Characteristics of climate change and monsoon circulation factors of Yarkant River Basin, China.

Under the background of global warming, frequent monsoon activities significantly influence global climate change, yet their impact mechanisms on non-monsoon regions remain unclear. This study analyzes the abrupt change characteristics of temperature and precipitation in the Yarkant River Basin using data from four meteorological stations from 1961 to 2019, employing Pearson correlation analysis and M-K mutation test. It further investigates the influence of monsoon circulations on the regional climate and predicts future climate trends.

Alleviating cadmium-induced stress in maize: the role of zinc sulphate application on growth and biochemical responses.

Cadmium stress (Cd) damages plant growth and development by causing oxidative damage and plant physiological and biochemical attributes. However, zinc sulphate (ZnS) may act as an acute stress signal to alleviate the toxic effects of Cd stress by upregulating the antioxidant defense mechanism and enhancing nutrient absorption. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ZnS foliar application on mitigating the toxic effects of Cd stress in maize seedlings.

Alleviating Soybean Salt Stress via Suaeda salsa Intercropping: Roles of Desalinization and Root Interactions.

Halophyte-based intercropping alleviates salt stress in glycophytes by desalinization. However, the role of root interactions, which are key to system sustainability, is often overlooked. This study evaluated soybean (Glycine max) salt tolerance when intercropped with Suaeda salsa, a halophyte with high salt tolerance, under different root interaction modes: plastic sheet separation (PL), nylon mesh separation (NL), and no separation (NS).

Revealing two decades of chlorophyll-a dynamics in arid oligotrophic lakes of Xinjiang, China using a deep recurrent approach.

Oligotrophic lakes in arid and semi-arid regions are vital to local livelihoods and ecosystems, yet research has primarily focused on water levels and volumes in these areas, with limited attention to water quality. As a sensitive indicator of ecological change, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), which is detectable via remote sensing, can provide valuable insights into subtle variations in water quality. To address this research gap, we investigated Chl-a concentrations in lakes larger than 100 km across the expansive Xinjiang region of China using two decades (2002-2023) of MODIS imagery.

Probiotic-Vaccine Synergy in Fish Aquaculture: Exploring Microbiome-Immune Interactions for Enhanced Vaccine Efficacy.

The rapid expansion of aquaculture is vital for global food security, yet it faces persistent threats from disease outbreaks, vaccine inefficacy, and antibiotic overuse, all of which undermine sustainability. Conventional vaccines often fail to induce robust mucosal immunity, spurring interest in probiotics as adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity. Probiotics such as and modulate fish microbiomes, fortify mucosal barriers, and activate innate immune responses via mechanisms including Toll-like receptor signaling and cytokine production.

Allocation strategy of nonstructural carbohydrates in L. across different grassland types in the Altai Mountains.

Global climate change and overgrazing have exacerbated shrub encroachment in arid and semi-arid grasslands and risking the stability and multifunctionality of grassland ecosystems. This shift between shrub and grassland raises a great concern to explicitly analyze the distribution of shrubs into arid and semi-arid grasslands and related environmental adaptation by using their nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) concentrations, and assess their allocation strategies and key determinants of these strategies. This research study was conducted in the Altai mountains of northwest of China and specifically focused on , a dominant shrub in this region, and analyzed the NSCs component concentrations and their allocation in leaves across different grassland types.

Enhancing soil carbon sequestration in jasmine gardens: Differential effects of straw and biochar on mineral-associated and particulate organic carbon.

Reducing chemical fertilizer use while enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stability, through straw return and biochar amendment presents an integrated strategy for climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture. However, the effectiveness of their carbon (C) sequestration potential and organic C pool stability is influenced by varing environmental conditions. This study investigated the effects of straw and biochar on C sequestration potential and SOC pool stability in jasmine garden soil in Fuzhou, China.

A Toxin of Valsa mali Determines Virulence and Host Preference.

Through co-evolutionary adaptation, phytopathogenic fungi have evolved specialised host preference mechanisms to optimise infection efficacy. Fungi of the Valsa genus infect various Rosaceae fruit trees, with Valsa mali exhibiting a marked host preference for apple trees, while Valsa pyri preferentially colonises pear trees. The divergent secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (SMBGCs) between these two species may serve as key determinants of their distinct host preferences.

Parcel-level vector data for scaled land utilization analysis in Xinjiang based on remote sensing image.

The scaled utilization of cultivated land has enhanced agricultural development and productivity. Quantifying its spatial distribution is essential for optimizing agricultural decision-making. Xinjiang, a vital grain production region in China, holds paramount study significance due to its distinct geographical location and fragile natural environment.

Allocation Patterns and Strategies of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Densities in Three Typical Desert Plants.

The densities of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C-N-P) reflect the adaptation and response of desert plants to hyper-arid environments. However, the allocation strategies for biomass and C-N-P densities among various plant life forms remain poorly understood. This study involved the collection of samples representing both aboveground and belowground biomass (to depths of 200 cm) from three desert plant species-both herbaceous and shrubby-and evaluating their C-N-P densities.

Synergistic Effects of 5-Ureidohydantoin, Rhizobacteria and Non-wood-Based Biochar on Barley Productivity Under Drought and Multiple Toxic Metals Stress.

Barely (Hordeum vulgare L.), an essential crop accounting for roughly 15% of global caloric consumption, confronts substantial risks from toxic metal pollution, especially drought stress, (Pb) and mercury (Hg) stress, endangering global food safety. The current research sought to examine synergistic impacts of abovementioned stressors and efficacy of 5-ureidohydantoin, rhizobacteria and non-wood-based biochar in promoting barley growth.

Multivariate analysis of potential health hazards of manganese via dietary exposure of widely consumed vegetables amended with municipal solid waste.

Improper disposal of municipal solid waste in metropolitan and semi-urban regions presents a significant global challenge, contributing to heavy metal contamination and associated health risks. This study assessed the ecological and anthropogenic health risks of manganese contamination resulting from the dietary intake of vegetables cultivated using municipal solid waste amendments in Sargodha, Pakistan. Commonly consumed vegetables (n = 15) were grown in pots over two years (2022-2023) with soil and municipal solid waste mixtures (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75; w/w), designated as T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiling Reveal the Close Implication of Alkaloid Biosynthesis and Ureide Metabolism to Drought Stress Tolerance in Maize.

Addressing sustainable agriculture production and food security requires a thorough understanding of the crop drought response. Although the importance of secondary metabolites in mediating drought tolerance (DT) has been extensively reported, the implication of alkaloids and urea in maize DT remains elusive. Here, through evaluating the physiological, transcriptome, and metabolome responses of two maize varieties, CIMMYT PAK (C, drought tolerant) and Haq Nawaz (H, drought sensitive), we found that alkaloid biosynthesis and ureide metabolism were particularly significantly induced under DS (drought stress) in C.

Influencing factors of ecosystem services and their spatiotemporal change assessment based on land use in Rwanda.

Understanding the factors that influence changes in ecosystem services is crucial for sustainable management, particularly in densely populated and vulnerable regions to those influencing factors. Recent declines in ecosystem services in Rwanda have been primarily attributed to climate change and land use alterations stemming from human activities. This study investigates the spatio-temporal changes in ecosystem services, specifically carbon storage, water yield, and soil retention, from 1994 to 2020 using the InVEST and RUSLE models.

Hidden Dangers Within the Rivers of China's Largest Inland Basin: Uncovering the Current Status and Health Risks of BTEX Compounds.

Benzene series (BTEX) pollutants are hazardous organic compounds that are widely distributed in water, air, and soil and pose a significant threat to global public security. The presence of BTEX in surface waters in arid regions and its associated health risks, as well as the primary influencing factors, are crucial concerns that impede the protection and management of water environments in these areas. By employing a combination of the Monte Carlo risk assessment model and the geographical detector model, this study elucidates the health risks associated with benzene-based compounds in surface water within the Tarim Basin (TRB), China's largest inland basin, while identifying the primary driving forces influencing their distribution in the research area.

Afforestation-driven soil organic carbon stabilization in a hyper-arid desert: nonlinear dynamics and microbial drivers across a 22-year chronosequence.

Desertification and soil carbon loss threaten arid ecosystem sustainability, yet the long-term stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) following afforestation in hyperarid regions remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated SOC dynamics across a 22-year Populus alba chronosequence at the Taklimakan Desert edge, combining physical fractionation particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) with microbial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFAs) and enzymatic analyses. Afforestation significantly increased SOC content by 50.

An Unconventionally Secreted Effector VmUSP1 Targets Apple Heat Shock Protein 70 to Promote Infection.

Apple Valsa Canker (AVC), caused by /, is a highly destructive disease that leads to significant economic losses annually. Pathogens manipulate host immunity to facilitate colonization and infection through the secretion of effector proteins, which are typically identified based on the presence of signal peptides. However, unconventional secretory effector proteins have been neglected, and little is known about their protogenetic roles in virulence.

Diversity of Antifungal Properties in Bacterial Isolates from Different Plant Species Growing Across Uzbekistan.

Plant-associated bacteria play a crucial role in protecting plants from pathogens, yet the diversity and antagonistic potential of these bacteria across different plant species remain underexplored, especially in central Asia. To investigate the competitive dynamics between phytopathogenic fungi and plant-associated bacteria, we collected stem and root samples from 50 plant species across nine regions of Uzbekistan. A total of 3355 bacterial isolates were obtained (1896 from roots and 1459 from shoots) and screened for antifungal activity against six fungal pathogens, resulting in 432 antagonistic isolates.

Organic amendments optimize Triticum aestivum var Zincol-16 performance under water stress through enhancement in physio biochemical traits, secondary metabolites and yield.

Declining soil fertility due to unstable cultivation practices is a major challenge, particularly under water-limited conditions, leading to reduced crop productivity. Identifying sustainable soil amendments that enhance plant resilience and improve soil properties is crucial for ensuring food security in arid and semi-arid regions. Among these, activated acacia biochar has shown potential in improving soil quality.

Evaluating the environmental impact of polylactic acid plastics in agriculture: Microbial degradation and plant interaction insights.

In the last decade, non-degradable plastics have been increasingly replaced by biodegradable alternatives like polylactic acid (PLA), particularly in agriculture. However, the feasibility of microbial degradation of PLA plastics in agricultural soils still needs to be confirmed. In addition, it remains unclear whether the degradation process of PLA affects plant growth.

Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition.

Plant biomass tends to increase under nutrient addition and decrease under drought. Biotic and abiotic factors influence responses to both, making the combined impact of nutrient addition and drought difficult to predict. Using a globally distributed network of manipulative field experiments, we assessed grassland aboveground biomass response to both drought and increased nutrient availability at 26 sites across nine countries.

Occurrence and transport of neonicotinoid insecticides in soils from an agriculture-dominated area in Henan Province, Northern China: Insights from agricultural management practices.

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) are among the most widely used pesticides and have garnered significant attention recently because of their high toxicity to non-target organisms and potential risks to human health. In this study, vertical soil profiles were collected from the Zhoukou reach of the Shaying River Basin, China, where pesticides are heavily used, to investigate the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of NNIs, with a focus on the impact of agricultural management practices on NNI residues in farmland soils. NNIs were widely detected in the soils, with a detection frequency of 100 % and a mean concentration of 73.

Genetic and Epigenetic Views of the Adaptive Evolution of Oaks (Quercus L.).

The long-lived angiosperm Quercus L. (Oaks) have emerged as promising model organisms for investigating adaptive divergence and ecological environmental interactions due to their longevity and large genetic diversity as well as recurrent gene flow among species with diverse natural habitats. Until recently, numerous genomic studies by new high-throughput sequencing platforms have provided access to link genes with ecological and physiological traits.

Low-cost video-based air quality estimation system using structured deep learning with selective state space modeling.

Air quality is crucial for both public health and environmental sustainability. An efficient and cost-effective model is essential for accurate air quality predictions and proactive pollution control. However, existing research primarily focuses on single static image analysis, which does not account for the dynamic and temporal nature of air pollution.