Table of Content

20 March 2026, Volume 46 Issue 2

Previous Issue   

Original Paper



Expression Characteristics and Functional Analysis of PtNF-Ys Gene during Early Flower Development in Pinus tabuliformis

Wenbin DING, Yuehan HU, Yinjia BAI, Yuhan YANG, Hua XUE

2026, 46(2):  195-208.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.001

Asbtract ( 26 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (3448KB) ( 20 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To elucidate the causes of the long juvenile phase and low seed yield in Pinus tabuliformis seed orchards and explore the underlying regulatory mechanisms， this study focused on the flowering-related genes during early stages of flower bud differentiation. The aim was to reveal the gene expression characteristics during this period and clarify the biological functions of the nuclear factor Y（NF-Y） family members. Transcriptome sequencing（RNA-seq） was performed on apical meristems collected from adult trees in the Wucheng National Seed Orchard of P. tabuliformis， Shanxi， China， from mid-July to mid-October. The results revealed that the expression levels of PtNF-YB8 and many other NF-Y genes increased significantly in mid-October. Multiple cis-elements， including gibberellin（GA）-responsive and light-responsive elements， were found within the PtNF-YB8 promoter. Furthermore， exogenous GA treatment of apical buds significantly up-regulated the expression level of PtNF-YB8. Subcellular localization assays in tobacco cells showed that the PtNF-YB8 protein was localized in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Heterologous overexpression of PtNF-YB8 in Arabidopsis resulted in a distinct delayed flowering phenotype. Yeast two-hybrid assays confirmed that PtNF-YB8 interacts with PtNF-YC9 and PtNF-YC10. In conclusion， PtNF-YB8 may function by forming complexes with NF-Y members， such as PtNF-YC9/10， to facilitate signal transduction and negatively regulate flowering time. These findings provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the flowering regulatory network in conifers and developing techniques for high and stable yields in seed orchards.



Identification of Floral Volatiles from Caryopteris incana and Their Regulatory Effects on Floral Visitors Behavior

Yong HE, Zhijing WU, Wufan ZHANG, Yibo LUO, Ruisi LI, Qiuyue WANG, Ruimin YU, Shubin DONG, Jin CHENG

2026, 46(2):  209-219.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.002

Asbtract ( 18 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (1617KB) ( 12 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

The aim of this study was to identify the floral volatiles of Caryopteris incana and to explore their influence on the behavior of floral visitors. Flower color was measured with the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart（RHSCC）， and floral volatiles were collected by adsorption-solvent desorption and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS）. Concurrently， insect visitation frequency was recorded through manual observations， and temporal patterns of pollen viability and stigma receptivity were assessed using the TTC（2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride） method and the benzidine-hydrogen peroxide assay， respectively. The results indicated that： （1）The flower color of C. incana was identified as strong violet （RHSCC N88B）. （2）Terpenoids（77.25%） constituted the majority composition of floral volatiles in C. incana， followed by esters（13.00%）. D-Limonene（36.80%） was the most abundant characteristic volatile. （3）Bees were the dominant floral visitors to C. incana， accounting for over 91% of all visitors. Among them， Apis mellifera ligustica was the most frequent species， with a visitation frequency significantly higher than that of all other insects（P<0.001）. （4）The flowering period of C. incana lasted about 7 days. Pollen remained viable on the 2^nd day and 3^rd day and stigma had receptivity on the 5^th day， demonstrating a protandrous（male-first） dichogamy that effectively reduces the potential for self-pollination. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the pollination ecology of C. incana.



Non-specific Lipid Transfer Protein nsLTP2 Mediates the Cell Wall Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds in Lavender Glandular Trichomes

Yuling ZENG, Yichao ZHANG, Xiaohua MA, Lin YANG, Jing NIE, Jianjian HU

2026, 46(2):  220-230.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.003

Asbtract ( 14 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (4832KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

The fragrance of lavender is primarily derived from volatile organic compounds（VOCs） secreted by the dense glandular trichomes on its surface. These hydrophobic VOCs must traverse the hydrophilic cell wall to be transported from their sites of synthesis to the secretory cavities of the trichomes for storage. However， the specific pathways and mechanisms enabling the efficient transport of hydrophobic VOCs across the hydrophilic cell wall in lavender remain poorly understood. In this study， we conducted a systematic analysis of the types and distribution of trichomes on the upper epidermis of flowers， leaves， and embryos of germinating lavender seeds. Additionally， a non-specific lipid transfer protein gene（nsLTP2） was cloned and subjected to bioinformatic and subcellular localization analyses. The nsLTP2 protein was expressed and purified using Escherichia coli， and its binding affinity for linalool， a major VOC component， was evaluated using a fluorescent probe. The findings revealed that， in addition to peltate glandular trichomes， lavender exhibited two to three morphologically distinct types of capitate glandular trichomes， which differred significantly in structure and distribution. The cloned nsLTP2 gene encoded a protein composed of 115 amino acids， featuring a typical nsLTP domain and eight highly conserved cysteine residues. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that the nsLTP2 gene was predominantly expressed in flowers， with peaked expression observed during the early flowering stage. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that nsLTP2 was localized to the cell wall， and in vitro assays confirmed its ability to bind liposomes. In summary， this study identified nsLTP2 as a critical component in the VOC transport pathway in lavender， facilitating the movement of VOCs through the cell wall.



Cloning and Functional Study of the LrMYB64 Gene in Lyciumruthenicum

Yijiao LIU, Jiqing ZHAO, Jinhuan CHEN

2026, 46(2):  231-245.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.004

Asbtract ( 14 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (5037KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Lyciumruthenicum， a characteristic food-medicine plant in northwestern China， accumulates abundant anthocyanins in its fruits and possesses high pharmaceutical value. In order to identify the key regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis and to clarify their coupled effects on lateral-bud development， the candidate gene LrMYB64 was cloned， an overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into L. ruthenicum， and the underlying molecular network was explored using transcriptome sequencing. The results showed that overexpression of LrMYB64 genein L. ruthenicum significantly suppressed the expression of key structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway-including LrCHS1B， LrCHS2， LrF3H， LrDFR， LrANS， and LrA3GT-leading to the reduction by 91.75% in anthocyanin level. Meanwhile， it markedly upregulated multiple hormone-signaling genes such as LrPR4， LrPP2C51， LrSAUR36， LrGH3.6， LrARF5， and LrABF4， increasing lateral bud outgrowth to approximately three times that of the wild type. Together， these findings indicated that LrMYB64 gene orchestrated a gene regulatory network through which it repressed anthocyanin biosynthesis while promoting hormone signal transduction， thereby coordinating plant secondary metabolism and hormonal responses.



Salt Stress-related RcNAC22 Gene Cloning and Function Analysis in Rhodiolacrenulata

Lipeng ZHANG, Mei WU, Hongpeng WANG, Tianyu LI

2026, 46(2):  246-258.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.005

Asbtract ( 13 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (7214KB) ( 9 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

This study cloned the RcNAC22 gene of R. crenulata and conducted bioinformatics analysis and functional verification. The results showed that the full length of RcNAC22 gene was 1 049 bp， containing two introns and three exons， and encoding 293 amino acids. Its protein relative molecular weight was 33 625.02， belonging to a hydrophilic protein， with relatively stable properties， no transmembrane domain or signal peptide， and subcellular localization in the nucleus， containing 32 phosphorylation sites. RcNAC22 contains one NAM domain （no apical meristem）， and the fourth domain is the transcriptional repression domain NARD region， and it was most closely related to that of R.kirilowii. RcNAC22 gene was expressed in all six tested organs （root， mature stem， young stem， leaf， apical bud， flower） but mainly in green organs （stem， leaf， apical bud）， and its expression could be induced by various abiotic stresses and plant hormones ABA and SA. RcNAC22 gene had no cytotoxicity to yeast cells， and both the full-length gene and truncated C-terminal had self-activation activity. In addition， using Salvia miltiorrhiza as the transgenic receptor to study the RcNAC22 gene effect on plant growth， the results showed that overexpression of RcNAC22 gene did not affect the growth and development of Salviamiltiorrhiza， but reduced the tolerance to salt stress. This study revealed the biological function of the RcNAC gene， providing a theoretical basis for further molecular biological research on R. crenulata.



The Role of AtMST1 in Regulating Salt Tolerance via H₂S Synthesis in Arabidopsis Revealed by CRISPR/Cas9 Knockout

Haiyan CAO, Kaiwen TIAN, Xiaoyu JIA, Xuefeng HAO, Zhuping JIN

2026, 46(2):  259-269.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.006

Asbtract ( 30 )   HTML ( 3)   PDF (4325KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Hydrogen sulfide（H₂S） is an important gaseous signaling molecule in plants， and its biosynthesis relies on various endogenous enzymes. The enzyme 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase（MST） has been established as an H₂S generator in animal systems， and a similar enzymatic activity has been reported for Arabidopsis MST1. To further validate the H₂S-producing function of AtMST1 in plants and explore its role in salt stress response， CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to target the AtMST1 gene was employed in Arabidopsis thaliana. By designing four target sites and constructing the gene editing vector， homozygous atmst1 mutants following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation were successfully obtained. Genotyping analysis revealed that the mutant carried a single T-nucleotide insertion at the target site， resulting in a frameshift mutation and premature termination of translation. Compared with the wild type， the atmst1 mutant showed a significant reduction in the intensity of H₂S-specific fluorescent signals， as well as in both H₂S content and production rate. Salt stress treatment resulted in a clear salt-sensitive phenotype and greater reactive oxygen species accumulation in the roots of atmst1 seedlings. In summary， this study successfully created an AtMST1 loss-of-function mutant， providing genetic evidence for its crucial role in endogenous H₂S synthesis in plants and revealing its physiological function in positively regulating salt tolerance in Arabidopsis by modulating H₂S levels.



Genome-wide Screening and Functional Verification of O-methyltransferase Genes Involved in Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Phellodendron amurense

Chang CAO, Ya TIAN, Chengwei LIU

2026, 46(2):  270-279.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.007

Asbtract ( 11 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (6896KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Phellodendron amurense is a traditional medicinal plant recognized for its abundant benzylisoquinoline alkaloids（BIAs）， showing substantial pharmacological properties. O-methyltransferases（OMTs）， pivotal enzymes in plant secondary metabolism， facilitate the methylation of phenolic hydroxyl groups and are crucial for the structural diversity and stability of BIAs. To comprehensively characterize the OMT gene family in P.amurense and identify key genes involved in BIA biosynthesis， this study performed a genome-wide analysis， identifying 82 OMT gene family members. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all members belonged to the ClassⅠgroup， which can be further subdivided into two subgroups， ClassⅠa and ClassⅠb. Analysis of conserved motifs revealed that， while both subgroups maintained the core S-adenosylmethionine （SAM）-binding domain， they displayed notable differences in the composition of N- and C-terminal motifs. Chromosomal localization analysis illustrated the dispersed distribution of PaOMT genes. By integrating transcriptomic data from multiple tissues with in vitro enzymatic assays， PaOMT30 was identified to catalyze the O-methylation of the C-2 hydroxyl group of（S）-scoulerine， yielding（S）-tetrahydropalmatrubine. This study represented the first comprehensive analysis of the OMT gene family in P. amurense and successfully identified the C-2 methylation activity of PaOMT30 in BIA biosynthesis， establishing a foundation for elucidating the biosynthetic pathways of medicinal components in P.amurense and advancing BIA-based drug development.



Effects of Composite Inducers and Light Quality Inducers on Secondary Metabolites in Epimedium sagittatum Suspension Cells

Mengyao ZHAO, Baoyu JI, Nuo LI, Yaozu HAN, Lixin PEI

2026, 46(2):  280-293.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.008

Asbtract ( 18 )   HTML ( 1)   PDF (3201KB) ( 11 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

This study investigated the effects of composite inducers at varying concentrations and photomorphogenic inducers under different photoperiods on the major secondary metabolites in Epimedium sagittatum（Sieb. et Zucc.） Maxim. suspension cells. Orthogonal experiments were conducted under optimal culture conditions to evaluate the effects of three composite inducers： MeJA at 25， 50，and 75 μmol⋅L-1； SA at 25， 50， and 75 μmol⋅L-1； and CTS at 0， 10， and 20 mg⋅L-1. Additionally， induction was performed under varying light qualities and photoperiods. The findings demonstrated that the levels of secondary metabolites， including flavonol glycosides， total flavonoids， total phenolic acids， and total saponins， increased in E. sagittatum suspension cells treated with composite inducers and photomorphogenic inducers compared to the control group. The F4 treatment group （50 μmol⋅L-1 MeJA， 25 μmol⋅L-1 SA， 20 mg⋅L-1 CTS） and G6 treatment group （blue light， 16 h） exhibited significantly higher flavonol glycoside content， being 2.92 and 3.79-fold higher than the control， respectively. The F3 treatment group（25 μmol⋅L-1 MeJA， 50 μmol⋅L-1 SA， 10 mg⋅L-1 CTS） and G6 treatment group（blue light， 16 h） demonstrated significantly higher total flavonoid content， approximately 1.42 and 1.27-fold higher than the control， respectively. The F2 treatment group（25 μmol⋅L-1 MeJA， 25 μmol⋅L-1 SA） and G4 treatment group （blue light， 12 h） exhibited significantly elevated total phenolic acid content， being 4.11 and 2.94-fold higher than the control， respectively. The F8 treatment group（75 μmol⋅L-1 MeJA， 75 μmol⋅L-1 SA） and G2 treatment group （white light， 12 h） exhibited higher total alkaloid content， being 1.28 and 1.02-fold higher than the control， respectively. The total saponin content in the F5 treatment group（50 μmol⋅L-1 MeJA， 50 μmol⋅L-1 SA） and G6 treatment group（blue light， 16 h） was significantly higher， being 3.73 and 3.05-fold higher than the control， respectively. These results indicated that the application of exogenous inducers effectively enhanced the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites， such as flavonoids and total saponins， in E. sagittatum.



Development of a Wettable Powder Formulation of Bacillus subtilis C08 and Its Biocontrol Efficacy Against Tomato Early Blight

Yunxin XU, Yuyan CONG, Yao ZHANG, Aoxue WANG

2026, 46(2):  294-309.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.009

Asbtract ( 16 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (5318KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Tomato early blight， caused by Alternaria solani， represents a significant disease that severely impacts both the yield and quality of tomatoes， primarily due to its short latent period and rapid reinfection cycle. In contrast to conventional chemical control methods， biological control offers considerable potential due to its environmentally friendly and sustainable attributes. In this study， a strain of Bacillussubtilis， designated as C08， demonstrating strong antagonistic activity against A.solani， was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of healthy tomato plants. The fermentation conditions were optimized， and a wettable powder formulation was subsequently developed using the fermentation broth as the active ingredient. The results indicated that the formulation achieved high efficacy in controlling tomato early blight， significantly promoted plant growth， enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase（SOD） and peroxidase（POD）， and improved soil enzyme activities such as sucrase and urease. These findings suggest that strain C08 holds substantial promise as a biocontrol agent for the sustainable management of tomato early blight.



Divergence in Floristics and Life-history Strategies of Ephemeral Plants in Xinjiang

Kai ZHANG, Xiaodong YANG, Mierkamili MAIMAITI, Yuejuan ZHANG, Aysajan ABDUSALAM

2026, 46(2):  310-323.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.010

Asbtract ( 11 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (754KB) ( 13 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Ephemeral plants are a specialized group derived from arid flora and grow in flat desert regions. In China， they are primarily distributed in northern Xinjiang， while the overall distribution status in southern Xinjiang remains unclear. Moreover， it is currently unknown whether ephemeral plants exist in alpine environment. Combined the field surveys with literature review， the species composition and geographical elements and life-form types of ephemeral plants in northern Xinjiang， southern Xinjiang （including the Pamir Plateau within China） were analyzed respectively， and their origins and life-history strategy differentiation were explored. The results showed that： （1）There were 18 families， 42 genera and 51 species ephemeral plants in southern Xinjiang； the Pamir Plateau within China had 16 families， 31 genera and 36 species ephemeral plants， which served as a “micro-refugium”. （2）The proportion of oligotypic families， monotypic families， oligotypic genera and monotypic genera in Xinjiang was high， and Brassicaceae was the dominant family. （3）The ephemeral plants in Xinjiang were predominantly temperate ones， with a high proportion of annual and perennial life forms. The proportion of annual plants in alpine environments increased， which highlighted the constraining effect of ecological conservation on the evolution of ephemeral plants. In summary， the ephemeral flora of northern and southern Xinjiang showed significant convergence in terms of family and genus composition， geographical elements and life-form spectrum， the Pamir Plateau within China served as a “micro-refugium” for ephemeral plants， and their ecological conservation subjected them to considerable evolutionary pressure.



Spatial Point Patterns of Artemisia ordosica on Three Dune Types in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China

Wenqi HUANG, Dinghai ZHANG, Lan YI

2026, 46(2):  324-335.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.011

Asbtract ( 7 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (2560KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

This study investigated the spatial patterns and growth-stage differences of sand-fixing shrubs across three dune geomorphological types： fixed dunes， semi-fixed dunes， and mobile dunes. Artemisia ordosica plants from the Mu Us Sandy Land were selected as the study material. Spatial point pattern analysis， incorporating the g（r） function and several null models， was applied to examine the spatial distribution， intraspecific associations， and the influence of individual relative elevation on A. ordosica populations at two growth stages（adult and juvenile plants） across the three dune types. The findings revealed that， after accounting for habitat heterogeneity， A. ordosica populations consistently exhibited clustered distributions at small scales（0-5 m）， transitioning to random or uniform distributions at larger scales. Additionally， the aggregation intensity（κ） and standard deviation of aggregation distribution（σ） increased with the degree of dune fixation. For different growth stages， the σ was significantly greater for adult plants than for juvenile plants. Regarding intraspecific associations， the relationship between adult and juvenile plants generally exhibited a non-associative（or independent） state， with significant positive associations observed only at the 3-10 m scale on semi-fixed dunes. Furthermore， the influence of individual relative elevation on population spatial distribution demonstrated strong dune-type dependency. Its effect was negligible on highly stable fixed dunes， strongly constrained the distribution of both adult and juvenile plants on semi-fixed dunes， and primarily affected juvenile plants on mobile dunes， which exhibited a significant preference for areas with lower individual relative elevation differences， such as dune bottoms. This study provides theoretical support for the development of sustainable windbreak and sand-fixation strategies in this region.



Whole-plant Carbon and Nitrogen Allocation and Trade-off Strategies of Invasive Laguncularia racemosa and Native Avicennia marina across Dry and Wet Seasons

Hua YANG, Qihang LU, Yanjun DU, Wenna WANG

2026, 46(2):  336-347.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.012

Asbtract ( 10 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (2653KB) ( 10 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Plant carbon（C） and nitrogen（N） stoichiometry reflects resource allocation strategies. However， current researches often focus on individual organs， overlooking the critical feedback between whole-plant and soil systems in natural habitats. This oversight is particularly critical in invaded mangrove ecosystems， where it limits the understanding of interspecific competition mechanisms. Here， this study investigated the invasive Laguncularia racemosa and the native Avicennia marina in Hainan， China. The C and N contents and C-to-N ratios were measured across leaves， branches， and roots， alongside key physicochemical properties of rhizosphere surface（0-10 cm） and subsurface（10-20 cm） soils in monoculture and mixed stands during both dry and wet seasons. Results showed that A. marina consistently maintained significantly higher N contents and lower C-to-N ratios across all organs compared to L. racemosa. Additionally， surface soil N contents were significantly higher in A. marina monocultures than in L. racemosa stands during the dry season， while soil C-to-N ratios remained lower. The dry season significantly strengthened root-branch stoichiometric linkages in L. racemosa， where all organs showed tight correlations with soil physicochemical factors at both soil depths. Conversely， A. marina exhibited whole-plant synergy only in the wet season； in the dry season， root-leaf and root-branch stoichiometric relationships were decoupled， and leaf and branch traits shifted to correlate closely with subsurface soil factors. During dry season， species mixing promoted widespread C and N associations across organs in A. marina and increased leaf C contents， while significantly elevating leaf N contents and reducing C-to-N ratios in L. racemosa during the wet season. This study revealed that the competitive advantage of L. racemosa was driven by its lower tissue construction costs and sustained coupling with soil resources during dry season. Notably， while mixed stand improved the inter-organ physiological coordination of the native A. marina， they allowed L. racemosa to more efficiently alleviate its nutrient limitations， thereby amplifying its invasive dominance. These findings highlighted a critical risk for mangrove restoration： interspecific facilitation may inadvertently accelerate the expansion of invasive species， potentially undermining management strategies.



Responses of Non-structural Carbohydrates and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Pinus koraiensis to Thinning

Hairui WEN, Yuchun YANG, Yue LIU, Chunjing JIAO, Jun WANG, Fang WANG, Yelei YANG, Yitong LI, Jie WANG

2026, 46(2):  348-360.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.013

Asbtract ( 9 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (4999KB) ( 9 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Non-structural carbohydrates（NSC） and ecological stoichiometric characteristics form the foundation of plant carbon-nutrient balance， regulating energy storage and nutrient use efficiency， respectively. These elements are essential for elucidating plant adaptation strategies to environmental conditions. However， the allocation patterns of NSC and stoichiometric characteristics across different plant organs under varying thinning intensities remain poorly understood. To address this gap， a middle-aged artificial Pinus koraiensis forest in the Shangying Forest Bureau of Jilin Province was selected as the study site. Four thinning treatments were applied： control（CK， 0）， light（LT， 10%）， moderate（MT， 20%）， and heavy（HT， 30%）. Measurements of NSC， carbon（C）， nitrogen（N）， and phosphorus（P） were conducted in leaves， branches， stems， and roots to evaluate the effects of thinning. Results indicated that thinning significantly increased NSC levels in all organs（P<0.05）， with the highest contents observed under the MT treatment. Leaf C content remained stable， while N and P contents exhibited a unimodal trend， peaking under the MT treatment. Compared to the CK treatment， N and P levels increased by 17.6% and 34.9%， respectively， under the MT treatment， accompanied by lower C∶N and C∶P ratios. Conversely， the HT treatment caused a significant reduction in N and P contents in branches and stems， with decreases of 8.9% and 26.9%， respectively（P<0.05）. Root C content increased with thinning intensity， rising by 11.3% under the HT treatment compared to the CK treatment. Changes in N and P in roots mirrored those in leaves， while the C∶N and C∶P ratios in the HT treatment were 23.5% and 33.3% higher than those in the CK treatment. PCA revealed that the cumulative contribution rates of the PC1 and the PC2 were 82.6% in the LT treatment， 93.8% in the MT treatment， and 92.2% in the HT treatment. Across all thinning intensities， soluble sugar， NSC， and P contributed significantly to PC1， whereas C， N， and N∶P had higher contributions to PC2. In conclusion， moderate thinning emerged as the optimal treatment， enhancing understanding of how thinning influences tree non-structural carbohydrates and stoichiometric characteristics.



Screening of Superior Families and Reconstruction of Kinship Trees in Populus simonii

Xiaoyu XIE, Ruizhu LIN, Taijin ZHANG, Ruixue WANG, Hanshi WANG, Jinwang ZHANG, Long TIE, Chunli ZHAO, Xiyang ZHAO, Kewei CAI

2026, 46(2):  361-377.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.014

Asbtract ( 10 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (1108KB) ( 9 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

To identify purebred tree varieties with well-defined pedigrees， this study examined growth and leaf traits across 20 half-sibling families of Populus simonii. By integrating EST-SSR molecular marker technology， the kinship pedigree was reconstructed， and evaluations and selections were performed for both half-sibling and full-sibling families before and after reconstruction. The results revealed highly significant differences（P<0.01） across all investigated indices among the 20 families. High heritability was observed for each index， and the population exhibited substantial genetic diversity. At a selection rate of 5%， Ps14 was identified as the optimal family； the seedling height and ground stem diameter increased by 55.45% and 40.38%， respectively， compared to the overall mean. Fresh leaf mass， dry leaf mass， leaf length， leaf width， petiole length， leaf area， and leaf vein angle increased by 60.20%， 39.29%， 24.40%， 41.66%， 1.05%， 14.73%， and 68.69%， respectively， compared to the overall mean. Paternity identification of Ps14 offspring was conducted using 15 polymorphic EST-SSR primer pairs， successfully identifying paternal parents for 99% of the offspring. A total of 32 effective paternal parents were identified， among which 12 had higher reproductive contributions under open-pollination conditions. Ps14×M-PS243 was identified through evaluation of the reconstructed full-sib families as an excellent family， with offspring exhibiting a 76.64% increase in height and a 74.34% increase in ground diameter compared to the population mean. Additionally， GCA analysis highlighted M-PS243 as a promising paternal parent. In conclusion， this study utilized molecular markers to reconstruct pedigrees of poplar half-sibling families and evaluate superior families with clear pedigrees， significantly enhancing selection efficiency and providing novel insights for the genetic improvement of poplar and other tree species.



Screening of Superior Poplar Clones Based on Multi-Trait Comprehensive Evaluation

Hanshi WANG, Xiao LI, Zhongyi PANG, Yanhui PENG, Ruixue WANG, Taijin ZHANG, Yang LIU, Xiyang ZHAO, Chunli ZHAO, Luping JIANG

2026, 46(2):  378-392.  doi:10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.02.015

Asbtract ( 11 )   HTML ( 0)   PDF (812KB) ( 9 )  

Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

The objective of this study was to select superior poplar clones in combination with fast growth and high quality， so as to provide material support for genetic improvement of poplar in northeast China. Forty-three poplar clones introduced from Xinjiang were planted in a test plantation established in Xinmin City， Liaoning Province. Their growth traits（tree height and ground diameter）， leaf morphological traits（leaf length， leaf width， leaf area， petiole length， petiole diameter， etc.）， and photosynthetic physiological traits（net photosynthetic rate， transpiration rate， stomatal conductance， intercellular CO₂ mole fraction， water-use efficiency， and chlorophyll content， etc.） were measured and analyzed. The results showed that all 43 clones exhibited significant differences in the measured traits（P<0.01）. The phenotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 1.41% to 37.60%. All traits showed repeatability values exceeding 0.940， indicating high genetic stability and improvement potential. Correlation analysis revealed that ground diameter was generally and significantly positively correlated with leaf morphological traits（r， 0.505-0.604）， and also significantly positively correlated with chlorophyll content（r， 0.275-0.328）. Different evaluation systems were constructed based on their characteristics in growth traits（growth indicators）， biomass accumulation capacity（growth and leaf morphological indicators）， water- and light-use efficiency（growth， leaf area， and water-use efficiency）， and potential photosynthetic capacity（growth， leaf area， net photosynthetic rate， and photosynthetic pigment content）. Based on these evaluation systems， six clones-P.×euramericana cv. ‘Neva’， P. nigra cv. ‘Jinye’， P.×euramericana ‘Zhonglin107’， P.×euramericana ‘Zhonglin46’， P.deltoides and P. ×deltoids cv-64-were consistently selected across four evaluation systems， with genetic gains ranging from 2.82% to 69.08%. These clones had distinct advantages in fast growth， water- and light-use efficiency， and potential photosynthetic capacity， reflecting different growth advantages and adaptive strategies. They enable “site-specific clone selection” in northeast China to meet diverse afforestation needs， thereby providing a scientific basis for the promotion of poplar clones in the region.