Abstract DNA-binding with one finger (DOF) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that play critical roles in plant growth and development, including nitrogen metabolism, but the roles of these TFs in the nitrogen response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that overexpressing the DOF gene SlDOF3.4 enhanced the growth of tomato seedlings under low nitrogen (LN) conditions, resulting in longer roots and greater biomass accumulation. Multiple assays demonstrated that SlDOF3.4 interacts with another DOF family member, SlCDF4, and that both TFs bind to the promoters of the N-assimilation gene Glutamine synthetase (SlGS) and the jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis gene Lipoxygenase (SlLOXD), suggesting that SlDOF3.4 and SlCDF4 cooperatively regulate nitrogen assimilation and JA biosynthesis. In support of this notion, co-expressing SlCDF4 and SlDOF3.4 enhanced the binding activity of SlDOF3.4 to the SlGS and SlLOXD promoters in a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Under LN conditions, genes related to nitrogen assimilation and JA biosynthesis were markedly upregulated in SlDOF3.4-overexpressing and SlCDF4-overexpressing tomato plants. Knockout of SlCDF4 impaired plant growth under LN conditions, a phenotype that was partially alleviated by treatment with methyl jasmonate. These results provide insight into the roles of DOF TFs in nitrogen assimilation and JA biosynthesis in crops.

The increasing demand for raw materials in the paper and fermentation industries has intensified pressure on forest resources, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), a fast-growing, non-woody fiber crop with additional medicinal and nutritional benefits, has emerged as a promising candidate. This two-year field study, conducted using a split-split plot design with three replications, evaluated the effects of four planting densities (3.6, 5.5, 9.5, and 20 plants m-2) and four nitrogen levels (0.150, 300, and 450 kg ha-1) on three hemp genotypes: Futura 75 (Germany), Isfahan, and Yazd, in the Alborz region of Iran. Significant effects were observed for all main factors and their interactions on key morphological and yield-related traits. The highest dry matter yield (22.559 kg ha-1) was obtained from the Isfahan genotype under 300 kg ha-1 nitrogen and a plant density of 20 plants m-2.The Futura 75 genotype recorded the greatest stem diameter (5.31 cm) and number of lateral stems (70 per plant) under low density (3.6 or 9.5 plants m-2) and high nitrogen input (450 kg ha-1). Leaf dry weight peaked at 103.66 g plant-1 in the Isfahan genotype with high nitrogen and low density. Yield components were generally higher in the first growing season, suggesting a notable influence of favorable environmental conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing planting density and nitrogen application according to genotype and environmental conditions. The Isfahan genotype, combined with high plant density and 300 kg ha-1nitrogen, is particularly recommended for enhancing biomass yield in semi-arid regions.

Abstract Background The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) presents unique environmental conditions that shape pasture composition and productivity. However, overgrazing, deforestation, and recurrent bushfires have degraded the grasslands, threatening livestock productivity and biodiversity. Despite these challenges, little is documented on the dominant plant species and their ecological adaptations. By analysing the floristic diversity and soil properties across these regions, this study seeks to identify key constraints and opportunities for optimizing pasture management. Results The findings revealed 209 plant species belonging to 49 botanic families where Poaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae were dominant. Annual grasses (40.7%) were dominant type over perennial grasses (29.3%) and shrubs (23.6%). The soils in the Ruzizi plain are mainly sandy and medium in nitrogen and very low in phosphorus, and are clayey and slightly acidic. The regions of Kabare and Kalehe have low phosphorus content and medium nitrogen content while those in Kalemie are mainly loamy besides being rich in silt and with relatively favorable pH for plant growth (5.5–6.5). The fidelity index (FI) of plant species revealed that the grazing lands in the Hinterland of Bukavu were characterized by 4 plant species including Centella asiatica , Digitaria vestida , Sporobolus pyramidalis and Pennisetum clandestinum , while the Ruzizi plain was characterized by 40 species with Brachiaria ruziziensis , Sporobolus sp., Acacia spinoza and Stylosanthes scabra being dominant; and Kalemie had 21 characteristic species among which Hypparhenia sp., Parinaria sp., Costus sp. and Guizotia scabra presented a FI > 0.65. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the floristic composition of grazing lands in eastern DRC is richly diverse and is mainly influenced by soil properties and agroecological conditions. Despite the high floristic richness observed in the study area, most of the plant species are increasers that have survived under disturbance conditions such as overgrazing and repeated bushfires, and therefore are not suitable for guaranteeing the optimum productivity of grazing animals. In the communal grazing system, common approaches are suggested for joint interventions between pasture users and relevant government departments. In the private grazing system, removal of increasers and introduction of improved grasses such as improved Brachiaria cultivars are suggested to achieve a balance among species diversity protection, cattle production, and soil quality management.

Eucalyptus pellita is one of the main species in Industrial Plantation Forests (HTI) due to its rapid growth, short harvesting rotation, high productivity, and resistance to pests and diseases. However, land clearing and repeated harvesting activities may degrade soil physical and chemical properties. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics and differences in soil physical and chemical properties under Eucalyptus pellita stands aged 0–4 years in the Industrial Plantation Forest of PT Arara Abadi, Sorek District, Riau Province. A quantitative descriptive approach was applied with purposive sampling, followed by laboratory analysis. The results revealed that the soil physical properties were dominated by sandy clay loam texture with high bulk density (>1.65 g/cm³). This condition limits nutrient-holding capacity and potentially restricts root growth. Based on the chemical analysis, the soil was classified as very acidic (pH 3.92–4.34), with very low until low Cation Exchange Capacity (2.028–6.931 meq/100g), very low C-Organic (0.25–0.62%), very low until low Nitrogen (0.07–0.12%), very low Phosphorus (0.01–0.02%), and very low Potassium (<0.001–0.02%). These findings indicate a decline in soil quality, both physically and chemically, with increasing stand age.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of algal biomass is a promising approach for renewable biofuel production. The actual study investigates the effects of reaction temperature (225–325 °C), residence time (15–60 min), algae-to-water mass ratio (1:5–1:20), and pressure on the yield and quality of biofuel derived from municipal wastewater-grown mixed algal-cyanobacterial biomass. Eleven HTL experiments were conducted, and the resulting products were separated into gas, liquid, and solid phases for thermal and chemical analyses. Selected biofuel samples were characterized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The biofuels contained complex mixtures of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatics, phenolics, carboxylic acids, esters, and nitrogen-containing compounds, classified into biogasoline, bio-jet fuel, biodiesel, and motor oil fractions. Optimal yields of biofuel, gas, and solid residues were 16.86%, 26.14%, and 40.43%, respectively, achieved at a 1:10 algae-to-water ratio, 30 min reaction time, and 250 °C. The biofuel composition comprised 11.37% gasoline, 29.41% kerosene, 9.71% diesel, with a heating value of 42.93 MJ·kg⁻¹. A higher fraction of gasoline, kerosene and diesel-range compounds enhances energy density and combustion stability, while lower oxygen and nitrogen content improves storage and fuel properties. Solid residues exhibited uniform physical properties but were unsuitable for high-grade biochar due to low carbon and high inorganic content. These findings demonstrate that HTL of municipal wastewater-grown microalgae is a viable route for sustainable biofuel production, integrating resource recovery with renewable energy generation, while systematically evaluating key operational parameters and characterizing the resulting biofuel for downstream applications.

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), a high-protein forage species, exhibits low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under conventional nitrogen fertilization. This study conducted a field experiment to systematically evaluate the effects of coapplying biochar with reduced nitrogen fertilizer on paper mulberry by integrating plant physiological measurements, soil property analysis, and phyllosphere microbiome profile. Results demonstrated that moderate biochar addition significantly enhanced plant growth, forage quality, and soil health, while improving NUE. Notably, coapplying biochar with a 15% reduced nitrogen emerged as a sustainable fertilization strategy, reducing nitrogen inputs without compromising plant performance. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that biochar treatment reshaped the phyllosphere microbiome by increasing diazotroph abundance, suppressing pathogens, and enhancing microbial network complexity. Overall, this study demonstrates that coapplying biochar with 15% reduced nitrogen not only improves NUE, but also enhances plant performance and soil properties, while reshaping the phyllosphere microbiome into a more plant-beneficial community.

This retrospective study evaluated 83 cats with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (PSS)-Portocaval (n=1), Left gastroazygos (n=2), Left gastrocaval (n=9), Left gastrophrenic (n=24), and Splenosystemic (n=47)-to evaluate whether the prevalence and severity of renomegaly in cats with extrahepatic PSS differ by shunt type, and to assess associations with computed tomography (CT)-based portal perfusion, and serum biochemical parameters. Renal size was quantified using the kidney length-to-the second lumbar vertebral length ratio (K/L2 ratio), and portal perfusion by the portal vein diameter-to-aortic diameter ratio (PV/Ao ratio). These indices were compared between shunt types and correlated with biochemical parameters. The Left gastrocaval group showed the highest mean K/L2 ratio (2.88 ± 0.24) and 100% prevalence of renomegaly, compared to the Left gastrophrenic (2.39 ± 0.23; 37.5%) and Splenosystemic groups (2.21 ± 0.16; 12.8%). Conversely, the median PV/Ao ratio was the lowest in the Left gastrocaval group (0.56 [0.47-0.61]), intermediate in the Left gastrophrenic group (0.89 [0.60-0.95]), and highest in the Splenosystemic group (1.12 [0.90-1.15]), indicating varied severity of portal hypoperfusion. Renal size and portal perfusion showed a significant inverse correlation (rs=-0.521, P<0.001). Renomegaly was also associated with higher ammonia and lower blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine concentrations. In conclusion, renomegaly severity is inversely correlated with portal perfusion and varies significantly among shunt types. These findings, combined with associations with hepatic dysfunction markers, suggest that renomegaly may serve as a clinically relevant indicator of disease severity in cats with extrahepatic PSS.

(1) Background: Improving nitrogen use efficiency in peanuts is essential for achieving a high yield with reduced nitrogen fertilizer input. This study investigates the role of the fungal endophyte Phomopsis liquidambaris in regulating nitrogen utilization throughout the entire growth cycle of peanuts. (2) Methods: Field pot experiments and a two-year plot trial were conducted. The effects of Ph. liquidambaris colonization on the rhizosphere microbial community, soil nitrogen forms, and peanut physiology were analyzed. (3) Results: Colonization by Ph. liquidambaris significantly suppressed the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in the rhizosphere at the seedling stage. This led to a transient decrease in nitrate and an increase in ammonium availability, which enhanced nodulation-related physiological responses. Concurrently, the peanut-specific rhizobium Bradyrhizobium sp. was enriched in the rhizosphere, and the root exudates induced by the fungus further stimulated nodulation activity. These early-stage effects promoted the establishment of peanut–Bradyrhizobium symbiosis. During the mid-to-late growth stages, the fungus positively reshaped the composition of key functional microbial groups (including diazotrophs, AOA, and AOB), thereby increasing rhizosphere nitrogen availability. (4) Conclusions: Under low nitrogen fertilization, inoculation with Ph. liquidambaris maintained yield stability in long-term monocropped peanuts by enhancing early nodulation and late-stage rhizosphere nitrogen availability. This study provides a promising microbe-based strategy to support sustainable legume production with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application.

Prolonged low pH reprograms carbon and nitrogen metabolism and micronutrient use in Symbiodinium kawagutii and reveals indicators for reef water quality management.

Tobacco brown spot disease, caused by the fungus Alternaria alternata, is a significant threat to global crop production, including in China. Our previous research identified NaLRR-RK4 as a key gene conferring resistance to this disease in wild tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata). In agricultural practice, the incidence of tobacco brown spot disease varies significantly with nitrogen levels, with plants under high nitrogen conditions exhibiting more severe symptoms. However, the relationship between nitrogen nutrition and the function of the homologous gene (NtLRR-RK4) in cultivated tobacco remains unknown. This study investigated the interaction between nitrogen levels and disease resistance in two cultivated tobacco varieties (N. tabacum), K326 and Hongda (HD). Tobacco plants were subjected to low, medium, and high nitrogen fertilizer levels and inoculated with A. alternata. Using RNA silencing and nitrogen treatments, we found that during infection, expression of the NtLRR-RK4 gene, along with its downstream targets NtERF109, NtDEF19, and the key scopoletin phytoalexin synthase gene NtF6'H1, was significantly higher in low nitrogen plants than in high nitrogen plants. Furthermore, under identical nitrogen conditions, gene expression was consistently higher in the K326 variety than in HD. Subsequent analysis revealed that nitrogen levels directly influence the NtLRR-RK4-mediated defense response. Specifically, high nitrogen input suppressed the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) and reduced flavonoid biosynthesis. This suppression was more pronounced in HD, resulting in greater susceptibility to A. alternata compared with K326. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that the disease resistance conferred by NtLRR-RK4 is modulated by nitrogen availability and host genetic factors. Overall, these results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brown spot resistance in tobacco, informing the development of effective control strategies. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nitrogen availability affects aerenchyma formation and suberization in early root development of soil-grown maize.

ABSTRACT Plants and soil microbes are intricately linked, and agricultural production relies heavily on microbially mediated ecosystem services. However, the effects of plant diversity (richness, relative abundance and composition) on soil microbial community diversity and function are still unclear. To better inform agricultural grassland management, it is essential to understand these relationships in intensively managed systems. Between May and September 2019, we conducted a field experiment on an established, intensively managed agricultural grassland to investigate the effect of plant diversity on soil microbial abundance, community composition and nitrogen cycling functional capacity. We systematically manipulated sown plant diversity comprising six forage species at a lower level of chemical nitrogen application, and we included a high chemical N treatment on an L. perenne monoculture as a reference level for conventional productive grassland management. Using Diversity‐Interactions (DI) modelling, we measured the effects of plant richness, relative abundance and composition on soil microbial community gene abundance and nitrogen cycling functional capacities, finding limited effects of plant identity and even weaker effects of interspecific interactions. Where differences in identity effects occurred, the plant species involved were not consistent across responses. In a separate multivariate community analysis, soil microbial community composition was found to be significantly affected by plant species composition, and this was more evident in fungal communities than in prokaryotic communities. There were no differences in microbial community composition between L. perenne monocultures receiving a high and lower nitrogen application; however, the high nitrogen L. perenne had a different microbial community structure than some other plant communities at lower nitrogen. Overall, our study found weak effects of plant diversity on several measures of microbial diversity and function in intensively managed agricultural grasslands.

Pumpkin rootstock enhances nitrogen-use efficiency and low-nitrogen resilience in Benincasa hispida via coordinated nitrogen transport and phenylpropanoid metabolism.

The shifting cultivation system is an integral part of the local culture of the Papuan people in Indonesia, persisting to this day. This study investigates the relationship between vegetation abundance and soil chemical composition in former plantation lands of varying ages in Papua, Indonesia. Three sites with distinct fallow periods - 5 years (BK-5), 10 years (BK-10), and 15 years (BK-15) - were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was employed to model the combination of dominant vegetation density and soil physical and chemical characteristics. The results revealed that the BK-5 site exhibited poor soil quality, characterized by acidic pH and low organic carbon and nitrogen content. In contrast, the BK-10 and BK-15 sites demonstrated improved soil fertility. The multivariate analysis highlighted distinct differences in vegetation composition and soil nutrient parameters among the sites, with specific plant species associated with particular soil conditions. The study confirms that older former plantation lands tend to have higher soil fertility, suggesting that short fallow periods may be insufficient for optimal soil fertility restoration. These findings underscore the importance of considering the age of former plantation lands and the role of vegetation in shaping soil conditions. This research provides valuable insights into the ecological recovery of post-agricultural landscapes in Papua.

An integrated strategy combining intermittent aeration, methyl p -hydroxy-phenylpropionate with syringic acid, and hydrazine to address the instability of nitritation in autotrophic nitrogen removal systems treating low-ammonia wastewater.

Are iron and manganese key factors in nitrate attenuation within the shallow groundwater of the nitrogen attenuation zone?

Two-stage partial nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) for mainstream wastewater treatment: Achieving high nitrogen removal at elevated loading rates under low-temperature conditions.

Analysis of nitrogen removal performance of gel-immobilized cold-acclimated Anammox granules under low temperature and high nitrogen loading rate (NLR) conditions

Microbial processing of organic matter in cold seep sediments revealed by amino compound distributions and degradation indices.

Cryotolerant bioprotective potential of Pediococcus acidilactici L1 and Latilactobacillus sakei B2 in chilled pork with modified atmosphere packaging.