Abstract:[Objective]The early-maturing apple cultivars Luli and David Gala are extensively cultivat-ed at the south region of Shanxi due to earlier harvest and higher market value,compared with other cooler areas.The fruit qualities are determined by the harvest time.Traditionally,apple fruits are har-vested according to skin coloring,seed color or days after full bloom(DAFB),which are influenced by climates in different years.Rapid fruit ripening of early-maturing apple cultivars under higher tempera-tures in the south region of Shanxi presents challenges in determining the optimal harvest timing,which directly affects postharvest fruit quality and storage potential.This study aimed to establish a starch-io-dine staining criteria as a reliable indicator for harvest maturity,ensuring fruit quality and prolonging its shelf life.[Methods]The apple flesh of Luli(95 to 130 DAFB,7 d harvest interval)and David Gala(91 to 126 DAFB,7 d harvest interval)at different maturities was stained by iodine-potassium iodide so-lution to show starch degradation patterns,and correspondingly the fruit quality attributes of fruit size,single-fruit weight,firmness,skin color,soluble solids content(SSC),titratable acidity(TA),and sugar-acid ratio were measured.Correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate relationships between the starch index and quality attributes.The fruits of Luli and David Gala at different maturities were stored at 1 ℃ for 60 days,and their indicators of firmness,SSC,and TA were monitored to assess storage qual-ity.[Results]Starch-iodine staining results indicated that starch hydrolysis occurred in both Luli apples(95 to 130 DAFB)and David Gala apples(91 to 126 DAFB)during ripening.The starch index of Luli apples gradually increased from 1.16(at 95 d DAFB)to 7.90(at 130 DAFB),and David Gala apples gradually increased from 1.03(at 91 DAFB)to 7.00(at 126 DAFB).The hydrolysis of starch and the starch index could serve as core indicators of maturity.With fruit maturing,the starch hydrolysis in both Luli and David Gala started from the core and gradually spreaded to the pulp.Notably,vascular bundles and pericarp tissues were the last to undergo hydrolysis.At the later stage of maturity(staining grade 6),the starch in the cross-section of Luli apples was almost completely hydrolyzed,while some starch in the vascular bundles and pericarp tissues of David Gala apples had not been hydrolyzed.This indicated that the starch hydrolysis in Luli apples was faster and more complete during the maturity period(95 to 130 DAFB).Starch index of Luli and David Gala was significantly and positively correlated with single fruit weight and soluble solids content,and significantly and negatively correlated with fruit firmness and titratable acidity(P＜0.01).With the prolongation of the harvest period,fruit firmness and titrat-able acidity decreased,and soluble solids content increased.Firmness can serve as an indicator of stor-age potential.The firmness of Luli decreased less than that of David Gala during storage,and its stor-ability was better.Soluble solids content is a quality index reflecting the flavor and maturity of the fruit.The content of soluble solids in Luli apples gradually increased from 95 to 109 DAFB and remained sta-ble from 116 to 130 DAFB,while the soluble solids content of David Gala apples gradually increased during the storage process at different harvest periods.Comprehensive analysis of fruit quality indica-tors at different maturity stages showed that Luli apple fruit and storage quality during 116 to 123 DAFB was the best,in which the starch index was 5.40-6.53,fruit size tended to be stable,skin changed from partial coloring to complete coloring,soluble solids content was 13.20％-14.33％,and fruit firm-ness was 9.42-10.49 kg·cm-2 and decreased to 7.60 kg·cm-2 after storage for 60 d.David Gala apple fruit and storage quality at 119 DAFB was the best,in which starch index was 5.93,fruit size tended to be stable,fruit skin was fully colored,soluble solids content was 13.33％,and fruit firmness was 11.02 kg·cm-2 and decrease to 7.13 kg·cm-2 after 60 d of storage.When harvested too early,for instance,Luli fruit was harvested at 95 to 102 d DAFB(starch index was 1.16-1.85)and David Gala was harvested 91 to 98 DAFB(starch index was 1.03-1.80),the fruit firmness was excessively high,SSC was insuffi-cient,and the flavor cannot meet the standard.When harvested too late,for instance,Luli fruit was har-vested at 130 DAFB(starch index was 7.90),and David Gala was harvested at 126 DAFB(starch index was 7.00),the fruit firmness decreased significantly after storage(＜7.00 kg·cm-2)and was not resis-tant to storage,although the fresh flavor was the optimal(SSC＞14％).[Conclusion]Starch staining can be used as a core evaluation index for the harvest maturity of Luli and David Gala apples.The starch staining pattern for appropriate harvest time of Luli and David Gala apples showed that vascular bundles of sepals and petals were still stained,and presented 10 discrete dark clusters in the core.The optimal starch index for Luli was 5.40-6.53,but for David Gala it was 5.93.

Abstract:[Objective]Tubtim Siam Red Ruby Pummelo originated from a Thailand's southern city,and fruit flesh was ruby-like,so it got the name for granted.It is currently one of the major cultivars of excellent pummelo in southern China.It is mainly eaten fresh,and little has been reported on the analy-sis of its fruit characteristic components,drug and health care research and development.The systemat-ic comparisons of pulp metabolites and screened characteristic metabolites between Tubtim Siam Red Ruby Pummelo(TSRRP)and Yuenan Qingyou pummelo(YNQY),Hongyu Xiangyou pummelo(HYX),Star Ruby grapefruit(XLBPTY),Sanhong Miyou pummelo(SHMY),and Xingluo Hongyou pummelo(XLHY)are considerable value for the utilization of pummelo germplasm resources and the promotion of medical and health care fields.[Methods]Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the non-targeted metabolomics of pulp components of six pummelo cultivars.The detected data unit variance scaling(UV)was normalized and the samples were analyzed for holistic properties using principal component analysis(PCA).Meanwhile,the log transformation and mean-cen-tered scaling of the collected data were performed,and subsequently the orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA)was conducted using the R package Meta boAnalyst.Meanwhile,the values of the variable importance in projection(VIP),fold change(FC),and p-value of student's t-test were screened for differential metabolites.In addition,TBtools-Ⅱ and the R package ClusterProfiler software were performed for clustering heatmap and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment of the screened metabolites.[Results]UPLC-MS/MS detected a total of 1019 me-tabolites.The PCA score plot showed that the contributions of principal components 1 and 2 were 23.33％and 19.02％,respectively.QC samples were densely scattered,indicating stable and high quali-ty metabolic data.TSRRP pummelo was clearly separated from the other cultivars.The six cultivars were grouped using OPLS-DA analysis.Metabolites were screened by VIP≥1,FC＞2 or FC＜0.5 and P＜0.05.In the TSRRP vs YNQY comparison,213 metabolites were identified as differentially ex-pressed,with 138 upregulated and 75 downregulated.In the TSRRP vs HYX comparison,237 metabo-lites were identified,with 165 upregulated and 72 downregulated.In the TSRRP vs SHMY comparison,264 metabolites were identified,with 196 upregulated and 68 downregulated.In the TSRRP vs XLBP-TY comparison,386 metabolites were identified,with 193 upregulated and 193 downregulated.In the TSRRP vs XLHY comparison,390 metabolites were identified,with 259 upregulated and 131 downreg-ulated.An upset plot was conducted for 606 differential metabolites.There were 55 metabolites with si-multaneous differences in the five combinations.They included 12 phenylpropanoids and polyketides,12 lipids and lipid-like molecules,10 organic acids and derivatives,8 organoheterocyclic compounds,5 benzenoids,2 amino acids and derivatives,2 nucleosides and nucleotides analogues,2 organic oxygen compounds,1 lignan,neolignan and related compound,and 1 coumarin and lignan.Phenylpropanoids and polyketides,lipids and lipid-like molecules accounted for the highest proportion of 21.82％,while organic acids and derivatives,organoheterocyclic compounds,and benzenoids also occupied large pro-portions of 18.18％,14.55％,and 9.09％,respectively.Metabolite differences between cultivars were demonstrated,and 55 significantly different metabolite expressions were analyzed by Euclidean cluster-ing.Significant accumulation took place in metabolites of 11-hydroxydrim-7-en-6-one,8-hydroxy-7(11)-eremophilen-12,8-olide,4,4'-cyclohexylidenebisphenol,α-cyperone,L-valine,3-amino-4-methyl-pentanoic acid,DL-isoleucine,D-tyrosine,L-tyrosine,DL-tyrosine,and DL-m-tyrosine,while tilmisar-tan and scopolamine lactone contents in TSRRP pummelo were low.In addition,the samples cluster analysis based on the Euclidean distance showed that TSRRP was clearly distinguished from the other cultivars,with YNQY clustered into one unit with XLBPTY and one branch clustered with XLHY,SHMY,and HYX pummelo.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that phenylpropanoid,gluco-sinolate,aminoacyl-tRNA,and cyanoamino acid biosynthesis were the most significant metabolic path-ways.Up-regulation of sinapinate and 1-O-sinapoyl-β-D-glucose was found in the phenylpropanoid bio-synthetic pathway.L-tyrosine,L-valine,and DL-isoleuc ine were up-regulated in the glucosinolate,ami-noacyl-tRNA,cyanoamino acid biosynthetic pathways.1-Pentadecanoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phos-phocholine,indole-3-acetaldehyde,scoparone,and xanthotoxol were up-regulated and scopoletin was down-regulated in the other secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways.[Conclusion]Differential me-tabolites in the pulp of TSRRP compared to five pummelos by metabolomics.55 differential metabo-lites were screened by UPLC-MS/MS.The significantly enriched differential metabolite pathways were phenylpropanoid and glucosinolate metabolism.10 major metabolites were screened,including sinapi-nate,1-O-sinapoyl-β-D-glucose,L-tyrosine,L-valine,DL-isoleucine,1-pentadecanoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine,indole-3-acetaldehyde,scoparone,xanthotoxol,and scopoletin,respectively.The active ingredients content of TSRRP was significantly higher than other cultivars,indicating that it may have higher medicinal and edible value,which can provide a certain theoretical basis for the devel-opment of functional products and medicines.

Abstract:[Objective]Actinidia Lindl.,a deciduous perennial liana genus endemic to China,is recog-nized globally as a functional fruit crop owing to its unique organoleptic characteristics,exceptional nu-tritional profile(notably distinguished as the ascorbate hyperaccumulator within Rosidae clade),and pharmacological properties.The Chinese kiwifruit industry has undergone remarkable expansion,with cultivation areas reaching 300 000 hectares and annual production achieving 4.346 million metric tons by 2024.This growth has significantly contributed to regional economic development,poverty allevia-tion initiatives,and agroecosystem rehabilitation.Pseudomonas syringae pv.actinidiae(Psa),a phyto-pathogen with rapid dissemination capacity and high virulence,poses severe threats to global kiwifruit production,causing epidemic canker outbreaks.Identifying excellent disease-resistant germplasms,elu-cidating the underlying mechanisms of resistance formation,and developing resistant cultivars are cru-cial approaches to addressing the occurrence of canker.Plant metabolite alterations provide insights in-to metabolic states,gene expression,and protein function.By conducting metabolomics research on the resistant genotype E2545 and susceptible genotype E674 at different infection time points,we can identify differential metabolites,determine associated metabolic pathways,and reveal their roles in bio-logical processes.This study offers a metabolic perspective on the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of kiwifruit materials with differential resistance to Psa infection.[Methods]Invitro stem inoculation assays were conducted on Psa-resistant(E2545)and susceptible(E674)kiwifruit gen-otypes under controlled phytosanitary conditions.Longitudinal sections(1 cm)of xylem-differentiated tissues were sampled proximal and distal from the inoculation site at defined intervals(0,3,7,and 14 days post-inoculation,dpi).Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed using the ultra-high-per-formance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS).Raw metabolite data was acquired using MassLynx V4.2.Data processing including peak extraction and alignment was performed using Progenesis QI.Metabolite identification was achieved against a self-built database(BMK)using MS/MS data,with quantification via multiple reaction monitoring on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.Differential metabolites were screened using thresholds of variable importance in projection(VIP)≥1,P-value＜0.05,and log2|FC|≥1.[Re-sults]Comparative metabolomic profiling revealed distinct clustering of specialized metabolites be-tween P.syringae pv.actinidiae(Psa)-resistant and susceptible Actinidia genotypes.Differential metab-olites were predominantly categorized as benzene and substituted derivatives,coumarins and deriva-tives,prenol lipids,carboxylic acids and derivatives.Quantitative analysis demonstrated significant ac-cumulation of 87 defense-related metabolites in resistant germplasm,including key phytoalexins and signaling molecules linked to systemic acquired resistance.Four metabolites exhibiting dual antimicro-bial and immune-priming activities were prioritized:aspirin,liquoric acid,pestalactam B,and valtra-tum.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant activation of phenylpropanoid biosynthe-sis and phenylpropanoid metabolism,indicating their critical roles in kiwifruit defense against Psa in-fection.[Conclusion]This study conducted comparative metabolomic profiling of resistant and suscep-tible germplasms in Actinidia rufa and Actinidia chinensis var.chinensis subjected to varying P.syrin-gae pv.actinidiae(Psa)infection periods.Building on these findings,further in-depth research on the key differential metabolites between resistant and susceptible kiwifruit germplasms could elucidate the disease resistance mechanisms of germplasms,providing a theoretical basis for screening novel kiwi-fruit germplasms resistant to bacterial canker.Additionally,antimicrobial activity assays and field trials should be conducted to validate the antibacterial properties of these metabolites,facilitating the devel-opment of innovative biocontrol agents.This integrated approach would advance both the theoretical framework and practical applications in kiwifruit disease resistance breeding and sustainable disease management.

Abstract:[Objective]Xinjiang has become the most important high-quality jujube production area in China due to its unique climatic conditions,of which the jujube is particularly outstanding due to its ex-cellent quality in the desert fringe areas such as Hotan.However,there are some problems in that area such as low organic matter content,poor water retention and imbalance of fertilizer micro-ecology in the soil directly caused by jujube trees,resulting in decline of fruit quality and yield.Actinomycetes fer-mentation liquid fertilizer can produce a variety of small molecules of organic matter and other metabo-lites,and even antibiotics and hormones,etc.through the decomposition of organic matter.This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of actinomycetes fermented liquid fertilizer on the growth and fruiting of Ziziphus jujuba'Junzao'.[Methods]The experiment was carried out in Beijing Agricultural Park,Lopu County,Hotan Region,Xinjiang.The actinomycetes fermented liquid fertilizer at three concentrations(the original solution diluted 50 times,100 times,200 times)were sprayed on 4-year-old Junzao trees in the leaf spreading stage,the young fruiting stage,and the white ripening stage,respectively,water was used as the control(CK).The sampling was carried out 3-5 d af-ter each spraying to determine the basal diameter of the first branch,basal diameter of the second branch,leaf thickness,leaf area,Pn,Gs,Tr,Ci,SPAD,LRWC,SOD,PAL,PPO,weight of non-merchant-able fruit,weight of superior fruit,yield of a single plant,weight of a single fruit of superior fruit,rate of superior fruit,total sugar,titratable acid,and sugar-acid ratio of jujube.The data were analyzed using Excel 2019,and SPSS 27 was used to perform ANOVA,Pearson correlation analysis and principal com-ponent analysis(PCA).Origin 2025 was used for mapping.[Results]The basal diameter of the first branch of the new jujube significantly increased by 7.42％and 5.94％,respectively,in May and July un-der treatment with YF100,compared with that of the control;the basal diameter of the second branch was significantly increased by 8.21％and 7.16％,respectively,in May and August under treatment with YF100,compared with that of the control,and it significantly increased by 7.14％compared with that of the control under the treatment of YF50 in July,while the differences between the other treatments and the control were not significant.The thickness of the leaf blade significantly increased by 7.05％,13.27％and 9.19％under YF100 treatment in May,July and August,respectively,compared with that of the control,and leaf area significantly increased in July and August under YF50 and YF100 treatments compared with that of the control.The net photosynthetic rate(Pn)of the leaves increased significantly by 5.38％and 6.50％under the treatments of YF50 and YF200,compared with that of the CK,respec-tively.The transpiration rate(T)significantly increased by 5.51％,4.09％and 6.92％under the three treatments respectively,whereas the interstitial CO2 concentration(Ci)was significantly lower under the treatments of YF50 and YF100.There was no significant difference in stomatal conductance(Gs)under the three treatments.The leaf greenness(SPAD)increased under YF50 and YF100 treatments compared with the control in June and July.The leaf relative water content(LRWC)also significantly increased by 12.71％under the YF100 treatment compared with the control;at the same time,SOD and PPO sig-nificantly increased under the YF50 and YF100 treatments compared with that of the control and PAL increased under all treatments compared with that of the control,with a significant increase under YF200 treatment.The weight of superior fruit,yield per hectare and superior fruit rate increased under each treatment compared with those of the control,and the weight of non-commercial fruit was re-duced,especially the differences were significant under the YF50 and YF100 treatments.Moreover,the total sugar increased under the three treatments compared with that of the control,and the sugar-acid ra-tio and titratable acid also increased compared with those of the control,but the differences were not sig-nificant among treatments,the difference was only significant under the YF50 treatment compared with the control.[Conclusion]The actinomyces fermentation liquid fertilizer can promote the growth and physiological function of jujube tree,and improve the yield and quality of jujube fruit.100 times dilu-tion of the original solution seems to be mostly beneficial.3-5 times of stand-alone spraying or com-bined spraying with pest control or flower and fruit management would be suggested in jujube planta-tions in the sandy area of Southern part of Xinjiang.

Abstract:[Objective]Salt-alkali stress,involving elevated sodium(Na+)levels and high pH condi-tions,poses a significant threat to crop growth and productivity in saline-alkali soils,which are wide-spread in many regions of the world.Finding effective strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of such stress on crops is crucial for sustainable agricultural development.This study aimed to investigate the ef-fects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)inoculation on the growth,physiological responses,and salt-alkali stress tolerance of apple rootstock M9-T337.The primary objective was to explore how AMF inoculation enhances salt-alkali tolerance,particularly by regulating ion homeostasis and modulating the ascorbate-glutathione(AsA-GSH)cycle in plants subjected to saline-alkali stress.The study pro-vides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying AMF-mediated tolerance in apple root-stocks,which are important for fruit production in marginal environmental conditions.[Methods]The experiment was conducted using one-year-old M9-T337 apple rootstock seedlings,which were trans-planted into pots containing a sterilized substrate composed of soil,perlite,and vermiculite(3∶1∶1).These pots were sterilized in an autoclave at 121 ℃ for 2 hours to eliminate any microbial contami-nants.The seedlings were subject to three treatments:(1)a control group receiving clean water irriga-tion(CK),(2)a saline-alkali stress group irrigated with 300 mL of a solution of 200 mmol·L-1 NaCl∶NaHCO2(1∶1,pH 8.36)(SA)every 6 days,and(3)a saline-alkali stress group treated with AMF inocu-lation(SA+AMF).The AMF inoculum used was Claroideoglomus etunicatum(Ce,BGC G203C),with a spore count of 40 spores·g-1.A total of 90 seedlings were used,with 10 seedlings per treatment and three biological replicates for each treatment.The AMF inoculum was added to the substrate after trans-plantation,and after 45 days.The seedlings were harvested 30 days after the onset of saline-alkali stress to measure growth parameters,ion content,and the antioxidant system response.[Results]The results revealed that saline-alkali stress severely inhibited the growth of M9-T337 seedlings,as evidenced by significant reductions in biomass,stem thickness,leaf area,plant height increment,and leaf relative wa-ter content.However,AMF inoculation alleviated these negative effects.Specifically,the shoot and root biomass of AMF-treated seedlings increased by 35.7％and 28.6％,respectively,compared to those un-der saline-alkali stress alone.Additionally,stem thickness,leaf area,plant height increment,and leaf rel-ative water content were significantly higher in the AMF-treated seedlings,demonstrating the positive impact of AMF on plant growth under stress conditions.The physiological responses of AMF-treated seedlings were also significantly enhanced,as indicated by substantial increases in antioxidant enzyme activities.The activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POD),and catalase(CAT)in-creased by 30.45％,38.87％,and 19.35％,respectively,compared to the saline-alkali stressed group.This increase in antioxidant enzyme activities resulted in a reduction in hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)and superoxide anion(O2-·)accumulation by 18.09％and 27.03％,respectively,thus mitigating the oxida-tive damage caused by salt-alkali stress.In terms of ion homeostasis,AMF inoculation had a significant effect on the ion content in the seedlings.The AMF-treated seedlings exhibited a marked reduction in the sodium ion(Na+)content in the leaves by 18.02％,and a decrease in the sodium-to-potassium(Na+/K+)ratio by 28.96％,suggesting that AMF helped to maintain an optimal ion balance under saline-alkali conditions.The potassium ion(K+)content in the leaves of AMF-treated seedlings also increased by 15.40％,indicating that AMF promoted K+uptake and enhanced its transport to the leaves.These chang-es in ion balance are critical for reducing the toxic effects of Na+accumulation in the plant tissues.AMF likely facilitated the efflux of Na+from the root system and its compartmentalization into vacuoles,and improved the selective uptake of K+.Gene expression analysis further confirmed the role of AMF in reg-ulating ion transport.Key genes involved in Na+exclusion(MdSOS2),Na+sequestration(MdNHX2),and K+uptake(MdGORK1)were upregulated in AMF-treated seedlings,contributing to improved ionic balance under stress conditions.Moreover,AMF inoculation enhanced the activity of the AsA-GSH cy-cle,which plays a vital role in plant responses to oxidative stress.The activities of ascorbate peroxidase(APX)and glutathione reductase(GR)in AMF-treated seedlings increased by 48.89％and 21.38％,re-spectively,leading to a more efficient AsA-GSH cycle,which might help to scavenge reactive oxygen species(ROS)and reduce oxidative damage.The increased antioxidant capacity in the AMF-treated seedlings was associated with a lower level of oxidative stress markers,such as H2O2 and O2-·,in the plant tissues.These findings suggest that AMF inoculation not only improves ion homeostasis but also enhances the plant's ability to cope with oxidative stress under saline-alkali conditions.[Conclusion]The findings of this study demonstrate that AMF inoculation significantly enhanced the salt-alkali toler-ance of apple rootstock M9-T337 by improving both ion homeostasis and antioxidant capacity.AMF treatment effectively reduced Na+accumulation in the leaves,enhanced K+uptake,and lowered the Na+/K+ratio,thereby mitigating ion toxicity.Additionally,AMF inoculation enhanced the AsA-GSH cycle,improving the plant's antioxidant defense system and reducing oxidative damage caused by salt-alkali stress.These results suggest that AMF can be a powerful tool to enhance the growth and stress tolerance of apple rootstocks in saline-alkali soils,offering potential applications in sustainable fruit production.The insights gained from this study also provide a theoretical basis for the practical use of mycorrhizal symbiosis technology to improve the resilience of crops in saline-alkali soils.

Abstract:Zizuan is a new fig(Ficus carica L.)variety selected by Horticulture Institute of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences.It was selected from a bud sport of purple fruit in 2008 in Nanning.It was then propagated through grafting and cuttings for evaluation.Regional trials were conducted in Guangxi and Hainan,where it exhibited consistent growth,fruit color,maturity,soluble solid content,plant vigor,leaf shape,and high yield.The tree had a moderate growth habit with an upright semi-spreading canopy.The main stem branches were grayish brown with large round pores and a knobby ap-pearance.The apical bud was long-triangular in shape and orange in color with moderate size and raised dormant buds.The leaves were green with five lobes;the top lobe was narrow diamond-shaped with secondary notches while the base was heart-shaped with hair on the underside.The fruit was spherical with powdery coating,purple skin,red skin at the fruit stem,closed fruit eye,pink to purple flesh.The average fruit weight was 55.7 g.Ripe fruits had short stems,prominent veins,small dots,and extremely small cavity.The soluble solid content was 20％-24％.The acidity ranged from 0.06％to 0.08％.The fruits could be stored for 2-3 days under room temperature.It was highly resistant to diseases.It was granted patent of new plant variety in 2023.Zizuan would be cultivated in southern regions of the Yang-tze River in China,including Guangxi,Guangdong,and Hainan.Rain shelter facilities would be recom-mended for its cultivation.The spacing for planting would be 3 m × 2 m.Open center tree form should be adopted.

Abstract:China,with over 4000 years of peach cultivation history,dominates global production.North-eastern Hebei,leveraging its unique microclimate and fertile plains,is a key production region,boasting 130 000 hectares and over 2.7 million tons output in 2024.However,industry development is con-strained by an irrational variety structure,notably a deficiency in high-quality,late-ripening cultivars ex-hibiting adequate cold hardiness,consistent yield,and transport/storage tolerance,leading to market im-balances.To address this,the Changli Institute of Pomology,Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forest-ry Sciences,initiated a breeding program targeting late-ripening peaches with superior appearance,inter-nal quality,cold resistance,high yield,and good storage/transport characteristics.In 2007,a cross was made using Qiuyan(a seedling descendant of Yanhong,previously identified as 02-18-112 and regis-tered in Hebei in 2015)as the female parent and Donghe No.1(a unique cold-region semi-cultivar)as the male parent.Hybrid seeds were collected in September 2007,stratified,sown in March 2008,and seedlings planted in May 2008.Initial selection commenced in 2011,with selection 11-10-118 identi-fied in 2013 for its excellent quality and resilience.Top-grafted onto rootstock in 2014,it demonstrated late maturity(about 150 days fruit development period),yellow-white skin,white flesh,good adaptabili-ty,and stress resistance during 2015-2017 evaluations,leading to its advancement.Multi-location tri-als(2018-2023)across Hebei's main peach areas and comprehensive evaluation at full bearing(2021-2023)confirmed the stability and superior traits of Qiuyue(pedigree 11-10-118).It ripens in late Sep-tember,producing large(avg.334 g),uniform,near-round fruit with over 90％red blush on a yellow-white background.The white flesh is firm-melting,moderately juicy,very sweet(SSC 13.6％),with ex-cellent flavor and high firmness(13.2 kg·cm-2).It is clingstone,crack-resistant,and highly tolerant to storage and transport.The tree exhibits moderate vigor,a semi-open habit,bears primarily on medium/long shoots,is self-fruitful,productive,and exhibits consistent annual bearing.Crucially,Qiuyue pos-sesses strong cold hardiness,surviving extreme winter lows in 2021 and 2023 without damage,and ex-hibits resistance to scab and bacterial shot hole.Key cultivation recommendations include planting in deep,fertile,well-drained soil(3-4 m × 4-5 m spacing,44-55 trees·666.7 m-2)using a two-primary scaffold open-center system emphasizing summer pruning(4-5 times·year-1).Despite high self-fruitful-ness,rigorous fruit thinning(≤250 fruits/tree,target yield 2200-3000 kg·666.7 m-2)is essential;bag-ging is advised in sunny regions.Employ drip irrigation;apply 4-5 m3·666.7 m-2 of well-rotted manure as a base fertilizer before leaf fall,supplemented by top-dressing pre-bloom and mid-late June.Pest management focuses on bacterial shot hole,scab,brown rot,aphids,fruit borers,leafminer,mites,and scale insects.Registered by the Hebei Forest and Grassland Variety Approval Committee in 2024(No.Ji S-SV-PP-032-2024),Qiuyue integrates late maturity,high quality,robust cold tolerance,disease resis-tance,and excellent storability,making it ideal for enhancing late-season peach production in Hebei and similar regions.

Abstract:China has a wide variety of fruits,primarily consumed fresh,where fruit quality plays a cru-cial role in attracting consumers.Fruit quality encompasses both external appearance and internal traits,with the latter primarily consisting of organic acids,soluble sugars,aroma compounds,carotenoids,fla-vonoids,amino acids,and other metabolites.These diverse metabolic substances collectively influence the flavor quality of fruits.Among these,organic acids directly determine the sourness of the fruits.In recent years,although fruit production has increased,the quality of flavor has shown a noticeable de-cline,which hinders the steady development of the fruit industry.Consequently,improving the flavor quality of fruit and enhancing production efficiency have become imperative.Organic acids not only are essential primary metabolites in fruits,with their content and types directly influencing sourness,but also serve important physiological functions,such as promoting digestion,boosting immunity,pro-viding antioxidant effects,and inhibiting bacterial growth.Therefore,research on organic acid accumu-lation in fruits is of great significance for improving fruit quality.The study of the characteristics of or-ganic acids mainly focuses on the types,content,biosynthesis,transport,and molecular regulatory mechanisms.Malic acid and citric acid are the predominant organic acids in most fruits,while tartaric acid is the major organic acid in certain fruits.The content of different organic acids varies significantly during the growth and development of fruit.Most organic acids gradually increase in concentration with the fruit development,peaking just before maturity,after which their levels decline.The accumulation of organic acids is closely linked to their synthesis,degradation,and transport.Citrate is primarily syn-thesized in the mitochondria,with key enzymes such as citrate synthase(CS),aconitase(ACO),isoci-trate dehydrogenase(IDH),phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase(PEPC),NAD-malate dehydrogenase(NAD-MDH),and NADP-malic enzyme(NADP-ME)playing crucial roles in the synthesis of citrate and malate in fruits.The γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)shunt pathway significantly contributes to the degradation of organic acids,with ACO and ATP-citrate lyase(ACL)being particularly important in ci-trate degradation.Organic acid transport is primarily facilitated by tonoplast dicarboxylate transporters(tDT/TDT),aluminum-activated malate transporters(ALMT),vacuolar citrate transporters(Cit1),and tonoplast sugar transporters(TST).Among these,tDT proteins have been identified as playing a signifi-cant role in malate transport in tomato,grape,and plum fruits.ALMT primarily transports malate an-ions into the vacuole,while the citrate transporter gene CsCit1 encodes a novel vacuolar citrate symport-er that maintains vacuolar citrate homeostasis.The tonoplast sugar transporter TST mediates the trans-membrane transport of cytoplasmic glucose into the vacuole and also negatively regulates organic acid accumulation.Additionally,proton pumps,including V-type(VHA and VHP)and P-type(PHA)proton pumps,are crucial for organic acid accumulation.Multi-omics analyses have been successfully applied to study the regulation of flavor compound accumulation in fruits.Quantitative trait loci(QTLs)associ-ated with organic acid accumulation have been identified in apple,grape,peach,and jujube,along with several candidate genes,laying a solid foundation for research on organic acid regulation.Through multi-omics analyses and molecular biology techniques,transcription factors such as members of the MYB,bHLH,and WRKY families have been found to be closely associated with organic acid accumu-lation in apple,pear,strawberry,kiwifruit,and citrus fruits.These transcription factors primarily influ-ence organic acid levels by regulating the expression of genes involved in organic acid synthesis and transport.Moreover,environmental factors also exert significant influences on organic acid accumula-tion.For instance,salicylic acid(SA)promotes organic acid accumulation,while drought,waterlog-ging,auxin,abscisic acid(ABA),and ethylene also modulate organic acid levels.However,the molecu-lar mechanisms underlying these effects require further investigation.In summary,fruit acidity is a cru-cial trait that significantly impacts fruit quality and nutritional value.Therefore,a comprehensive under-standing of its genetic regulation and molecular basis is essential.Research on organic acid accumula-tion and its regulation holds great significance for improving fruit quality.Although recent studies have yielded substantial findings,most research on organic acid regulation has focused on apples.The key genes and regulatory networks governing organic acid accumulation in many other fruits remain to be elucidated.By integrating multi-omics technologies and breeding strategies,effective approaches can be developed for the targeted improvement and breeding of fruit acidity traits.

Abstract:[Objective]Jinsha pomelo[Citrus maxima(Burm.)Merr.]is an excellent local variety in Ji-angxi Province,China,and renowned for its exceptional sensory qualities.Based on our previous obser-vations,self-pollinated Jinsha pomelo exhibited low fruit setting rate and poor fruit quality.Therefore,to ensure sustainable yields and commercial viability of Jinsha pomelo,it is necessary to either enhance natural cross-pollination sources or implement artificial pollination with heterologous pollen.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pollinations with different pollinizer varieties on fruit set-ting rate and fruit quality in Jinsha pomelo,and provide data support for selecting suitable pollen do-nors.[Methods]In this study,experimental trees were selected from Jinsha pomelo top-grafted on ten-years-old Poncirus trifoliata rootstocks,exhibiting vigorous growth with no signs of significant pests or diseases.Prior to pollination,flower thinning was performed.In 2021,4-5 full buds per inflorescence were retained for pollination;in 2023,2-3 full buds per inflorescence were retained.All pollinated branches were tagged according to their respective treatments.Inflorescences were isolated pre-anthesis using 28 cm × 17 cm parchment bags to prevent pollen contamination.For each pollination combina-tion,200-300 flowers were pollinated,with isolation bags removed 5 days post-pollination.Ten pomelo varieties-including Majia pomelo(GM),Hongroumiyou(FH),Sanhongmiyou(FS),Jinlan pomelo(JJ),Jinsha No.1 pomelo(JL),Taoximiyou(JT),Shatian pomelo(XS),Shangrao sour pomelo(GS)and Jin-gangshan sour pomelo(JS),Cocktail Grapefruit(NP)-were used as pollen donors for Jinsha pomelo in 2021 and 2023.Twelve fruit quality parameters-including the fruit setting rate,single fruit mass,peel thickness,peel CCI,edible rate,juice yield,juice vesicle number,titratable acid(TA),soluble sugar(SS),total soluble solids(TSS),vitamin C(Vc),and TSS:TA ratio-were evaluated through variation range screening by principal component analysis(PCA)for comprehensive assessment.[Results]In vi-tro pollen germination tests across both experimental years confirmed that the germination rate of all the pollen donors exhibited＞50％validating their viability for successful pollination and fertilization.In 2021,the pollens of Jinggangshan sour pomelo showed the highest germination rate was detected in Jinggang sour pomelo pollen with(83.15％),while the pollens of Taoximiyou pomelo ranked highest in 2023(74.64％).Furthermore,the twelve fruit quality parameters exhibited significant variation across pollination combinations,with variation ranges from 12.92％to 3 487.10％.Among them,the variation of the fruit setting rate among different pollination combinations ranged from 15.45％to 42.36％;the variation of the single fruit mass among different pollination combinations ranged from 20.52％to 38.70％;the variation of the peel thickness among different pollination combinations ranged from 14.74％to 32.73％;the variation of the peel CCI value among different pollination combinations ranged from 39.64％to 3 487.10％;the variation of the edible rate ranged from 18.21％to 50.94％;the varia-tion of the juice rate ranged from 30.38％to 50.44％;the variation of the number of juice vesicles ranged from 13.56％to 26.09％;the variation of the titratable acid content ranged from 29.84％to 49.91％;the variation of the soluble solids content ranged from 7.33％to 20.26％;the variation of the soluble sugar content ranged from 14.82％to 31.37％.the variation of the vitamin C content ranged from 19.55％to 25.02％,and the variation of the solid-acid ratio ranged from 34.50％to 50.66％.The cross-pollination results revealed strong pollen-parent dependency in both fruit setting rate and quality parameters.The above quality indicators were further analyzed by principal component analysis(PCA),and the cumulative contribution rates were all above 93.00％in 2021 and 2023.The PCA of replicated two-year trials demonstrated that the key traits governing post-pollination fruit quality in Jinsha pomelo included:the single fruit mass,fruit setting rate,peel CCI,titratable acid(TA),soluble sugar(SS),and total soluble solids(TSS),especially TSS,TA,and TSS:TA ratio.The results of the PCA showed that Majia pomelo(GM),Hongroumiyou(FH)and Shatian pomelo(XS)were regarded as top-performing pollen donors.[Conclusion]In this study,we evaluated the pollinaiton effects of the ten pollen donors(GM,NP,GS,JS,FH,FS,JT,JL,JJ,and XS)on Jinsha pomelo and demonstrated that cross-pollination significantly enhanced the fruit setting rate and quality traits of Jinsha pomelo fruits.The twelve fruit quality parameters were subsequently extracted for principal component analysis(PCA).The scores and rankings of the principal component composite factors ranked Majia pomelo as the optimal pollinizer for Jinsha pomelo,followed by Hongroumiyou pomelo and Shatian pomelo.The results in this study demonstrated that using proper pollinizer would significantly enhanced Jinsha pomelo's comprehensive fruit quality,providing both mechanistic insights and practical guidance for optimizing orchard pollina-tion strategies through pollen donor selection.

Abstract:Nectarine(Prunus persica var.nectarina)is an important variety of peach in the Rosaceae family.After the 1970s,China introduced some nectarine cultivars from Europe and America,which did not meet the taste preferences of domestic consumers.Through strategic hybridization and selection pro-tocols,Chinese pomologists have recently developed multiple high-quality nectarine varieties with strong adaptability and sweet flavor,including early maturing varieties Zhongyoutao 4 Hao and Zhong-youtao 5 Hao,medium maturing variety Zhongyou 20 Hao,and late maturing variety Zhongyoutao 8 Hao.However,the breeding of early maturing and storage tolerant varieties still relatively lags behind.Zhongyou 19 Hao is a newly released early maturing,yellow firm-fleshed nectarine bred by Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute,CAAS.In 1999,Bei1-9 was used as a female parent and Zhongyoutao 5 Hao,a early mature and white-fleshed nectarine as a pollen donater.Among the offsprings,99-43-58 was se-lected for its maturation stage in mid to late June,but the fruit surface had insufficient coloring of fruit surface.In 2005,a cross was made using Zhongyoutao 14 Hao,a early repening,white and firm-fleshed with well colored surface nectarine variety,as female parent and 99-43-58 as male parent.A to-tal of 45 hybrid seedlings were obtained that year,resulting in 16 hybrid seedlings.Seedlings were planted in spring 2006.The individual plant numbered 05-1-139 bloomed and bore fruit in 2009.Its main economic traits of the mother tree were stable in three consecutive years of observation.In 2011,the scions were collected from it for top grafting test.There was no significant difference in perfor-mance among the top grafting trees.In 2024,it was officially registered as Zhongyou 19 Hao under the non-major crop variety registration system of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Peo-ple's Republic of China,with registration number GPD Tao(2024)410043.The main characteristics were as follows:the annual new shoots are green,the sunny side of the shoot is red,and the average in-ternode length is 3.0 cm.The leaf length is 18.8 cm,and the width is 4.6 cm.The petiole is kidney shaped with 2-4 nectaries.The flower has five petals,with pink corolla,orange yellow inner wall of ca-lyx tube,abundant pollens.The average fruit weight is 210 g and the maximum weight is 240 g.The fruit surface has a light yellow base color,and more than 80％dark red coloration.The flesh is yellow and extremely firm.When mature,there is no anthocyanin under the skin or near the nucleus of the fruit.The flesh is fine and sweet with little fiber.The soluble solids content ranges from 11.7％to 15.9％.The fruit nucleus is of medium size,oval in shape,with a moderate degree of brown color.The surface of the nucleus is slightly grooved,without cracked or sticky nuclei.No cracking phenomenon was found.In Zhengzhou area,the sprouting time of Zhongyou19 Hao is in the end of February and the flowering time is in the mid to late March.The fruit matures in mid June,and the fruit development pe-riod is about 70 days.The leaves fall is in mid November,and the annual growth period is about 240 days.It exhibits superior edaphic adaptation to northern China's continental climate zone,yet requires proper water management in commercial orchards to prevent water stress and soil saturation.

Abstract:In recent years,yellow-fleshed kiwifruit cultivars have become increasingly popular among consumers both domestically and internationally due to their bright fruit color and high content of carot-enoids.Shaanxi Province,as the largest and most profitable kiwifruit production area in China,still mainly cultivates green-fleshed cultivars(Actinidia deliciosa),with a relative lack of yellow-fleshed ki-wifruit(A.chinensis)varieties,especially early-ripening ones.In 2005,the seeds from open pollinated Guihai No.4 fruits were collected and sowed.Therefore a population of seedlings was obtained in 2006.After many years of observation and evaluation of the characteristics of the trees and fruits of the seedling offsprings Jinmi No.4 was found to have some significant advantageous traits:early maturity,yellow flesh,high quality and high yield.After regional adaptability testing at three sites over five years from 2017 to 2022,it was finally selected and registered in 2024.The one-year-old branches is smoothy with no hairs or only a few short pubescence on the its surface.The leaves are broad obovate and semi-leathery,with wavy margins and a light green color.And its flower inflorescence is a dichasial cyme,the pedicel length and the corolla diameter are 48.74 mm and 49.25 mm,respectively.The fruit is ellipti-cal in shape,with plump fruit body,the longitudinal diameter.The transverse diameter and the fruit shape index are approximately 76.10 mm,43.91 mm and 1.64,respectively.The average weight of fruit is 86.35 g.The skin is greenish-brown and flesh color is golden yellow.The contents of soluble solids,to-tal sugar,titratable acidity and vitamin C in ripening fruit are 22.41％,15.20％,0.93％and 1390 mg·kg1,respectively.In Guanzhong District of Shaanxi Province,the peak flowering period is in late April,and the fruit is ripe in mid September,with a fruit development period of 140 to 145 days;and the bud break rate,branch formation rate and the fruit-bearing branch rate are,respectively,83.23％,59.11％and 83.47％,with short fruit-bearing branches being the main contributors(67.14％).It has a vigorous growth habit and stronger heat and cold tolerance.The fruits could be stored for more than 30 days at room temperature,and 90 to 120 days in cold storage(1.0±0.5)℃.It is a diploid plant.It showed sig-nificant differences at the DNA level compared with the reported cultivars(like Nongda Jinmi,Heijin,Jinyan and Huayou).Suitable cultivation area would be the low-altitude areas of the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains and the Hanjiang and Danjiang River basins in Shaanxi,as well as in similar climat-ic zones;it has an average yield of 27.90 t·hm-2 in the full fruit stage.Cultivation techniques including establishment of orchards,the selection of male plants,shaping and pruning,flower and fruit manage-ment,as well as soil,fertilizer,and water management can refer to the practices used for Nongda Jinmi and Heijin.The breeding and promotion of Jinmi No.4 could provide a new insight for optimizing the kiwifruit variety structure and for the staggered marketing of red,yellow,and green kiwifruit varieties in early,mid,and late seasons,in Shaanxi Province.

Abstract:[Objective]This study analyzed the effects of a reagent of an alkali-tolerant and halophilic microbial on the growth and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of Pyrus betulifolia Bunge seed-lings under saline-alkali stress conditions,aiming to explore the potential application of this microbial agent to improve tree performance in saline-alkali soils.[Methods]The experiment used P.betulifolia Bunge as the test material,and composed of three treatment groups:the control group with fresh water treatment(CK),saline-alkali stress by simulating the main saline-alkali components of the soil in the sa-line-alkali land of the Yellow River Delta region(SA),and microbial reagent+SA(HSA).The liquid re-agent of the alkali-tolerant and halophilic microbial was purchased from Shenyang Jiuli Fertilizer Indus-try Co.,Ltd.After four weeks of treatment,samples were collected to determine the growth indicators,chlorophyll content,chlorophyll fluorescence parameters,and antioxidant enzyme activities under dif-ferent treatments.The alleviating effect of the microbial reagaent treatment on saline-alkali stress in P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings was clarified by comparing and analyzing the changes in tree growth,and in some physiological and biochemical parameters under different treatments.[Results]The results indi-cated that saline-alkali stress led to the curling,chlorosis and necrosis of the leaves,starting from the tips,and the roots turned brown.After treatment with the microbial reagent,the chlorosis and necrosis symptoms in the seedling leaves disappeared,and the browning degree of the roots was decreased.Sa-line-alkali stress significantly inhibited the growth of P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings,and the absolute growth of leaves,leaf dry weight and root in terms of dry weight decreased by 82.76％,12.57％and 26.71％,respectively,while that in the HSA group by 75.86％,6.29％and 21.12％,respectively.This in-dicated that the application of the microbial reagent alleviated the inhibitory effect of saline-alkali stress on the growth of seedlings.Saline-alkali stress led to a significant decrease in chlorophyll content.The growth status of seedlings in the HSA group was significantly improved compared with SA,with SPAD value,chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b significantly recovered,increasing by 23.42％,23.21％,100.35％,and 44.58％,respectively.This indicated that the application of the microbial reagent alleviat-ed the degradation of chlorophyll in the leaves of P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings caused by saline-alkali stress.In terms of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters,saline-alkali stress reduced the maximum photo-chemical efficiency of PS Ⅱ(Fv/Fm)and photosynthetic performance index(PIABS)by 14.41％and 76.63％,respectively.After the application of the microbial reagent,Fv/Fm and PIABS increased by 2.34％and 12.43％,respectively.In addition,the analysis of the rapid chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinet-ics curve(OJIP)showed that compared with CK,SA and HSA treatments significantly increased the flu-orescence intensity at K and J phases,while reducing the fluorescence intensity at I phase(30 ms)and P phase(maximum fluorescence)of the leaves.However,the fluorescence intensity at K and J phases in the HSA treatment was lower than that in the SA treatment,while the fluorescence intensities of I and P phases were the opposite.Further standardization o f the OJIP curve showed that the ΔK-band in both SA and HSA treatments increased significantly,with the SA treatment being significantly higher than the HSA treatment.This indicated that the application of the microbial reagent alleviated the damage on the donor-side oxygen-evolving complex(OEC)and the acceptor-side electron transport of PSⅡ caused by saline-alkali stress.Subsequently,we analyzed the changes in antioxidant enzyme activities in the leaves and roots of P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings under different treatments.Compared with the control group,saline-alkali stress significantly increased the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD)in the leaves of P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings by 29.5％.However,the activities of peroxidase(POD)and cat-alase(CAT)were reduced,among which the activity of CAT decreased significantly by 59.67％.The ap-plication of the microbial reagent increased the activities of SOD and POD in the leaves by 59.53％and 23.19％,and 15.05％and 78.33％compared to CK and SA groups,respectively.However,the CAT ac-tivity further decreased.Compared with CK,SOD and CAT activities in the roots in the SA and HSA groups both increased,and the CAT activity reached a significant difference,increasing by 116.67％and 337.50％,respectively;while the POD activity in the roots showed a decreasing trend,but no significant difference was observed.[Conclusion]In summary,the application of the reagent of alkali-tolerant and halophilic microbial effectively alleviated the degradation of photosynthetic pigments and damage to the photosystems,improved photosynthetic performance,enhanced the antioxidant defense system,and reduced the damage of saline-alkali stress to P.betulifolia Bunge seedlings.Therefore,the treatment sig-nificantly improved the saline-alkali tolerance of the seedlings.This study provides a technical basis for the ecological restoration of coastal saline-alkali soils and the saline-alkali-tolerant cultivation of P.bet-ulifolia Bunge.

Abstract:[Objective]The auxin efflux proteins PIN-formed(PIN)is a secondary transporter protein that plays an important role in regulating auxin polarity transport during a variety of developmental pro-cesses in plants.The size and hardness of pomegranate seeds directly affect the palatability and flavor of the fruit,and PIN proteins are involved in the formation of pomegranate seed size and hardness through the polar transport of auxin,while research on the effect of PIN gene on the growth and devel-opment of pomegranate and its regulatory mechanism is still unclear.The study aimed to understand the distribution,evolution and tissue expression properties of PIN proteins in the pomegranate genome,and to screen candidate PIN genes associated with pomegranate inner seed coat development and their re-sponse to exogenous auxin and investigate the effect of exogenous auxin on pomegranate fruit and seed coat development,and the expression characteristics of PIN genes during seed coat development.The identification of pomegranate PIN family members and the characterization of their expression during seed coat development would be conducive to the understanding of the functions of the PIN gene fami-ly members in pomegranate and their effects on the development of pomegranate seed coat,which would provide a new theoretical basis for the regulatory mechanism of pomegranate seed coat develop-ment,and then lay the foundation for the mechanism of pomegranate seed coat size and hardness forma-tion as well as genetic regulation.[Methods]Eight known PIN proteins and conserved domains from Arabidopsis(Arabidopsis thaliana)were used to identify pomegranate PIN gene family members from the whole pomegranate genome,and the physicochemical properties of pomegranate PIN family mem-bers,such as amino acid number,isoelectric point,instability coefficient and so on,were analyzed using bioinformatics methods.The PIN protein sequences of pomegranate,Arabidopsis thaliana,Eucalyptus megacephalus,grapevine and Populus were compared and a phylogenetic tree was constructed.The pre-diction and analysis of promoter cis-acting elements of pomegranate PIN family members were per-formed using PlantCARE,representative tissues of hard-seeded pomegranate Dabenzi at different times,Dabenzi and Tunisia transcript levels of each PgrPIN gene were analysed in the inner and outer seed coat at different developmental stages.The roots of Dabenzi pomegranate seedlings were treated with exogenous auxin and the candidate PIN genes were quantitatively analysed by fluorescence in the root system 6 h and 12 h after treatment.At the same time,the fruit and seed morphology indexes of pomegranate at different developmental stages were determined after exogenous NAA treatment,and the expression of PgrPIN gene in the inner seed coat was analysed after treatment.[Results]A total of 15 PIN family members were identified from the whole pomegranate genome,including 7 classical and 8 non-classical ones,encoding 267-667 amino acids,with protein molecular weights ranging from 29.62 kDa to 74.79 kDa,and isoelectric points between 6.29 and 9.80,and most of the members func-tioned on the plasma membrane.The analysis of cis-acting elements in the promoter region showed that the Pgr PINs gene contained a large number of cis-acting elements related to hormone regulation,light response,stress induction and growth and development.The expression of the PgrPINs genes in differ-ent tissues of pomegranate at different developmental stages was analysed using transcriptome data,and the genes with high expression levels in the inner seed coat of the two varieties,Dabenzi and Tunisia,were the PgrPIN1,PgrPIN2,PgrPIN3,PgrPIN5 and PgrPIN14.They were screened as five candidate genes involved in pomegranate seed coat development,among them,the PgrPIN1,PgrPIN3,PgrPIN5 and PgrPIN14 genes were expressed in the roots of Dabenzi pomegranate seedlings in response to exog-enous IAA.The exogenous NAA treatment of young fruits 15 days after pollination had a promoting ef-fect on pomegranate fruit development,and both single fruit weight and 100-grain weight showed a trend of significant increase after NAA treatment,and the longitudinal and transverse diameters of pomegranate seeds and 100 grain weight of the inner seed coat increased significantly compared with the control,in which the hardness of hormone-treated seeds at 90 d showed a significant trend of in-crease compared with the control.Under NAA treatment,the expression levels of the PgrPIN1 and PgrPIN3 were significantly increased after 30 d,and the PgrPIN5 was mainly expressed at a high level in the late developmental stage of the inner seed coat,and the PgrPIN14 was expressed at high level in the early developmental stage of the inner seed coat in both treatments and control groups.The correla-tion analysis between the expression level of the four candidate PgrPINs and fruit and seed growth relat-ed indices as well as seed hardness showed that the expression of the PgrPIN1 was significantly and positively correlated with fruit and seed size and seed hardness.[Conclusion]The PgrPINs promoters were involved in pomegranate growth and development through light response,multiple hormone sig-naling response,adversity regulation and growth regulation.The five candidate genes were differential-ly expressed in two pomegranate varieties,namely,Dabenzi and Tunisia,at different developmental pe-riods,which indicated that they might be differentially expressed in the pomegranate varieties of Daben-zi and Tunisia.This suggested that they might have a regulatory role in the formation of pomegranate grain hardness during different developmental periods.The NAA treatment could promote the growth of pomegranate fruits,and effectively promote the morphological indexes of pomegranate fruits,such as single fruit weight,longitudinal and transverse diameters,and 100-grain weight.Under NAA treat-ment,the PgPINs genes responded differently at different times,and NAA could regulate the growth and development of pomegranate fruits by inducing the expression of the PIN genes.The changes in the expression of the PgrPIN1 were significantly and positively correlated with the inner and outer seed coat sizes,and even the seed and fruit sizes,and significantly and positively correlated with the seed hardness,which indicated that it might be involved in the development of the seed size as well as fruit size and the formation of seed hardness in pomegranate development as well as the formation of seed hardness in pomegranate.The results of this study would lay a theoretical foundation for further re-search on the functions of pomegranate PIN gene family members,and at the same time provide a cer-tain research direction for the regulation of pomegranate grain hardness development.

Abstract:Jixing 2 is a new excellent extremely late-maturing winter jujube cultivar selected from bud mutations of Huanghua Winter Jujube.The initial selected plant was discovered in 2015,with the color and shape of jujube fruits on one branch significantly different from those on other branches;morpho-logical observation was conducted on the mutated branch and compared with Huanghua Winter Jujube,showing stable mutation characteristics.From 2017 to 2024,through 8-year regional trials at 3 locations including Huanghua,Cang County,and Canal District of Cangzhou City,it was finally successfully bred in 2025.This cultivar has moderate tree vigor,weak branching ability,and relatively sparse branch-es and leaves;one-year-old Zaotou(extension shoot)are reddish-brown,perennial branches are tan,and fruiting branch groups have short internodes;lignified jujube shoots have a high degree of lignification;3-to 5-year-old Zaogu(fruiting spurs)produce 2-4 lignified Zaodiao(fruit-bearing shoot)per spur,with lignified fruit-bearing shoots being 19-48 cm long(26 cm on average)and bearing 10-22 leaves(14 leaves on average);leaves are long ovate,dark green,shiny,thick,with shallow serrations on the leaf margins;flowers are dichasial cymes,with yellow nectar discs at initial bloom,mature flower buds are pentagonal,with round edges and light green color,and flower bud diameters are 5.0-5.8 mm;flow-er quantity is small,fruit setting rate is high,lignified fruit-bearing shoots bear 5-10 inflorescences,with each inflorescence bearing 1-3 flowers;flowering begins from late May to early June;flowers belong to the night-blooming type.Fruits are oblong,with thin dark red peel,smooth fruit surface,yellowish-white flesh,crisp texture,abundant juice,and sweet flavor;average single fruit weight is 30.81 g,maxi-mum single fruit weight is 57.00 g,average fruit shape index is 1.10,and uniformity is 0.77.At full ma-turity,the soluble solid content of jujube fruits is 29.04％,total sugar(calculated as sucrose)is 25.60％,total acidity(calculated as malic acid)is 1.47 g·kg-1,crude fiber is 0.9％,riboflavin is 1.08 mg·kg-1,β-car-otene is 46.80 μg·100 g-1,iron(calculated as Fe)is 3.21 mg·kg-1,zinc(calculated as Zn)is 2.84 mg·kg-1,fruit peel-removed hardness is 6.08 kg·cm-2,vitamin C content(edible part)is 353.00 mg·100 g-1,edi-ble rate is 97.60％,and the quality is excellent.The fruit development period lasts 112-117 days,and it completely matures in mid-October in Cangzhou area,Hebei Province(longitude 115°42′-117°50′,and latitude 37°29′-38°57′),7-10 days later than Huanghua Winter Jujube.This cultivar is resistant to salt and alkali and tolerant to infertile soil.The shelflife of the fruits is 3-5 days at room temperature and can be extended to 30-90 days under cold storage condition.The variety is suitable for cultivation in Cangzhou City,Hebei Province,and similar climate type areas,adult trees can bear fruits in the same year when top-grafted,enter the high-yield period 3 years after top-grafting,and have high and stable yields.It is suitable for planting in plain and mountainous areas with sandy loam,sandy soil,and loam,mainly propagated by grafting,with a plant spacing of(2-3)meters ×(4-5)meters,tree shapes may adopt open heart system or small crown sparse layer system,and no pollination trees are needed.

Abstract:Yuguo 1 is a high-yield and top-quality mulberry cultivar suitable for both fruit and leaf use.This cultivar originated from a natural hybrid seedling of wild mulberry.It was initially selected in 2009 from superior wild mulberry trees at the Xili Silkworm Breeding Farm(Caijiagang Street,Beibei Dis-trict,Chongqing),where a progeny garden was established.In 2012,an individual with large leaves,thick leaf flesh,dense internodes,vigorous growth,high-yield,and high-quality mulberry fruits was se-lected.From 2013 to 2015,the biological traits of the new cultivar were evaluated,and a comparative trial was set up.Regional trials were conducted from 2016 to 2019 at five locations in Chongqing,in-cluding the Chongqing Sericultural Research Institute,Hechuan,Jiangjin,Fuling,and Wanzhou dis-tricts.In 2021,the cultivar was officially approved by the Chongqing Sericulture Cultivar Certification Committee and named Yuguo 1.The cultivar has a tall and spreading tree shape,with sturdy and up-right branches,numerous lateral branches,and strong shoot growth.The fruit is purplish-black and cy-lindrical(a length of 3.16 cm,and a diameter of 1.63 cm),with an average single fruit weight of 3.96 g.Yuguo 1 exhibits an average fruit set rate of 91.01％and an average annual fruit yield of 39.38 t·hm-2,which is 25.63％higher than the current main cultivar Hongguo 2.Additionally,it has an average annu-al mulberry leaf yield of 20.84 t·hm-2.The fruit contains an average sugar content of 9.5°Brix,reducing sugar content of 2.91％,total acid content of 3.56 g·kg-1,anthocyanin content of 0.10％,polyphenol con-tent of 4.25 mg·g-1,total flavonoid content of 5.26 mg·g-1,protein content of 12.12％,and juice extrac-tion rate of 64.49％,indicating excellent quality.The flowering period of Yuguo 1 spans from March 10 to 30,with initial flowering occurring from March 10 to 17,full flowering from March 15 to 24,and fi-nal flowering from March 22 to 30.The mulberry fruit ripening period extends from April 11 to May 5,with peak ripening observed between April 19 and 26.Yuguo 1 has strong adaptability and is suitable for cultivation in the basins of the Yangtze River,Jinsha River,and Yellow River.It can be planted in clay,sandy loam,or loam with a soil layer thickness of 90-100 cm and has good yield potential.Yuguo 1 can be propagated by grafting,using the winter buds from late December to late January or the green branch method from April to June.In the first year,prune the main trunk to 35-40 cm in spring.In the second year,prune at 55-60 cm in summer to promote secondary branches.By the third year,prune at about 70 cm for tertiary branches.Afterward,annual winter and summer pruning after harvest should be conducted,maintaining 4000-5000 branches per 666.7 m2.As a dual-purpose cultivar,diseases like sclerotinia and pests like gall midges should be managed effectively.Apply annually 1700 kg of organic fertilizer,20 kg of nitrogen,45 kg of phosphorus,and 17 kg of potassium per 666.7 m2,with an N∶P∶K ratio of 50∶25∶40.

Abstract:Suibai No.1 is a novel red-fleshed guava cultivar selected from local red-fleshed seedling populations in Guangzhou,distinguished by its comprehensive superior traits.It originated from an out-standing guava germplasm discovered in Zengcheng District,Guangzhou,in 2002,characterized by green peel,red flesh,tender texture,and a pronounced aroma.This germplasm was subsequently propa-gated by seed.In 2006,150 seedlings were obtained,which were transplanted to the Jiufo Experimental Base of the Guangzhou Institute of Pomology in 2007.Phenological,morphological,and fruit quality traits were systematically evaluated,leading to the selection of six elite individuals(B series).The top three genotypes were propagated by cuttings in 2008.By 2010,a batch of rooted cuttings was estab-lished at the same base for further trait observation.In 2017,scions from the clonally propagated B4 line-identified as the most promising genotype-were grafted onto pearl guava rootstocks for variety comparison and regional trials in Guangzhou.This genotype was officially released as Suibai No.1.The tree exhibits yellowish-brown and smooth bark,an upright growth habit,vigorous growth,and an open canopy.Mature trees reach a height of 2.15 m with a trunk circumference of 33.6 cm and a crown spread of 2.11 m×2.03 m.New shoots are green and quadrangular,becoming cylindrical after matura-tion.Leaves are light green when young,turning dark green at maturity;they are simple,opposite,and oblong-elliptic.Young branches are densely pubescent,becoming glabrous and dull grayish-brown with age.Flowers are solitary or in clusters of 2-3,with complete floral structure.The receptacle is yellow-green,petals are imbricate and white,filaments are slender,and the calyx is green,campanulate or pyri-form,and persistent.Fruits have an average weight of 225.0 g and an oval shape(fruit shape index 1.19).The peel is glossy yellow-white;the flesh is white,tender,and smooth.Seeds are few,irregularly shaped,moderately hard,and light yellow.The flavor is sweet and sour with a strong aroma.Fruit bio-chemical composition includes soluble solids content(11.0％),soluble sugar(7.7 g·100 g-1),titratable acidity(3.16 g·kg-1),and vitamin C(176.6 mg·100 g-1).The fruit development period varies seasonally:70-90 days from flowering to maturity in summer,and 110-130 days in winter.The cultivar shows re-sistance to anthracnose and tolerance to high temperatures,but is not cold-hardy.Annual fertilization is recommended 5-6 times.Seedlings should receive readily available nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassi-um fertilizers,while mature trees should be fertilized according to tree size and fruit load.Flower and fruit thinning should be conducted in combination with production season management to improve fruit set.Bagging is recommended to protect against fruit flies,other pests,and birds.Suibai No.1 displays stable varietal traits following vegetative propagation.It is characterized by high yield stability,excel-lent fruit quality,desirable texture,and strong aroma,making it a valuable cultivar worthy of wide-spread promotion and cultivation.

Abstract:[Objective]Gray spot disease is one of the most serious diseases affecting the yield and qual-ity of loquat in the production.This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying loquat re-sistance to Pestalotiopsis infection and identifies the responsive genes in loquat leaves during pathogen invasion,aiming to lay the genetic foundation for resistance breeding.It is generally believed that the causative agent of loquat gray spot disease belongs to the deuteromycete,melanospora,and the pestalo-tiopsis,which can infect several organs of loquat,and when it infects the leaves,they become rigid and fall easily;when it infects the flowers,fruits and root necks,it causes them to rot,which has a great im-pact on the growth and development of the tree and leads to a serious decrease in the yield and quality of loquat.Currently,loquat gray spot is mainly defended and controlled using chemical agents,but it tends to lead to increased resistance of the pathogen and pollution of the environment.Therefore,im-proving the disease resistance of loquat germplasm is the most economical and effective way to solve this problem,and a good assessment of the disease resistance of different loquat germplasm is a prereq-uisite for breeding disease-resistant varieties,which is also important for the study on the mechanism of loquat response to infestation by the gray spot pathogen and breeding for disease resistance.At present,due to the lack of disease-resistant germplasm and its genetic information,there are few studies on the mechanism of interactions between loquat and pestalotiopsis,especially on the pathogenicity of patho-genic bacteria and the mechanism of plant disease resistance,and the breeding of disease-resistant germ-plasm is progressing slowly.In this study,loquat gray spot disease was taken as the research object to explore the molecular mechanism of loquat resistance to the infection of gray spot pathogen,and to screen the relevant response genes when gray spot pathogen damaged loquat leaves,so as to provide the genetic basis for resistance breeding.[Methods]The resistance of 52 loquat germplasm resources col-lected and preserved to Cercospora cinerea was evaluated by using software and visual methods,com-bined with the method of artificial in vitro leaf inoculation.In addition,transcriptome sequencing tech-nology was used to analyze the changes of gene expression levels in leaves of highly susceptible and highly resistant germplasm resources after inoculation,and to screen the main disease-resistance-related genes,so as to find out the disease resistance factors of loquat germplasm,in order to reveal the disease resistance mechanism of loquat gray spot disease,and provide some guidance and theoretical basis for the breeding of loquat gray spot disease resistance.[Results]Among the 52 loquat germplasm resourc-es,eleven were consistent with the results of field investigation and artificial inoculation in vitro,includ-ing three high-resistance germplasms(Baili,Eriobotrya fragrans and E.serrate);Four disease-resistant germplasms(E.fulvicoma Chun & Liao,E.deflexa f.koshunensis,Mogi,Shiromogi);Two susceptible germplasms(Dahongpao and E.kwangsiensis);And two highly susceptible germplasms(Guangrong-ben and E.cavaleriei.).By analyzing the transcriptome of the leaves of the inoculation treatments and the control of the high resistance germplasm'Baili'and the high sensitivity germplasm Guangrongben with loquat leaf gray spot disease,a total of 8664 DEGs were detected in the comparison of BL-33h and BL-33ck of Baili cultivar,of which 4049 were up-regulated and 4615 were down regulated.In the com-parison of subsequent time points,both the number of up-regulated and down regulated DEGs showed a downward trend,while Guangrongben variety was just the opposite.In the comparison of GRB-48h and GRB-48ck,there were a total of 7483 DEGs,3098 of which were up-regulated and 4385 were down regulated.It is speculated that the difference in the number of DEGs between the two varieties at differ-ent time points may be related to their different resistance to gray spot disease.The analysis found that a total of 684(585 up-regulated and 99 down regulated)DEGs responded in Baili and Guangrongben,and a total of 25(12 up-regulated and 13 down regulated)DEGs responded only in Baili.GO and KEGG analysis were performed on these co-responsive genes and special responsive genes,and their transcription factors and disease resistance genes were identified.64 transcription factors and 59 disease resistance genes were identified in the co-responsive genes,and one transcription factor and three dis-ease resistance genes were identified in the special responsive genes.[Conclusion]In this study,52 lo-quat germplasm resources were evaluated for resistance to Cercospora cinerea more accurately,and some key genes in response to Cercospora cinerea infection in loquat were analyzed at the transcrip-tome level.AP2/ERF transcription factors and three disease resistance genes were found in the differen-tially-expressed genes of high resistance germplasm.The results could help to enrich the regulation mechanism of resistance to Cercospora cinerea in loquat.The differences in resistance related pathways between resistant and susceptible germplasm resources were helpful to reveal the reasons for the differ-ences in resistance.The key metabolic pathways and resistance-related genes in response to Cercospora cinerea infection in Loquat germplasm with high resistance were identified.The molecular mechanism of pathogen interaction provides a reference for the theory.

Abstract:[Objective]Respiratory burst oxidase homolog(abbreviated as RBOH)is an enzyme com-plex that plays a crucial and irreplaceable role in the physiological processes of plants.Its catalytic func-tion is restricted by the key genes of RBOHs.Meanwhile,it is closely related to the sudden increase in oxygen consumption and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS).Therefore,a grape yeast nuclear library system under salt stress conditions was constructed,aiming to deeply and comprehen-sively explore the molecular regulatory mechanisms by which RBOH genes mediate grapevine respons-es to salt stress.This study provides theoretical support for grapevine growth and development under complex environmental conditions.[Methods]Six-year-old grapevines of Kyoho were irrigated with 150 mmol·L-1 NaCl solution during the berry color-changing(veraison)period.After 12 hours,samples of grapevine roots,stems,leaves,and berries were collected.Total RNA of grapes was extracted using the Trizol method,and then mRNA was isolated using the BeaverBeads™ Oligo(dT)mRNA midi Kit.Double-stranded cDNA was synthesized using the SMART cDNA Library Construction Kit.The cDNA was ligated with three-frame attB1 recombinantly,fractionated,and collected.Small fragments were re-moved using the Clontech CHROMA SPIN™ and TE-1000 Column Kit.The Gateway technology was employed to construct a yeast one-hybrid(Y1H)nuclear library system for the yeast library.The yeast titer of the library was determined using a hemocytometer.Y1H technology and Next-Generation Se-quencing(NGS)were used to screen for interacting proteins.3-amino-1,2,4-triazole(3-AT)was added to the amino-acid-deficient medium to carry out self-activation verification and concentration screen-ing of the promoter.Gene Ontology annotation(Gene Ontology,GO)and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)database were used to conduct enrichment analysis and annotate the can-didate genes.The National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI)database was used to conduct gene alignment and function prediction.[Results]The A260/A280 ratio of total RNA was between 1.8 and 2.2,and there were intact 28S and 18S rRNA bands.Uniformly dispersed ds cDNA bands were ob-tained by amplification using 3 pairs of primers through LD-PCR.The standardization analysis process was successful,meeting the requirements for cDNA library construction.The detection results of the Escherichia coli library capacity indicated that approximately 3104 clones were obtained on a single plate,and the library titer was 3.10× 108 CFU·mL-1.A yeast one-hybrid(Y1H)nuclear library system was constructed,and the volume test results showed that the yeast titer of the library was 1.4 × 109 CFU·μg-1(a colony-forming unit),the insert length was 500-2000 bp,and the recombination rate was 100％.Ten colonies were randomly selected for sequencing and compared with the NCBI database.The results demonstrated that all sequences exhibited a high degree of homology with the corresponding proteins of other plants,including grapes.This indicated that the cDNA library contained genetic information from various grapevine tissues.The VvRBOHA promoter sequence with a length of 1070 bases was success-fully isolated and predicted to have multiple cis-acting response element binding sites,including a vari-ety of hormones such as abscisic acid,methyl jasmonate,salicylic acid,ethylene,salt stress-responsive elements,and MYB and W-box binding sites.Then,it was cloned and constructed with pHIS vector,which could be successfully transformed into yeast host cells and grew on the SD/-Leu/-Trp plates con-taining the pGADT7 prey vector,indicating non-toxicity.However,on the SD/-Leu/-Trp/-His plates,the recombinant vector exhibited the ability to autonomously activate the His reporter gene.This auto-acti-vation phenomenon could be completely inhibited by adding 120 mmol·L-1 3-AT.1516 candidate inter-action target proteins were screened by Y1H and next-generation sequencing(NGS).The results of KEGG pathway annotation indicated that these candidate interacting proteins were mainly involved in the most highly enriched biological pathways,such as protein metabolism,protein kinases,translation,transcription factors(TFs),ribosomes,and exosome pathways.TFs and kinases with read counts greater than 100 were selected.Homologous sequence alignment analysis was carried out using the NCBI on-line tool,and various proteins responding to stress signals were discovered.Eight candidate proteins with high high-throughput sequencing read counts were randomly selected for cloning,followed by Y1H verification assays.The results demonstrated that all tested proteins interacted with the VvRBOHA promoter,unequivocally confirming the high efficiency of the yeast one-hybrid library in candidate pro-tein screening.[Conclusion]A high-capacity yeast cDNA library with optimal insert sizes was success-fully constructed.Additionally,the VvRBOHA promoter was isolated,containing multiple cis-acting re-sponse elements associated with abiotic stresses,such as salt stress.Y1H screening efficiently identified numerous candidate proteins,including TFs and kinases with high sequencing read counts,which may directly or indirectly bind to the VvRBOHA promoter to regulate gene expression.These findings pio-neer a novel regulatory framework for grapevine responses to abiotic stress,providing potential avenues for enhancing grape stress tolerance in the future.

Abstract:[Objective]The objective of this study was to identify miRNAs related to the alleviation of NaCl stress in wild jujube by ALA(5-aminolevulinic acid),thereby providing a theoretical basis for elu-cidating the molecular mechanism by which miRNAs and core target genes participate in the alleviation of NaCl stress by ALA.[Methods]The leaves of plantlets propagated by tissue culture of wild jujube(Ziziphus jujuba var.spinosa)were used as the research materials.Four treatments were set up:spray-ing distilled water on the leaf surface as the control(CK),spraying ALA on the leaf surface(ALA),add-ing NaCl solution and spraying distilled water on the leaf surface(NaCl),and adding NaCl solution and spraying ALA on the leaf surface(ALA+NaCl).The differences in physiological indicators such as plant height,root length,root surface area,and root volume were measured and analyzed.High-through-put sequencing was performed of the leaves of the four treatments to identify key miRNAs responding to ALA alleviating NaCl stress in wild jujube seedlings,and to determine the functions of their target genes.[Results]The study showed that NaCl treatment led to water lost and wilt of the seedling leaves,significantly reduced the plant height,root length,root surface area,and root volume of wild jujube seedlings.The damage caused by NaCl stress to jujube seedlings was alleviated after exogenous applica-tion of ALA.Twelve sRNA libraries were constructed from the leaves of the four treatments,and the Q30 value of each sample was ≥ 93％,with the reads aligned to genes accounting for 86.46％-93.12％of the total reads,indicating good data quality.A total of 149 known miRNAs belonging to 31 miRNA families and 11 novel miRNAs were identified from the 12 libraries.The length of sRNAs was mainly between 21-24 nt,with 24 nt sRNAs being the most abundant in all libraries.Compared with the CK,there were 152 differentially expressed miRNAs in the NaCl treatment group,including 76 down-regu-lated genes and 76 up-regulated genes;in the ALA+NaCl treatment group,there were 149 differentially expressed miRNAs,including 78 down-regulated genes and 71 up-regulated genes.The functional en-richment analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database showed that the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in metabolic pathways such as TMV resistance proteins,membrane proteins containing SPX domains,so-dium-potassium transporters,ribosomal RNA processing proteins,transcription factors such as auxin re-sponse factors(ARF)family,MYB transcription factors,WRKY transcription factors.Many miRNAs responding to salt stress,such as zju-miR172d,zju-miR395i,and zju-miR172a,were significantly down-regulated,indicating that these miRNAs might be inhibited by single salt stress.Further analysis revealed that ALA significantly inhibited the expression of zju-miR408a.The target gene annotation of zju-miR408a showed that it targeted enzymes such as the peroxidase,protoporphyrinogen oxidase,mito-chondrial anion peroxidase,lignin-forming anion peroxidase,calcium-dependent protein kinase 1,and laccase.The qRT-PCR analysis results were basically consistent with sequencing results.The expres-sion level of the target gene POD and POD enzyme activity increased more significantly after exoge-nous application of ALA than after NaCl stress.[Conclusion]The results of this study showed that ex-ogenous application of ALA alone had no significant effect on wild jujube seedlings.The growth of ju-jube seedlings was inhibited by NaCl stress,and exogenous application of ALA could alleviate NaCl stress in wild jujube seedlings.The construction of sRNA libraries from wild jujube seedlings revealed that ALA significantly induced the expression of zju-miR408a.The target gene annotation analysis of zju-miR408a mainly targeted the enzymes such as oxidases and protoporphyrinogen oxidase.The re-sults were further verified by measuring the expression level of target gene POD and POD enzyme ac-tivity.In summary,ALA would alleviate NaCl stress in wild jujube seedlings by inhibiting the expres-sion of zju-miR408a to upregulate the expression level of target gene POD,thereby scavenging reactive oxygen species and improving salt tolerance.This result would provide new information for a more comprehensive analysis of miRNAs involved in alleviating salt stress in wild jujube by ALA.

Abstract:The Sky Blue blueberry(Vaccinium uliginosum L.)is a new variety bred from a crossing be-tween the Legacy and Cara's Choice made in 2010 in the blueberry germplasm resource bank of Dalian Senmao Modern Agriculture Co.,Ltd.,located in Xinshi Village,Huajia Street,Jinzhou District,Dalian.The seeds were sown and 216 seedlings were obtained in 2011,Subsequently,in the spring of 2012,these seedlings were transplanted to Dalian Pushi Blue Agricultural Technology Co.,Ltd.,situated in Shuangsheng Village,Changling Town,Zhuanghe City,Liaoning Province.The hybrid trees started fruiting in 2015 and a superior individual was selected and recorded as 2019-045.The berries were large,large in size and flattened and round in shape,covered with a thick and uniform bloom.The color was light blue.The fruit had a small and dry calyx scar,high firmness,sweet flavor,and aromatic scent.It was highly suitable for fresh markets.Between 2018 and 2019,continuous monitoring was conducted on the fruit quality,plant growth characteristics,and flowering and fruiting traits of this elite lineage and its asexually propagated descendants.The results indicated that the various traits of this cultivar ex-hibited good stability and consistency.In April 25,2024,this cultivar received a new variety authoriza-tion certificate from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and was named Sky Blue,with variety certificate number 20240014.The fruit clusters had a moderate density The average individual fruit size was 1.84 cm× 1.47 cm,and the maximum fruit weight was 3.69 g and an average individual fruit weight was 2.77 g.The soluble solid content(Brix％)was 15％,with moderate acidity.Under natu-ral growth conditions,fruits typically reached maturity by early July,categorized as mid-season variety.Sky Blue was an excellent cultivar of northern highbush blueberries characterized by an open tree struc-ture and vigorous growth.The leaves were elongated oval-shaped with a deep green color and entire margins.The average leaf area was approximately 6.8 cm2,with a leaf shape index of 2.28.The average length of new fruiting branches reached up to 14 cm,with each branch capable of producing approxi-mately 12 fruits.The inflorescences of this cultivar were relatively short,with moderate anthocyanin coloration intensity in both flower buds and corollas.The corolla exhibited a saucer shape with distinct ribbed features.This cultivar was well suitable for northern regions of the Yangtze River or areas with high altitudes;it should be cultivated in fertile soil with good drainage properties to maintain adequate moisture without waterlogging.The ideal soil types were loam or sandy loam,with pH values 4.0 to 5.5 and organic matter content over 3.0％.Furthermore,the chilling requirement of the varity was 600 to 1200 hours.