Linhong Gou, Jingjing He, Shihong Jiang, Cheng Liu, Hong Yang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08903-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08903-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Wheat powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), remains a major constraint on wheat production. Resistance genes with diagnostic markers and deployed without obvious agronomic disadvantages are essential for durable breeding. Here, we genetically and molecularly characterized powdery mildew resistance in the common wheat line YZ16 through inheritance analysis, bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR-Seq), linkage mapping and allele validation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>YZ16 showed high seedling resistance to Bgt isolate E09 and resistance to nine of ten additional Bgt isolates, indicating a relatively broad resistance spectrum. Under field inoculations, YZ16 also displayed stable adult-plant resistance. Genetic analysis of an F₂ population and F_2:3 families indicated a single dominant resistance gene controlling resistance, temporarily designated PmYZ16. BSR-Seq localized the resistance locus to a distal interval on chromosome 2 A (766.9-784.6 Mb), and linkage mapping revealed complete co-segregation between resistance and JS717×JS718, a functional marker of the cloned Pm4 gene. Sequencing comparison showed that the encoded protein is identical to Pm4d/Pm4e, indicating that YZ16 carries a Pm4 allele. Expression profiling further indicated dynamic regulation of two splice variants (PmYZ16_V1 and PmYZ16_V2) after Bgt inoculation. Across two seasons, YZ16 showed generally comparable performance for key yield-related traits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Powdery mildew resistance in YZ16 is conferred by the Pm4 allele on chromosome arm 2AL and can be efficiently tracked using a functional marker. Together with resistance at both seedling and adult stages generally competitive agronomic performance under the tested conditions, YZ16 represents a valuable donor for marker-assisted selection and resistance gene pyramiding in wheat breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to unravel sex-dependent mechanisms and the role of exogenous glutathione in Marchantia polymorpha under cadmium stress.","authors":"Xi Yang, Jiayi Zhang, Ling Zhan, Liwei Yi, Chunxia Guo, Pingping Yan, Xiaojie Bai, Li Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08772-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08772-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a persistent threat to plant fitness and ecosystem stability, yet the molecular basis of sex-dependent Cd tolerance in dioecious plants remains unclear. In this study, the dioecious early land plant Marchantia polymorpha was employed to investigate the transcriptomic and metabolomic responses, physiological and morphological variations, and the remedial effects of exogenous glutathione (GSH). Physiological analyses revealed pronounced sexual dimorphism: females accumulated significantly more Cd (82.97 ± 0.75 mg kg⁻¹) than males (61.80 ± 0.10 mg·kg⁻¹) and suffered more severe chlorosis and oxidative damage, whereas males maintained lower Cd burdens and exhibited stronger antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Transcriptomic analysis identified 4,547 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in females and 4,102 in males under Cd stress, with GO and KEGG enrichment revealing that females preferentially reprogrammed photosynthesis and defense-related pathways, while males activated carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall remodeling. Metabolomic profiling further uncovered sex-divergent metabolic flux, with females accumulating naringenin chalcone (log₂FC = 3.88) and males specifically upregulating quercetin biosynthesis via F3'H. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis highlighted three core pathways-flavonoid biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism, and GSH metabolism-as central hubs of sex-specific Cd responses. Exogenous GSH application alleviated Cd-induced toxicity in a sex-dependent manner: males showed greater reduction in Cd accumulation (32.58%) compared to females (8.36%) and more efficient restoration of redox homeostasis, while females exhibited stronger recovery of photosynthetic pigments and flavonoid accumulation. This study provides a molecular-level perspective for understanding sex-dependent heavy metal adaptation in early land plants and offers a rationale for sex-aware phytoremediation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A genome-wide analysis of YUCCA genes in cotton and the functional study of GhYUC19 in plant development.","authors":"Weiping Zhong, Isah Mansur Aminu, Yongshan Zhang, Shouhong Zhu, Jinbo Yao, Yan Li, Jingwen Pan, Wei Chen, Junkang Rong","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08688-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08688-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The YUCCA (YUC) genes play a pivotal regulatory role in plant growth and development; however, those in cotton have not been systematically characterized.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, 104 YUC members were identified across four cotton species using bioinformatics analysis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the YUC genes clustered into four distinct clades, and both gene structures and motif compositions were highly conserved within each subgroup. Additionally, cis-acting elements associated with growth and development, hormone response, and abiotic stress were found in the promoter regions of GhYUCs. GhYUC19 is a homologous gene of AtYUC1/4 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that GhYUC19 was highly expressed in the main shoot apex, young leaves, and flower buds of cotton plants. Overexpression of GhYUC19 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased plant height, downward-curling leaves, reduced silique size, and lower fertility. Conversely, downregulation of GhYUC19 via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cotton resulted in abnormal floral organ development, including missing petals and fewer stamens.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study conducted a systematic analysis of the YUC gene family members and validated the regulatory role of GhYUC19 in plant height, branching, and flower and fruit development. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation into the biological functions of GhYUCs in cotton.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genotyping-by-sequencing -based genome-wide SNP profiling and DNA fingerprinting of Saudi Arabian faba bean germplasm.","authors":"Naser B Almarri, Shakeel Ahmad, Nada M Alsofuani, Sara Osman, Mohanad A Ibrahim, Salwa M Mostafa, Omar A Al-Haidar, Sara M Alomran, Ibrahim Alrashidi, Rida Tariq","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08406-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08406-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gene banks play a vital role in conserving plant genetic resources (PGR), yet the limited genetic characterization of many collections restricts their effective utilization in breeding and crop improvement. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important food legume in Saudi Arabia, but its conserved germplasm has remained largely uncharacterized. This study presents the first genome-wide SNP-based assessment of 21 faba bean accessions conserved at the Seed Center and PGR Bank, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) generated 17,170 high quality SNPs distributed across the six chromosomes of faba bean. SNP based population structure analysis, neighbour-joining (NJ) phylogeny, and principal component analysis (PCA) consistently revealed clear genetic differentiation among accessions, forming distinct clusters independent of geographical origin. Several accessions showed close genetic relationships or redundancy, while Saudi landraces displayed broad genetic diversity. Using a genetic algorithm, we identified a core set of 150 highly informative SNPs and constructed DNA fingerprints for all accessions. Accessions F2 (Egypt) and F4 (Saudi Arabia) shared identical SNP profiles, suggesting potential synonymy, while F15 showed the highest allelic diversity. Several Saudi landraces (F1, F3, F6, F7, F8, F12, F13) also displayed notable genetic variation, highlighting both redundancy and unique diversity within the collection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This work highlights the first SNP-based DNA fingerprinting platform for faba bean accessions in Saudi Arabia, providing a valuable genomic resource for germplasm authentication, distinctness-uniformity-stability testing, varietal protection, and strategic conservation. The genomic insights and DNA fingerprints developed here will enhance the utilization of conserved germplasm and support future faba bean breeding and sustainable crop improvement efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying candidate genes for grain protein content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by integrated GWAS and transcriptome analysis.","authors":"Junxiu Shang, Yuhong Diao, Yan Wang, Xiuqing Zhang, Xiaohua Yao, Youhua Yao","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08884-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08884-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Grain protein content and composition are key determinants of wheat nutritional and processing quality, directly influencing the processing characteristics and nutritional value of flour-based products. This trait is regulated by multiple genes in a coordinated manner and is susceptible to genotype-by-environment interactions, resulting in a complex genetic architecture. Elucidating the genetic basis of grain protein content is therefore of great significance for the breeding of high-quality specialty wheat varieties.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, a set of 260 widely collected spring wheat germplasm accessions was used. The crude protein (CP) and soluble protein (SP) contents were measured under four environmental conditions. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS), a total of 20 genetic loci significantly associated with CP and 23 loci significantly associated with SP were identified. Based on the linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay distance (590 kb), LD block analysis was performed, and four core loci located within the LD blocks were selected: two CP-related loci, 2B-161,726,146 and 2D-610,941,094, and two SP-related loci, 1B-562,451,687 and 7A-4,591,015. The medium-gluten wheat Humai 14 (HM14) and strong-gluten wheat Xinchun 48 (XC48), which exhibited significant differences in both CP and SP across the four environments, were selected for transcriptome sequencing at five developmental stages of grain (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days after anthesis). A total of 27,499 differentially expressed genes were identified, with two expression peaks observed at 10 and 30 days after anthesis. By integrating GWAS and transcriptomic differentially expressed genes, combined with gene functional annotation and expression pattern analysis, five candidate genes associated with grain protein content were ultimately screened: TaPAE2-like, TaHIP1, TaGlu-B1al-like, Ta1-SST, and Td1-SST-like.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides genetic resources for elucidating the genetic mechanisms of grain protein synthesis in wheat and lays a crucial foundation for molecular marker-assisted breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological traits and related gene expression of salt tolerance in hybrid rice Jingliangyou 3261 at the seedling stage.","authors":"Xiabing Sheng, Donger Zhang, Jie Tang, Yuanyi Hu, Zhigang Zhang, Dan Zhang, Xiayu Guo, Huimin Liu, Aibin He, Yishan Yang, Zhiyong Ai, Yingjiang Li, Xiaolin Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08891-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08891-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Soil salinity severely restricts rice growth and productivity, particularly at the seedling stage when plants are highly sensitive to ionic and osmotic stress.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we systematically evaluated the phenotypic, physiological, and molecular responses of the hybrid rice cultivar Jingliangyou 3261 under salt stress. Compared with the control cultivars (Yuxiangyouzhan, Huazhan, and Jingliangyouhuazhan), Jingliangyou 3261 seedlings exhibited significantly higher survival rates, less leaf chlorosis, and stronger recovery after stress relief. Physiological analyses indicated smaller declines in chlorophyll content, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and enhanced synthesis of soluble proteins. Moreover, Jingliangyou 3261 maintained superior ion homeostasis by limiting Na⁺ accumulation and sustaining higher K⁺ levels, resulting in a relatively stable Na⁺/K⁺ ratio. Antioxidant capacity was enhanced, as reflected by elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities together with reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Molecular analysis showed that under salt stress, osmotic adjustment genes (OsP5CS1/2, OsLEA3), ion transport genes (OsHKT, OsNHX, OsHAK, OsKAT, OsSOS1), and antioxidant-related genes (OsCSD, OsCAT, OsAPX) were significantly up-regulated in Jingliangyou 3261.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These coordinated physiological and molecular responses provide a comprehensive mechanistic basis for the superior salt tolerance of Jingliangyou 3261. Our findings not only deepen the understanding of salt tolerance mechanisms in hybrid rice but also provide valuable genetic resources for salt-tolerant breeding and the utilization of saline-alkali soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating morphological and phytochemical characters in understanding the taxonomic relationship within some Ipomoea L. species.","authors":"Mohamed A Salim, Mona O El Shabrawy, Salma S Abd El-Ghany, Mariam I Hussein, Mona M Marzouk","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08857-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08857-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ipomoea is a large and diverse genus within the family Convolvulaceae, widely utilized for ornamental, nutritional, and medicinal purposes. The genus exhibits considerable variation in stem and lamina structures, reflecting its ecological diversity and growth habits. This variability has contributed to taxonomic uncertainty at the infrageneric level. The present study aims to identify diagnostic morphological characters of the stem and lamina in eight Egyptian wild and cultivated Ipomoea species, and to evaluate their secondary metabolite profiles to assess their taxonomic significance. Macro- and micromorphological characters were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Phytochemical profiling was conducted using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), supported by molecular networking analysis.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Several macro- and micromorphological characters were diagnostic at the species level, including plant habit, leaf composition, lamina shape, nectary gland, trichome type, vascular system, pith type, and secretory cell distribution. Furthermore, LC-ESI-MS/MS supported by molecular networking led to the annotation of 132 metabolites, of which 107 were secondary metabolites, substantially expanding the known chemical profiles of the studied species. Notably, this study provides the first comprehensive chemical description of Ipomoea ochracea. Finally, integration of morphological and phytochemical data into a dendrogram revealed a coherent hierarchical structure reflecting varying degrees of affinity among the species. Remarkably, I. tricolor was distinctly separated from the remaining species, which formed a large cluster further subdivided into two major groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that the combined characters provide reliable and complementary criteria for species delimitation within Ipomoea, highlighting the significance of integrative approaches in plant systematics. Further studies incorporating additional datasets, particularly molecular analyses based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers, are recommended to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of relationships within the genus.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833867","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":"Morpho-phenological and pomological characteristics in differentiating and selecting superior quince (Cydonia oblonga mill.).","authors":"Soheila Khojand, Hamid Abdollahi, Ali Rezaei","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08836-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08836-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Iranian plateau is the center of origin and diversity of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) tree. This study aimed to evaluate morphological and phenological diversity among 52 quince genotypes and to identify the key characteristics contributing to genotype differentiation. Accordingly, morpho-phenological traits influencing genotype differentiation were evaluated across 52 quince genotypes from various Iranian provinces using 43 national descriptors. Analyses revealed complex variation, with flower- and fruit-related traits forming the main axes of differentiation. Phenological traits, such as leaf bud burst and flowering onset, were relatively stable (CV ≈ 18-19%), whereas growth habit and tree form showed high variability (CV > 40%). Leaf size traits exhibited moderate variation (CV ≈ 30-31%), while leaf morphology and fruit structural traits showed the highest fluctuations, with fruit neck thickness varying the most (CV ≈ 98.4%). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first two components explained 27.3% of the total variance among the studied genotypes. Strong correlations were observed among fruit and flower traits (e.g., FSi-FPS, r ≈ 0.99; FrWe-FrSi, r = 0.68), while negative correlations suggested trade-offs between tree architecture and fruit characteristics. NMDS and Envfit analyses identified fruit size and fruit neck as key explanatory traits (r² > 0.5). The studied genotypes exhibited considerable variation in fruit size, tree vigor, astringency, and fruit quality. Overall, fruit related traits showed the highest discriminative power, while phenological and leaf traits provided useful information on adaptability. These findings offer valuable insights for germplasm conservation, management, and breeding of superior quince cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable strategies for enhancing maize yields, nutrition, and economic security through legume intercropping in semi-arid regions.","authors":"Manjanagouda S Sannagoudar, K N Kalyana Murthy, Dinesh Jinger, Vijay Singh Meena, G A Rajanna, Hanamant M Halli, Gaurendra Gupta, M N Harish, C S Shantharaja, C Gireesh, K Bhojaraja Naik, K V Sripathy, A Anandan, Mahantesh B Nagangoudar, Lalu Prasad Yadav","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08750-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08750-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the years, maize productivity in the semi-arid regions is increasingly constrained by climate variability, soil nutrient depletion and rising input costs, questioning the sustained productivity posing risks to food and livelihood security. Numerous earlier studies involving plant geometry options (PGOs), legume intercropping (ICs) and nutrient management options (NMOs) in maize showed enhanced yield and economic benefits. However, region-specific strategies integrating productivity, nutritional grains and economic resilience remain underexplored. To address this, a field experiment was carried for two consecutive years employing two plant geometry options (normal planting vs. paired row planting), four intercrops (French bean, cowpea, field bean, and pole bean) and two nutrient management options [(N1: recommended dose of fertilizer to base crop (RBC) and N2: RBC + intercrop (RBI)]. Results showed that, paired row planting of maize enhanced seed yield, stover yield, maize equivalent yield, and net returns by 8.14%, 8.50%, 8.04%, and 11.7%, respectively over normal planting. Between the NMOs, recommended dose of fertilizers supplied to both base and intercrops (RBC + RBI) significantly improved the seed yield, stover yield, maize equivalent yield, and net returns by12.5%, 11.3%, 12.5%, and 14.4%, respectively compared to supplying recommended dose of nutrients to maize only (RBC). Further, soil beneficial microbial activity, nutrient status after crop harvest, land utilization indices and economic returns were also higher under intercropping supplied with the recommended dose of nutrients to both maize and intercrops. Specifically, maize intercropped with French bean in a paired row planting method supplied with recommended dose of nutrients to both the crops is recommended for achieving higher yield and economic returns besides yield sustainability in the semi-arid regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association study identifies genetic loci for soybean herbicide resistance in maize.","authors":"Bao Chen, Pingfang Xiao, Xiaobing Jiang, Yulin Jiang, Yifei Xiao, Liang Tu, Pengfei Liu, Xiangyang Guo, Angui Wang, Yunfang Zhu, Zehui Chen, Xun Wu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08780-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08780-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maize-soybean strip relay intercropping has become a key strategy for ensuring national grain and oil security and promoting sustainable agricultural development. However, weed control in this system remains challenging, and there is a severe shortage of maize germplasm resistant to herbicides commonly applied in soybean fields, which hinders the efficient implementation of this cropping model. In this work, a panel of 170 elite inbred lines and 735 landraces were evaluated for their responses to five soybean herbicides applied at the seedling stage. Chlorophyll content and injury rate were assessed after treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results revealed significant differences in herbicide-induced injury: chloransulam and lactofen caused relatively mild damage, while imazamox and clomazone resulted in the most severe injury. Population structure analysis classified the materials into nine inbred line subgroups and 12 landrace subgroups, indicating rich genetic diversity. Genome-wide association study identified 271 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with herbicide tolerance. A meta-analysis of QTNs further detected 10 consensus loci. Finally, a functional validation was performed for the chloransulam tolerance locus PZE-104,050,858, located at Chr4_S_87070067 on chromosome 4, where the G allele was significantly associated with tolerance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides important genetic insights into maize tolerance to soybean herbicides and establishes a practical foundation for germplasm screening and marker-assisted breeding, thereby supporting the sustainable advancement of maize-soybean strip intercropping system.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}