10 September 2026, Volume 40 Issue 9
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1685-1696. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1685
TaAT1 is a key gene encoding an atypical G protein γ subunit （Gγ） that is involved in salt stress tolerance regulation in wheat. To identify its superior allelic variations， we constructed a mutant library of the wheat cultivar Jing 411 using ethyl methanesulfonate （EMS）， γ-rays， and high-energy carbon ion irradiation， with wild-type Jing 411 as the control. Through salt stress evaluation at the seedling stage， mutation site validation， and transcriptome analysis， we obtained the mutant line je0088 with significantly improved salt tolerance. This mutant exhibited substantially enhanced salt tolerance compared with the wild type， and its main agronomic traits including plant architecture and growth duration remained stable. Sequencing verification confirmed that the mutant carried only a premature stop mutation （c.285G>A） in TaAT1-7A， suggesting that this site is a key functional locus regulating salt tolerance. Transcriptomic GO enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes （DEGs） in the aboveground tissues of the mutant were mainly enriched in the photosystem II and carbon fixation， whereas DEGs in roots were enriched in transmembrane transport activity and microtubule motor activity. KEGG analysis showed that aboveground DEGs were concentrated in photosynthesis and carbon fixation pathways， while root DEGs were mainly involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis， starch and sucrose metabolism， and glutathione metabolism. This study provides new gene targets and elite germplasm resources for molecular breeding of salt-tolerant wheat， and lays a foundation for dissecting the molecular mechanism of TaAT1-mediated salt stress tolerance.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1697-1706. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1697
In order to explore the mutagenic effect of spaceflight mutagenesis treatment on trees， the growth and physiological characteristics of four ornamental trees， Cassia fistula， Delonix regia， Jacaranda mimosifolia and Callistemon rigidus aged three years after spaceflight mutagenesis treatment were measured and analyzed. The results showed that Cassia fistula treated with aerospace mutagenesis showed negative variation compared with the control group. The mean values of four growth traits including tree height， branch height， ground diameter， and breast height diameter are all decreased； The total chlorophyll content significanlty decreased by 27.25%. The activities of Ribulose-1，5-bisphosphate carboxylase （RuBisCO） and ATPase significantly decreased by 36.49% and 54.28%， respectively， and the contents of gibberellin （GA）， auxin （IAA）， abscisic acid （ABA）， cytokinin （CTK） and ethylene （ETH） all decreased. After aerospace mutagenesis treatment， Callistemon rigidus and Delonix regia both showed positive variations. For Callistemon rigidus， the total chlorophyll content significantly decreased by 16.54%， ground diameter significantly increased by 25.22%， soluble protein and ATPase significantly decreased by 20.72% and 31.23% respectively. RuBisCO， superoxide dismutase （SOD） and lipoxygenase （LOX） were highly significantly increased by 61.19%， 17.94% and 6.12%， respectively， and GA and ABA were highly significantly increased； Delonix regia showed a highly significant decrease in most of the physiological traits， but all growth traits were increased， and the total chlorophyll content was highly significantly increased by 22.32%. After spaceflight mutagenesis treatment， the branch height of Jacaranda mimosifolia significantly increased by 47.26%， and the total chlorophyll content increased by 15.47% significantly. The contents of soluble protein， catalase （CAT）， and LOX decreased significantly by 20.72%， 12.49%， and 4.29%， respectively. The activity of peroxidase （POD） was increased by 13.92% significantly. The contents of GA and ABA decreased significantly， while the contents of IAA， CTK， and ETH increased significantly. Compared with the other three materials， Jacaranda mimosifolia showed a more stable overall variation trend. In conclusion， this study provides a theoretical basis for breeding ornamental trees by aerospace mutagenesis. To accelerate the selection process of high-quality ornamental trees， it is necessary to combine the analysis of molecular mechanism and long-term observation to screen for stable and beneficial mutant strains.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1707-1717. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1707
Grain size is one of the key agronomic traits that determine rice yield. Identification and characterization of novel grain size genes can provide valuable genetic resources for breeding high-yield and high-quality rice lines. In this study， a short grain mutant sgl3 （short grain length 3） was obtained through ethyl methane sulfonate （EMS） mutagenesis. Microscopic observations via paraffin sectioning and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） revealed that the reduced grain length of sgl3 was mainly caused by shortened glume cells. Transcriptome sequencing （RNA-seq） and quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） results showed that the sgl3 mutation led to expression alterations of genes related to phytohormones， cell cycle， and cell expansion. Genetic analysis indicated that the sgl3 trait was controlled by a single recessive gene. Using a map-based cloning strategy， SGL3 was mapped to a 224 kb interval between molecular markers R4 and R5 on rice chromosome 3， which contains 25 open reading frames （ORFs）. Resequencing and Sanger sequencing of PCR amplicons with specific primers confirmed that sgl3 harbored a single nucleotide substitution from A to G in the coding region of LOC_Os03g19980， resulting in an amino acid change from aspartic acid （Asp） to glycine （Gly）. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） expression analysis showed that LOC_Os03g19980 was highly expressed in young panicles， while its expression level was significantly downregulated in the sgl3. These results demonstrate that LOC_Os03g19980 is the candidate gene for SGL3， which encodes a tetratricopeptide repeat （TPR）-like helical protein， and is a novel， previously unreported gene regulating rice grain size. The present findings lay a foundation for further enriching the molecular regulatory network of grain size in rice.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1718-1728. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1718
The auxin efflux transporter PIN is a key factor mediating auxin polar transport and maintaining auxin concentration gradients， playing a crucial role in plant growth， development， and abiotic stress responses. To investigate the biological functions of the
PIN gene family in sweetpotato （Ipomoea batatas）， this study employed an integrated bioinformatics and transcriptomics approach to identify its family members and analyze their response patterns to abiotic stresses in sweetpotato. The results showed that a total of 17 PIN family genes （IbPIN1-IbPIN17） were identified in the sweetpotato genome， which are unevenly distributed across 9 chromosomes. All their encoded proteins contain 1-4 conserved Mem_trans domains and are predominantly localized to the plasma membrane. Phylogenetic analysis classified this family into 6 subclades and revealed 9， 22， and 21 collinear gene pairs between sweetpotato with Arabidopsis thaliana， Ipomoea triloba， and Ipomoea trifida， respectively. Promoter cis-element analysis indicated that these genes contain a total of 38 cis-acting elements associated with stress response， growth and development， hormone response， and light response. Transcriptome profiling demonstrated that IbPIN genes are actively involved in the response to abiotic stress. Among them， the expression of IbPIN2， IbPIN3， IbPIN4， IbPIN5， IbPIN7， and IbPIN16 was significantly upregulated under heat stress， whereas their expressions were markedly suppressed under drought or salt stress. These findings suggest that these six genes may play a key role in regulating the response of sweetpotato to adverse environmental conditions. This study provides a systematic reference for functional characterization of sweetpotato PIN genes and offers valuable candidate gene resources for breeding stress-resistant sweetpotato varieties. -
Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1729-1739. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1729
Monosaccharide transporters （MSTs） are key regulators of sugar transport and signaling， yet they have not been systematically characterized. To clarify their roles in Verticillium wilt resistance， we identified the MST gene family from the whole genome of Gossypium hirsutum using bioinformatic methods， and performed analyses of chromosome localization， phylogenetic relationships， conserved motifs， gene structures， collinearity， and expression patterns. The functions of two family members， GhMST36 and GhMST67， were further validated using virus-induced gene silencing （VIGS）. A total of 126 GhMST genes were identified， unevenly distributed across 26 chromosomes and classified into seven subfamilies. These genes encode proteins 3-17 transmembrane domains and possess 1-18 exons， with members of the same subfamily sharing similar conserved motifs and exon compositions. Collinearity analysis revealed 132 collinear relationships among GhMST members， which were organized into seven gene clusters. Expression profiling showed that 12 GhMSTs were up-regulated following infection by Verticillium dahliae. Plants silenced for GhMST36 or GhMST67 exhibited milder disease symptoms， along with lower disease indices and reduced fungal biomass after infection with V. dahliae， indicating that they function as negative regulators of cotton resistance to Verticillium wilt. This study provides important theoretical support for the molecular breeding of disease-resistant cotton.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1740-1752. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1740
The plant Tubby-like protein （TLP） gene family plays a crucial regulatory role in diverse biological processes， including abiotic stress responses and growth and development. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of tobacco TLP genes to abiotic stress， this study employed bioinformatics approaches to identify TLP family members in tobacco. A comprehensive analysis was conducted， encompassing phylogenetic tree construction， cis-acting element prediction， conserved domain and motif characterization， protein–protein interaction （PPI） network prediction， and expression profiling. The results demonstrated that a total of 26 NtTLP family genes were identified across the entire tobacco genome. The encoded proteins varied in length from 88 to 741 amino acids （aa）， with molecular weights ranging from 10.14 to 83.27 kDa and isoelectric points （pI） spanning 4.72 to 9.78. Subcellular localization prediction revealed that the majority of NtTLP members （17 out of 26） were localized in the nucleus. Promoter analysis indicated that the cis-acting elements within the NtTLP genes could be categorized into three major classes： hormone-responsive elements， stress-responsive elements， and elements associated with growth， development and biological processes. Among these， hormone-responsive elements were the most abundant， with up to 14 distinct types. Furthermore， tissue expression profiling showed that NtTLP family genes exhibited tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression patterns in tobacco， with generally high expression levels detected in seeds. Protein-protein interaction prediction identified NtTLP02 and NtTLP06 as hub proteins， potentially engaging in extensive interaction networks with other NtTLP members. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） analysis indicated that both NtTLP02 and NtTLP06 responded to heat， salt， cold， and drought stresses to varying degrees； Notably， NtTLP02 displayed a more sensitive response to cold and drought stresses. Subsequent subcellular localization assays confirmed that both NtTLP02 and NtTLP06 proteins were localized in the nucleus. Collectively， these findings suggest that NtTLP02 and NtTLP06 are important candidate genes mediating tobacco responses to abiotic stresses. This study provides valuable genetic resources for further elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying abiotic stress tolerance in tobacco.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1753-1760. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1753
To investigate the function of the transcription factor CsMYBS1 in the salt stress response of cucumber， cucumber seedlings were used as the experimental material for transformation. First， the plant overexpression vector pCAMBIA2300s-GFP：CsMYBS1 was constructed. Subsequently， the empty vector plasmid and the pCAMBIA2300s-GFP：CsMYBS1 plasmid were individually transformed into Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain K599. Using the hypocotyl injection method， we obtained CsMYBS1-overexpressing （CsMYBS1-OE） hairy root chimeric plants and empty vector （EV） control hairy root chimeric plants. Under 50 mmol·L-1 NaCl stress treatment， the phenotypic differences between the two types of chimeric plants were observed， and the dynamic changes in malondialdehyde content， soluble sugar， soluble protein， proline content， and antioxidant enzyme activity in plant leaves were measured. The results showed that
under salt stress， compared with EV control chimeric plants， the leaf chlorosis and scorching symptoms of CsMYBS1-OE chimeric plants were significantly alleviated， and the root system was more developed. The increase in soluble sugar and proline content in the leaves of CsMYBS1-OE chimeric plants was more gradual. Malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced in CsMYBS1-OE chimeric plants and was markedly lower than that in the EV chimeric plants. The catalase activity increased significantly in CsMYBS1-OE chimeric plants， whereas that in EV plants continuously decreased. The peroxidase activity in CsMYBS1-OE chimeric plants continued to increase， but at a relatively gradual rate. In summary， this study utilized Agrobacterium-mediated hairy root technology to demonstrate that CsMYBS1 can enhance cucumber salt tolerance by coordinating osmotic regulation and oxidative homeostasis， which lay a foundation for further investigation into the CsMYBS1 regulatory network and genetic improvement of cucumber. -
Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1761-1768. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1761
To investigate the metabolic characteristics and potential biomarkers of Aspergillus westerdijkiae after infecting grape berries. Summer Black grapes were inoculated with strain fc-1 and incubated at 28 ℃ for 7 d. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS）， and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted between differential metabolites and differentially expressed genes identified from transcriptomic data. A. westerdijkiae successfully colonized the grape surface and induced visible lesions， showed great differences from those grown on potato dextrose agar. A total of 146 differential metabolites were identified， mainly including lipids， organic acids and sugar alcohols. These metabolites were enriched in the lysine degradation， galactose metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. Inositol and dulcitol were significantly up-regulated and positively associated with TU_AoFC_00318 （encoding the urea amidolyase α-subunit）， TU_AoFC_02007 （encoding methionine transporter）， TU_AoFC_09517 （encoding endo-1，6-α-mannanase）， and TU_AoFC_10219 （encoding polyketide synthase）， while showing significant negative correlations with TU_AoFC_00835/09062 （encoding copper transporters）， TU_AoFC_01162 （encoding dehydrogenase）， and TU_AoFC_08458 （encoding transporter）. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of A. westerdijkiae and for establishing a metabolism-based strategy for the prevention， control， and early warning of grape diseases.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1769-1779. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1769
In order to investigate the effects of 60Co-γ irradiation and electron beam irradiation on the chemical constituents of red ginseng and further optimize its irradiation processing， red ginseng powder was treated at the absorbed dose ranging from 0 to 100 kGy in this study. A non-targeted metabolomics approach based on the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF/MS） combined with multivariate statistical methods such as the principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） was used to systemically analyze the chemical composition changes and screen for differential markers in red ginseng samples. A total of 59 chemical compounds were identified， including 48 ginsenosides. The results demonstrated that the electron beam irradiation caused less disturbance to the red ginseng metabolome， whereas 60Co-γ irradiation induced significant changes in 37 metabolites， of which 34 were ginsenosides， showing a clear dose-dependent pattern. Both irradiations exerted limited effects on the contents of major ginsenosides （Rg1， Re， and Rb1）. Overall， this study revealed that the electron beam irradiation has a milder impact on red ginseng constituents compared with 60Co-γ irradiation， and it provides scientific evidence for optimizing the irradiation processing and quality control of red ginseng products.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1780-1789. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1780
Tobacco leaf aging is a critical process for improving the intrinsic quality and sensory characteristics of tobacco， and it plays an essential role in reducing irritation， harmonizing aroma， and enhancing product stability. Nevertheless， traditional natural aging features a lengthy cycle， and tobacco leaves are susceptible to insect infestation and mildew during long-term storage， which hinders the steady improvement of leaf quality. Various regulatory technologies optimize aging quality by modulating environmental factors， intervening in chemical reaction processes， and regulating microbial communities and enzymatic activities. This paper reviews the mechanisms of physical， chemical， and biological regulation methods in tobacco leaf aging， and explores their applications in pest and mildew prevention as well as quality improvement. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the systematic development of aging technologies and the comprehensive quality enhancement of tobacco leaves.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1790-1797. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1790
To develop spray-dried Dendrobium officinale powder with optimal solubility and antioxidant activity， this study prepared spray-dried powders using varying mass ratios of maltodextrin to D. officinale aqueous extracts （3∶1-9∶1）. The effects of maltodextrin content on powder yield， stability， moisture content， colour， flowability， and hygroscopicity were systematically evaluated. The antioxidative capacity and uronic acid content were also analyzed before and after in vitro simulated digestion. Results demonstrated that the 3∶1 （maltodextrin︰extract） ratio provided the best suspension stability， while the 7∶1 ratio achieved the highest powder yield and solubility. The powder with a 6∶1 ratio exhibited the lowest hygroscopicity over 1-5 hours period. Flowability improved with increasing maltodextrin content， with only the 9∶1 ratio demonstrating satisfactory performance. Uronic acid content was positively correlated with the amount of D. officinale extracts and contributed to enhanced antioxidant activity. In vitro simulated digestion facilitated uronic acid release from the powder. However， antioxidant activity decreased in simulated gastric fluid but increased in simulated intestinal fluid. These findings provide valuable theoretical insights for developing D. officinale-based solid beverages.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1798-1808. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1798
To improve the eating quality of long squid （Dosidicus gigas） tentacles， the study explored the effects of natural drying， hot air drying， and vacuum freeze drying on the rehydration ratio， as well as the texture， sensory quality， color， volatile flavor compounds， and microstructure of rehydrated long squid tentacles. The results showed that the rehydration ratio of vacuum freeze-dried long squid tentacles reached 7.49 after 8 hours of rehydration， with the color relatively close to that of the long tentacles before drying. After rehydration， the hot air-dried and naturally dried long squid tentacles exhibited a hardness increase of 155% and 150%， respectively， compared to the samples before drying， while their chewiness increased by 332% and 410%， respectively. This effectively addressed the problem of soft texture and simultaneously improved the sensory quality. Electronic nose analysis indicated that the rehydrated samples subjected to hot air drying and natural drying showed high sensor response values. A total of 38 volatile compounds were identified by the gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry （GC-IMS）. Compared with the samples before drying， the composition of rehydrated hot air-dried and naturally dried samples showed an increased level of aldehydes and ketones， which contribute to the unique flavor of long squid tentacles， and a decreased level of 1-penten-3-ol and dimethyl sulfide， which contribute to the fishy odor. However， the vacuum freeze-dried rehydrated samples had lower contents of volatile compounds. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the control and vacuum freeze-dried rehydrated samples had loose and porous muscle tissue， while the hot air-dried and naturally dried rehydrated samples exhibited dense myofibril arrangement. In conclusion， the rehydrated long squid tentacles processed by hot air drying or natural drying demonstrated superior texture properties， better sensory quality， and enhanced flavor profiles. In practical production and processing， hot air drying can be used as a feasible processing method to improve the eating quality of long squid tentacles and solve the problem of soft texture. The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for increasing the added value of long squid tentacles.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1809-1819. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1809
To achieve novel antifreeze substances with high bioactivity， this study prepared collagen antifreeze proteins hydrolysates from Pollock skin using neutral protease and papain， and systematically analyzed their structural composition， physicochemical properties， flavor characteristics， and stability. The results showed that enzymatic hydrolysis altered the structure of Pollock skin collagen and generated small peptide fragments. Both hydrolysates exhibited high antifreeze activity， with peptide chains mainly distributed below 3 000 Da and dominated by oligopeptides of 180-1 000 Da， enriched in hydrophobic amino acids and glycine. The papain hydrolysate showed superior color and flavor compared with the neutral protease hydrolysate， with higher levels of taste-active amino acids. Stability tests indicated that both hydrolysates were stable at pH value >7， below 60 ℃， and under UV irradiation； however， Fe3+， Mg2+， and Zn2+ significantly reduced the antifreeze activity compared with other ions （P<0.05）， and the activity decreased more markedly during intestinal digestion than gastric digestion. This study provides a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of Pollock skin and its efficient application in the frozen food industry.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1820-1830. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1820
To develop highly efficient biosorbents for the remediation of strontium （Sr2+） contamination and elucidate their underlying mechanisms， a highly Sr-tolerant strain was isolated and screened contaminated from soil at a potentially contaminated site and identified as Bacillus cereus BC-11. The strain could grow well even under 150 mg·L-1 Sr²⁺ stress. Using the dried biomass of BC-11 as the biosorbent， single-factor experiments determined the optimal biosorption conditions to be： pH 7.0， 30 ℃， 150 r·min-1， and a biomass dosage of 100 mg. The biosorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm model， yielding a theoretical maximum biosorption capacity of 28.25 mg·g-1. This indicates a heterogeneous biosorption process dominated by chemisorption. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） analyses revealed the formation of Sr-containing precipitates on the cell surface， with the Sr content increasing with the initial concentration. Furthermore， Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） confirmed that the biosorption was a multi-pathway synergistic process involving surface complexation， ion exchange， and electrostatic attraction， which is primarily driven by the active functional groups （hydroxyl， amino， amide， carboxyl， and phosphate） on the cell surface. This study not only provides a highly tolerant candidate strain but also offers a rigorous theoretical basis for the application of microbial biomass in the bioremediation of Sr-contaminated environments.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1831-1839. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1831
To identify the appropriate transplanting date for rice in cold regions and to elucidate the relationships between temperature factors during the growth period and rice yield， a field experiment with staggered sowing dates was conducted using Longjing 31， a predominant cultivar in the Sanjiang Plain. Four transplanting dates were established at 10-day intervals. The second transplanting date， aligned with the local long-term average， served as the control， with one earlier and two later dates set accordingly. The effects of different transplanting dates and temperature factors on rice growth period and yield were systematically analyzed. The results indicated that delayed transplanting date led to an increase in the mean temperature during the transplanting-maturity period， which accelerated the growth and development process. For every 1 ℃ increase in mean temperature， the growth duration shortened by approximately 10 days. However， when the mean temperature dropped below 8.4 ℃， the developmental rate approached zero. Both advancing and delaying the transplanting date reduced the yield. A highly significant negative correlation was observed between effective accumulated temperature （EAT） and yield during the transplanting-joining period； for every 100 °C·d increase in EAT， yield decreased by approximately 3.56×103 kg·hm-2. In contrast， EAT during the jointing-heading， heading-maturity， and transplanting-maturity periods showed significant positive correlations with yield； for every 100 ℃·d increase in EAT， yield increased within a range of approximately 3.17×103 to 3.97×103 kg·hm-2. Based on the comprehensive analysis of yield and temperature factors， the optimal transplanting date for Longjing 31 was determined to be from May 11 to 21. Transplanting within this period is conducive to higher yield. This study provides a theoretical basis for scientifically determining the transplanting date， mitigating the impact of low-temperature chilling damage， and achieving stable and high yield in rice production in cold regions.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1840-1851. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1840
This research study aimed to address key technical challenges commonly encountered during the direct return of crop straw to fields， including slow decomposition rates， unclear nutrient release dynamics， and the urgent need to strengthen the technologies for improving straw-nutrient utilization and precise fertilizer substitution. This study screened and obtained a gram-negative bacterium capable of decomposing cellulose， hemicellulose， and lignin， which significantly degrades rice and wheat straw. This strain was identified as Escherichia fergusonii. To verify its effect on the decomposition of returned straw， this bacteria was cultured and inoculated into soil for a pot experiment. The results showed that， compared with the straw return treatment， the inoculation + straw return treatment significantly increased rice plant height and biomass， and enhanced rice yield by 9.56% through improving the seed setting rate and 1 000-grain weight. The cumulative straw decomposition rate of the inoculation + straw return treatment increased by 6.93%， while the release of C， N， and P from returned straw increased by 9.79%， 9.42%， and 6.11%， respectively. In addition， this treatment significantly increased soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen （AN）， total nitrogen （TN）， soil organic matter （SOM）， and soil mean weight diameter （MWD）， promoted the formation of 0.25-2 mm soil aggregates and their contribution to soil organic carbon. Furthermore， bacterial inoculation combined with straw return increased soil microbial α-diversity and enriched the abundance of Bacillus， a genus closely associated with cellulose decomposition； it also improved the microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen （MBC and MBN）， and significantly enhanced the activities of straw decomposition-related enzymes， including α-glucosidase， β-glucosidase， and cellobiohydrolase. Redundancy analysis （RDA） revealed that soil physical， chemical， and biological indicators significantly affected on rice plant height， dry matter accumulation， and yield. Structural equation modelling （SEM） indicated that following straw return， exogenous microbial inoculation primarily improved rice growth and yield by promoting nutrient release from returned straw and thereby increasing soil nutrient availability. Additionally， inoculation indirectly contributed to this pathway by enhancing straw-decomposition-related enzymatic activities and altering microbial community structure. Overall， this study provides a high-efficiency microbial resource and a solid theoretical support for improving straw return practices， and demonstrates the significant application potential for promoting the development of green agricultural.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1852-1863. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1852
In order to explore the effects of chemical fertilizer reduction and organic substitution on soil structure in calcareous cinnamon soil and winter wheat yield， a field-positioned fertilization experiment was conducted in 2017. Six treatments were applied： no fertilization （CK）， conventional fertilization （CF）， organic substitution （CF+M）， chemical fertilizer reduction （CFR）， reduction and substitution （CFR+M） and single application of organic fertilizer （M）. The distribution and stability of soil aggregates in 0-40 cm soil layer were analyzed， including the weight percentage content of >0.25 mm mechanical stability aggregate （DR0.25） and water stability aggregates （WR0.25）， mean weight diameter （MWD）， geometric mean diameter （GMD）， destruction rate （PAD） and fractal dimension （D）. Soil bulk density， total soil porosity， wheat yield and its components were analyzed， and the correlation analysis was performed. The results showed that， compared to CK， chemical fertilizer reduction and organic substitution treatments significantly improved the soil aggregate structure in 0-40 cm soil layer， coordinated the yield composition and increased the yield. The grain yield of CFR and CF+M increased by 227.65% and 233.49%， respectively， compared to CK. Under the fertilization treatment， the dominant particle size of soil mechanical stability aggregates in each soil layer was >5 mm. The DR0.25 values of the CFR and M treatments were the highest in the 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers， respectively. For water-stable aggregates， the dominant particle size of in the 0-30 cm soil layer was >5 mm， followed by CF， CF+M>CF. As the organic fertilizer application increased， the stability of aggregates in the 0-30 cm soil layer improved， with M>CF+M>CFR+M， and in the 30-40 cm soil layer， M>CFR+M>CF+M. The values of PAD and D were lowest in CF+M and CFR+M in the 10-20 cm soil layer， and lowest in M treatment in other soil layers. Compared to CF， CFR decreased soil bulk density and increased total porosity in each soil layer. The CF+M reduced the soil bulk density in the 0-40 cm soil layer and increased the total porosity， with the improvement effect increasing as the organic fertilizer application rate increased. Correlation analysis showed that wheat yield， spike number and grain number per spike were significantly or extremely significantly positively correlated with DR0.25， WR0.25， MWD and GMD in the 10-40 cm soil layer， and significantly or extremely significantly negatively correlated with PAD and D values. In summary， chemical fertilizer reduction and organic substitution can increase the percentage of >0.25 mm mechanical and water stability aggregates， enhance the stability of water stability aggregates in the 0-40 cm soil layer， and reduce soil bulk density， thereby improving the soil structure of plough layer and coordinating wheat yield components to achieve higher yield. This strategy proves to be an effective method for improving the plough layer structure of calcareous cinnamon soil and increase wheat yield in southern Shanxi.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1864-1874. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1864
The number of approved maize varieties has been growing rapidly in China， but there are many problems including lack of variety diversity and a multi-trait evaluation system. This research selected 58 approved maize varieties as materials. Measured 13 major traits including kernel length， kernel width， kernel area， kernel length‑to‑width ratio， ear length， kernels per row， seed‑setting rate， 100‑kernel weight， bulk density， starch content， oil content， protein content and grain yield. Principal component analysis （PCA）， cluster analysis， multiple linear regression （MLR） and random forest （RF） algorithm were applied to systematically evaluated the trait association network and constructed a functional classification and evaluation system for maize varieties. PCA revealed five principal components that allowed dimensionality reduction of the traits. The 58 varieties were classified into four functional groups through cluster analysis， and the recommended varieties in each group included Zhongdan 126 （Group Ⅰ）， Qinrui899 and Zhongkerui 508 （Group Ⅱ）， Nongtaiyu 616 and four other varieties （Group Ⅲ）， A1819 and two other varieties （Group Ⅳ）. Results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that kernel number per row exerted the largest direct positive linear effect on grain yield. Variable importance assessment via random forest revealed that shelling percentage， kernel width and 100-kernel weight were the predominant determinants governing yield variation. In this study， a functional classification and evaluation system for officially registered maize varieties was established on the basis of multiple agronomic traits， which could supply decision-making support for variety selection under diverse ecological environments and production objectives. Findings from multiple linear regression and random forest are complement， the former quantifies linear trait effects， while the latter dissects yield formation mechanisms from the perspective of complex interaction networks. This research provides methodological references for comprehensive employment of multiple statistical approaches in trait dissection and germplasm evaluation under limited sample size.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1875-1885. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1875
This study analyzed six potato varieties with distinct genotypes by integrating untargeted metabolomics and microbiome analysis to elucidate the influence of root exudate composition and rhizosphere microbial communities， and further investigated the potato yield and the micro-ecological mechanisms influencing rhizosphere soil multifunctionality. The results demonstrated that the relative abundance of lipids and lipid-like molecules was higher by 0.48， 0.90， and 1.28 percentage points in Jizhangshu 12， V7， and Xisen 6， respectively， than in the local dominant cultivar Atlantic. In contrast， the relative abundance of organic acids and derivatives and phenylpropanoids in V7 and Xisen 6 were significantly lower than those in Atlantic. Nucleosides， alkaloid， and organic phosphorus compounds all exhibited the highest relative abundances in the Atlantic. Meanwhile， there were differences in fungal diversity and microbial community composition in the rhizosphere of different potato varieties. The rhizosphere soil multifunctionality of Longshu 20 was significantly increased by 24.56% compared with Atlantic， while Jizhangshu 12， V7， and Xisen 6 were decreased by 47.37%， 33.33%， and 26.32%， respectively. Similarly， the yield of Jingzhang 1 and Longshu 20 increased by 36.56% and 36.96%， respectively， compared with Atlantic， while the yield of Xisen 6 decreased by 31.04%. Bacterial community composition was primarily driven by organoheterocyclic compounds， whereas fungal community composition was mainly influenced by the contents of soil organic carbon and total phosphorus. Furthermore， fungal network stability explained the largest proportion of the variance in soil multifunctionality. However， soil multifunctionality and the composition of root exudates exerted stronger effects on potato yield. In summary， root exudates from Longshu 20 positively influenced soil multifunctionality and yield by recruiting beneficial bacterial taxa （e.g.， Sporosarcina） and reshaping microbial co-occurrence networks. The results provide a theoretical basis for promoting sustainable development of potato production.
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Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences. 2026, 40(9): 1886-1895. https://doi.org/10.11869/j.issn.1000-8551.2026.09.1886
To investigate the potential allelopathic effects of Perilla frutescens extracts on three Solanaceae vegetables， P. frutescens was used as experimental material. In this study， the effects of different concentrations of extracts （5， 10， 20 g·L-1） from P. frutescens （aboveground and root） on seed germination and seedling growth of three Solanaceae vegetables （Capsicum annuum， Solanum lycopersicom， and Solanum melongena） were investigated. The germination test showed that， compared with the control， the comprehensive allelopathic effects on seed germination of three Solanaceae vegetables were promoted when the concentration of root extract was 5 g·L-1. Treatments with the aboveground extract significantly increased the peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities of C. annuum seeds. Treatments with the root extract significantly increased the peroxidase activity of S. lycopersicom seeds and the superoxide dismutase activity of C. annuum seeds， while it significantly reduced the catalase activity and malondialdehyde content of C. annuum and S. lycopersicom seeds. The seedling growth test results showed that， compared with the control， the seedling vigor index of C. annuum seedlings was significantly increased when the concentration of root extract was 5 g·L-1. Furthermore， the seedling vigor index of S. melongena seedlings was notably increased when the concentration of aboveground and root extract was 20 g·L-1. In summary， there is an allelopathic interaction between P. frutescens and three Solanaceae vegetables， and the allelopathic effects are influenced by the donor part， extract concentration， and receptor plant species. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the feasibility of establishing tillage patterns of three Solanaceae vegetables and P. frutescens.
