BMC Plant Biology最新文献

{"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}

{"title":"Comprehensive analysis of the pan-plastome in Panax: implications for interspecies divergence and shade tolerance.","authors":"Xiaolei Wang, Shuai Gao, Yuanyuan Duan, Xiaoju Su, Yichun Zuo, Shaopeng Yi, Jinkun Liu, Wei Zhang, Hongxia Yu, Shenglong Kan","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08908-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08908-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Panax, including medicinally important species such as P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius, and P. notoginseng, exhibits diverse pharmacological properties. However, morphological traits are lost and DNA is often degraded during processing, complicating species identification. As photosynthetic organelles, plastomes offer both stable molecular markers and a direct window into light adaptation. Unlike their sun-loving relatives (Aralia), Panax species are shade-tolerant, making them ideal for studying shade adaptation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Here, a total of 188 plastomes from Panax and its close relatives were annotated and analyzed, including 31 newly assembled plastomes of P. quinquefolius from diverse geographic regions. Through a deep comparative genomic analysis, we obtained the following findings: (1) Panax plastomes are highly conserved, with only minor shifts at IR-SC boundaries, and 3,397 variants identified across species. (2) All individuals of P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius, and P. notoginseng formed monophyletic clades, and two species-specific SNP markers were identified for accurate discrimination of these three key medicinal taxa. (3) Nine plastid genes showed significantly different selection patterns between Panax and Aralia, with intensified selection likely linked to shade adaptation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides two single-nucleotide markers for authenticating processed medicinal materials and reveal plastome-level signatures of shade adaptation, offering valuable resources for species identification, cultivation and management.</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":"147833871","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":"Phytomicrobiome of Helianthus annuus: in vitro assessment of plant growth-promoting traits and heavy metal tolerance.","authors":"Alaa Kayali, Infant Santhose Barthelomai, Subhash Bharathi S, Gideon Paul Kingsly Jesurajan, Mohammed Ali Najjar, Raja Ganesan","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08905-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08905-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endophytic bacteria are usually found within plant tissues. They enhance plant growth, with potential agricultural and environmental applications. They might enhance the plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and inhibit the metal toxicity within metal hyperaccumulator plants. The majority of endophytic bacteria possess plant growth-promoting features. They secrete secondary metabolites that improve plant growth and physiological functions. Twelve endophytic bacteria strains were isolated from the root, stem and leaves of Helianthus annuus plant grown in contaminated soil with the heavy metals lead, zinc and chromium. The isolates were identified and characterized by colony morphology, biochemical tests including gram, spore staining, catalase, starch hydrolysis, hydrogen cyanide and auxin production, phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation, along with 16S rRNA gene-based molecular identification of bacteria. Five bacterial isolates showed positive results in all Plant growth-promoting traits. The molecular identification through amplification of bacteria's 16S rRNA using PCR has shown eight Bacillus spp., with two Acinetobacter spp., Providencia vermicola and Enterobacter cloacae. The findings highlight the diversity of endophytic bacteria associated with the COH3 variety of Helianthus annuus plant grown in HM-contaminated soil and evaluate their plant growth-promoting and heavy metal tolerance under in vitro conditions. Further studies are required to evaluate their efficiency under field conditions.</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":"147811246","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":"Responses and driving mechanisms of leaf functional traits of Betula platyphylla along an elevational gradient in the Niyang River Basin, southeastern Tibetan Plateau.","authors":"Ngawang Norbu, Rong-Fang Wang, Hui Zhang, Dorgon Dolma, Ze-Long Chi, Zhe-Fei Zeng, Ngawang Bonjor, Norzin Tso, Jun-Wei Wang, La Qiong","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08885-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08885-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Variation in plant functional traits reflects environmental adaptation. Understanding how traits shift along elevational gradients can clarify mechanisms by which species respond to environmental change. Here, we used white birch (Betula platyphylla) in the Niyang River Basin (left bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Xizang) as a model species to quantify leaf trait variation along an elevational gradient and to identify key environmental drivers. Leaf functional traits were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, redundancy analysis (RDA), Pearson correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA). Coefficients of variation ranged from 5.52% to 26.14%, with leaf area showing the greatest variation and leaf water content the lowest. Most traits differed significantly among elevations: leaf area (LA), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), petiole length (PL), petiole base width (PBW) and leaf phosphorus content (LPC) declined with increasing elevation, whereas leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and leaf N: P ratio increased. Total chlorophyll content (TChl) and leaf water content (LWC) exhibited a hump-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient. In contrast, leaf dry matter content (LDMC) exhibited a unimodal pattern along the elevational gradient, whereas specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf mass per area (LMA) showed no significant trends with elevation. RDA indicated that soil factors were the primary drivers of leaf trait variation, explaining 50.90% of the total variance; soil total nitrogen (TN), pH, and available potassium (AK) were the most influential variables. Trait patterns suggest contrasting resource acquisition strategies across elevations: high-elevation individuals enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and shifted toward a more acquisitive \"fast investment-return\" strategy to cope with harsher conditions. Our findings contribute to understanding the adaptive responses of montane tree species to climate warming and improve our understanding of plant trait variation along environmental gradients.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147811375","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":"Allelopathic effects of three dominant plant litters on seed germination and seedling growth of Elymus nutans.","authors":"Zhiyi Chen, Xiuzhi He, Yu Zeng, Zunjian Ke, Zhouwen Ma","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08544-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08544-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant litter, as a critical link between plants and soil, significantly influences seed germination and seedling growth by releasing chemicals during decomposition. While previous research on allelopathy has predominantly focused on living plants, the allelopathic effects of plant litter remain poorly understood. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of litter from dominant plant species on seed germination and seedling growth in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We evaluated five concentrations of litter leachate (0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0%) and four litter mass gradients (0, 100, 200, and 400 g m⁻²) from three dominant species (Elymus nutans, Kobresia setchwanensis, and Ligularia virgaurea) on the seed germination and seedling growth of E. nutans. Results showed that increasing litter leachate concentration significantly reduced the seed germination rate, germination potential, and germination index, and prolonged the mean germination time. Among the species, L. virgaurea litter exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects. Litter mass exceeding 100 g m⁻² significantly decreased seedling dry weight, whereas litter mass above 200 g m⁻² further significantly reduced seedling height and root length. In addition, allelopathic effects varied significantly among litter types and showed concentration-dependent patterns. Overall, these results identify litter-mediated allelopathy as a critical mechanism shaping E. nutans regeneration and inform effective strategies for alpine grassland restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147811237","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}