Baili Feng’s research while affiliated with Northwest A & F University and other places

Domesticated highland barley is an important starch reserve and has differently colored grains, owing to different genotype backgrounds and cultivation environments. In this study, black, purple, blue, and yellow highland barley varieties were planted under the same cultivation conditions, and their starch distribution, structural characteristics, and physicochemical properties were analyzed. The apparent amylose content was highest in the purple variety (20.26%) and lowest in the yellow variety (18.58%). The different varieties had three subgroups and A-type crystalline structures, but the particle size and relative crystallinity (25.67–27.59%) were significantly different. In addition, the weight average molecular weight (6.72 × 107 g/mol), area ratio of APs to APL (2.88), relative crystallinity (27.59%), and 1045/1022 (0.730 cm−1) of starch were higher in yellow highland barley (YHB), forming a stable particle structure and increasing the Tp and PV of its starch. A cluster heat map showed that starches from differently colored highland barley vary in fine structure, water solubility, swelling power, and thermal and pasting properties. This study provides a reference for the high-quality breeding of colored highland barley and its utilization in food and non-food industries.

Biochar and organic fertilizer substitution have been utilized to improve crop yields and promote sustainable agricultural development. However, few studies have focused on how biochar and organic fertilizer substitution regulate the diversities of bacterial meta-communities and sub-communities (i.e., habitat specialists and generalists) within soil aggregates on the Loess Plateau. A field experiment, containing six treatments, namely no fertilizer (CK), no fertilizer plus 10 ⁴ kg ha ⁻¹ biochar (CK + B), traditional N fertilizer (TF, 150 kg N ha ⁻¹ ), traditional N fertilizer plus 10 ⁴ kg ha ⁻¹ biochar (TF + B), organic fertilizer replacing (OF), and organic fertilizer replacing plus 10 ⁴ kg ha ⁻¹ biochar (OF + B), was adopted to explore the influences of biochar and organic fertilizer substitution on the size distribution, nutrient levels, extracellular enzymatic stoichiometry, bacterial meta-community and sub-community diversities, structures, ecological networks, and assembly processes within bulk soil, large macro-aggregates (> 2 mm), small macro-aggregates (0.25–2 mm), and micro-aggregates (< 0.25 mm) in proso millet farmland. Results showed that compared to CK + B treatment, OF + B treatment enhanced the distribution of large macro-aggregates while decreasing the distribution of micro-aggregates. OF + B treatment also markedly elevated the contents of total nitrogen (TN), soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 ⁻ -N), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 ⁺ -N), as well as activities of C-, N-, and P-acquiring enzymes, enhanced the carbon limitation, and reduced the nitrogen limitation in the bulk soil and macro-aggregates. Compared to CK treatment, OF and OF + B treatments significantly increased the observed OTUs of specialist bacterial communities in large and small macroaggregates, while having no effect on generalist bacterial communities. The impacts of biochar and fertilizer additions, as well as soil aggregates, on the community structure and composition of specialists were greater than those of generalists. RDA analysis showed that NH 4 ⁺ -N content had a significant influence on the meta-community and sub-community structure within three aggregates. Ecological network analysis indicated that OF + B treatment increased the whole bacterial network complexity and stability compared to CK + B treatment. Meanwhile, the bacterial network of specialists with biochar amendment was more complex and tighter than that without biochar. Null-model analysis showed that biochar and fertilizer regimes rarely affected the assembly processes of the bacterial meta-community and sub-community within bulk soil and three aggregates, mainly determined by stochastic process. These observations offer a theoretical basis for understanding the intrinsic relationships between bacterial microbial communities and soil aggregates regulated by biochar and fertilization regimes in the semi-arid region.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) originates from Central Asia and is widely distributed around the world. It is recognized as a versatile food crop due to its nutritional richness. Conducting a systematic analysis of the literature on buckwheat research can help scientific researchers achieve a better understanding of the current state, hotspots, and trends in this field, thereby promoting the sustainable development of buckwheat. The study retrieved a total of 4512 articles related to buckwheat from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), involving 104 countries (regions), 3220 institutions, and 12,840 authors. The number of research papers on buckwheat is gradually increasing. China, Japan, Poland, the United States, and South Korea were the top five countries in terms of publication volume in this field. Among the top 10 institutions in terms of publication volume, Chinese institutions account for 60%. Northwest A & F University held a leading position in the number of papers published and cited. Research on buckwheat shows that both domestic and international research institutions tend to collaborate more with institutions within their own countries. A comprehensive analysis of journals with a high number of publications and citations in buckwheat research indicated that studies primarily focus on its use as food and its active substances. Analysis of the authors and cited authors indicated that Wu Qi and Zhu F, among others, have high reputations and significant influence in this field. Reference analysis has determined that early research primarily focused on buckwheat as a pseudo-cereal food; mid-term research mainly concentrated on its active substances and cultivation; later research became more comprehensive, focusing on its potential in food, biotechnology, and medical health, which gradually emerged as trends and hot topics. Keyword analysis indicates that buckwheat flour, antioxidant activity, protective biological control, and buckwheat husk are current research hotspots. This study systematically summarizes the current status of research in the field, identifies research hotspots and trends, and provides a reference for future investigations into buckwheat.

Background and aims Increased soil salinization is the major cause of soil degradation. With the increase in soil salinization, accompanied by nutrient deficiency, the mechanisms of improving nutrient uptake and utilization by rhizosphere microorganisms under saline-alkaline conditions are largely unknown. Methods The growth parameters and accumulation of nutrients by broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) were assessed under saline-alkaline conditions. Furthermore, the soil physicochemical properties and the types of rhizosphere microorganisms were determined. Results Broomcorn millet adapted to high saline-alkaline conditions by reducing its height and leaf area and increasing its root-shoot ratio. Salinity is an important factor that regulates the composition of the microbial community. Under high salinity (HS) treatment, the rhizosphere reshaped the microbial communities by recruiting specific beneficial microbes, namely Nocardioides, Saccharimonadal, and Nitriliruptoraceae bacteria that promote soil nutrient cycling and Operculomyces, Alternaria and Cryptococcus fungi that are involved in the decomposition of organic matter and the absorption of nutrients. In addition, the microbial community is influenced by the rhizosphere compartment, and more unique fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are recruited in the high salinity rhizosphere (HS_R) compared to the high salinity non-rhizosphere (HS_NR). The changes in the microbial communities may promote the cycling of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in high salinity soil and ultimately promote the accumulation of P in all the organs and improve the N use efficiency of the plants. Conclusion The findings of this study reveal the mechanism of the adaptation of broomcorn millet to different levels of salinity stress and provide insights into microbial and fertilizer management in saline-alkali land.